Hello everyone,

Today, I'd like to share a retouching project of the Xpeng Heitech Flying Car and discuss the retouching concept behind it. This particular image is quite unique and representative, as most people may not have seen or worked on a flying car before. So, let's delve into the retouching process of this artwork.

Firstly, let me reveal the story behind it. This is a key visual (KV) image intended for promotion in Dubai. Can you imagine the difficulty of capturing this photo? Well, I'll let you in on a little secret – we used CGI vehicle backgrounds to achieve our goal. After all, costs can be quite daunting, and shooting the real thing can be expensive.

Now, let's move on to the retouching process. First and foremost, we observe the overall image:

1、The original image aims to simulate the feeling of capturing a flying car in the sky. In normal situations, airplanes are in motion, so the background requires some motion blur.

2、The overall color tone needs to be adjusted to create a more atmospheric mood.

3、The integration between the flying car and the environment needs to be improved.

These three points were my immediate reaction upon seeing the image, perhaps due to my years of retouching experience. I instinctively visualize these issues in my mind.

This step, in my opinion, is the most crucial one. Some may disagree, but I believe it's more important to know where to retouch rather than focusing solely on the technical details. If a train travels in the wrong direction, it may end up going farther away from its destination.

Next, it's time to get our hands dirty: 

This step involves considering the specific retouching techniques and areas that need to be addressed. If you're someone who enjoys thinking, I suggest pausing here and contemplating which areas you believe require retouching. Afterward, we can compare our thoughts to see if we're on the same page. I'm sure you'll gain some valuable insights. Here's a rough overview:

1、Adjust the lighting, highlights, and texture of the flying car. The windows should reveal some interior details.

2、Add a subtle glow or highlight to the flying car, accentuating its paint material and light reflections.

3、Fine-tune the background color tone. This step is easier said than done because finding the right color balance, lightness, and contrast for the image requires careful consideration. It's not merely a matter of using contrast curves, color adjustment tools, or color balance tools to cool down the shadows and warm up the highlights. We need to think about the overall relationship, the harmony between elements, composition, and the degree of matching between different elements. This is the result of long-term contemplation and training.

4、Replace the tower element with the Burj Khalifa and seamlessly integrate it into the environment.

5、Lastly, apply a motion blur to the background to simulate a sense of movement.

These are the essential retouching steps that need to be taken. While each step may be understandable, actual implementation can present certain difficulties. If you're interested, you can use the images in this article to practice your color grading skills. Feel free to reach out to me via private message, email, or any other contact method, and I'll be sure to respond.

Lastly, I want to emphasize that although the world is full of challenges, as long as we're willing to invest time and effort, we will always find ways to overcome them. This is not only my understanding of retouching but also my understanding of life. I sincerely hope to establish a friendly and constructive environment for communication, learning, and mutual growth. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. Thankyou.

This is the final submission document.

This is a close-up shot of the flying car.

This is the expanded version of the file.

This is the original footage, including the car and the background.

This is the original background footage.