Now that the Christmas shopping season is officially underway, it’s time to start thinking about gifts to give family and friends. What better way for an avid shutterbug to make the most of his picture-taking talents than to create photo gifts to give out in the coming weeks?
I’m over photo books and the plethora of other boring photo gift ideas, including totes, magnets, mouse pads and t-shirts. This year I am toying with the idea of creating my own fantasy portraits and giving them out as gifts. Fantasy portraits, magic portraits, prop portraits; they are referred to by several different names, but the concept is the same. Basically, you are turning an ordinary image into an extraordinary one.
Magic Portrait.com is a popular photo software program that allows you to create awe-inspiring shots with a few clicks of your mouse. There are dozens of Magic Portrait templates available, including forest, water, sky, floral, and many other scenes. For instance, I could take a so-so shot of my daughter and have her magically appear on the edge of a koi pond, sitting under a rainbow, on a butterfly, or transform her into a teddy bear perched on a birthday cake.
I’ve tooled with the program a bit. It is simple to use. First, you browse the Magic Portrait galleries and choose the template you like best. Once you select your favorite, you’ll want to examine it closely. Note what direction the light is coming from and whether or not there are any shadows. To make your fantasy shot look as realistic as possible you want the lighting and shadows in the image to match the template.
Also, it’s important to consider your subject’s attire. You want the outfit to match the template as well as possible. For example, you wouldn’t want a shot of your shorts, sandals, and a t-shirt clad son to be used in a fantasy winter scene. I also learned that it is a good idea to carefully examine the color themes in your favorite template. If you choose a template first, you can coordinate your subject’s outfit to complement it.
Finally, you’ll need to find an existing photo in which your subject is posing appropriately. For example, if you are choosing the unicorn template, you’ll need a shot of your subject sitting on an animal similar to a unicorn. Your subject’s facial expression should also match with the scene in order enhance the final product.
Have you tried Magic Portrait?
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