Photography and Texture with Peter McKinnon (Episode 5) | The Brief | Adobe Creative Cloud

In this episode of The Brief by Adobe Creative Cloud, Peter McKinnon, a versatile photographer from Toronto, is challenged to create art inspired by a box of eclectic items. The items include a magnifying glass, an air plant, driftwood, and a sand dollar, which spark ideas of natural textures and a detective theme. McKinnon decides to conduct a detective-style photo shoot using film and a strobe, aiming to capture the essence of mystery and intrigue. After the shoot, he uses Adobe's generative AI fill and other editing tools to enhance the photos, seamlessly blending the background and removing the set's roof to create a more authentic scene. The final piece is a unique blend of photography and texture, embodying the mission to bring natural textures into a distinctive piece of art in McKinnon's style.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Peter McKinnon is a versatile photographer from Toronto, Ontario, who enjoys all types of photography, from landscapes to street photography.
• 📦 The Brief is an Adobe series that provides creators with boxes of items to inspire art creation.
• 🔍 McKinnon received a box containing a magnifying glass, an air plant, driftwood, and a sand dollar, which sparked ideas for a unique art piece.
• 🕵️‍♂️ He decided to create a detective-style photo shoot using the magnifying glass and film, incorporating elements like strobe lighting and an investigative theme.
• 🎭 The set for the photo shoot was designed to look like an investigative office, but the visible roof needed to be edited out for a more realistic look.
• 🧙‍♂️ Generative AI fill was used to extend the wall in the photo, making it appear seamless and removing the visible roof.
• 🖌 The clone stamp tool was employed to blend the edited wall with the grainy film texture for a more natural look.
• 🌈 A gradient was added to the photo, with careful selection and opacity adjustments to ensure the subject remained the focus and the background was enhanced.
• 🔗 The final piece combined natural textures like driftwood with a detective theme, creating a unique art style that reflects McKinnon's photography.
• 📸 Peter McKinnon emphasized the importance of creating art that is both inspired by the items provided and true to his personal style.
• 📚 He encouraged viewers to watch other episodes of The Brief on the Creative Cloud Channel and to try Adobe Creative Cloud with a free trial.

Q & A

What is the name of the series that Peter McKinnon is hosting?

The Brief

What kind of box does Adobe send to creators in the series?

A box filled with different items to spark inspiration for creating art.

What is Peter McKinnon's profession?

Peter McKinnon is a photographer from Toronto, Ontario.

What types of photography does Peter McKinnon enjoy?

Peter enjoys all types of photography, including landscapes, portraits, street, and making mundane subjects look interesting.

What items did Peter find in the box that could inspire his art?

Peter found a magnifying glass, an air plant, driftwood, and a sand dollar in the box.

What theme did Peter decide to create for his photography project?

Peter decided on a detective style photo shoot with a magnifying glass.

What technique did Peter use to extend the slat wall in his photo?

Peter used generative AI fill with the lasso tool and the clone stamp tool to extend the wall.

What does Peter mean by 'generative AI fill'?

Generative AI fill is a technology that uses artificial intelligence to fill in selected areas of an image with content that matches the surrounding area.

What is the final objective of the art piece Peter is creating?

The final objective is to bring textures from the natural world together for a unique piece of art in Peter's style.

What tool did Peter use to separate the subject from the background in the photo?

Peter used the 'select subject' tool to separate the subject from the background.

What was the final touch Peter added to the photo to enhance the illusion?

Peter added a little bit of a gradient and adjusted the opacity to blend the line seamlessly and remove the illusion of it being a set.

What does Peter recommend viewers do after watching the episode?

Peter recommends checking out other episodes of The Brief on the Creative Cloud Channel, liking and subscribing to the channel, and downloading a free trial of Adobe Creative Cloud.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Introduction to 'The Brief' Series

Peter McKinnon introduces himself as a photographer from Toronto, Ontario, with a love for all types of photography. He is part of 'The Brief' series by Adobe, where he receives a box filled with items to inspire him to create art. He expresses excitement about the unknown contents of the box, which could potentially contain anything, even jelly. The video sets the stage for an exploration of creativity and the process of turning random items into a piece of art.

Keywords

Photography

Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. In the video, Peter McKinnon, a photographer from Toronto, uses photography to create art inspired by items in a box sent by Adobe, showcasing his ability to capture various subjects like landscapes, portraits, and street scenes.

