montage projects

Chris Mollison

essential skills

~   Use Quick Mask mode, alpha channels and layer masks to create a simple montage.

~   Create a simple montage using layer blend modes.

~   Use the Pen Tool to create a smooth-edged mask.

~   Use channel masking and a blend mode for a perfect hair transplant.

~   Replace a sky and massage the tonality and color for a seamless result.

~   Preserve the shadows of a subject and create realistic motion blur.

~   Create a panoramic image using the Photomerge filter.

Layer masks – Project 1

A common task in digital image editing is to strip out the subject and place it against a new background – the simplest form of montage. The effectiveness of such a montage is often determined by whether the image looks authentic (not manipulated).

In order to achieve this the digital photographer needs to modify the edge of any selection so that it is seamless against the new background. A crude or inappropriate selection technique will make the subject appear as if it has been cut out with the garden shears and is floating above the new background. A few essential masking skills can turn the proverbial sow’s ear into the silk purse.

Open the project images for this tutorial from the Montage folder on the supporting DVD. As with any montage work it is advisable to check that the pixel dimensions of each image are similar and the image modes are the same. For a quick check depress the Alt/Option key and click the document size box at the base of the image window.

Note > The resolution and image mode of an image pasted into another image will automatically be adjusted to match the host file. The ‘Transform’ command can be used to adjust the scale of the imported image using ‘Interpolation’ but scaling an image up excessively can lower the overall quality of the image. It is better to ‘downsample’ the larger image (decrease the total number of pixels) rather than sample up the smaller one. Exceptions can be made for background images where there is little fine detail, e.g. water, sky, fire or if you intend to blur a background for a depth of field effect.

1. Start by selecting the majority of the sax image’s background using either the Quick Selection Tool or the Magic Wand Tool (neither are that quick when selecting the subject in this particular image). When using the Quick Selection Tool make an initial selection by dragging the tool over an area of the black background. Then hold down the Option/Alt key and make a series of strokes around the inside edge of the saxophone player to define the areas you don’t want to be included in the selection. The effect of these subtractive stokes will not be immediately obvious at this stage, as you are only helping to educate the tool as to which pixels you intend to exclude from any further selections. These are pre-emptive strokes that will help prevent the selection made by the Quick Selection Tool from leaking outside of the area you wish to select. After making the subtractive stroke continue to add to the original selection until most of the background has been selected. Hold down the Option/Alt key and stroke any areas of the saxophone with a small brush to subtract any areas that have been included in the selection by mistake. Do not spend too long trying to perfect difficult regions of the selection as we will use the ‘Quick Mask mode’ to complete the selection work in the next few steps. As the edge contrast is low in places, no one tool can easily select the entire subject in this image.

2. Set the foreground and background colors to their default setting in the Tools palette and then click on the ‘Edit in Quick Mask Mode’ icon in the Tools palette. Double-clicking the icon will open up the ‘Quick Mask Options’. Choose either ‘Masked Areas’ or ‘Selected Areas’ depending on your preference. Click the color swatch to open the ‘Color Picker’ and select a contrasting color to that found in the image you are working on. Set the color to a saturated green with 50% Opacity.

3. Select the Brush Tool from the Tools palette and an appropriate hard-edged brush from the Options bar. Painting or removing a mask with the brush will result in a modified selection when the edit mode is returned to Normal. The foreground and background colors can be switched when painting to subtract or add to the mask. Zoom in on areas of fine detail and reduce the size of the brush when accuracy is called for. Click on ‘Edit in Standard Mode’ when the painted mask is complete.

Note > Adding an adjustment layer to temporarily brighten the image may help you to paint an accurate mask against some of the dark edges. Switch off or delete the adjustment layer before proceeding if used.

4. Save the selection as an alpha channel by going to the Channels palette and clicking on the ‘Save selection as channel’ icon. Now that the selection is stored, save your work in progress (File > Save As) and go to ‘Select > Deselect’.

Note > Change the name of the original file and save as a Photoshop or TIFF file. The alpha channel contains a record of your selection. This selection can be recalled if the selection is lost or the file is closed and reopened.

