Books about Compositing from Amazon.com

This is the only book in the After Effects market to focus exclusively on the creation of visual effects, and is a one-stop resource for anyone who wants in-depth explanations that demystify the realm of visual effects and how they were created, thanks to veteran author Mark Christiansen's friendly and accessible style. A thoroughly packed, informative read, this masterful guide focuses on explaining the essential concepts, features, and techniques that are key to creating seamless movie-quality visual effects. Users who are comfortable with After Effects will find a helpful review of After Effects fundamentals—managing footage, viewing and editing layers, animating type, and more—so they can learn how to work smarter and more efficiently. Readers of all levels will learn core techniques for effects compositing including color matching, keying, rotoscoping, motion tracking, emulating the camera, and concluding with using expressions in After Effects, written by contributor and expert Dan Ebberts. The final section of the book delves into creative explorations, demonstrating professional effects that readers might want to re-create.

Readers will also find comprehensive coverage of all that's new and makes this version of Adobe’s effects program such a boon to video pros of all stripes: searchable timelines and projects, Photoshop 3D layers import, the Cartoon effect, Imagineer Systems’ Mocha for Adobe After Effects, improved workflow for mobile devices, and more.

Throughout the book, beautiful full-color examples demonstrate what's possible, while the companion DVD offers demos of After Effects CS4, sample footage, and software plug-ins.

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Price: $27.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Designers, photographers, and artists are using Photoshop to create fantastic and realistic images for illustrations, fine art, and editorial content. Whether they're landscape or portrait photographers, illustrators or fine artists, masking and compositing are essential skills to master for combining images to the extent that it is impossible to tell where one image stops and the other one begins.

Photoshop artist and educator Katrin Eismann takes readers through numerous step-by-step examples, highlighting the tools and techniques used for masking and combining images. Featuring work by leading artists and photographers, this book focuses on the techniques used to create compelling compositions, including making fast and accurate selections, mastering Photoshop's masking tools, and implementing the concept and photography from start to finish. The book addresses working with Photoshop's selection tools; selecting and maintaining fine details and edges; working with difficult image elements, such as cloth, hair, or translucent objects; and green-screen techniques. Katrin also addresses the creative aspects of image compositing, including how to start with a concept, plan and execute the photography, and seamlessly assemble the image. Combining technical direction and inspiration, this book will expand readers' imaginations, so they can fluidly and professionally create images with Photoshop..
Price: $33.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Computer graphics special effects are widely used in film, television, and computer games. Compositing is a key part of the special effects pipeline—it is the final, crucial step where all the component parts of a rendering are joined together into a single, integrated image. These components may include 3D and 2D images that have been created with the wide variety of modeling, animation, and rendering tools available today.
Ron Brinkmann's The Art and Science of Digital Compositing provides a complete guide to the technical and artistic elements of this process and is the leading book in the field. Now revised in a second edition, Brinkmann uses his extensive experience in the visual effects industry to discuss the latest techniques used to create beautiful and believable images. The book takes a conceptual approach, fostering a deep understanding of compositing technique rather than focusing on specific tools—knowing where the buttons are located isn't nearly as important as knowing why to press those buttons.

* Ron Brinkmann brings extensive experience with feature film production to this complete reference on compositing
* Profusely illustrated in 4 color throughout with examples from contemporary films
* The bestselling book on compositing used by professionals and students alike.
Price: $54.72 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Put the essential concepts and techniques of digital compositing to work for you without the need of a single mathematical equation. Compositing Visual Effects is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of film shots, figures, illustrations and diagrams to help the visual reader gain a valuable vocabulary and understanding of the full range of visual effects, in which digital compositing plays a key role.

Beginning with an inspirational tour of the scope and magnitude of digital compositing you get a solid overview of the kinds of digital effects routinely executed today. See how CGI (Computer Generated Image) is composited with live action, how set extensions are done, and what a match-move shot is. Following that, you learn each of the key applications of digital compositing, which include bluescreen compositing, bullet time shots, motion tracking, and rotoscoping, and you get a primer on digital images, key concepts, and terms used in the compositing process. The subsequent chapters dig down into each of the major digital compositing applications, introducing the fundamental concepts and processes behind them. This includes the many ways to composite CGI, bluescreen compositing, animation, creating masks, working with digital keyers, and many more; but most importantly, the art of digital compositing-making your shots look not just photorealistic, but cool.

