This image photoshop?

[bdavis]

So I picked up a magazine this morning about a photographer who took this photo. They just raved about his skill as a car photographer, but I'm beginning to wonder...is it just me or is this photoshop. Looks like the car was simply placed on this background. Not to burn the photographer or anything, I was just curious...

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[Big Mike]

Does it matter if it's a composite image or not?

[bdavis]

I guess not, but I guess that some people feel that's wrong for whatever reason. I wouldn't think it matters as long as you shot both images, I've certainly had to do that to get the desired result. I'm not looking to burn the author of this piece, I just saw this in a magazine and something about it looked out of place to me so I thought I'd ask, but maybe its just my eyes deceiving me.

Do many pros use photoshop to piece together some images in this way to get the result they are looking for?

[Big Mike]

We would probably all be surprised to see how much image manipulation goes on in the images for magazines.

That being said, it can often be easier to just get the shot right in the first place...which might well have been the case with the car shot.

[Samanax]

I'm not looking to burn the author of this piece, I just saw this in a magazine and something about it looked out of place to me so I thought I'd ask, but maybe its just my eyes deceiving me.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. That car wasn't shot in that garage, it was shot somewhere else and edited into the garage image...unless that car has a matte paint job that doesn't reflect light. Where are the flares from the overhead lights? Or from the lights used to take the picture. And the angle of the car looks all wrong for the angle of the garage floor.

Do many pros use photoshop to piece together some images in this way to get the result they are looking for?

Depends on the type of pro they are. Photojournalists can't manipulate their images beyond very basic editing touchups and crops. Magazine photogs and editors on the other hand are free to do just about anything they want to sell the shot. Fashion and Celebrity magazine covers are notorious for being heavily 'Photoshopped' in order to draw attention to them.

[bdavis]

I was just curious because I've had to photoshop my fair share of photos, but I was wondering if it was generally frowned on by a majority of pros. I think Big Mike's right, it would just be easier to get the shot right the first time.

[Samanax]

I was just curious because I've had to photoshop my fair share of photos, but I was wondering if it was generally frowned on by a majority of pros. I think Big Mike's right, it would just be easier to get the shot right the first time.

I agree...get it right in camera.

I know a couple of free-lance professionals who frown upon heavy photoshop use. They started in film and believe it's better/easier to get it right in camera than to spend hours in front of the computer manipulating a photo.

But I've met folks on-line who do amazing things when they do heavy duty editing to their photos, but it's more artsy kind of stuff.

Who's right? Who's wrong? Who cares.

[SrBiscuit]

there are zero specular highlights in the paint of the car, and a giant halogen directly above it...looks like a very flat cartoon-type of average color fill.

*edit...just realized i pretty much quoted sam...

[platano]

that pic looks ugly to me. :P my 2 cents lol.. but yeah, i think what the answer u are looking for is, Yes Its FAKE!

[Ls3D]

Yea, where are the light plots, hdri reflection maps, global illumination - maybe they should hire a 3D Artist

-Shea

Yo what up Nikon - I got my FLASH!

[bdavis]

I guess what everyone is saying now is:

If you're going to photoshop something do it right...

[Peano]

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. That car wasn't shot in that garage, it was shot somewhere else and edited into the garage image...unless that car has a matte paint job that doesn't reflect light. Where are the flares from the overhead lights?

Perhaps they were cloned out.

[bdavis]

doubtful, the angle of car and shadows don't look correct.