5. Click on the Alpha 1 channel to view the mask by itself or the ‘visibility’ or ‘eye’ icon to view the mask and image together. Before returning to the Layers palette, switch off the alpha channel visibility and select the master RGB channels view at the top of the Channels palette.

6. Position the new background image (zoom) alongside the saxophone image. Hold down the Shift key and then click on the background layer in the Layers palette and drag it to the saxophone image (the Shift key will ensure the new layer is centered). A border will appear momentarily around the saxophone image to indicate that it will accept the new layer.

7. The image now comprises two individual layers. The background layer is concealed by the zoom layer. Select the top layer (the zoom image) and then go to ‘Edit > Free Transform’ (Command/Ctrl + T). Use the keyboard shortcut Command/Ctrl + 0 to fit the Transform bounding box on the screen. Drag a corner handle to resize the image to fit the background. Holding down the Shift key while you drag will constrain the proportions while dragging inside the bounding box will move the image. Use the arrow keys for fine adjustments. Press the ‘Commit’ icon in the Options bar or press the Return/Enter key to apply the transformation.

8. Click on the Alpha 1 channel in the Channels palette while holding down the Command key (Mac) or Ctrl key (PC) to load the channel as a selection. Return to the Layers palette and with the zoom layer as the active layer click on the ‘Add layer mask’ icon. The layer mask will conceal the portion of the zoom image to reveal the saxophone player. It is important to note that the section of the zoom image that is no longer visible has been masked and not removed permanently.

Note > The ‘masked’ and ‘selected’ areas are the reverse of each other. Areas that were not part of the original selection become the masked areas. Holding down the Option key as you select ‘Add layer mask’ reverses the layer mask so that the selection becomes the mask.

9. The edge of the mask at the moment has a sharp, well-defined edge that is not consistent with the edge quality in the original image. This will be modified so that the edge quality does not stand out now that the saxophone player is viewed against a lighter background color. Double-click the ‘Layer 1 Mask’ channel to open the ‘Display Options’. Select the same options that you used for the ‘Quick Mask mode’ earlier. Hold down the Alt/Option and Shift keys and click on the layer mask to view the mask and image at the same time. If you wish to return to a normal view you can click on the image thumbnail.

10. Contract the mask by going to ‘Filters > Other > Maximum’. Increasing the pixel radius will move the edge of the mask to conceal any fringe pixels that are being displayed from the background layer.

Note > As well as moving the edge of the mask one pixel at a time the mask also becomes more ‘rounded’ and this can have a detrimental effect on any fine detail present at the edge of the subject.

11. With the Layer 1 Mask active go to ‘Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur’. Soften the edge by increasing the pixel radius in this dialog box. One or two pixels will usually do the trick. Click the Layer 1 image thumbnail to review the edge quality of the saxophone player. The Gaussian Blur softens the edge of the mask but may reveal some of the background as a dark halo around some of the lighter edges.

12. Look for any edges that have a dark line and make a selection off these edges using a Lasso Tool. Enter a feather value of 10 pixels in the Options bar so there is a smooth transition between edges that have been further modified and those that have not. Apply the Maximum filter again or go to Image > Adjustments > Levels. Move the central Gamma slider to the left to shrink the mask. Any imperfections still evident can be corrected by painting with black to increase the mask or painting with white to remove sections of the mask. You will need to match brush hardness with the slightly soft edge of the mask if your work is to go unnoticed.

Creating a simple blend – Project 2

Blending two images in the computer is similar to creating a double exposure in the camera or sandwiching negatives in the darkroom. Photoshop, however, allows a greater degree of control over the final outcome. This is achieved by controlling the specific blend mode, position and opacity of each layer. The use of ‘layer masks’ can shield any area of the image that needs to be protected from the blend mode. The blending technique enables the texture or pattern from one image to be merged with the form of a selected subject in another image.

Harmony – Nicholas Monu (www.iStockphoto.com)

Note > In the montage above the image of the body has been blended with an image of raindrops on a car body. The texture blended takes on the shadows and highlights of the underlying form but does not wrap itself around the contours or shape of the three-dimensional form.

