Bokeh is normally created in-camera by using a shallow depth-of-field and focusing on the subject and allowing the other parts of the image to become blurry. For this shot I wanted to create a glam look by adding some bokeh in Photoshop.
I added a blank layer above the top layer, and selected a hard-edged round brush and set the foreground colour to white. I wanted the brush to paint a bunch of random circles so I went to the brush window and selected “shape dynamics” and moved the slider for “size jitter” to around 30%, selected “scattering” and checked “both axes” and moved the slider to around 480%, “count” to 2, and “count jitter” to around 30%. FInally, I selected “other dynamics” and changed the “opacity jitter” to 10%. You might need to play around with the settings to get something that looks good for you. I then painted the layer with a few strokes. I added a layer effect – “gradient overlay” and used white for the foreground colour and some gold from the lips for the background. It was a linear gradient with an angle of 118 degrees, and normal blend mode. Finally, I adjusted the layer opacity to 67%.
I then added another blank layer above this, and painted some more circles, then I used the Gaussian blur filter to make these blurry. You will need to play around with the radius that best works for you. I added some layer effects – “outer glow” and used the eye dropper to grab some gold colour from the lips, and changed the blend mode to screen. I also used “inner glow” with a light yellow colour (ffffbe). I used a levels adjustment layer, clipped to this layer and lightened up the bokeh circles until they glowed a little. I then changed the layer opacity to about 50%.
Finally, I used a curves adjustment layer above all the other layers to tweak the contrast of the overall image.
Here’s a video slideshow with images from a shoot with model and hairstylist Candy and makeup artist Kristina Capati. Click here to see the video on your iPhone/iPod Touch or iPad. Candy is great to work with and puts a lot of intensity into her modeling. Click here to view some of my previous shoots with Candy. This was my first time working with Kristina. I did another shoot with Kristina as both model and makeup artist and will post some images from that shoot later. Kristina was awesome to work with and I look forward to doing more shoots with her in the future!
Here are some more photos of Jennifer Nguyen from a photoshoot that we did in January 2010. We did 4 sets and the first was a natural look with blue jeans. The shoot went great and Jennifer brought some very sexy outfits. I’ll post more of those sets later! Check out Jennifer’s blog and Facebook page if you want see more photos and become a fan!
I took some action photos using the camera’s burst mode during the bubble-blowing set our photoshoot. The burst mode takes a few photos in rapid succession when you hold down the shutter release.
In Photoshop, I layered a couple of the photos, aligned them, then used the animation window to create a series of 5 layers using the tween command. I then converted the file from 16 bit to 8 bit mode and went to the File… Save for Web and Devices, and saved as a GIF, resizing and choosing the option to loop the animation forever.
This is a photo of model AsianSensation with makeup by artist Megs War Paint. The shoot was fun and sexy with lots of pink and girlie stuff, and definitely made a great Valentine’s themed shoot.
The model lives in Montreal and was in Vancouver for the holidays, so we arranged the shoot and planned the makeup, outfit and look. I got hold of some props including a couple Barbie’s at the local toy store – wow I didn’t know that there are so many Barbies! I also bought a long pink wig – I splurged and bought the higher quality wig for a little extra cost because I wanted it to look good in the photos. I have used cheaper wigs before and they are hard to use – the hair is too thin and frizzy! Now I own a long pink wig – so I’m sure it will appear in photoshoots again. I also got lollipops, bubbles, pink tulle fabric, tissue paper and bows.
On the day of the shoot I brought all the stuff and set up the lights while the makeup artist did her magic. I used a white seamless background and lit it with a strobe and pink gel. The model wore a sexy pink nightie and used the tulle for a skirt. The shoot was a lot of fun and the model was great. There were many photos from the shoot making it difficult to select a few for final editing!
We did not plan for this to be a Valentine’s Day theme, but looking at the photos, they are perfect for the occasion. Check out this set of photos from the shoot.
Feel free to comment and ask if you have any questions about my work. I am available for bookings, editorial and commercial assignments!
Bokeh is normally created in-camera by using a shallow depth-of-field and focusing on the subject and allowing the other parts of the image to become blurry. For this shot I wanted to create a glam look by adding some bokeh in Photoshop.
