FEATURED PROJECT:
 "Tiger Truck "

Have you ever looked at an automobile advertisement in a magazine and wondered where the photo shoot took place? While it's true that sometimes large auto makers send their photographers off to exotic locations for a shoot, more often then not they pick a more convenient not-so-exotic place, and use various re-touching techniques to create the final striking scene that ends up on the pages of the magazine. Sometimes it's pretty easy to spot. For example, the visual hyperbole so common in SUV ads, with the vehicle precariously perched on top of an iceberg, mountain peak, or some other unlikely location, is obviously achieved through the use of photographic re-touching. It is quite common to photograph the vehicle and the scenery separately, then composite the two images together to achieve the final image. Sometimes, though, the vehicle is actually shot outside on location, then later the image is carefully processed to get that "just right" professional look. This is the type of subtle photographic re-touching technique utilized in this month's featured project.

I helped with this photo shoot (actually I designed the graphics on the truck too, but that's another story), and we used a digital camera- the Nikon CoolPix 800. The client specializes in vehicle graphics, and the photo of the "tiger truck" was to be used in a color brochure. The original concept was to take a photo of the truck on a large expanse of pavement with a somewhat distant and non-descript horizon. Basically, the idea was to show off the graphics on the truck without a lot of distracting background artifacts. An airport tarmac would have been perfect, but obviously, not very practical. We searched for hours for a good location, but just couldn't seem to find what we were looking for. We finally settled for a parking lot at a local park, and decided that the image could be digitally adjusted later to get what we needed. Like so many other businesses on a limited budget and time frame, we just had to make due with what we had.

When I got back to the studio and downloaded the photo into my computer, I was pleased to see that we had captured a workable image with plenty of detail. The first order of business was to do some color correction. The main color issue was that there was too much blue in the image. The truck is painted bright red, but in the photo it looked purplish and dingy. Pulling down the blue hues and punching up the red made a world of difference. The next step was to darken the side window and windshield, an optical technique that directs the viewer's eyes down toward the graphics on the side of the vehicle. A well-placed lense flare on the hood of the truck serves a similar purpose. The last step on the pickup itself was to apply a custom made "unsharp mask." This is a photographic term that, contrary to what it sounds like, brings the image into sharper focus. Actually, it is an optical trick that makes the image appear as if it is in better focus, and when used properly, the results can be quite stunning. Look carefully at the before and after images, and you will see what I mean.

Of course, the final and most important step was to reassign much of the background image. The close focal point of the background in the original photo makes the scene feel closed in and small. Visual cues like the parking lot curb and the hills in the back had to be eliminated to open up the scene optically. Moving background visual references further back and expanding the pavement area makes the horizon appear to be further away, which gives the scene the desired expansive feel. All of this works together to place the viewer's focus directly on the truck and its graphics instead of on distracting background objects. Click HERE for interactive before and after photos of this project!

Do you have any comments about this project or questions about photo re-touching? Please contact Nathan Hood at: feedback@nathanhood.net

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