Step by Step Tutorial – Afterhours – Second Life Photography

Afterhours.

This post will be a step-by-step tutorial of how I created my latest artwork “Afterhours” using Second Life photography and Photoshop.

I hope you find the information useful 🖤

Step 1.

I took the time to stage a photoshoot within Second Life. Adjusting the lighting and environmental factors to fit in with how I wanted the overall look and feel of the final image.

This step probably takes the most time for me out of the whole process, and is something I will cover in a separate tutorial.

I usually opt for a PNG with a resolution over 3000px x 5000px as it allows me to zoom in and work on smaller details in Photoshop.

Step 2.

There were several problem areas:-

The left plait had glitched through the jacket.
The right-side plait had glitched into the sleeve of the jacket.
The right-side of the jacket didn’t quite fit the body shape.
There were light reflections on the neck where it should have been shadow.

I was aware the clothing items were not intended for this particular body shape and therefore would most likely have issues. I felt confident, however, that I would be able to fix them in Photoshop.

Step 3.

I always begin with sharpening the whole image to bring out small details. In the areas that become too harsh, I use a small blur brush to soften and correct them.

Step 4.

There are many ways within Photoshop to correct the cosmetic problem areas above; however, as these areas are so small, I felt it was quickest just to paint them in this time. For this I used the colour-picker tool and a hard round brush. I also used this time to add and correct some fine details on the face and a few dust particles to the background.

Step 5.

Next, I moved on to adjustment layers. I aimed to reduce the temperature of the shadow while keeping the warm tones of the skin.

where to find adjustment layers in photoshop

Step 6.

Once I was happy with the balance of the colours throughout the image, I used the Camera Raw Filter. This added a vignette to the edge of the image bringing the focus to where I needed it. Furthermore, I added a noise layer. This helped bring the whole image together and give a more textured look to the skin.