A few weeks ago I published a tutorial called Girl in Tempo. I used the new version of Pixelmator that had the codename Tempo. The result was really nice and I got a very positive feedback, and, also some emails asking me to do that tutorial in Adobe Photoshop. So yesterday I took a couple of hours to create the Photoshop version of my flying girl.

In this tutorial we will use some stock photos and mix them together to create a nice effect. It was inspired by a chapter of the depthCORE collective called NOIR.

Step 1

Create a new document in Photoshop, as usual I used 1920x1200 pixels. Then select the background layer and add a layer style, go to Layer>Layer Style>Gradient Overlay. Use Radial for the Style, and Scale 62%. You will have to position the gradient later on as well, but try to move it a bit to the left, use the image below for reference.

Step 2

Here I used a photo from iStockphoto, http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup.php?id=6178363. You can use any photo. Just extract the girl from the background and place it in the center. Try to position her right hand in the center of the gradient.

Step 3

Duplicate the girl's layer and hide one. Select the visible layer and go to Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation. Reduce the Saturation to -100. You will have a grayscale photo.

Step 4

Duplicate the hidden layer with the color girl layer. This layer has to be in front of the grayscale layer. Change the Blend Mode to Color Dodge and go to Filter>Blur>Motion Blur. Use 90º Angle and 100 pixels for the Distance.

Step 5

Duplicate again the color copy of the girl layer. Then move it to the top of the others and change the Blend Mode to Overlay. After that go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Use 7 pixels for the Radius.

Step 6

Select the color girl layer, the one that is behind the others and just add a Gaussian Blur, use 40 pixels for the Radius and change the Blend Mode to Color Dodge. As this layer will be behind the others it will create a nice outer glow when we start adding lights and other effects.

Select the 4 layers we created for the girl and group them. Rename the folder to "girl".

Step 7

Select the Gradient Tool (G) and then go to the Gradient Editor. Just click on the gradient colors. Change the Type to Noise, Roughness to 100% and for the Options select Restrict Colors and Add Transparency.

Step 8

Create a new layer on top of the others and with the Gradient Tool and the gradient you have just created, select the Angle Gradient Style. Then just starting for the girl's right hand fill the layer with the gradient. You will get an effect like the image below.

Step 9

Go to Image>Adjustments>Desaturate. Then go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Use 4.5 pixels for the Radius. Change the Blend Mode to Color Dodge and go to Image>Adjustments>Levels. Increase the white so the rays are brighter. Also with the Eraser Too (E)l, or mask. Delete some areas of the layer, leave just the area close to the hand and the background's gradient.

Step 10

Create a new Folder and rename it to Light, this folder has to be on top of the others. Change the folder's Blend Mode to Color Dodge. Inside this folder create a new layer and with the Brush Tool(B), use a basic round brush, very soft (0% hardness), and white color. Paint the area in the girls hand. You will get a nice light effect.

Step 11

Now lets add some lights behind the girl. Create a new layer and with the Brush Tool (B) change the opacity to 5%. Using a soft brush with white, paint a very subtle area behind the girl.

Step 12

Now select a blue color and with a bigger brush, create a new layer and paint a blue light coming from the top.

Step 13

Here let's use another photo, you can download it at http://www.sensitivelight.com/coloured_smoke0D0T9227.jpg. Just place it in the document. Resize and rotate it the way you want and change the Blend Mode to Color Dodge. Use the image below for reference.

Step 14

Let's do the same thing with another photo, this time a photo of some clouds I took sometime ago, you can download it at http://flickr.com/photos/azeected/2917610951/. The first thing to do is go to Image>Adjustments>Desaturate. Then go to Image>Adjustments>Levels. Increase the blacks until you get a full black background. Then change the Blend Mode of the photo to Screen. What was black becomes transparent and we're good to go ;)

Step 15

Here you just duplicate the cloud's layer and create more instances of that. Resize and rotate them so you can get better results. Also, place one cloud behind the girl to give some depth to the image.

Step 16

Once again, let's use a photo to create the stars, you can download it here. You can create them using the Noise, but as there are so many excellent photos of that subject on the internet that sometimes it's not worth spend time creating something from scratch, at least in my humble opinion. Place the photo in the document and change the Blend Mode to Color Dodge.

