X-post from Pets: Animal-loving photographer creates surreal art to save shelter pets

[sinkingfeeling]

http://www.today.com/pets/animal-loving-photographer-creates-surreal-art-save-shelter-pets-2D79369807

Well, Hungarian photographer Sarolta Bán has more than just a frustrated desire to help: She’s got a plan. She creates fantastical, serene — even surreal — images of shelter animals all over the world in an effort to help them get adopted.








More at link.

[Curmudgeoness]

1. How in the heck does she do this?

So interesting, and I cannot tell that these were photoshopped.

I am glad that this is getting attention to rescue animals who need homes, but I think that the photos that she starts with look good too. I don't know why they wouldn't work to get the pets adopted, but I can see that this kind of attention is better.

[Stevenmarc]

2. A lot of talent and a lot of prep

Unless all your components have a consistent look they are always going to look a bit off, so a really good working knowledge of Curves is pretty essential.

PetaPixel posted an interesting tutorial recently, and while it has nothing to do with compositing photos it shows how to apply a look of one photo to another with curves. The point is that if you look at the original photos in that tutorial and imagine combining them it's going to look very photoshopped but the after photo is a much better candidate for compositing.

http://petapixel.com/2014/03/12/tutorial-easily-replicate-photos-look-using-curves/

[Curmudgeoness]

3. I do admit that I don't know how to use any of these programs

to adjust and manipulate photos, but that is mind-boggling. I suppose that I could use a beginner tutorial, but this did give me an idea of some of the options available, even if I don't know how to do it.

[groundloop]

4. Unfortunately there's a heck of a lot more to it than just knowing how to use Photoshop

I'm fairly decent with Photoshop but have zero knowledge or training in art. Whenever I'm playing with composite images I have a heck of a hard time making them look 'real', I can only dream about making images as fantastic as these.