Case Studies - Masters

1. Instructions
• Complete 12 case studies – one for each photographer
• Use only YOUR OWN PHOTOS (from any past project)
• Use the tutorials to help (optional – not for a grade)

2. Case Studies
• A Case Study is
different from a tutorial
• Instead of being given
the steps, you have to
figure out how to
match an image using
the skills and
techniques you have
learned
• Match the Style &
Likeness
• This means the subject
matter should be the
same or similar
• The cropping, angle,
and composition should
be the same or similar
• The editing should be
the same or similar

3. match the style and subject matter of
Ansel Adams
match the style and subject matter of
Matthew Brady
match the style and subject matter of
Julia Margaret Cameron
match the style and subject matter of
Alfred Stieglitz
match the style and subject matter of
W. Eugene Smith
match the style and subject matter of
Dorothea Lange
match the style and subject matter of
Alexander Rodchenko
match the style and subject matter of
Robert Frank
match the style and subject matter of
Lennart Nilson
match the style and subject matter of
Annie Liebovitz
match the style and subject matter of
Richard Avedon
match the style and subject matter of
Jerry Ueslmann

4. Tips on “Matching”
Artist Subject and Style Editing
Adams • Landscapes, nature
• Rule of thirds, perspective
• Black and white
• High contrast
Brady • Photojournalism: people, places and events
• Rule of thirds, perspective tension
• Sepia tone
• Soft blurs and focuses
Cameron • Portraits
• S-curves, center of interest, framing
• Sepia tone
• Soft blurs, vignette, negative border
Stieglitz • Pictorialism (painting-like), fine art
• Perspective, rule of thirds
• Black and white
• Low contrast, soft blurs, vignettes
Smith • Photojournalism
• Framing, rule of thirds, tension
• Black and white
• Contrast to create tension
Lange • Industrial photographer
• Framing, rule of thirds, perspective, tension
• Black and white
• High contrast
Rodchenko • Avante-garde (artistic, unique, strange)
• Tension, framing, perspective
• Black and white
• Emphasize shapes and patterns
Frank • Realist (everyday life)
• Tension, framing, rule of thirds, center of interest
• Black and white
• Low contrast, discolored
Nilsson • Scientific (macro and micro)
• Rule of thirds, framing
• Vibrant color
• Strong highlights/spotlights
Liebovitz • Commercial (print magazines)
• S-curves, rule of thirds, center of interest
• Vibrant colors – almost unreal
• Blurs and vignettes
Avedon • Fashion
• S-curves, center of interest, rule of thirds
• Black and white
• Negative border and vignettes
Ueslmann • Surrealism
• Rule of thirds, tension
• Black and white
• Combine more than one photo

5. Tutorials
• These are step-by-step
lessons
• These are optional
• These may help you
accomplish the case
studies

6. TURN FIVE IMAGES BLACK & WHITE
TURNING AN IMAGE TO SEPIA TONE
always start with a black & white image make sure you are also in RGB mode before you
proceed
Tutorial 1 – USING PHOTO FILTER: IMAGE  ADJUSTMENTS  PHOTO FILTER 
choose from the pull down menu either a WARMING FILTER or PHOTO FILTER and
then change the DENSITY
Tutorial 2 – USING COLOR BALANCE: IMAGE  ADJUSTMENTS  COLOR
BALANCE, use the RED & YELLOW settings in Shadow, Midtone and Highlight to
create brown tones (settings to taste)
Tutorial 3 – USING HUE/SATURATION: IMAGE  ADJUSTMENTS 
HUE/SATURATION, check COLORIZE in the corner and slide the HUE settings
Tutorial 4 – USING LAYER STYLES 1: SELECT ALL  EDIT CUT, EDIT PASTE, then
WINDOW  STYLES  Choose the SEPIA TONE or SUN FADED preset
Tutorial 5 – USING LAYER STYLES 2: SELECT ALL  EDIT CUT, EDIT PASTE 
LAYER MENU  LAYER STYLES  COLOR OVERLAY  CHANGE COLOR from
DEFAULT color (usually red or black) to a BROWN color, then change OPACITY or
BLEND MODE to merge color layer with original image
great for mimicking cameron, stieglitz,
and brady

7. “Using Blur”
1. Open an image with a clear center of interest
2. Turn B&W
3. CROP and EDIT photo using standard editing tools
• Crop 11x14
• Levels & Curves
• Brightness & Contrast
• Burn & Dodge
4. DUPLICATE LAYER
5. FILTER  BLUR  GAUSSIAN BLUR (to taste)
6. Change LAYER BLENDING MODE TO MULTIPLY
7. Use the ERASER TOOL set to a SOFT BLURRY BRUSH
8. Erase areas of the image
• The areas I chose to erase were parts that I
wanted more detail or to be brighter. For instance
I erased the eyes, the teeth and parts of the hair
in order to bring back those highlights, details and
textures.
• Whatever you erase will be emphasized and
become the dominant part of the photo.
9. FLATTEN IMAGE
10. REPEAT STEPS 4 – 6, except change the BLENDING MODE
to SCREEN
11. REPEAT STEP 7 & 8, except this time erase areas that you
want to make darker
12. Experiment with different OPACITY LEVELS for your
ERASER-BRUSH
great for mimicking cameron,
stieglitz and leibovitz

