Hey, Everyone. This is Matt from SEOToolsPros.com. We’re going to teach you how to create HD images of your favorite celebrity. You’ll need a very fast internet connection and some software that handles HD footage specifically for web usage. After you finish this tutorial, you’ll be able to create HD images of anyone you want and use them on your site or blog. Let’s get started.
Step One
The very first step is to determine whether you want the high definition photo realistic or the standard definition (SD) image. Let’s take a look at each one.
High Definition (HD)
An HD image is one that is digitally mastered to create a superior viewing experience for your audience. To put it simply, an HD image looks more like what your eye would naturally see rather than a standard definition (SD) image which looks more like what your eye would see on a small screen or mobile device.
Creating an HD image requires a bit more work but is well worth it. First, you need to decide how big of an image you want. There are three options: full image with no cropping, cropped image with sidescrolling, and cropped image with no lifting (the subject stays within the frame and only parts of the image outside of the frame are cut off).
Next, you need to decide on the orientation of the image (portrait or landscape). For this tutorial, we’re going to go with portrait orientation. With the portrait orientation, the subject is positioned with their side facing the camera. The standard orientation is landscape which is the opposite—the subject is facing the viewer when the image is displayed.
With the above information in mind, you can start creating your HD image using your favorite image editing software. Below, we’ll show you how to do this step-by-step. Make sure you have your tablet or laptop with you as this software is not meant to be used on mobile devices.
Standard Definition (SD)
An SD image is an image that is digitally mastered to produce standard definition TV images. A standard TV image is one that is 720p or 1080i. You’ll see a lot of people use the terms HD and SD interchangeably but they are not the same thing. An HD image will always be larger than an SD image. To give you an idea of the size difference, an HD image is usually 8 to 12 megapixels while an SD image is 4 to 6 megapixels. This means there is a huge difference in detail between the two.
There is also a difference in color reproduction between the two. An HD image will always look truer to life than an SD image. You’ll notice this difference when you see how an HD image looks when compared to an SD image. As a result, the colors in an HD image will pop while the colors in an SD image will not.
Step Two
The next step is to decide on the frame of your photo. You have two options here: the classic Hollywood style and the modern journalistic style.
Classic Hollywood Style
The classic Hollywood style is most closely associated with the Golden Age of Hollywood. This style was prevalent in the 1930s and ‘40s and can be characterized by a shallow depth of field, emphasis on lighting and composition, and a narrow focus on the subject matter at hand. When used effectively, this style can make any subject look more dramatic and spectacular. You’ll often see images from this era with a large bokeh (blurred out area) behind the subject creating an unearthly look not seen in modern photography.
To create a classic Hollywood look, you will want to use a shallow depth of field. The ideal setting for a classic Hollywood photo is: 1. the studio shot—this is where you place your subject in front of a brightly lit background to achieve that golden glow around them. 2. Available light—this is where you place the subject in front of a natural light source to achieve that soft, dreamlike atmosphere that was prevalent at that time. 3. Open space—this is where you put your subject in front of a large, open area to achieve that ideal cinematic look.
Modern Journalism Style
The modern journalistic style is most associated with the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other prominent newspapers of the modern era. This style was prevalent from the early 20th century until the late ‘70s and can be characterized by an emphasis on storytelling, emphasis on the news content rather than decorative elements, and a more objective approach. When used effectively, this can result in very cool, smooth, modern looking images that are totally captivating.
To create a journalistic look, you will want to use a deep depth of field. The ideal setting for a journalistic photo is: 1. A well-lit room with a window—this is where you place your subject in front of a bright light source to achieve that well-lit, window-ray quality. 2. A large aperture (big opening) on your camera—most journalists will use an f/1.8 or f/2.0 aperture while other prominent figures will use an f/2.8 or f/4.0 aperture. The larger your aperture, the faster your shutter speed will need to be to capture your subject in focus. The faster your shutter speed is, the less subject motion will be seen in your images.
Step Three
After you create your HD images, you will need to convert them to the JPG format to be able to use them on your site. You’ll have to do this using your favorite image editing software. Below, we’ll walk you step-by-step through this process using Photoshop. Make sure you have your tablet or laptop with you as this step can be a bit cumbersome using a mouse or keyboard.
The Final Step
When you are done, you will need to take a couple of hours to manually place the icons and text elements on the page in the correct spot for the best viewing experience. This is where a lot of the actual grunt work comes in. If you want to create an infographic style blog or site, you’ll need to do a lot of research to find the best places for the different pieces of information and images. Once you’ve done that, you can sit back and enjoy your new HD image-packed blog or site.
If you want more information about high definition images—including everything from camera settings to post-processing techniques—make sure you check out the SEOToolsPros.com blog on the subject. There, you’ll find all the information you need to create those perfect HD images.