Photographic Illusions: Collage and Digital Compositing

A course by Hugh Kretschmer , Photographer

Photographer. Los Angeles, United States.
Joined September 2021

Discover a three-part process for creating surrealistic photos that use in-camera and post-production techniques to trick the eye

  • 94% positive reviews (18)
  • 822 students
  • Audio: English
  • English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch

Discover a three-part process for creating surrealistic photos that use in-camera and post-production techniques to trick the eye

A course by Hugh Kretschmer

Through photographic illusions, you can create out-of-this-world imagery that captures a viewer’s attention and invites intrigue. Hugh Kretschmer is a photographer who has worked with brands like Sony, Honda, and Old Spice, and has a permanent display at the 9/11 memorial.

In this online course, he guides you on a journey through the surreal, to challenge your creativity both on set and behind the camera. Learn to use Hugh’s “3D assemblage” method to build photos with your own hands, before exploring digital techniques to perfect your final piece. Discover how to illustrate your imagination with crafts, a camera, editing software, and a whole lot of weird and wonderful ideas.

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What will you learn in this online course?

12 lessons & 10 downloads

Materials
4 minutes, 10 seconds
The Sketch
6 minutes, 51 seconds
First Capture
5 minutes, 34 seconds
3D Collage
5 minutes, 40 seconds
  • 94% positive reviews (18)
  • 822 students
  • 12 lessons (1h 32m)
  • 10 additional resources (1 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: English
  • English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Create a signature image in three stages, which combines 3D collage and the digital composite hybrid technique.

Who is this online course for?

Any artist, budding or professional, with an interest in composing surreal images

Requirements and materials

To take this course, you need some experience in craft, digital post-production and compositing, as well as a basic understanding of lighting.

In terms of materials, you also need:

• basic sketching tools: pencils, a craft knife (your teacher uses an X-Acto knife), masking tape, and a ruler
• collage materials: photo-mounting spray, poster board, foamcore, glue, and matte printing paper
• lighting equipment: a camera, a tripod, a backdrop, and a basic strobe or continuous light system for a 1-3 source lighting scheme, or a place with consistent natural light.


Reviews

822 Students
18 Reviews
94% Positive ratings
  • More reviews

Hugh Kretschmer

A course by Hugh Kretschmer

Teacher Plus
Photographer

Hugh Kretschmer is a professional photo-illustrator born and raised in LA, California. One of seven children, he was raised among artists and at the age of 13, his father, a photo-instrumentation engineer for McDonnell, introduced him to his first camera. He later went on to receive an Honors in his fine art Bachelor’s degree from the ArtCenter College of Design, before moving to New York to begin his career.

His work has been described as fanciful, curious, imaginative, unusual, and even a little creepy. Whether whimsical or somewhat more serious, none of his pieces lack his characteristic touch of quirk and irony. Throughout the years, he has been recognized by the International Photography Awards, American Photography, Communication Arts, PDN Photo Annual, and The Society of Publication Designers. His work has also appeared in numerous industry publications, books, podcasts, and blogs including Graphis, Juxtapoz, Plastik Magazine, and Vision Magazine as well as auctioned through Sotheby’s and placed on permanent display at the 9/11 memorial. Additionally, he has given workshops both nationally and internationally and is a regular team leader at The Eddie Adams Workshop.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
  • U2

    Sketching, Planning, and Crafting

    • Materials
    • The Sketch
    • Pre-production Planning: Color, Props, and Sets
  • U3

    In-Camera Collage

    • First Capture
    • Printing and Preparation for Collage
    • 3D Collage
    • Second Capture
  • U4

    3D Collage and Digital Hybrid Composite

    • Digital Compositing of All Your Captured Assets 1
    • Digital Compositing of All Your Captured Assets 2
    • Touch Ups, Color Correction, and Optional Effects
  • FP

    Final project

    • Photographic Illusions: Collage and Digital Compositing

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • Learn at your own pace

    Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates
    Plus

    If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

  • Get front-row seats

    Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.

  • Share knowledge and ideas

    Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

  • Connect with a global creative community

    The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

  • Watch professionally produced courses

    Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.


FAQs

Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Photographic Illusions: Collage and Digital Compositing. Photography, and Video course by Hugh Kretschmer

Photographic Illusions: Collage and Digital Compositing

A course by Hugh Kretschmer
Photographer. Los Angeles, United States.
Joined September 2021
  • 94% positive reviews (18)
  • 822 students