Creating Composites

[huga]

A composite is two or more images combined in PS.

So you will need PS or PSE (I think it can be done in PSE). A tripod is also very handy, depending on what you are shooting. The camera really needs to remain in exactly the same position, so the images can be combined successfully.

This is pretty much how I do it:

It's very handy for creating images that might be a bit impossible IRL. A good example is photographing babies safely - composites are (or should be!) used.

Here are a few of mine:

(if you look closely at the underside of the couch, you can see where I stuffed up):

(screwed up at the top left corner of the ceiling here):

(Liked Lola better in another image, so combined two):

(got Lola to look at me behind the camera and then combined it with another):

[kja]

Great, huga!

[tlc]

Fantastic, you are very clever!

[Roova]

You have the most amazing imagination!

[huga]

So looking forward to see what you guys come up with. And thank you, Roova :)

I knew I had more to add, but it left my brain.

This method is super awesome for head swaps. So when you want one image of everyone looking at the camera and smiling, but someone is blinking or looking away or whatever. I didn't use a tripod for this, but combined these two images (SOOC - just converted to jpegs):

To this:

The teacup one was a combination of these two:

And the final image again:

[huga]

A little tip for your first go:

Use a really simple background - a plain wall without shadows or a plain coloured backdrop (black is good). That way when you lay the images over the top of each other, you won't have to match things in the background exactly. Like vertical lines on a wall *cough*

[Clicking Mad]

wow! that's awesome!

[Juddabug Whippets]

Fantastic.....

[huga]

:laugh:

Setting the bar pretty high!

Can't wait to see :)

[Cat]

They are great photos

Is it common for professionals to do head swaps? Just curious as I was asked to do it last year and it made me wonder how common it is.

[huga]

Who asked you to do it?

I think it would be relatively common for group images when you want everyone smiling at the camera (which can be impossible with large groups - especially kids!). It's not something I've ever been asked about or clients would even really know about.

[Cat]

I got roped in to taking a photo of 5 kids - all under 2 and my two dogs as a present for the great grandparents. as you say, it was impossible to get all kids looking at the camera, especially as two were so small they couldn't sit up. One set of parents wasn't happy with any one photo and wanted heads swapped around as this is what a previous photographer had done for a different family group photo.

[huga]

Ah, ok. Weird that the photographer shared the head swap thing. It irritates me when people just assume that anything can be corrected in PS in a matter of seconds - not the case at all. And to head swap, you have to know in advance while you are taking the images and keep it in mind, so you don't move around and have images that you can actually use to swap.

[Cat]

Yeah, I don't have photoshop (and was also kinda annoyed) so they were going to try and get a friend with photoshop to fix it up. I don't think they had any idea at all

[huga]

Looking forward to it :)

I will clog the thread with another one. This one was easy :)

[Podengo]

So clever!! Great pics Huga

[CrazyCresties]

Really enjoying seeing your composites huga :D I have neither the skill or the software required for these :laugh: Looking forward to seeing some others too :)

[tlc]

Looking forward to it :)

I will clog the thread with another one. This one was easy :)

:laugh: What a sucker I am, I thought you snapped that, I commented on Facebook!

[huga]

I know :laugh: That's what prompted me to put it here. The other one was one shot. I just couldn't get them to look at each other at the same time.

[Juddabug Whippets]

Lol, I thought you managed to just snap at the right time too! Might have to get myself looking at this more... My four never do what I want at once!