how to take such photos?

[chuckdee]

Looks like she may have been laying on a chair and it was photoshopped out but her dress says otherwise.

Actually, it says that the dress was hung in such a way as to make it more believable that she's not laying on something. It could be that mostly it's her back that's supported, plus the dress can be hanging over the front of whatever's supporting her - between the support and the camera - it doesn't have to be tucked up between her and the support.

To me, if she was floating upside down, with her legs up in the air, the dress would fall down lower exposing her loins.

The depth of field of the woods shot is shallow and for the couple it is not.

The DOF was manipulated during 10 hours he spent Photoshopping this, according to his notes and some of the other shots that show a much deeper DOF that easily covers the spacial plane the couple occupies, based on what we can see on the ground in the other photos I'm talking about.

That's a lot of post time! something I envy but I simply don't have the luxury of spending that much time on an image.

Not sure if the couple was photographed at the time of the background.

There's no way to be sure, but it's a whole lot easier to successfully merge the two when they're both shot close together, in the same light and using the same exposure settings, and that's especially true when it comes time to mask it. It's so much easier to do it that way, that I'd consider it downright foolish not to.

I agree. For time constraints it certainly makes sense but post time does not seem to be an issue for this guy!

I apologize for my reply being all over the place but I'm still learning the ins and outs here.
_____________________________________________________
Chuck Dee - AKA Chris
"A good photograph is knowing where to stand." -Ansel Adams
www.bellissimofoto.com
www.rhinobldg.com

 

[prodigy2k7]

How was the flare/light rays from the sun added on top of the people and look pretty good like that? Is that real or fake?

 

[Buckster]

Looks like she may have been laying on a chair and it was photoshopped out but her dress says otherwise.

Actually, it says that the dress was hung in such a way as to make it more believable that she's not laying on something. It could be that mostly it's her back that's supported, plus the dress can be hanging over the front of whatever's supporting her - between the support and the camera - it doesn't have to be tucked up between her and the support.

To me, if she was floating upside down, with her legs up in the air, the dress would fall down lower exposing her loins.

I noted that as well, and my guess is that she was at the moment of the shot quickly raising/kicking her legs up from a lower position, and the dress simply hadn't had time to fall yet. The light and shadow and her hair are pretty convincing to me that she was actually in that position in that light at that moment, brief as it may have been.

 

[chuckdee]

How was the flare/light rays from the sun added on top of the people and look pretty good like that? Is that real or fake?

Could have been from the sun or from positioned flash. That effect is real.

_____________________________________________________
Chuck Dee - AKA Chris
"A good photograph is knowing where to stand." -Ansel Adams
www.bellissimofoto.com
www.rhinobldg.com

 

[Buckster]

How was the flare/light rays from the sun added on top of the people and look pretty good like that? Is that real or fake?

Based on the other shots that are associated, it looks like it started out as a real element of the shot, but was then enhanced, and then added to in Photoshop with the Render>Lens Flare Filter.

 

[chuckdee]

Actually, it says that the dress was hung in such a way as to make it more believable that she's not laying on something. It could be that mostly it's her back that's supported, plus the dress can be hanging over the front of whatever's supporting her - between the support and the camera - it doesn't have to be tucked up between her and the support.

To me, if she was floating upside down, with her legs up in the air, the dress would fall down lower exposing her loins.

I noted that as well, and my guess is that she was at the moment of the shot quickly raising/kicking her legs up from a lower position, and the dress simply hadn't had time to fall yet. The light and shadow and her hair are pretty convincing to me that she was actually in that position in that light at that moment, brief as it may have been.

Could be. The light on her left arm doesn't quite fit as well as the other elements of the shot. Not trying to knock the guy at all, it's still a very cool and well done image.

_____________________________________________________
Chuck Dee - AKA Chris
"A good photograph is knowing where to stand." -Ansel Adams
www.bellissimofoto.com
www.rhinobldg.com

 

[jake337]

Here are some more for inspiration. I believe she does a workshop on levitation too. Also note many of these where created with a Nikon D80.


Weightless - a set on Flickr

 

[Buckster]

To me, if she was floating upside down, with her legs up in the air, the dress would fall down lower exposing her loins.

I noted that as well, and my guess is that she was at the moment of the shot quickly raising/kicking her legs up from a lower position, and the dress simply hadn't had time to fall yet. The light and shadow and her hair are pretty convincing to me that she was actually in that position in that light at that moment, brief as it may have been.

Could be. The light on her left arm doesn't quite fit as well as the other elements of the shot. Not trying to knock the guy at all, it's still a very cool and well done image.

I don't see anything off about the light on her left arm at all. What is it you see that doesn't seem to fit?

How would you say that it was accomplished then, if not by the common means I outlined?

 

[chuckdee]

I noted that as well, and my guess is that she was at the moment of the shot quickly raising/kicking her legs up from a lower position, and the dress simply hadn't had time to fall yet. The light and shadow and her hair are pretty convincing to me that she was actually in that position in that light at that moment, brief as it may have been.

Could be. The light on her left arm doesn't quite fit as well as the other elements of the shot. Not trying to knock the guy at all, it's still a very cool and well done image.

I don't see anything off about the light on her left arm at all. What is it you see that doesn't seem to fit?

How would you say that it was accomplished then, if not by the common means I outlined?