1. Open the images from the Montage folder on the supporting DVD. Click and drag the layer thumbnail of the texture image into the form image. Hold down the Shift key as you let go of the texture thumbnail to center the image in the new window. Use the Move Tool to reposition the texture if required. Use the Free Transform command (Edit > Free Transform) if required to resize the texture image so that it covers the figure in the image.

2. Set the blend mode of the top layer to Soft Light or Overlay. Experiment with adjusting the opacity of the layer using the Opacity slider in the Layers palette.

3. Switch off the visibility of Layer 1 in the Layers palette by clicking on the eye icon. Click on the background layer to make it the active layer. Select the Magic Wand Tool from the Tools palette. Click on the black background behind the figure to create a selection. Hold down the Shift key and click on the background just above the man’s nose to add this to the selection. Choose Inverse from the Select menu.

4. Click on ‘Refine Edge’ in the Options bar. The default settings in this dialog box (Radius 1 pixel, Smooth 3 and Feather 1 pixel) should improve the edge quality but it is difficult to see the changes to your selection without viewing your subject against a different color background. Click on the ‘On White’ icon to view your subject against a white background. A thin black fringe will now be apparent around your subject. Remove this fringe by moving the Contract/Expand slider to a value of –65%. Select OK to apply these changes to your selection.

5. Switch on the visibility of Layer 1 and click on the ‘Add Layer mask’ icon in the Layers palette. Hold down the Command key (Mac) or Ctrl key (PC) and click on the layer mask to load it as a selection. Choose Inverse from the Select menu. We now have a selection that can be used to modify the background without affecting the subject.

6. The next three steps will create the effect of a backlight behind the subject that slowly fades to black in the corners of the image. With the active selection click on the ‘Create new fill or adjustment layer’ icon in the Layers palette and choose a Curves adjustment layer. Select the Blue channel and click and drag the adjustment point sitting in the bottom left-hand corner of the diagonal line until the output value reads around 117.

Note > If a halo appears after this adjustment you may need to select the levels layer mask and then go to Filter > Other > Minimum and apply a 1 or 2 pixel radius before proceeding.

7. Select the Red channel in the Curves dialog box and raise the adjustment point at Level 0 to an output value of around 75. Select the Green channel and raise the same adjustment point to a similar value. These last two adjustments should desaturate the vibrant blue created in the previous step. In the master RGB channel click in the center of the diagonal line to set a new adjustment point. Drag this adjustment point to an Output value of around 170 to brighten the background tone. Select OK to apply the curves adjustment.

8. Select the Gradient Tool in the Tools palette. Select the Foreground to Transparent and Radial Gradient options. Set the opacity to 100% and select the Reverse, Dither and Transparency options. Click and drag from a position in the center of the man’s head out towards the bottom edge of the image window to create the backlight effect.

9. The final step will balance the warm skin tones with the cool colors of the raindrops. Click on the background layer to make this the active layer (all new layers will appear above the active layer) and then click on the ‘Create new fill or adjustment layer’ icon in the Layers palette and select a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. In the Hue/Saturation dialog box drag the Hue slider to the right to a value of +8. Drag the Saturation slider to the left to lower the overall saturation of the skin tones while retaining the vibrancy of the blue tones (the raindrops on Layer 1 are above this adjustment layer so will not be affected by these adjustments). Complete the project by sharpening the image using techniques outlined in the Retouching chapter, i.e. merging all of the visible elements to a new layer (stamp visible) and then applying a sharpen filter.

Paths and selections – Project 3

With the basic dRawing skills covered in the previous section we are ready to create a path that can be converted into a selection and then used as a layer mask. To become a Path Master (for the pen is sometimes mightier than the light sabre or magic wand) this project will seek to mask part of an image that can be quite difficult to isolate using techniques outlined in Project 1 of the chapter.

