Leveraging AI Tools in a Compositing Workflow by Terri Butler
A workshop review by Brenda Kieso
Terri Butler's photography workshop, “Leveraging AI Tools in a Compositing Workflow”, using Photoshop to composite images with the help of AI was incredibly informative and insightful. She began by discussing the importance of gathering high-quality assets for composite work, focusing on both stock images and AI-generated elements. She introduced us to sources for stock images, emphasizing the importance of using royalty-free platforms. (I never knew we had access to free images with an Adobe subscription!). For those looking to create their own unique elements, Terri suggested utilizing an AI tool such as MidJourney, which allows for creative, customizable image generation based on text prompts. The flexibility of these tools provided an exciting opportunity to break creative boundaries.
One of the highlights of the workshop was the demonstration on how to leverage ChatGPT for ideation and refinement of prompts when using text-to-image AI. Terri showed how ChatGPT can help craft precise, imaginative prompts to generate specific visual elements that complement the theme of a project. She even guided us through her creative process to come up with conceptual themes, generate detailed prompts, and then feed them into an AI platform to create base elements for compositing. This integration of AI tools enhanced our creative control over the final visual outcome and allowed us to explore ideas we might not have thought of on our own.
The workflow for creating a composite image was well-structured and easy to follow. Terri walked us through the entire process in Photoshop, from layering the AI-generated elements and stock images to blending them seamlessly. She emphasized the importance of paying attention to lighting, color matching, and perspective to make the final composition cohesive. She shared many new “tips and tricks” that streamline the compositing process, many of which she created herself!
Terri’s step-by-step approach to layering, masking, adjusting shadows, and fine-tuning the details helped demystify the process of making a complex composite look natural. By the end of the workshop, we all left with a deeper understanding of how to creatively blend the power of AI with traditional Photoshop techniques, opening up a whole new realm of possibilities for image creation.
Probably the best, and most enjoyable part of the workshop was Terri herself. She is funny, passionate, knowledgeable, down to earth, and completely relatable! These qualities in her instruction kept all her participants very attentive and engaged. She taught her students, not just the subject, and that left the attendees all wanting more! If you want more, Terri has an online educational learning center, “Pixel Mixer Art”, and it is a treasure trove of recorded lessons that are available for all, and some are even free! Please visit her sight and begin, or continue, your magical journey into composite images!