Is it real?
There’s something fishy about this image. Is it real? You may wonder how a deep-sea photographer can capture such a super shot, with no distortion, whilst using a wide-angle lens. Of course, it can’t be done. Bill Greenwood Ltd to the rescue! We waved our magic pen and instantly transformed the images into this one! If only it was that easy! This under-the-sea composite image was a fascinating challenge.
The Composite Image
We created this underwater composition from multiple shots in various locations. From Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago Brazil, to the Marshall Islands, as well as Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
Art in Site supplied several mock-up ideas. Then, it was time to get busy putting together the supplied imagery together and creating this 10-metre frieze. Like every bit of art that is designed to be viewed close up, every element of it needs to blend perfectly. I must not look fabricated.
Working with Art in Site
This was a collaborative effort between Bill Greenwood Ltd and Art in Site. It went through many iterations to get the perfect result. The art direction from the client was a huge benefit and a lot of teamwork and input from all involved made this image a huge success.
Technical Challenges
We overcame many technical challenges on this project. The elements we used to combine the image were, in some cases, radically different. We took some elements from deep under the sea, some from just a few feet underwater. But, we colour graded and blended them all together. It was essential that we delivered what the client had envisaged. Creating such an under-the-sea composite image was not only challenging but great fun too.
Many of the darker shots carried noise that would show through into the final composition if left untreated. Some elements were captured from a distance and had to be extremely enlarged to fit the size required. Occasionally, shots of sea life carried a different visual depth or had a slight motion that natural movement induces. Sometimes, the images were too sharp.
Below are just a few of the images we used.
Green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas, swimming near surface, Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brazil
Racoon butterflyfish, Chaetodon lunula, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Rongelap, Marshall Islands, Micronesia
Bluestreak fusiliers, Pterocaesio tile, schooling, Namu atoll, Marshall Islands (N. Pacific)
Split image of Marshalhese boy and coconut trees, Ailuk island, Ailuk atoll, Marshall Islands, Pacific
St. Peter and St. Paul archipelago, Brazil
Ailuk atol, Marshall Islands, Pacific
Bluestreak fusiliers, Pterocaesio tile, schooling, Namu atoll, Marshall Islands (N. Pacific)
Ailuk atol, Marshall Islands, Pacific
Green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas, Rongelap, Marshall Islands, Micronesia
Green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas, and sun rays, Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brazil
Steephead parrotfish, Chlorurus microrhinos, Rongelap, Marshall Islands, Micronesia
View our collaborative work with Art in Site on our Multi-Composite Pages