Green Screen And/Or Composites by

Posted in Anything Goes (Almost)

I don't know what everyone here is capable of, but I do know that many of you are capable of a lot. That being said, have any of you ever attempted green screen work, or photo composites using all or partly your own photos? Even though I had no idea what I was doing, this is where my genuine interest in photography started, because someone said "Hey, you're good at this!" Here's a sample of what I was talking about. This is my very first attempt at ANY kind of green screen work, even before I actually tried to take a good photo!; I chose black & white because at the time it was more forgiving for me. However, I've done several shots since then, and I'm curious as to what and when anyone else has tried this type of photography, and are also willing to share your experiences. For example, I now know that the shadow in this photo is completely unrealistic, and that's just the first thing I've noticed looking back on my early work. That's the kind of stuff I'm looking for. Post it, explain what you did, ask for advice. When offering it, do so politely and professionally. We are all here to learn.

I will say this as a novice to anyone who wants to try: 1) Make sure your light sources match up for best results! 2) Know how to take the green out, and if the subject is wearing green, maybe you need a blue or any other color background instead. 3) Have fun! Sometimes, when I have a new technique I want to try, and I know it will take several attempts, I offer the results to the client for free in return for being my guinea pig, so to say.


Tagged With: #greenscreen, #composite, #experiments
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I do a lot of green screen work. I began with dollar-store green plastic table cloths, but they were shiny and reflected tons of green onto the skin of my subjects.

I now use a proper chroma-key muslin green backdrop.

One of the first projects my partner and I did was a swimsuit calendar, shooting all the girls in our home studio and adding many layers afterwards. We would choose a suitable background image, and add the subject in the foreground, but also water drops, birds, etc. to make the image look more real.

My one word of advice is to be careful to match the color balance of foreground with background, and to ensure you have created believable shadows under your subject. I was going to share an example, but this comment box doesn't enable me to do so.
Posted by John Lister, about 3066 days ago
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Great article read.
Posted by Ivan Mia Mendoza, about 3362 days ago
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Nicely done!!
Posted by Scott Smith (co-founder), about 3362 days ago