Composite Photography Lighting Tips

Composite photography is becoming increasingly popular for commercial use and as interest rises in the technique, so does the talent behind the photographs. Photographers are adapting to the style and experimenting with lighting that will give them the best possible HDR experience. In the following video, a pair of photographers are presented with the challenge of doing a composite photography shoot of the new Audi A4 in unfavorable weather conditions. Have a look to see the approach the two took and whether or not they were able get the job done.

The photographers used a rather minimal setup, bringing out just a single strobe and transmitter, a Canon 5D Mark II with a 50mm lens, a sturdy tripod, and a cable release. The strobe was mounted onto a boom arm and stand which had wheels, making the light easy to move around while lighting individual sections of the car for each composite layer. They then took each of the photographs and edited them together during post to get one final image that combined the best qualities of each layer.

hdr photography lighting

According to these photographers, one of the main keys to good composite images comes from minimizing movement of the camera. Hence the use of a tripod and cable release. This will give you the sharpest composite images possible, which is not unlike other forms of photography.

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