1. To select the man from the background, start on the left side of the project image ‘Vet.tiff’ (where the arm meets the side of the frame) and use as few anchor points as possible to reach the side of the man’s head (see Selections, pages 147–151). Remember you can choose to cancel or move a direction line by holding down the Alt/Option key and clicking on either the last anchor point or its direction point before creating a new segment of the path. As the edge of the man’s jacket is slightly blurry, due to the shallow depth of field, dRaw an edge that eliminates some of the blur.

2. Continue to work your way around the neck and ear. Zoom in using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Spacebar (PC) or Command + Spacebar (Mac) and work close. Drag the image around in the image window using the Spacebar key to access the Hand Tool.

3. When you select the top of the head you will be able to work more quickly as fewer anchor points are required. Moving the Pen Tool over a segment of the path already completed will give you the option to click and add an anchor point to the path. Moving the Pen Tool over a previous anchor point will enable you to click to delete an anchor point.

Note > Check that you have the ‘Auto Add/Delete’ option checked in the Options bar if the above is not happening for you.

Holding down the Ctrl key (PC) or Command key (Mac) will momentarily change the Pen Tool to the Direct Selection Tool (a white arrow). The Direct Selection Tool enables you to move an anchor point (or its associated direction lines) by dragging it to a new location. Hold down the Shift key while the Direct Selection Tool is active to click on more than one anchor point and move multiple segments of the path. Note how an active anchor point is solid rather than hollow after it has been selected.

4. Continue creating anchor points until you reach the right side of the image window. Then place an anchor point in the bottom two corners of the image. Return to the start point and click on it to close the path.

5. In the Paths palette double-click the Work Path. This will bring up the option to save the Work Path and ensure that it cannot be deleted accidentally. A saved path can be modified by first clicking on the path in the Paths palette, selecting the Pen Tool in the Tools palette and then selecting the ‘Add to’ or ‘Subtract from path area’ icon in the options bar. Select the ‘Subtract from path area’ icon and proceed to remove the area of background under the man’s arm using the same pen techniques as before. The path is now complete so we must now prepare the file prior to loading the path as a selection.

6. To test the effectiveness of the path it is best to view the subject that will be masked against a flat tone. In this example the background has been duplicated and the old background has been filled with a color (Edit > Fill).

7. Load the path as a selection by clicking on the icon in the Paths palette and then, with the Vet layer selected in the Layers palette, click on the ‘Add layer mask’ icon. If you zoom in you will see just how smooth and crisp those edges really are. Although smooth and accurate they are in fact a little too sharp for most photographic masking. This can be rectified by applying a small amount of Gaussian Blur.

8. Apply a small amount of Gaussian Blur to the layer mask (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur). The radius of the Gaussian Blur should match the edge quality of the original subject. A 1 or 2 pixel radius will often be appropriate for most subjects. The alignment of the mask can be further modified (if required) by using a Levels adjustment (Image > Adjustments > Levels). This realignment is required only if a small halo is visible around any part of the subject (such as the right ear lobe area in this image). This will depend on the accuracy of your path and the tone and color of both the subject and the new background. In the Levels dialog box move the central Gamma slider to the right to remove any visible halo. Moving the black and/or white point sliders will remove some of the blur previously applied using the Gaussian Blur filter.

Note > If a halo is present in only an isolated section of the subject then you should first proceed to make a selection of this area using a Lasso or Marquee Tool using a small amount of feather and then proceed to use the Levels adjustment technique outlined above.

9. Open the file containing the new background ‘Flag.tiff’ and then drag the layer thumbnail into the Vet image. Hold down the Shift key as you let go of the thumbnail to center the flag in the Vet file. Project complete! Now if you put your hand on your heart, you will probably admit to this taking far longer than any other selection process you have ever used previously. With practice however comes speed, and although the pen is never going to replace the other selection tools there are times when, if you put your hand on the same heart, you will have to admit that this is sometimes the hands down winner when smooth edges are paramount.

