The 54 Images of “Say Increase” – Dallas Portrait Photographer
I’m frequently asked by people interested in my style of Portrait Photography, “Where is your studio located?”
Today, I’m going to breakdown my recent Photillustration Composite called “Say Increase” so you can take a peek behind the camera.
My response to where my studio is located is always the same, “Everywhere I go, and where ever I am is my studio.”
Being a Dallas Portrait Photographer, and one who heavily specializes in Composite Photography, the world is my studio, which means I must be proficient at my photography trade, and quickly solve lighting problems.
Now, let’s take peek behind-the-scenes to see what went into “Say Increase”.
Say Increase
I was recently commissioned to create a Signature Family Portrait for the Wimbrey family who won a Portrait Session at the Best Buddies charity event.
Johnny Wimbrey, BTW, is an amazing guy who was recently featured on the Steve Harvey Show.
If you’re at all interested in super charging your life, I recommend connecting with Johnny on his Instagram at @wimbrey.
During each Discovery Session with a new client I ask them, “Give me 3 words you think can sum up your family.”
I know it sounds a little odd, but these 3 words are super helpful in allowing me to understand how you see your family.
In the case of Johnny and Crystal Wimbrey, their 3 words were; Fun, Family, and Success, which I believe is very clear throughout their entire One-of-a-Kind Family Portrait.
Breaking Down Say Increase
Johnny and Crystal’s Family Portrait was a super fun project for me to work on, and as you will see in the breakdown, it was a complete fabrication throughout the scene.
A complete fabrication requires many more images to create, but allows me to create anything you can imagine.
#1 Johnny: Of course this portrait required Johnny to be front and almost center.
#2 Johnny’s Necklace: A necklace hanging straight down doesn’t express motion, so I had to cut out the necklace and work a little Photillustrator magic to give it some motion.
#3 Crystal: Crystal was worried about the color of the dress, but I don’t think there could have been a better dress for this Family Portrait.
#4 Honor: Honor was more interested in driving his remote control boat than getting his portrait made, but in Photillustrator style, I got the perfect photo for the portrait.
#5 Hannah: Being a cheerleader and loving her hover board, I think this image of Hannah works perfectly.
#6 Psalms: The original concept called for Psalms to be jumping on a trampoline, but this is a great example of how concepts can change for a variety of reasons.
#7 & #8 The House: I took many photos of the house to capture a look that is both during the day and night.
#9 Pool: The pool was composited in separately so I could use the show side of the pool.
#10 Waterfalls: I enlarged the waterfalls because they’re just too cool not to.
#11 Bentley: I photographed their new Bentley out in front of their home to be composited into this scene.
#12 Bentley Lights: The lights of the Bentley were added both from a separate photo, and some digital painting.
#13 Wimbrey License Plate: The Wimbrey license plate was completely fabricated using Photoshop.
#14 Reflection: A small detail often missed by most people is the reflection of the scene behind the car.
#15 Maserati: Johnny’s Maserati was photographed in the front to be composited into the scene.
#16 Reflection: Another reflection added to enhance the realism of the portrait.
#17 & #18 Trees: I used stock images I’ve taken for the tree line in the background, creating 2 separate layers to add depth.
#19 Church: When Johnny and Crystal were deciding whether to buy that house or not, they looked up and saw that church steeple, which is the reason they chose that house.
#20 & #21 Forth Worth Buildings: Johnny is from Fort Worth, so it only makes sense to have the downtown skyline of Fort Worth in their Family Portrait.
#22 Fort Worth Court House: This building has so much character, it was a great addition to the portrait.
#23 Tree: Adding trees into the corners of my portraits helps me frame the scene, keeping the eye in the portrait.
#24 & #25 Sky: I commonly use several images of the sky to create one amazing looking sky.
#26 Sun: The sun was created using both a photo and Photoshop painting.
#27 Birds: I love birds in my portraits to add some realism.
#28 & #29 Plane: Of course we had to have some way to include Johnny’s tagline, “Say Increase”.
#30 Hover Board: I couldn’t have Hannah hover boarding over the pool, so I photographed it separately and composited in.
#31 Beach Ball: All pools have pool toys, so I added some of my own in for the portrait.
#32 Microphone: This was added as one of the 10 Hidden Items in the Family Portrait.
#33 Shark: Another pool toy and hidden item.
#34 Dinosaur: A hidden item and one of Honor’s favorite toys.
#35 & #36 Palm Trees: These were palm trees from In-and-Out Burger and worked perfectly to give their Family Portrait that Oasis feel they wanted.
#37 Globe: Johnny Wimbrey is Global, so he wanted a Globe to be one of his 10 Hidden Items.
#38 Flames: Flames were added to the torches to add realism.
#39 Theater Faces: Added to be a hidden item.
#40 Pool Lights: I used the pool lights from a few photos I took of the pool as it got darker.
#41 & #42 Fountain Water: You could barely see the water in the original photos of the pool fountains, so I added my own water effects to enhance the pool.
#43 Toy Truck: Johnny had to be tripping over something.
#44 Cowboys Football Game: Johnny wanted a football game on the TV, so I made that happen.
#45 Spatula: The original concept did not call for a spatula here, but I added it because it just made sense.
#46 Reflection: Another small detail very few people will notice, I added a reflection into the spatula to add realism.
#47 Silver Plate: Composited in to support the story of cooking out.
#48 & #49 Shrimp Kabobs: Johnny doesn’t eat much red meat, so shrimp kabobs made more sense.
#50 Hamburger: But no cookout is complete without a good old burger.
#51 & #52 Hamburger Bun: Without the hamburger buns, the hamburger looked weird and out of place.
#53 Johnny’s Book: One of the 10 Hidden Items, and a really inspiring book.
#54 Crystal’s Book: One of the 10 Hidden Items.
Some Photos I Used
Like always, I’m including some of the actual photos I used for the Wimbrey’s Family Portrait so you can get an idea of what will go into your One-of-a-Kind Family Portrait.
That’s a Wrap
While I go into each Family Portrait with a concept in mind and sketched out (My Sketchbook), it’s fair to say the concepts will change, to some degree, with each Signature Family Portrait.
That’s because I create your Family Portrait based on what feels right at that moment.
BTW, the Wimbrey’s absolutely loved their One-of-a-Kind Family Portrait, and in an upcoming post I’ll share their Photillustrator Testimonial, and how their Photillustration looks displayed in their home.
