Light Masking or a tale of three maskings.

Masking subjects for replacing the background can be very tedious.  As a photographer, you could leave that task for the graphic artist.  But if you, the photographer, supply the files with perfect clipping paths, you become a more valuable part of the creative team.

The masking challenges:

Subject 1–  stuffed animal with a feather – feather with delicate wisps.

L to R:  The set up on glass lets light show through all around subject  —  Main exposure for subject  —  Background exposure for mask  —  processed mask ready for Photoshop process.

Subject 2–  lantern – a subject with transparency

We want the background to come through the transparent areas and keep the inside and globe surface detail.

Here are some options.

Subject 3-  a location and studio shoot  –  This location shoot was canceled due to snow.

To complete this for a deadline,  I shot the skate park a day earlier than the snow fall and two days later, I shot the skate boarder in the studio.  With masking, we put this all together.

The Process

I have been using the Hensel FreeMask radio triggers on my Dynalite power packs for executing the two lighting exposures in this process.  They fire almost simultaneously.  Lighting is divided into, first for the subject, and then instantly the background.  You need the Hensel radios for this, especially for human subjects (camera set for minimum of 6 frames per second – 10 frames is better).  The two frames are processed in Photoshop.  See details at the links below.

Hensel link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyfmAAfuf3o

The Process:  https://youtu.be/JdY_4-xhRs0

CAMERA- Olympus M1, LIGHTS- DynaLite,  RADIO TRIGGERING- Hensel Free Mask