The End of a Mermaid...

And....She's done. 

It took longer than I thought, with football and 3 familly sessions to do between Friday and today. This is a busy time of year for sure! 
I finished her last night and started another for the client. 

Before starting this image, I already knew that I had to enlarge my canvas and add more beach and more water to the left of the image.  Even though she wasn't completely centered, she was too centered for my liking.   I don't worry about this when shooting because I know I can add some scene rather easily and quickly...if I want it.
What takes the longest on these images is going through my skies and water images and finding some that match the original lighting.  Yes, I can change it all but there is enough work with these that I don't need that.  I try to find light that reflects what was already there and the casting from her skin.  The original image does not look so "sunset" but her skin had that look and that is what I went with.  The sky is a mix of my own sky, enhanced light, cloud brushes (because the sky I used had the right light but not enough cloud) and curve tweaking.   Another, serious time sucker, is blending, blending, and just when you think you are done...you are BLENDING AGAIN!  Blend the water with the water, blend the waves on to the sand,  blend the sky with the sky, blend the sky with the trees, blend all the light in the sky to the sky, then blend all the light in the sky to the trees.  Blend the tail to the body.  Blend the tail to the water and then to the sand.   I wanted the tail to be partially in the water and also on the sand, but I wanted sand on the tail as well...because a beautiful mermaid sitting on the beach will have sand on her tail.  The model already had sand on her arm, so I left it there. 

These are images I can only do in the evening, with earbuds, a nice play list, and all kids in bed.  They are kind of relaxing.  They are not something I can do sitting at my desk in my studio or even when kids are awake and running around.  

So there is my end result of turning a stunning 9 year old girl into a mermaid. :)

BEFORE 

 

The Start of a Mermaid....

I am getting ready to start another mermaid image.  Here is the SOOC image.  I adjusted the levels slightly because I shoot RAW, and you know how "blah" a RAW file can be SOOC.  Aside from that, I have done nothing, yet.  This image should be pretty quick to process, because I have already decided on all the extra elements I would like to add.  I have decided on the sky, tail and water, and those are the main "extras" added.
Off I go....

Mermaids!

A Client contacted me for a "mermaid" session.  She had seen mermaid images of my daughter and wanted the same for her little girl.  The girl was so adorable!  She knew what she wanted and she knew how to pose.  I love when Clients approach me and want to do a session that I have done in the past.  Usually, when I'm shooting the original session, like the mermaid, I am thinking that people are going to really hate it. Or maybe not "hate", but dislike.  I do them anyway, because usually they are my own children in the shots and it's for me. 
So, here are my original images...

 

Here are two that I have finished for the Client so far...

 

I so love Mermaids!

Jumping Back In...

I have not blogged in YEARS!  I gave up internet and television, so there went everything.  I was also a frequent YouTuber.  Seriously.  Weekly and daily videos.  What did I have to vlog about?  I never knew but did it anyway.  But then I decided to toss aside most media venues.  In doing that, I have apparently tossed my old passwords and emails aside, because I can't access any of them.   It appears, if you do not access your Yahoo email for several years, they delete it.  :)   I have only recently started the internet again because of my business.  My only means of internet, for the past few years, has been Facebook.  That's it, that's all.  Facebook has sustained my business up to this point.  (FB accessed through my phone).  I have now moved my photography business into a downtown studio and internet is needed.  I am going to try to remember how I used to do this and restart what was once a very good way to network, share images, neat finds and techniques.