26.Jul.2010 Composite photo fun

The latest technique I am trying out is creating composite photos. I have learned that one of the most important things to remember when setting up the shot is to be conscious of shadows and reflections. Aside from that, it is also easier to composite images together if you do not have any overlap, since that takes more time and effort to cutout and touch up to create a believable composite.

I decided to create a scene of me playing my favorite game, Clue, against myself. I took quite a few shots of each position, each with a different pose and expression, the I selected the best shots and used Photoshop to mask the different sections to fit the photos together into a seamless compositions. I did have a little extra work involved in todays photo composition since I had overlapping areas to deal with and a stray feline. View the photos used to make this composite.

Compared to my other favorite Photoshop photography techniques such as panorama, high dynamic range and tilt-shift, composite photos do take a lot more planning and editing to make them believable. Extra work and planning aside, I think composite photos, if done right, can inspire a sense magic. The mind knows something is not quite real and the illusion makes it interesting to the eye. The only downside to photo compositions is if you get it wrong, there is a chance you may end up being featured on Photoshop Disasters.