Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
What if you had to the power to bring BTTF’s Delorean into life. Flux capacitor and all? Photographer Felix Hernandez (previously) did just that with a model car. Of course, it’s more than just the model car, I mean, those are around $100 on Amazon, it’s the setting of the car and making it seem as if it hits 88 miles per hour on a table top.
Better yet, all effects were done in camera.
The imagination and skill of photographer Felix Hernandez never ceases to amaze me. When it comes to car photography, he certainly thinks way outside of the box to get the shot. Regularly producing images with miniatures that most people would assume were full size vehicles if they weren’t told otherwise.
In collaboration with Audi Magazine, Felix has been busy building deserts and streets in his studio. All in order to create some stunning images of the Audi Q2. It’s an incredibly meticulous and demanding process. The end results are very much worth the effort, though.
For those of us who grew up in the 80s, scenes like those above were pretty common to our TV screens. The Dukes of Hazzard, The A-Team, Knight Rider, and countless other shows would deliver us 30 minute chunks of the most amazing vehicular acrobatics we’d ever seen. These days, it would probably done with CGI, but there was something about those practical effects that makes them stand out.
One photographer not going the CG route is Felix Hernández. He’s proving that these same images can still be acquired practically. Although, it might not be the way you’d first think. Instead of full size vehicles, these images were created in the studio with miniatures. For those who follow Felix’s work, this probably doesn’t come as much surprise. Felix is a master of making the miniature look and feel real.
The photography of Mexico based Felix Hernández is nothing short of remarkable. Felix specialises in turning dreams into reality, at least, photographically, and he does it in some absolutely amazing ways. Utilising an array of techniques including miniatures, dry ice and even cigarette smoke, his work shows some elaborate thinking.
In this video, we get see some of that process, and a look behind the scenes on how the image “Inner Trip” was made. Felix describes this image as “a journey to my inner self”, bringing yet another dreamy vision to life. Utilising miniature models, long exposure photography and some light painting, he sure seems to have had been on a great ride.
What happens when a miniature photographer discusses collaboration with a multi-million car company? He ends up shooting their $160,000 car, an Audi R8, using a $40 scale model.
Photographer Felix Hernández (more from Felix) discussed some potential ideas with Audi. The result was so awesome that Audi decided to share it on their media channels. The catch? the photos were not made using a real car. Instead Felix used a small model car.
The process is not trivial though and does require some understanding of scale, perspective and whole lots of flour.
Here is a quick, yet powerful tip from Felix Alejandro Hernández Rodríguez. It is simple and all it involves is a couple packs of flour, and can really boost a photo. Here is how Felix describes it:
Here is a simple technique that I “discovered” a while ago… It has been useful in some projects… With this technique you can transfer texture and shadows to any surface…
It’s simple: In PS create two layers. On the top layer place the photo to which you want to transfer the texture and shadow On the bottom layer put the photo with the texture. (in our example the flour). Apply Multiply Blending Mode to the top layer and mask the areas where you don’t want the texture… Simple but effective.
P.S. if you are looking for relevant textures, you can always use a pre-made package like this one.
Sometimes, you get an idea that seems to be impossible (or at least very tricky). After you think about things for a while and figure out the logistics of actually getting a wardrobe onto the beach on top of rocks, the solutions seem to present themselves.
When you realise that this was the idea of Photographer Felix Alejandro Hernández Rodríguez, you know those solutions are going to be interesting. Unlike his previous projects, The Crow & The Dove and Sandtroopers, Felix chose to step outside of the studio for this one.
I know that after seeing The Force Awaken everybody wanted to travel to Jakku. Only problem is, it does not exist. Neither are Tatooine, Naboo and the rest of the planets of the Star Wars galaxy.
Well, if you can’t travel to those worlds, why not create them in a studio? Photographer Felix Alejandro Hernández Rodríguez (previously) did just that. He recreated the Star Wars world in his studio and not once, but twice.
The first creation is a real, detailed, dark, Star Wars creation using realistic small-scale action figures in a series called Sandtroppers.
We are big fans of Felix Alejandro Hernández Rodríguez and the way he uses creative ways to shoot scenes in camera. After shooting a world war II plane fight with power, he came back and shot a fantasy boat with some dry ice.
We approached Felix and again to gain some insights on his photos.
While a lot of our recent articles lately have gone into manipulating photos in Photoshop, some are still doing it the old fashion way, in camera.
The photo above, as well as the photos below, were taken in camera, using knowledge and ingenuity. We reached out to Felix Alejandro Hernández Rodríguez to ask him how he made those:
His videos have over a hundred million views, have been extensively published by news outlets, and has even received recognition from a few film festivals, such as International Ocean Festival
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