I have been working on a series of images called “Signs of Life.” The concept is really simple: combine everyday photographic objects and text together to create an inspirational message. Now, if you’re asking yourself what does that mean? Take a look.
“Follow your Dreams” was shot at a nearby park on a very foggy morning. The arrows are part of the road that lead down the hill towards the lake. So, the plan was to take this image and with the help of Photoshop add the words “DREAMS” to the road. This was the beginning of the “Vital Signs” concept.
Since then I’m always trying to come up with new ideas to add to the series. So, I thought that I would write about my latest image, “SOAR”, and take you through the creative and technical steps in putting this image together.
The image of a group of helium ballons lifting off has been “floating” around my head for the past 3 decades. Way back in elementary school we had a balloon launch. Every student put there name and address on a card along with a postage stamp. We then tied the card to the balloon string and released our balloons. I still remember this like it was yesterday; two hundred balloons all being released at the same time! As the days and weeks passed, the cards came trickling in. The strangers who found the cards sent them back to us with a note where they were discovered. Some balloons travelled more than 200 miles.
So I have this 30 year old image stuck in my mind, and I want to recreate it on a smaller scale. The easiest thing to do would be to get a bunch a balloons and release them into the air, but I don’t want the nearby trees littered with the remains of my efforts. So, I decided to shoot all of the pieces separately and put them together in Photoshop.
Step 1: Up, Up and Away (sort of)
Here’s a shot of one the balloons. I taped a piece of monofilament to the top of the balloon and then clamped it to a lightstand.I didn’t use a real helium balloon because I didn’t want it floating all over the place. I then laid on the ground and shot the balloon from the bottom. I had the sun as my main light, and then I filled in the shadows with an off-camera flash.
I did this about 50 times shooting from different angles. I ended up using 3 different shots for the final composite.
Step 2: Tie A Yellow Ribbon
The next step was the string and card. I wanted this to look as natural as possible. I got a yellow ribbon and tied it to a card and with the help of my trusty lightstand and some copperwire, I made a simple rig. I needed a large depth of field, so the card and the ribbon could stay in focus. So, I cranked up the camera to a 6 second exposure. And with several short burst of off camera flash I tried to recreate some natural shadows on the card.
Step 3: The Road Trip
Now comes the fun tedious part; putting it all together. It’s kind of like taking a long road trip: the first hour is exciting then it starts to drag on, and you wish it were over. I spent the next several hours “cutting” out tiny yellow ribbons, but I knew hoped all of this planning would pay off.
Step 4: Shoot the Sky
Everyday I would go out look up in the sky; search for the best clouds and start firing my camera. The neighbors probably thought it was a little strange, but hey– this was art. Besides, I had a great UFO story to use in case they asked.
Step 5: What to say?
I have the sky I want, I have the balloons arranged correctly, now I need some words on the cards. I didn’t do this when I shot the cards, because quite honestly I had no idea what to put on the card. My original word was “Hope.” Then I showed the rough picture to some friends and family to see what they thought. Everyone had a different opinion. I went through the suggestions and came up with “SOAR.” The other advantage of doing the text in Photoshop is that I can change the words at a later date if I ever change my mind.
Step 6: The Color Wheel
I have most of the elements in place, but the balloons are an ugly shade of green. It’s now time to pick the colors. Adobe has a great product called Kuler. It’s a simple program that gives you “hints” designing color schemes. And best of all it’s free!
The final balloon colors I used are “loosely” based around the compound colors of the sky; light and airy, as my sister suggests.
Step 7: The Countdown
Four days later the final composite has surfaced.
The Photoshop file has about 90 layers. I think this is a new record for me.
My computer hated this file.
Step 8: The Launch
Since putting this image together, I’ve gotten a lot of great comments about it. It’s always difficult when you are doing something creative, because you operate in a bubble. Everytime I start a project like this it’s a journey riddled with reflection, doubt and discovery. But that’s what makes it soar.