Texture

Texture in the context of art and photography refers to the visual and tactile quality of a surface. It can suggest how something might feel to the touch, even if it's only represented visually. In the video, Peter McKinnon is tasked with bringing textures from the natural world into his artwork, using items like an air plant, driftwood, and a sand dollar to inspire the tactile element in his photographs.

Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe Creative Cloud is a subscription service from Adobe Inc. that gives users access to a collection of software used for video editing, graphic design, web development, photography, along with a set of mobile applications and some optional cloud services. In this video, Adobe sends Peter McKinnon a box filled with items to inspire his creative process, and he utilizes Adobe's tools to edit and enhance his photographs.

Magnifying Glass

A magnifying glass is a convex lens that is used to magnify small objects. In the video, the magnifying glass is one of the items in the box that Peter McKinnon receives. It sparks the idea for a detective-style photo shoot and becomes a central prop in his creative process, symbolizing investigation and a closer look at details.

Driftwood

Driftwood refers to wooden planks or branches that have been washed ashore by the action of winds, tides, or waves. In the video, driftwood is an item that reminds Peter of shooting at a cabin and brings a sense of nature and rustic charm to his artwork, contributing to the overall texture and theme of his piece.

Generative AI Fill

Generative AI Fill is a feature in Adobe's software that uses artificial intelligence to fill in selected areas of an image with content that is contextually appropriate. Peter uses this tool to extend a wall in his photograph, seamlessly blending the new area with the existing image to maintain the illusion of a real scene.

Clone Stamp Tool

The Clone Stamp Tool is a feature in Adobe's Photoshop software that allows users to duplicate or clone parts of an image to another area. Peter uses this tool to soften the line where he extended the wall, ensuring a natural and seamless blend between the original and the AI-generated parts of the image.

Gradient

In photography and design, a gradient is a gradual change in color, hue, or shade, which can be used to create depth, contrast, or to guide the viewer's eye through an image. Peter adds a gradient to his photograph to enhance the mood and to make the subject stand out from the background.

Select Subject

The Select Subject feature in Adobe Photoshop is a tool that allows users to quickly and easily select a subject within an image by identifying and selecting the most prominent elements. Peter uses this tool to isolate his subject from the background, which he then removes from the gradient effect for a more natural look.

Private Detective

A private detective is a professional investigator who operates independently or within a company and is hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. In the video, the theme of a private detective is used as a creative concept for Peter's photo shoot, incorporating elements of mystery and investigation into his artwork.

Creative Process

The creative process refers to the steps through which an individual or a community engages in creating something new, whether it be a work of art, a solution to a problem, or a creative product. In the video, Peter McKinnon's creative process is showcased as he takes inspiration from the items in the box, conceptualizes a theme, and then uses various photography and editing techniques to bring his vision to life.

Highlights

Peter McKinnon introduces The Brief series by Adobe, where creators receive boxes filled with items to inspire art creation.

The box contains a variety of items such as a magnifying glass, an air plant, driftwood, and a sand dollar.

McKinnon is inspired by the items and plans to create a detective-style photo shoot with a magnifying glass.

He decides to shoot on film and incorporate elements of mystery and investigation into the photography.

The photography set initially has a visible roof that breaks the illusion of being an investigative office.

To extend the wall, McKinnon uses generative AI fill and Adobe's lasso tool to select and replace the roof with a wall.

The clone stamp tool is utilized to blend the edited wall seamlessly with the grainy film texture.

A gradient is added, and the select subject mask feature helps to separate the subject from the background.

The final piece aims to bring natural world textures together in a unique art style reminiscent of a detective at work.

McKinnon emphasizes the importance of creating an illusion-free environment in the final photograph.

The final product is a series of photographs with a private detective theme, incorporating elements like driftwood and cabin vibes.

Peter McKinnon concludes by inviting viewers to watch other episodes of The Brief and to try Adobe Creative Cloud.

He encourages viewers to like, subscribe to the Creative Cloud Channel, and download a free trial of Adobe Creative Cloud.

The episode showcases the creative process and the use of Adobe tools for post-production editing.

McKinnon demonstrates the use of simple prompts in generative AI to achieve desired editing outcomes.

The episode highlights the value of incorporating natural elements and textures into artistic photography.

A behind-the-scenes look at how a professional photographer approaches a creative challenge and transforms it into art.

The use of film photography adds a unique grainy texture that complements the detective theme of the shoot.

The creative process involves both the physical setup and digital post-production to achieve a cohesive final piece.