EDIT THE SHOT
1 Edit for area
Load the RAW files in your main editor – we’ve used Lightroom CC.
Find images that have the ideal lighting balance for each area of the frame, and edit them for optimal sharpness, colour and contrast.
2 Lens corrections
Perform standard lens corrections on all your segments to remove distortion and chromatic aberration. Doing this now avoids any mismatch between frames, which can mean they no longer align perfectly. Apply noise or moire reduction too.
3 Open all segments
Flag selected segments if you need to take a break. Then, when ready, open all of these in Photoshop, arranging the tabs in the same order as the elements they contain.
4 Quick stacking
Drag your segments into a layer stack, with the ‘back’ elements at the bottom. Add layer masks to each layer, and create a rough collage using a mix of Marquee tools and Selection tools, filling areas with black to reveal the layers below.
5 Refined blending
With all the segments arranged, you can now make refined masks, using the Brush tool to gradually reveal and hide elements and lighting zones. To reveal shadows, use a large, soft brush, while ‘hard’ elements benefit from precise masking, using Lasso or Pen tool selections.
6 Precise retouch
Next, perform local dodging and burning, sharpening, and cosmetic retouching. Here we’ve used the Spot Healing brush tool (J) to remove dust and blemishes on the product, leaving the environment more naturally imperfect.
Right Uneven lighting
With only a single wireless speedlight flash, the ambient colour could not be overpowered. But by controlling the light and framing, and by blending multiple images, we overcame this