I got the idea for this image from two sources–a shot from the opening sequence of Batman: The Animated Series and a panel from “Wanted: Santa Claus–Dead or Alive!” (drawn by Frank Miller) from DC Special Series #21 (Holiday Special); Spring, 1980.

Composition was pretty simple–took the shot of Batman in my light tent, then took a super-macro close-up of the batarang on the floor of the tent. In Photoshop, I cut out the batarang, flipped the image vertically and pasted it into the first photo. Careful use of the Smudge function added the motion blurs. Then the usual retouching and that was that.

I wish I had a nicer background, but the white still gives it a certain comics feel.