Original photograph by Dan Stainsby

Extracting hair – Project 4

One of the most challenging montage or masking jobs in the profession of post-production editing is the hair lift. When the model has long flowing hair and the subject needs to change location many post-production artists call in sick. Get it wrong and, just like a bad wig, it shows. Extract filters, Magic Erasers and Tragic Wands don’t even get us close. The first secret step must be completed before you even press the shutter on the camera. Your number one essential step for success is to first shoot your model against a white backdrop. The background must be sufficiently illuminated so that it is captured as white rather than gray. This important aspect of the initial image capture ensures that the resulting hair transplant is seamless and undetectable. The post-production is the easy bit – simply apply the correct sequence of editing steps and apply the Multiply blend mode for a perfect result. This is not brain surgery and there are no lengthy selection procedures as the foundations for the perfect mask lies in the Channels palette.

Note > When masking hair that was captured against a black background the technique is basically the same as outlined in this project – just change the blend mode to Screen. See the Layer Blends chapter for additional information.

1. Open the Project 5 Montage file from the DVD (choose the Raw file if you would like to complete Step 1 of this project). Select the White Balance Tool in the Raw dialog box and click on the background in the image window to set the white balance. Raise the Brightness slider to +60 and lower the Saturation slider to –20 and then click on the Tone Curve tab. Raise the Highlights slider to +60. These steps should render the background both neutral and bright.

2. In the Channels palette drag the Blue channel (the one with the most contrast between the background and the skin tones) to the ‘Create new channel’ icon to duplicate it. In the Image menu select Apply Image. Choose Overlay from the Blending options to increase the contrast of the channel and then select OK to apply these changes.

3. Select ‘Black’ as the foreground color and the ‘Brush Tool’ from the Tools palette. Choose a large hard-edged brush and 100% Opacity from the Options bar and set the mode to ‘Overlay’ (also in the Options bar). Painting in Overlay mode will preserve the white background and darken the rest of the pixels. Accuracy while painting in Overlay mode is not a concern when the background is white or is significantly lighter than the subject. Darken the body of the hair near the scalp but avoid the locks of hair that have white background showing through. Painting these individual strands of hair will thicken the hair and may lead to subsequent halos appearing later in the montage process. Darken the skin on the chin, but not the stubble. The bright tones of the shoulders can be rendered black by repeatedly clicking the mouse in Overlay mode.

4. Switch the blend mode of the brush in the Options bar to ‘Normal’ mode when painting away from the edge of the subject. This will ensure a speedy conclusion to the mask-making process. The mask is now ready to use in the montage. Click on the master RGB channel.

Note > If any of the background has been darkened in the process of creating a black and white mask, switch the foreground color to ‘White’ and choose ‘Overlay’ in the Options bar. Paint to render any areas of gray background white.

5. Open the background image from the supporting DVD and click and drag the background layer thumbnail (in the Layers palette) into the portrait image window. Hold down the Shift key as you release the mouse button so that the background image is centered. In the Channels palette press the Command key (Mac) or Ctrl key (PC) and click on the Blue copy channel thumbnail to load the channel as a selection.

6. Apply a layer mask (using the active selection) to the texture layer just dragged in. Set the blending mode for the layer to Multiply. Notice the difference in the quality of the strands of hair before and after you switch the blend mode to Multiply. Setting the blend mode of the adjustment layer to ‘Multiply’ will bring back all of the fine detail in the hair. The background will not be darkened by applying the ‘Multiply’ blend mode as white is a neutral color. The subtle detail in the fine strands of hair will, however, be preserved in all their glory.

7. The accuracy and quality of the edge of the mask will usually require some attention in order for the subject to achieve a seamless quality with the new background. Make a selection of all of the edges that do not include any hair detail using the Lasso Tool with a small amount of feather set in the Options bar. With the adjustment layer mask selected choose the ‘Gaussian Blur filter’ (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur) and apply a 1-pixel Radius blur to the mask. Click OK and then from the Image > Adjustments menu choose a Levels adjustment. Move the central Gamma slider underneath the histogram to realign the edge of the mask with the subject edge (no dark or light halo should be visible).

8. Zoom in to 100% Actual Pixels while working to accurately assess the quality of your mask. Any localized refinement of the mask can be achieved manually by painting with a small soft-edged brush directly into the layer mask. Paint with white at a reduced opacity to remove any fine halos present in localized areas. Several brush strokes will slowly erase the halo from the image.