To me, the shadow on her left hand isn't as proportioned to her arm. (dark/bluish) The arm looks too over exposed to me and not as natural (shadow from back sunlight) Also, the more I look at the shot, I see more cyan in the couple than the rest of the image. It's subtle but I see it....on my monitor anyways.
I'm not really disputing what you're saying at all, just voicing my opinion.

_____________________________________________________
Chuck Dee - AKA Chris
"A good photograph is knowing where to stand." -Ansel Adams
www.bellissimofoto.com
www.rhinobldg.com

 

[Buckster]

Could be. The light on her left arm doesn't quite fit as well as the other elements of the shot. Not trying to knock the guy at all, it's still a very cool and well done image.

I don't see anything off about the light on her left arm at all. What is it you see that doesn't seem to fit?

How would you say that it was accomplished then, if not by the common means I outlined?

To me, the shadow on her left hand isn't as proportioned to her arm. (dark/bluish) The arm looks too over exposed to me and not as natural (shadow from back sunlight) Also, the more I look at the shot, I see more cyan in the couple than the rest of the image. It's subtle but I see it....on my monitor anyways.
I'm not really disputing what you're saying at all, just voicing my opinion.

Understood, but it still doesn't make sense to me to shoot it any other way, and that's why I'm asking what other way you have in mind to do this. I'm always up for learning something new, especially if it's an improved method!

On the arm looking too overexposed, I attribute that to the white dress acting as a reflector. On the tints and so on, the guy was doing SOMETHING for 10 hours in Photoshop, so I'm not terribly surprised that he played with some color balance here and there. He did a significant amount of lightening and brightening as well, and probably felt he needed to then adjust the color balance in the shadows and so forth.

 

[chuckdee]

I don't see anything off about the light on her left arm at all. What is it you see that doesn't seem to fit?

How would you say that it was accomplished then, if not by the common means I outlined?

To me, the shadow on her left hand isn't as proportioned to her arm. (dark/bluish) The arm looks too over exposed to me and not as natural (shadow from back sunlight) Also, the more I look at the shot, I see more cyan in the couple than the rest of the image. It's subtle but I see it....on my monitor anyways.
I'm not really disputing what you're saying at all, just voicing my opinion.

Understood, but it still doesn't make sense to me to shoot it any other way, and that's why I'm asking what other way you have in mind to do this. I'm always up for learning something new, especially if it's an improved method!

On the arm looking too overexposed, I attribute that to the white dress acting as a reflector. On the tints and so on, the guy was doing SOMETHING for 10 hours in Photoshop, so I'm not terribly surprised that he played with some color balance here and there. He did a significant amount of lightening and brightening as well, and probably felt he needed to then adjust the color balance in the shadows and so forth.

Good point about the dress, just don't know if you'd get that much reflection. Perhaps though. This was shot with a Rebel and although a fine camera, not one that is generally associated with professionals. I believe the photographer is more of graphic artist and probably did this shot differently than say you or me and spent 1000 hours in photoshop for the final product.
We need to get him on here.

_____________________________________________________
Chuck Dee - AKA Chris
"A good photograph is knowing where to stand." -Ansel Adams
www.bellissimofoto.com
www.rhinobldg.com

 

[jake337]

To me, the shadow on her left hand isn't as proportioned to her arm. (dark/bluish) The arm looks too over exposed to me and not as natural (shadow from back sunlight) Also, the more I look at the shot, I see more cyan in the couple than the rest of the image. It's subtle but I see it....on my monitor anyways.
I'm not really disputing what you're saying at all, just voicing my opinion.

Understood, but it still doesn't make sense to me to shoot it any other way, and that's why I'm asking what other way you have in mind to do this. I'm always up for learning something new, especially if it's an improved method!

On the arm looking too overexposed, I attribute that to the white dress acting as a reflector. On the tints and so on, the guy was doing SOMETHING for 10 hours in Photoshop, so I'm not terribly surprised that he played with some color balance here and there. He did a significant amount of lightening and brightening as well, and probably felt he needed to then adjust the color balance in the shadows and so forth.

Good point about the dress, just don't know if you'd get that much reflection. Perhaps though. This was shot with a Rebel and although a fine camera, not one that is generally associated with professionals. I believe the photographer is more of graphic artist and probably did this shot differently than say you or me and spent 1000 hours in photoshop for the final product.
We need to get him on here.

_____________________________________________________
Chuck Dee - AKA Chris
"A good photograph is knowing where to stand." -Ansel Adams
www.bellissimofoto.com
www.rhinobldg.com

It's the photographer not the camera that has a vision and knows how to create it. This seems to be a simple composite to me. He could have pre-planned the time of day he planned for his background and did the subjects exposures in studio. He could have written down his focus distance and camera height, etc so it would all match. It would seem much easier to just do out in the field.

Many of her creations were done with a D80.
Weightless - a set on Flickr

 

[wayler]

I recently purchased Elements and seeing this thread made me want to try one. I did this with just the healing brush.

 

[chuasam]

is this the only way? I only use lightroom...

In that case, build an antigravity machine and levitate your subjects.

 

[chuckdee]

is this the only way? I only use lightroom...

In that case, build an antigravity machine and levitate your subjects.

I ordered one online and it should be here this week.

_____________________________________________________
Chuck Dee - AKA Chris
"A good photograph is knowing where to stand." -Ansel Adams
www.bellissimofoto.com
www.rhinobldg.com