Photography The Takashima Extraction

Ever since I joined this hobby in 2009, I wanted to do photo stories. I've done a couple over the years, but wasn't happy with the results. So, for the next photo story idea, I decided to have a plan and wrote an elaborate cyberpunk outline just kept growing and growing and generated a second, shorter story: The Takashima Extraction. The outline was written in a weekend.

It was around this time that I found Sebastian Michael's Photoshop artistry classes. I sidetracked for several years honing my photography and photo compositing skills.

I mucked around with various conceptual images to get the look I imagined, which I documented on my blog.

One of the class challenges was to create a series of images that tell a story. So I pulled out the Takashima story and decided to set up a photoshoot with my protagonist, Al Keaton (aka my Grown Saint). Took lots of images. This one sparked the entire story:



And then the project took off: I created a spreadsheet to track the characters, which dolls would play the characters, costumes, props, collected images for the backgrounds, created a schedule and started working.

I work a full-time job as an Executive Assistant, so my project time is limited to a few hours on weekends. So it's taken me 2 years of weekends to get to where I am right now: all but 2 of my story images have been compiled into graphic novel format.

All the images were shot with my Canon Rebel T1i in my small studio/home office using my standard kit lens and 50 mm lens. In the middle of this project, I upgraded to Mac and Photoshop CC.

The dolls were shot against a neutral background. I created a Doll Extraction action to speed up my work flow. I created a number of background dioramas.

My next big find: PhotographyBB From Dusk Till Dawn Photoshop Action and their Comic Book Maker.

 

Here is a sample of the graphic novel pages.

 

My next step is to finish the last images of the story then work on the dialog and narration.

 

Thanks @SPhosphate. I was going for an 80s chrome look. Old school cyberpunk . I’m so close I can taste it.

 

Thanks @SPhosphate and @Havra. Stay tuned.

 

Edited to update the link. The Takashima Extraction is available on my website in pdf format. It’s best read on a tablet or monitor.

Scroll to the bottom of the post for the download: Happy Holidays 2024!

There is swearing and violence. I point this out because my manager let his 6 year old read it. The kid promptly ran around the house dropping F bombs. Oops
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