8. “Using Double-Exposure and Blur”
1. Open a landscape image with a clear horizon line
2. Turn B&W
3. CROP and EDIT photo using standard editing tools
• Crop 11x14
• Levels & Curves
• Brightness & Contrast
• Burn & Dodge
4. DUPLICATE LAYER
5. Use the MOVE TOOL and NUDGE the DUPLICATE LAYER to
the right or left about TEN CLICKS
6. FILTER  BLUR  MOTION BLUR -12 | 10
7. Change LAYER BLENDING MODE to MULTIPLY and
OPACITY 50% or to taste
8. Use the ERASER SOFT BLURRY BRUSH OPACITY 50% or
lower to erase the blurriness of the image, but leave areas
around clouds, mountains, buildings, trees etc.
9. FLATTEN IMAGE
10. REPEAT STEPS 4 – 8, EXCEPT
• Like in the last tutorial you are going to repeat
this technique for the highlights as well.
• This time NUDGE the opposite direction about 20
CLICKS
• Set the LAYER MODE to SCREEN
• Erase for shadows and details
11. BURN & DODGE to taste
great for mimicking
cameron and stieglitz

9. “Using Threshold”
1. Open an image with geometric shapes and/or leading
lines, as well as organic subject matter
2. CROP and EDIT photo using standard editing tools
• Crop 11x14
• Levels & Curves
• Brightness & Contrast
• Burn & Dodge
3. DUPLICATE LAYER
4. IMAGE  ADJUSTMENTS  THRESHOLD
• Use THRESHOLD to remove the gray information,
so that the image is only made up of black areas
and white areas.
• Try to preserve as much detail as possible.
5. FILTER  STYLIZE  DIFFUSE | ANISOPTROPIC
6. Change LAYER BLENDING MODE to MULTIPLY
7. Use the ERASER TOOL set to a SOFT BLURRY BRUSH
8. Erase areas of the image
• The areas I chose to erase were parts that I
wanted more detail or to be brighter. For instance
I erased the sky to bring back some of the clouds,
and some of the details in the people.
great for mimicking
rodchenko or smith

10. “Creating a Negative Border”
1. Open an image with a white background
2. CROP and EDIT photo using standard editing tools
• Crop 11x14
• Levels & Curves
• Brightness & Contrast
• Burn & Dodge
3. BLANK NEW LAYER  FILL BUCKET WHITE
4. PRESS D on the keyboard to reset your colors
5. Use the CUSTOM SHAPE TOOL and draw a FRAME 7
graphic across the screen
6. Then FILL BUCKET the inside with BLACK
7. CTRL –I (INVERSE)
8. Change LAYER BLENDING MODE to MULTIPLY
9. FILTER  BLUR  GAUSSIAN BLUR to taste
10. Experiment with the LAYER’s OPACITY
11. BLANK NEW LAYER
12. Use the RECTANGULAR MARQUEE and draw a border
about an ½ inch in from the outside edge
13. RIGHT CLICK and STROKE 10, then CTRL-D
14. Use the RECTANGULAR MARQUEE and set the FEATHER
to 15, then select small sections of the black border
15. COPY and PASTE and use the MOVE TOOL to place this
section of the border as seen to the right
16. REPEAT steps 14 & 15 several times
• Make sure to keep clicking on the BLACK
BORDER LAYER when copying
great for mimicking
avedon and cameron

11. Digital Imaging – Tutorial 10
1. Open two photos, preferably focusing on a single subject matter
2. Turn both photos B&W using IMAGE  ADJUST  GRAYSCALE or you can use
the new CS3 tool: IMAGE  ADJUST  Black & White
3. Choose the image that you want to be the “background” and the image you
want to be the “merging-in” image
4. SELECT  SELECT ALL on the “merging-in” image, then EDIT  COPY
(SHORTCUTS: CTRL A, CTRL C)
5. PASTE this image onto the “background image” file using CTRL V
6. RESIZE if needs be using EDIT  TRANSFORM  SCALE
7. Click on the ERASER TOOL and then go to your BRUSH SETTINGS and RESET
YOUR BRUSHES using this dialogue window
8. Choose a SOFT ROUND BRUSH
9. Change brush opacity to 50% and begin erasing the excess parts of the
“merging-in” image (the parts you do not want to see!)
10. Go over the areas several times until the two photos start to “merge”  its
okay if you get a “halo” effect
11. ZOOM IN and clean up the edges with the eraser
12. When you are satisfied go to LAYER  FLATTEN IMAGE
13. Use the BURN & DODGE TOOLS to get rid of “haloes” and alter the image so
that they use a similar light source
14. Use the CROP tool to improve your composition
Digital Imaging – Tutorial 11
Start with steps 1 – 3 from above
4. If you are more comfortable using the QUICK MASK rather than
the ERASER TOOL there is an alternate method. Start from Step 3
Above.
5. Instead of SELECTING ALL, on the “merging-in” image hit QUICK
MASK and then paint out the area of the photo you wish to copy
(for the example to the right I would paint out the elephant red)
6. Once done, exit QUICK MASK and everything BUT your subject
matter should be selected, go to SELECT  INVERSE
7. Then EDIT  COPY and then go to your “background image”
8. EDIT  PASTE (CTRL V)
9. Again, use the ERASER and BURN & TOOL to clean up the image