Man, it’s getting cold. About a month or so ago, I was trying to come up with an idea for a holiday card to send out to friends Red Box Pictures. I shot this photo of the maple tree in my back yard, thinking it might make for a different kind of card. My colleagues made the point that it was way too Fall, and would feel out of place by the time we sent out the cards. I agreed then, but I REALLY agree now. It’s hard to believe how fast the weather turns in Seattle. The tree is leafless, and I’m starting to wear gloves everywhere I go. Keep an eye on your mailbox to see the card we finally came up with (you’ll probably see it here as well, I suppose). For those of you who are wondering how this was done, see an explanation below the photo. –Andy
An early prototype of our first holiday card, making use of the coral maple in my backyard and a little bit of Photoshop. (Photography by Andy Rogers/Red Box Pictures)
For anyone who wonders, I created this picture by cutting out a box from my son’s red construction paper and hanging it in the maple tree with the rest of the leaves. I photographed it, then took it down. Next, I grabbed a beautiful red leaf from a neighbor’s yard, hung it in the same spot and photographed it. I combined the two images as layers in Photoshop with the box photo on top. I just selected the red box with the lasso tool and erased the selection to reveal the red leaf below. I then fine-tuned the positioning of the lower layer and enlarged it enough to fill the box completely. A little cleanup on the edges and we’re done.
it is a wonderful image!