In this episode of TheFIX, commercial photographer Jeff Shaffer provides an in-depth look at Apocalyptech, a personal project featuring a series of intricate and detailed Photoshop composites. We look at several aspects of creating the series, including concept and storyboard sketches, creating the background plate composites, photographing models in the studio to match the background plates, and putting it all together in Photoshop. The post TheFIX 082: Personal Project Profile: Apocalyptech by Jeff Shaffer appeared first on This Week in Photo.
Personal Project Profile: Apocalyptech by Jeff Shaffer
In this episode of TheFIX, commercial photographer Jeff Shaffer provides an in-depth look at Apocalyptech, a personal project featuring a series of intricate and detailed Photoshop composites. Apocalyptech was created as Jeff’s thesis project while earning his Master of Professional Studies in Digital Photography degree from New York’s prestigious School of Visual Arts. In the interview we take a look at the entire process for creating this personal project: Developing the initial concept for the story, looking at the work of other photographers who provided visual inspiration for the look and feel of the series, the creation of rough storyboard-like sketches that were the first visuals for the story and informed how the background composites were created, as well as the casting of models to play the main characters, and photographing the models in the studio to match the lighting and perspective in background plates that Jeff had already created. We wrap things up with a look at one of the layered Photoshop files and Jeff deconstructs how the composite was put together.
Links Mentioned in This Episode
Jeff Shaffer website   |   Apocalyptech site
Inspirations:  TokyoGenso   |   Lori Nix   |   David Trautrimas   |   Viktor Koen
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About Our Guest
Jeff Shaffer’s advertising photography has garnered numerous awards from art director’s clubs and other publication design groups. Based in Philadelphia, he has worked on national ad campaigns and annual reports for such prominent clients as Pfizer, Neiman Marcus, Ralph Lauren, Tanqueray, and Heineken. Jeff’s fine-art photography draws its inspiration from futuristic cinema and graphic novels, relying heavily on post-production manipulation in the style of computer graphics. He refined those skills while earning his Master of Professional Studies in Digital Photography degree from New York’s prestigious School of Visual Arts.
Images below from Apocalyptech by Jeff Shaffer
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Where’s Seán?
* Check out Seán’s new weekly series Mobile Photography Weekly on Lynda.com (the current week is always free with no subscription required), as well as some of his other courses, including Learn Photoshop Compositing: 10-Minute Techniques andÂ