Combining Images II

Older Tutorials
Quick Mask
Rubberstamping
More Adjustments
Sharpening
Filters
Color

Suggestions for things you can try for blending, and merging color on color are:

1. With the moved image’s layer selected (in this case, that would be the apple), choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation (in Photoshop v. 5.5 you would choose Layer > New > Adjustment Layer, and then choose Hue/Saturation from the dialog box’s menu). Adjust the moved image’s saturation to match that of the destination image. Or, you could choose the destination image’s layer (in this case that would be the snake) and adjust its Hue/Saturation to match the new image. Saturation means color richness, or depth. Often, the two images you are combining will be noticeably different in color saturation, and this will make it obvious that the two parts do not belong together.
2. Try the same things with the new, and destination layers but this time choosing Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance. As with saturation, the two images may have different color casts. Try and make them similar.
3. Use the rubber stamp, or as it is now known, the clone stamp at a low opacity to merge the borders. Choose a fat, soft edged brush. Set opacity to 30 % or less and Alt click very near, but not on, the border. Then, release Alt and click on the border. Do the same on the opposite side of the border. Click, don’t stroke when applying the stamp. Dot, dot, dot, over and over at very low opacity to add a little bit of tone from either side of the border to the border itself.

Remember that adjustment layers affect all layers below them in the Layers palette. If you make sure to have your topmost layer selected before you choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer, it will be created at the top of the stack. In any case, you can always drag the adjustment layer to where you want it.
      If you want an adjustment layer to only affect one layer you can create a clipping group by pressing Alt, and clicking on the solid line that separates the two layers. Or, you can group multiple layers by linking them, and then choosing Layer > Group Linked.

I hope this has not been too confusing for you. I want my tutorials to be for beginners, and this is a little bit more than that. However, it seemed unfair to leave you with only half the technique for combining images, since the first tutorial did not cover overlaps at all.
     There is a third tutorial, Combining Images III that will teach you how to put a woman into a glass bottle. If you would like to see a little bit more of what can be done with combined images, you might enjoy looking at the Doodling section.

If you are particularly interested in learning how to make great composite images, please take a look at my CD-ROM, Shadows and Light; Advanced Compositing in Photoshop. Thanks.

If you would like to download a zipped pdf file of this tutorial along with the preceding Combining Images lesson, click on the link below and save it to your hard drive. This .pdf does not include the third tutorial, Combining Images III.
Combining Images pdf
331 KB
If you don’t know how to expand a zipped file or use Acrobat Reader, download the file, above, and then go here to find instructions.

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Copyright © 2004 by Jay Arraich.
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All photographs copyright ©2004 by Jay Arraich
jay@arraich.com