Photoshop Compositing Secrets - Matt Kloskowski [72]
STEP 11:
One more idea for this example is that you could move them so close to each other that they actually overlap. Personally, I don’t think it works very well here. To me, each dance move deserves its own space and intersecting with another photo makes it look cluttered. But, it does have its place, so I at least want to show you how to do it. Try moving the Dancer1 layer over toward the right even more, so that his foot actually intersects with the second pose. Because the Dancer1 layer is above the Dancer2 layer, the white background from the topmost layer will start to show up again.
STEP 12:
With the Dancer1 layer still targeted, use the Quick Selection tool (W) to make a selection of the dancer. Click the Refine Edge button to open the Refine Edge dialog. Since he contrasts so well with the background, this one is simple. Set the Radius to 5 pixels to pick up any tiny details on the edges. Set the Output To setting to Layer Mask and click OK. Now, you should be able to see that his leg in the pose on the far left goes in front of the pose that’s second from the left. For some images, it may work, but for something as artistic as dance, I think it takes something away from the photo and makes it appear too cluttered.
ALTERNATE IDEA #1:
Here’s an alternate idea using something different than dance. I totally understand that not everyone is shooting dancers jumping in the air. These photos were taken in the studio, using the same setup as the dancer photos. The subject is just a little different, though. So, even if you’re not photographing dancers, but doing family portraits instead, you can still create a similar composite that parents (and kids) will love.
ALTERNATE IDEA #2:
With some pre-planning and a couple of props bought at a local crafts store, you’ve got another alternative. It’s the same studio setup as before and I created the MOM and DAD versions for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. But, you could just as easily use the child’s name, or maybe a favorite sports team.
Final Image
15. Adding Illustration
I first thought of the idea for this composite from watching a Mountain Dew commercial. It was, of course, a video of a skateboarder jumping various obstacles, but what I really thought was cool was that there were these illustrative streaks and shapes following him. That’s when I first got the idea of mixing a real photo with fake shapes. Shapes we know couldn’t possibly be there in real life, but still look cool anyway.
Extending the Background
My idea for this composite had more of a wide-angle view. I wanted it to look like the skateboarder had moved a good distance into the photo with the illustrative graphics following him. In order to do that, we have to widen the background a little first.
STEP ONE:
Open the background photo. In this example, the background image plays a larger part in our final image, since it has the skateboarder in it.
STEP TWO:
Select the Rectangular Marquee tool from the Toolbox (or just press M), and then, starting in the upper-left corner of the image, click-and-drag down and to the right to create a rectangular selection similar to the one you see here. Then, press Command-J (PC: Ctrl-J) to copy the selected area onto its own layer.
STEP THREE:
Grab the Move tool (V), then press-and-hold the Shift key and drag the new layer over toward the left side of the image (holding the Shift key keeps the layer aligned, so you don’t accidentally drag it up or down). Keep dragging it until you can just barely see the edge of it (as shown here).
STEP FOUR:
Since you dragged most of the copied area outside the edge of the image window, you can’t see it anymore. So, go to Image>Reveal All and Photoshop will automatically extend the canvas to show the copied selection.
STEP FIVE:
At this point, we’re not concerned with the background behind the skater—we’re going to replace that in the next tutorial. What we do need to fix here is the sidewalk, so the perspective