Here is a photograph I took of one of the faire fairies.

The following post will show what I started with and the process of getting to the end result at a high level.

Start to Finish	Star field

The Star Field

When we decided to put a “space” feel to the image I made the decision to attempt to create it from scratch instead of using some stock image.  The following images show the layering and process I went through to create the star field that appears behind the model.

Added the first layer of stars

Added more layers and clusters.

Added some star glow and planets

Added a crescent moon

Main Photo Manipulation

The following photos show the process from first shoot through to the final image. We knew we wanted the image to have a dark sci-fi look to it.

The first image was a good exposure so that I could pull details out of it if need be.

The second photo was to focus on the dark side of the image and allow me to capture specific highlights.

Created a mask of the subject.  We also replaced the face because we liked the face of the well exposed image more than the dark image.

Captured a photo of the MASCHINE that will be used to embed in his chest.

Created a mask for the MASCHINE and placed it in the proper location.

Added the light bursting out of his chest and MASCHINE. Good mix of oranges and blues.

Added glowing eyes and flares.

Placed the star field.

Added some levels, curves, color balances, etc. to bring the image together. Click the image to see the final representation.

He started using MASCHINE about a year ago which is a pattern based sequencer and he considers it the heart and soul of what he does now.

View On Black

With the exception of the flares (browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&q=lens+flare#…) in the eyes, the rest of the image was created by me.