9. In most instances the hair is already looking pretty fabulous but to modify and perfect the hair even further you will need to make a selection of the hair only. Choose ‘Levels’ once again and move the central Gamma slider to the left to increase the density of the hair and eliminate any white halos that may be present. Moving the White slider to the left a little may help the process of achieving a perfect blend between subject and background. Select OK and choose ‘Deselect’ from the Select menu.

10. To modify the color of the new background without affecting the color of the skin hold down the Option/Alt key and select a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer from the ‘Create new fill or adjustment layer’ menu in the Layers palette. Check the Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask option and select OK. In the Hue/Saturation dialog box drag the Hue slider to + 180 to create a warm background color. Select OK to apply the changes.

11. In this step we will darken the skin tones on the shoulder that are much brighter than the face. Click on the background layer in the Layers palette and then select a Curves adjustment layer. Click in the middle of the diagonal line to add an adjustment point and then drag down to darken the image. Select OK to apply the changes. Select the Gradient Tool from the Tools and choose the Black to White, Linear and 100% Opacity options in the Options bar and then drag a diagonal gradient from the chin to the shoulder to hide the adjustment from the face. Set the mode of this adjustment layer in the Layers palette to Luminosity to remove the saturation increase.

12. Click on the ‘Create a new layer’ icon and set the mode of the new layer to Overlay. Select the Brush Tool from the Tools palette and paint with a soft-edged brush with white at 20% Opacity to lighten the eye. Paint several times to increase the effect. Create another new layer and set the mode of this layer to Darken. Hold down the Option/Alt key and click on an area of warm colored skin to sample the color. Paint with this color to remove the sheen on the nose. Increase the size of the brush and paint this color over the shoulders as well. Now that the portrait has been optimized, sharpen the image using techniques outlined in the Sharpen project from the Retouching chapter.

Original Venice image by Craig Shell (sky by Mark Galer)

Replacing a sky – Project 5

The sky is an essential ingredient of any memorable landscape image. Unfortunately it is not something the photographer can control unless we have limitless time and patience. The commercial photographer is often required to deliver the goods on a day that suits the client rather than the photographer and weather forecast. In these instances it is worth building a personal stock library of impressive skies that can be utilized to turn ordinary images with bland skies into impressive ones. The digital compact set to a low ISO is ideal for capturing these fleeting moments. The most useful skies to collect are the ones that include detail close to the horizon line, i.e. captured without interference from busy urban skylines, such as can be found at the beach or in the desert. A stock library of skies is included on the DVD to help you start, or add to, your own collection. In this project we explore how a sky can be adapted to fit the landscape so the montage is not immediately obvious.

1. Select the Magic Wand Tool from the Tools palette and set the Tolerance to 20 in the Options bar. Select the Add to Selection icon in the Options bar or hold down the Shift key as you click multiple times to select all of the sky. Zoom in to 100% or ‘Actual Pixels’ and select Quick Mask mode from the Tools palette. Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to select the tops of the buildings that were not included in the mask because the Magic Wand may have become overzealous. Fill this selection with black (if Black is the foreground color in the Tools palette you may use the keyboard shortcut Alt/Option + Backspace/Delete). Exit Quick Mask mode when this work is finished (keyboard shortcut is to press the letter Q).

2. Open the Sky image used in this project and from the Select menu choose All. From the Edit menu choose Copy. Return to the Venice image and from the Edit menu choose Paste Into. Don’t be alarmed at how bad it looks at the moment, we have several more steps to go before things start to look OK. For the moment we must be content that the sky was captured at a similar time of day to the Venice image and the direction of light is also similar. From the Select menu choose Deselect.

3. Make sure the image rather than the mask is the active component of the layer and then choose Free Transform from the Edit menu (Ctrl/Command + T). Click and drag inside the Transform bounding box to raise the sky into position. Click and drag on the top-center handle to further enhance the location and shape of the sky to fit the host image. Press the Enter/Return key to commit the transformation.