Learn what is easy and hard, possible and impossible, and what to expect when working on a job that entails digital compositing. There are tips on when not to use the new low-end DV video cameras and tips for the client, such as guidelines on how to shoot a quality bluescreen or greenscreen to get the best results at compositing time. All the while, special attention is paid to defining new terminology and telling a clear story from the ground up, with the only requirement being that you have read the previous chapters.

* An accessible introduction to a complex subject for novice compositors
* Full color presentation illustrating the art and techniques of the practice
* An experienced book author of 20 years compositing experience; with 60 feature film credits including Vanilla Sky, X-Men 2, Swept Away, and Solaris.
Price: $21.03 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Digital Compositing for Film and Video is a hands-on, how-to guide that addresses the problems and difficult choices faced by the professional compositor in real-life situations. This book presents you with tips, tricks and techniques for dealing with the badly shot elements, color artifacts, and mismatched lighting that bedevil compositors. Included in this book is: in-depth, practical methods for bluescreen matte extraction, despill operations, compositing operations, and color correction-the "meat and potatoes" of all digital effects. Written in a completely software independent style, it is totally applicable to any brand of compositing software.

The second edition contains many important additions:
* printed in full color with over 400 color photos and illustrations
* companion DVD with 3.7 gigabytes of test images, including hard to get HiDef video and feature film scans
* new section on working with HiDef video
* new section on digital intermediate, the feature film finishing process of today
* more Adobe Photoshop blending modes and procedures
* new material that reveals the add-mix composite, light wrap, slot gags, and how to defeat banding problems

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Price: $37.75 [Notify me when price goes down.]

If you thought Photoshop Elements was just for correcting and organizing photographs, this book will turn your head around. It opens up a whole new set of creative possibilities to explore as you learn how to combine images using this versatile program."
—Jan Kabili, author and trainer

Create your own visual composite masterpieces

Combine your digital photos with an artist's flair and create dazzling composites, thanks to Photoshop Elements and this comprehensive guide from an industry expert. Using great photography and expert design sense, author Ted LoCascio clearly shows how it's done, from simple tasks such as swapping an image background, to more advanced ones such as creating an abstract photomontage.

Loaded with fresh ideas, the book mixes clear and helpful narrative instruction, step-by-step tutorials, and hands-on video demonstrations providing the coverage you need to create sophisticated, even gallery-ready compositions.

Inside you'll find:

• In-depth coverage of how to swap, combine, replace, and mix pictureelements to get the most stunning digital images possible
• Over 150 full-color printed photos and more than two hours of video training on the companion CD, so you can see exactly how it's done

Discover how to:

• Use layers effectively, including adding effects, adjusting opacity and blend, and combining layers
• Make use of filters, styles, and textures for added pizzazz
• Apply masks, including using neutral layer masks, combining multiple exposures, and masking with Camera RAW files
• Build a keepsake wedding montage and an abstract photo collage

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Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file..
Price: $20.97 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Complete Photoshop CS2 for Digital Photographers is packed with updated coverage and tutorials on the new features of CS2. As with the first edition, this book is designed and written especially for digital photographers. It teaches you how to organize, enhance, correct, and retouch images; how to do creative things with those images; and how to output them. Using Photoshop CS is essentially like having your own digital darkroom on your desktop, and with the help of tutorials in this book, you’ll learn how to master this powerful tool. By working through these projects, you’ll explore the new and enhanced areas of Photoshop, including more in depth coverage of Camera Raw and working with multiple images. Expanded coverage of Bridge is also provided. When printing your images, paper choices can be critical, so new coverage about color management and working with profiles for getting accurate prints is detailed. In addition, there is coverage of the new sharpening, noise reduction and retouching tools, and methods. We’ll also dive into the Lens Warp filter for fixing crooked and warped images. To help you master these tools the book teaches you professional techniques for overcoming the many challenges you’ll face and by using these techniques, you’ll be able to bring out the best from any photo, while establishing an efficient workflow. If you truly want to understand and master Photoshop CS2 for digital photography, this is the resource you need. Features: * Provides in depth resource for digital photographers * Includes detailed tutorials that explore and explain the why behind tools and techniques * Details start-to-finish instruction for organizing and renaming pictures in Bridge, processing multiple RAW images, removing blemishes, and adding special effects * Provides updated coverage of new features, tools, and techniques, includeing Lens Blur with a custom depth map, changing the color of an object within an image, Patch tool, Red Eye tool. Spot healing brush, Boise Reduction Filter, and more * Includes advanced topical coverage from using curves histograms and eyedroppers, correcting and enhancing color and tone, to using LAB mode for correction, sharpening, and removing grain * Covers everything from retouching faces, to using reature like Vvanishing Point and Lens correction * Teaches special effects techniques for turning photos into beautiful paintings and merging multiple images seamlessly into collages and then creating frames to display these works of art On the CD * All tutorial images * Five video files from PhotoshopCafe

