Mariya Popandopulo

Still Life Photography: Magic of Extra Lights

Heya, Dawn! Just wanted to know if you sorted out the problem with layer mask? =)

Hi Mariya!

I am so sorry, I have only just seen your comments, yes, I managed to find a way around it, very strange. I will try a few of the solutions you suggested to see if they work as I think i ended up doing the adjustments and using a make to darken around the cup. If you don't mind, can you please leave the video up for a little longer so I can use it should I need it?

Im going to post my photo so you can see. I am very excited to get started on your new coffee cup illustration class! 

Hope you had a wonderful holidays and new year! 

:)

Happy New Year, Dawn! =) It can stay there for as long as you need, my only question to delete it from youtube was that I used your picture for editing. But if you have no problems with that, it can stay there no questions asked =) Oh yes, the coffee class should be fun =) Cant wait to see your drawing :)

Hello again =) Right, so I have uploaded the video to you tube. <a href="https://youtu.be/Rdtr41oTLzs" rel="nofollow">Here is the link.</a> Let me know when I can delete it, since I'm using your picture =) I can also leave it there, if you don't mind =) It's without the audio, however. But you can see what I do. Basically, I add adjustments layers and edit them before using any masks, I just look at the areas I need to brighten - the cup and cookies and ignore the rest of the picture (which becomes too bright at the point of playing with adjustments).  I do this for Brightness/Contrast layer and same for Curves layer. Then I group them, and make a layer mask on that group. I then invert the mask and finally use soft white brush to brighten the areas I need.  As for over saturation, eh, I think pretty much every photographer went through that stage =D Hey, I'm still doing this sometimes =D  Also, i think the colors are great for non edited photo!  Selection tool...riiiight =) it depends on the subject. For example, when editing my watercolor pictures and I need to separate the drawing from the background, like here <img src="https://static.skillshare.com/uploads/parentClasses/1338111d2c6b8d3ed6aa832daa296a9e/b765964a" alt="b765964a" /> I use magic wand, to select the white background and then invert selection, so that the cup will be selected. Magic wand is perfect when background is very simple and homogenous.  For something more complicated, like separating a person from the background, when the background is not simple, I would use a combination of Magnetic lasso tool, and then go manually over the areas with just a simple Lasso tool, where magnetic one didn't perform all that well.  Lightroom. I love Lightroom, 90% of my editing is done in LR, because it's fast, intuitive and well...fast..did I say that twice? I cover LR in this class - <a href="http://skl.sh/2drb7Cx" rel="nofollow">Travel Photography for Beginners: Enhance Your Pictures with Lightroom Editing!</a> Things I discuss there are applicable to pretty much any kind of photography, so you can see how LR works and decide whether its worth investing or not =) Also, there is an editing in LR section of a still life picture in this class <a href="http://skl.sh/1Vnor5y" rel="nofollow">Still Life Photography: Make a Perfect Breakfast Picture</a> - there I do go quite oversaturated, to be honest :) but I do love bright colors =)) You can check the Editing video there. Ok, I think I have answered all questions? If not, please let me know :)  And if you have more, please do ask ;) Mariya

Hi Mariya!

Thank you so much for doing a video! Sorry its taken a few days for me to touch base with you. I have been working a lot! Dont delete the video yet, im still working with it. 

I do have a question regarding masks, I dont use them very much. So i ctrl+alt clicked my mask button do that the mask box that came up was dark, however it wont let me work with the paint brush on it. A box pops up saying I have to merge the layers in the group. Then the image goes back to its original and there is nothing to unmask. 

Yet if i just click mask with no Ctrl+Alt and up pops a white box, I can use my brush to darken around the cup. 

Im just not sure whats going wrong when I have up a dark mask box in the layers palette. Does that make sense? its hard to explain! lol 


Hi, Dawn! Oh, I'm not sure I got it, to be honest =D Can you just make a normal layer mask (white one) and then invert it (Cmd+I)? Have you done your adjustment layers properly, they have to brighten the cup, not darken it, so I'm not sure why the white layer mask acts in this way =) Is it possible for you to make a video of it or print screens so that I can investigate further?

Ah, so you are very thorough, well done! I wonder how many pictures in total you did for that shoot? =) I do like how light is playing on the cookies here but I definitely prefer the composition of the initial images. Sooooo, in situation like that, editing can be a solution =)  I brightened up the cup and cookies in the third image of your initial selection, by increasing brightness and playing with curves (moved the RGB curve up, moved Blue curve down a little, to make cookie more warm and increased Reds, because brining down Blue resulted in some green cast). Grouped both adjustment layers together and made a layer mask of that group. Inverted it, so that it won't be visible on the whole image and draw with soft white brush at opacity of about 60% over the cup and cookies (more on cookies) <img src="https://static.skillshare.com/uploads/parentClasses/1338111d2c6b8d3ed6aa832daa296a9e/80152404" alt="80152404" /> <img src="https://static.skillshare.com/uploads/parentClasses/1338111d2c6b8d3ed6aa832daa296a9e/6973f3c9" alt="6973f3c9" /> If you need more explanation on the editing part, please do ask. I tried to be brief, but it may be too technical =) Similar effect can also be achieved in Lightroom and even in Snapseed (an iPhone app) Btw, every home need a blanket like that =D

I shot about 30 photos in total and shot them in RAW before converting to JPEG. 