Step 17

Repeat the Step 8 and 9 to create another Angle Gradient. This time start from the the girls right foot. Then with the Eraser Tool or Mask, delete almost all layer, leave just the top part over the blue light. That will work like some rays of light coming from the top. Also if you want to make the lights brighter just duplicate the layer. I duplicated 2 times, so there are 3 layers for that light.

Step 18

Here I used a image I created in Cinema 4D that is like an explosion full of particles, you can download it here. Place the image and then go to Filter>Blur>Radial Blur. The most difficult thing here is find the right position for the Blur Center because the idea is that the center is the girls hand with that shine light. I recommend you to convert the layer to Smart Objects so you will be able to edit the blur anytime until you find the right place. Use 10 for the Amount, Zoom for the Blur Method, and Best for the Quality.

Conclusion

You can add a layer on top of the others with a bit of noise just to give to the image a bit of realist feeling. The process is quite similar to the Pixelmator version, of course each tool has some pros and cons, but the best thing is that the idea of the filters and blend modes are the same. Actually all these types of tools share the same sort of base so if you know one it's pretty easy to learn and use another. That's why I say that the tool is the least important part of the design process.

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I wanted to touch on two questions that often crop up when we talk to clients about their online presence and how they are and could use social media:

1. “If somebody talks about us online, should we respond?”
   
2. “If we respond, what is the best way of doing this?"

This can be a difficult set of questions for brands to answer. If they engage they fear they may open the metaphorical floodgates and end up having to find and then respond to every mention of their brand online. If they don’t engage they fear that they are losing control of the brand. Our approach has typically been to discuss a set of real-life scenarios with them from blogs, social networks and online communities, and then establish when and where it is appropriate to engage as part of their social media strategy - what do they hope to achieve from engaging and so how should they do this.

Of course, this still leaves a lot of unanswered questions about how to act in specific circumstances and what we’ve really wanted is to have a crib sheet for these brands. And it seems that we might now have just that, courtesy of what might at first seem an unlikely source: the US Air Force.

I really like this approach, for four reasons:

1. It recognises that it is not always appropriate to “join the conversation”. Just as you wouldn’t unnecessarily go over and join a conversation about your brand you might hear in a restaurant, it’s not always appropriate online. Assess when you should and shouldn’t talk and then so it in an appropriate way.
2. It emphasise the importance of honesty online. The first instruction when you respond online is to identify who you are and where you’re from. This is really important online.
3. It lets you differentiate between different types of negative posts. Not all negativity is the same and sometimes it doesn’t make sense to respond and sometimes it does.
4. It’s easy to remember and follow. Any process needs to fulfill all your needs but be simple. This has the beauty of simplicity.

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Flybe is Europe’s largest and most successful regional airline and the United Kingdom’s premier domestic airline - well that is what it said in its press release.

In today’s Daily Telegraph, the main readership who are 50-plus, is a full page ad based on the premise: “don’t worry about losing your job keep on spending and enjoying your self.” And why not?

I am not so sure if the mix of messages - redundancy and travel - are that appropriate, especially to an older audience, but I commend the marketers for thinking out of the box and coming up with this idea.

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2008 was a blast. There was the little implosion of our financial system and auto industry. We got to watch our hard won and well matched 401K dollars swirl neatly down the drain as our tax dollars ballooned into majestic golden parachutes for some of the most scrupulous leaders around. And to cap off the year, we had the distinct pleasure of seeing slow motion replays of our President dodging one ticked off Iraqi’s leathery shoe, twice (freedom is messy).

So where does this leave us? Well for boomers, get ready for your third-ager careers because chances are, many of you will now have them. For Gen Xers, you may seriously want to consider stuffing money under your mattress and/or buying a gun. The truth is we don't know if we've reached the bottom of this abyss or not.

What we do know is that--to use a popular PR term--we have been "leveraged" to the hilt and it’s time to recalibrate. And perhaps that is not such a bad thing. The average American carries about $9,000 in debt, weighs 17 pounds more than “ideal” according to a Gallup poll, and is on an antidepressant of some sort. While we remain a vibrant, diverse and gorgeous nation, there seems to be a price.

On the flip side—hurray, hurray, hurray to the boomers, who ignited a movement that has resulted in our first African American U.S. President, Barack Obama. Sweet progress indeed.

May 2009 bring us onto better shores, where we resolve to unearth what truly matters, and leave the rest behind.

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