THE Churchill Downs (the Kentucky Derby one) and their agency of record, gave me more than a few tough images to tame. These are some of my best examples of using multiple images to create a large seamless collage of excitement.
PLEASE Note and USE the <SLIDERS> to see Before & After images. Best viewed on a desktop!
Six images shot by multiple photographers on different days were combined to create this large poster and newspaper ad. Notice the subtle color shifts on the woman and background that added a lot more warmth and life to her. All the architectual shots had to be color balanced to feel like they were from the same site and time of day. As a last second surprise, Budweiser wanted our classy, already retouched and proofed lady, to be holding one of their adult beverages. Thankfully, we found a can that was in a position that I was able to put into her already waiting hand.
In theory, the binoculars were plenty big enough to show some images, but when they have to be discerned on a billboard, sometimes things need to be scaled differently. In addition male models apparently need more stubble. Adding stubble was a lot easier than removing HUGE wrist scars. I guess he was more of a head shot model?
Plaid, plaid, and more purple plaid. Who would of thought that a created purple plaid would not be available to buy to dress their model. This billboard was made possible by JJ & Photoshop. Making the knee plaid less transparent was by far the hardest part of this challenge.
The hardest image to clip out and pink-tify was the only one my client shot. Grey horse hair on asphalt is not a recommended background for clipping. The girl’s dress in the center is actually a comfortable looking nightie, that was re-purposed from a different stock photographers shoot. And obviously everything pink was added, except oddly the least likely pink piece of clothing, a guys striped pants?
Bars often have low light for a reason. It hides the flaws clients want retouchers to fix. What’s that, Bud is paying for this ad too? Good thing we got that bottle shot still. Although how she’s holding this can is a bit more of a mystery. Ahh don’t stare so long, if you look at any image long enough you’ll find oddities, even if they are real. Sure being retouched makes this fake, but you probably wouldn’t of noticed it, if you hadn’t seen the original.
This collage was supposed to resemble a slide projector shining light on a horse that is in a Churchill Downs location. These are one of many horses, walls, and stock photos with headlines that were created for this ad campaign.
Since a using an actual slide projector, to project not yet picked/approved stock photos, on to a cooperative horse, with a grandstand like backdrop is pretty impossible to do, we Photoshopically projected them on the horses. Which isn’t quite as realistic looking as we would of liked, but it does allows for this line – No horses were blinded in the process of making these ads.