I totally get the editing part, I do know Photoshop pretty well, I just didn't edit any for the project initially as I wanted you to see what I achieved in camera. I am thrilled to see what you would do to edit the image though as it gives me a idea how to get that image just right. Sometimes I get be a little guilty of over saturating colors. The editing you did was perfect. I will be implementing your advice to some of my other images and I will post them when they are done. 

Ive never really worked with Lightroom, would you say it is worth it to have it? 

I really appreciate all your feedback and thoughts! I can't wait to complete another one of your classes! :)

In terms of the blanket, I think we may need another, everyone is always trying to use it! lol. 

Ooo, I do have another question, What selection tool do you prefer for selecting individual sections of images?

And here is the next question! lol. Sorry for asking so many. Did you create the layer mask before altering the curves and brightnesss? I am just a little unclear of what order you did things in?

=D No problem! I love questions! I'll record editing in PS later today and find a way to send it to you, will also answer other questions =)

Hello, Dawn!  Im so happy that class did inspire you to make pictures =) Sometimes it seems to be such a hassle to get all the props, arrange them, take pictures and as an additional bonus clean  everything up (which for some reason takes longer or it just seems so, than to gather all items in the first place =)) I really like how you worked with colors - how the plate and the background (sofa?) correspond nicely. All images are really nice and indeed the last image does look exceptionally good due to reflections. Right, so feedback =) If anything I would suggest looking at the exposure of the cookie. Maybe if the fairy lights (yay now I know that those are called fairy lights =D) were a bit higher, they will add some light and warmth to the cookies? Right now the cookies are a bit too cool and dark on the third image.  Well done and thank you so much for sharing =)) Mariya

Thanks Mariya! I am thrilled i found the lights and for not much money at all!

The red in the background is actually the coziest blanket, you only have to have it draped over you for 10 mins before you start to nap! lol. 

I do have some images where the lights come around the front and pick up on the golden bake off the cookie. The composition is also slightly different. I would love to hear your thoughts. :)

Hi Mariya
I very much enjoyed this class! I really do love photography, but sometimes I need something to give me a good reason to get my camera out, a bit of motivation. This class gave me just that. I adore the effects of light in photography and will be exploring this much more now I have got started.
I don't have access to my new camera at the moment (its with my Husband who is in the USA) so i used my Sony A200 (my first dslr) and my Sony SAM 50mm 1.8 lens.
Photo with no lights:
<img src="https://static.skillshare.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,width=1000,format=auto/uploads/project/09c31529da0a3d1b18094ad5613fbd0c/97d2ea0a" class="zoomable rounded-image-wrapper" alt="A cosy cuppa - image 1 - student project" srcset="https://static.skillshare.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,width=600,format=auto/uploads/project/09c31529da0a3d1b18094ad5613fbd0c/97d2ea0a 600w, https://static.skillshare.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,width=1000,format=auto/uploads/project/09c31529da0a3d1b18094ad5613fbd0c/97d2ea0a 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" loading="lazy">
Here is the image with tealights:
<img src="https://static.skillshare.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,width=1000,format=auto/uploads/project/09c31529da0a3d1b18094ad5613fbd0c/29766f00" class="zoomable rounded-image-wrapper" alt="A cosy cuppa - image 2 - student project" srcset="https://static.skillshare.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,width=600,format=auto/uploads/project/09c31529da0a3d1b18094ad5613fbd0c/29766f00 600w, https://static.skillshare.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,width=1000,format=auto/uploads/project/09c31529da0a3d1b18094ad5613fbd0c/29766f00 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" loading="lazy">
Here is the image with fairy lights:
<img src="https://static.skillshare.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,width=1000,format=auto/uploads/project/09c31529da0a3d1b18094ad5613fbd0c/9e9afd61" class="zoomable rounded-image-wrapper" alt="A cosy cuppa - image 3 - student project" srcset="https://static.skillshare.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,width=600,format=auto/uploads/project/09c31529da0a3d1b18094ad5613fbd0c/9e9afd61 600w, https://static.skillshare.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,width=1000,format=auto/uploads/project/09c31529da0a3d1b18094ad5613fbd0c/9e9afd61 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" loading="lazy">
And here is an image with both tealights and fairy lights:
<img src="https://static.skillshare.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,width=1000,format=auto/uploads/project/09c31529da0a3d1b18094ad5613fbd0c/ba52e80d" class="zoomable rounded-image-wrapper" alt="A cosy cuppa - image 4 - student project" srcset="https://static.skillshare.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,width=600,format=auto/uploads/project/09c31529da0a3d1b18094ad5613fbd0c/ba52e80d 600w, https://static.skillshare.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,width=1000,format=auto/uploads/project/09c31529da0a3d1b18094ad5613fbd0c/ba52e80d 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" loading="lazy">
I personally like the last one with both elements of light, I like the reflection on the mug. I would love to hear any thoughts :)
A final image with edits recommended by Mariya!
<img src="https://static.skillshare.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,width=1000,format=auto/uploads/project/09c31529da0a3d1b18094ad5613fbd0c/f50b36fa" class="zoomable rounded-image-wrapper" alt="A cosy cuppa - image 5 - student project" srcset="https://static.skillshare.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,width=600,format=auto/uploads/project/09c31529da0a3d1b18094ad5613fbd0c/f50b36fa 600w, https://static.skillshare.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=80,width=1000,format=auto/uploads/project/09c31529da0a3d1b18094ad5613fbd0c/f50b36fa 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 600px, 100vw" loading="lazy">

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