- Adobe Bridge Overview

- Using Shadow/Highlight

- Reducing Grain with New Reduce Noise Filter

- Swapping Faces with Advanced Match Color

- Using the new Vanishing Point System Requirements: Windows Intel Pentium III or 4 processor, Microsoft Window 2000 Windows XP, with necessary service packs for running Adobe Photoshop CS2, Macintosh Power PC G3, G4, or G5 processor, Mac OSX v. 10.2 or higher. Both systems require 192 MB of RAM (256MB recommended)., 280 (PC) 320MS (Mac) of available disk space, color monitor with 16 bit color or greater, video card, 800 x 600 or greater monitor resolution, CD-ROM drive, Internet Connection, and Adobe Photoshop CS2..
Price: $19.90 [Notify me when price goes down.]

In Real World Compositing with Adobe Photoshop CS4, Photoshop experts Scott Valentine and Dan Moughamian explain the key elements involved in planning and executing a composite imaging project. Readers will learn about the importance of the planning process, including tips on how to develop creative ideas and stay organized as their project evolves. In addition, they will pick up vital techniques for acquiring and perfecting source images in Photoshop CS4, before bringing them together as a seamless composite. The powerful new 3D features found in the Extended edition are also discussed as part of a 2D-3D workflow.

Serious photographers and digital artists wishing to produce photo-realistic imagery or surrealistic artwork by blending—or compositing—multiple images and light sources can learn all they need to know right here. Building from the reader's existing skill set of Photoshop fundamentals, the authors provide detailed examples and explanations that cover the newest features in Photoshop CS4 and also utilize a variety of tools and software applications.

More than just a Photoshop guide, this book takes a holistic approach, instructing readers on photographic planning and techniques, key design concepts, visual perception, and robust image editing techniques. This is an increasingly popular approach which requires the digital artist to become more involved in the presentation and concept of their images. Real World Compositing with Photoshop CS4 delivers the information readers need, to produce the best possible composite imagery.
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Price: $34.89 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Written from a photographer’s point of view, "Digital Retouching and Compositing: Photographers’ Guide" solves every snap-shooter’s real-life problems painlessly. It distills complex topics down to a few pages of explanation and easy steps so users can quickly and dramatically change the way photos look. The book is divided into three parts: Mastering the Basics, Practical Retouching, and Compositing Magic. Each section builds on the last so that readers can become comfortable with making precise selections, doing simple retouching, and adjusting tones and colors before jumping into major topics like retouching portraits or creating realistic composites..
Price: $6.98 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Master the art and technique of blue and greenscreen compositing with this comprehensive how-to course in creating effective and realistic composited scenes in video formats. You get clear, understandable explanations of the different types of keying techniques and how they work, including real-world examples and tutorials. Topics include setting up a greenscreen studio, how to light the screen effectively, how to light the talent or foreground material, and matching lighting to the composited background plate. Complete tutorials of each of the major software keyers walk you through the process for creating a clean and accurate composite.

* 4 color illustrations detail the art and technique of compositing
* Complete guide to studio set-up, keying and troubleshooting
* DVD packed with real-world examples and tutorial lessons.
Price: $28.16 [Notify me when price goes down.]