|
One of the coolest things
about Photoshop is the way it allows us to take multiple images
and combine them into one composite or collage. Rather than
using the digital equivalent of scissors and glue, Photoshop
lets us blending images together in beautiful and creative ways.
There are a variety of techniques for blending
images. We'll start with a look at one of the simplest. Open a
pair of images that you'd like to join. We'll use a couple of
outdoor shots. You should make sure that the color mode of the
documents matches and, as in this example, the bit depth. (Both
are adjusted with the menu command Image> Mode.)
The next step is to put them into one document.
Since they're different sizes, we could use the menu command
Image> Image Size to resample one or the other. However, since
we're working at low resolution, we'll simply scale when ready.
Copying an image from one document to another is
quite easy Ð simply drag from the Layers palette of the source
document onto the window of the second image. If the source
image has multiple layers, they can be dragged one at a time or
the image can be flattened first. Holding down the Shift key
while the mouse button is released will center the dragged layer
in the destination document.
Once the layer is copied, the original source
document can be closed.
In the destination image, our work image, we now
have two layers. As you can see by the bounding box, the
difference in image size is considerable. (Note that "image
size" refers to the pixel dimensions of an image, not the print
size. When you look in the Image Size dialog box, think in terms
of the pixel dimensions at the top section, not the print
dimensions in the lower part.)
Command-T/Control-T puts us in Free Transform
mode, which allows easy resizing of the image. (Make sure that
the new layer is the active layer in the Layers palette.)
Holding down the Option/Alt key allows us to resize with the
image growing in all directions from the "point of origin," that
target-shaped symbol in the center of the image. (The point of
origin can be moved anywhere inside or outside the bounding box
to change the spot from which you transform.) Adding the Shift
key prevents distortion while resizing by constraining the
width-height ratio of the image while you drag. In Free
Transform mode, you can also reposition an image by clicking
within the bounding box and dragging. Press Return/Enter when
you've scaled and moved as desired.
We can also scale and move the lower layer to
change the relative proportions. The upper layer can be hidden
by clicking the eyeball icon in the Layers. Remember that you
can't scale or move a layer named Background (with the name in
italics). To change a background layer to a regular layer,
Option/Alt-double-click the name in the Layers palette and
rename it.
Now that the two images are together and sized,
they need to be positioned. Lowering the opacity of the top
layer allows you to see what you're doing as you reposition the
layers. (Make sure that you click on the top layer in the Layers
palette to make it active before reducing opacity.)
Once the images are in position we can do the
fun part, the actual blend. Right now, the two layered images
have a hard border. One stops, the other starts.
We'd rather have a nice, gentle fade between the
two images. Remember that we're working with the simplest
technique at this point. Select the Eraser tool in the Toolbox.
In the Options Bar (or the Brushes palette for Photoshop 5 and
5.5), select a huge soft brush. (The size will depend on the
size of your image.) Click on the brush icon to open its
specifications.
Make sure that the brush hardness is set to
zero. That ensures the softest possible brush and gives us the
greatest region of transition between the two images.
Position the cursor at the top of the image
where the two pictures meet. (In this figure, the diameter of
the cursor is represented by the dashed arc.) Click once.
Move the cursor to the bottom of the image where
the two pictures meet and Shift-click. Holding down Shift forces
the Eraser to do its work in a straight line between the two
points that were clicked. Hiding the lower layer shows the nice
even fade created by the soft-edged brush.
The transition between the two images is far
more appealing that the hard edged border we had a few moments
ago.
Tip: The Eraser tool can be set to a lower
opacity to emphasize the transition, and it can be used multiple
times, too. In addition, no one ever said that the transitional
line had to be straight. |