12/29/2023
A little behind-the-scenes from our family Christmas card! First, yes, this is a composite image made of several different images layered in photoshop. We do not actually have sleigh-flying capabilities (wouldn’t that be great?). I saw the saying somewhere and it sparked this idea for us flying thought the sky. I wanted the kids front and center, but we like to be on the card too (just smaller) and it was fitting that we were trailing - flailing! - behind the flying sleigh. This final image has over 20 layers in it, and honestly I had more ideas for it but I ran out of time. Some of the layers are obvious, like one for the sled, one for each person, but there are also hidden things that make the final image. Like the position of the dog - the way her body was turned worked best this way but her head was turned the other so I turned her head around in photoshop, making the dog two layers so her eyes were on the flying disc. The flying braids are each their own layers, and the ribbon too.
If you ever want to try your own composites, the key is to have the lighting be consistent in all of the layers. I knew I was going to use the moon stock photo, and needed the light on the subjects to look like it came from that (you can see it most on the trailing parents, and the dog). The light was created using Godox flashes and MagMod modifiers. Image shot with a Sony a7Riv.
After a year of looking at images a certain way for my clients, imagining a composite for our family card is always a nice creative treat for me. And the best part is that they are so fun and silly the photoshop doesn’t need to be totally perfect in order to create the scene! I could have spent many more hours perfecting each layer in this but just didn’t have the time, and am still happy with how it came out. It has made friends and family laugh, which was the ultimate goal.
Cheers to more fun and creativity in 2024!