4. Click on the layer mask to make it active and then go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Choose a 1-pixel Radius in the Gaussian Blur dialog box and select OK. Go to Filter > Other > Maximum and enter a Radius of 2 pixels. This should be sufficient to remove any light halo from around the edges of the buildings. A more precise method of controlling the accuracy of the edge would be to use a Levels adjustment as outlined in the previous project. Select OK to apply these changes to the mask.

5. Hold down the Alt/Option key and select a Curves adjustment layer from the ‘Create new fill or adjustment layer’ icon in the Layers palette. In the New Layer dialog box check the Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask option. Select OK to open the Curves dialog box. Create a curve that renders both the highlights and midtones of the sky very bright so that they match the tones of the distant buildings. Skies that have been captured in less humid conditions will always require this adjustment if they are to look at home in a location where there is reduced contrast together with lighter tones in the distant subject matter. Select OK to apply the changes.

6. Select the Gradient Tool from the Tools palette. In the Options bar choose the Black, White and Linear gradient options and an Opacity setting of 100%. Click and drag a gradient from the top of the image to a position just above the horizon line. Hold down the Shift key to constrain the gradient. This will give the sky depth and ensure the sky retains its drama above the buildings in the foreground.

7. Create a second Curves adjustment layer by holding down the Alt/Option key and adding this layer to the Clipping mask. The purpose of this second adjustment layer is to increase the intensity of the light on the left side of the image. This will help establish the light source that is bathing the buildings on the right side of the image in a warm afternoon glow and help establish a realistic effect. Raise the overall brightness using the RGB channel and increase the warmth using the individual Red and Blue channels. Observe the effect above the foreground buildings on the left side of the image. When you have achieved a warm glow select OK.

8. Fill the layer mask with Black (Edit > Fill > Black). Select the Gradient Tool from the Tools palette. Select the Black, White and Radial options. Set the mode to Screen and select the Reverse checkbox in the Options bar. Drag a short gradient from behind the buildings on the left side of the image to the top-center of the image.

9. Click on the background layer and choose Convert Layer for Smart Filters. Go to Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen. Sharpen the image and select OK. You can be generous with the sharpening as the opacity of the filter can be lowered or the settings modified at any point in the future in a completely non-destructive way.

10. Stamp the visible layers to a new layer (Select All, Copy Merged and Paste). Go to Filter > Distort > Lens Correction. Go to the Vignette section of the dialog box and lower the Amount slider to –100. Again we can be generous with the amount as the opacity of the layer holding the vignette can be lowered to reduce the effect. Raise the Midpoint slider slightly so that the vignette does not encroach too heavily on the buildings on the extreme right-hand side of the image. Select OK to apply these changes. The project is now complete and the scene carries all of the mood of an old Venetian painting courtesy of a dramatic sky.

Endless Highway 2 - ra-photos and BMW 318i - felixR (www.iStockphoto.com)

Shadows and blur – Project 6

The preservation of the original shadows when the subject gets transported to a new location is one of the most essential ingredients for creating a realistic montage. Graphic designers all-too-often resort to recreating a shadow from scratch rather the preserving the original shadow, thereby creating a graphic, rather than a photographic, effect. When capturing a subject for a montage project try to capture all of the shadow on a smooth textured surface or on a surface with a similar texture to the new location. Other critical factors in the creation of a realistic montage are as follows:

•  Continuity of vantage point (the camera angle to the subject and the background should be the same).

•  Continuity of depth of field (if in doubt shoot both the subject and the background at a small aperture and reduce depth of field in post-production).

•  Continuity of perspective. Keep the same relative distance from your subjects (zoom in rather than moving close to small objects).

•  Continuity of lighting. The angle of light source to the subject and background and the quality of lighting (harsh or diffuse) should be the same.

This project will explore the technique of simulated movement to reanimate stationary objects or surroundings.

1. Open both of the project images and make the image of the car the active window. Click and drag the background layer thumbnail from the Layers palette into the landscape image and hold down the Shift key as you release the mouse button to center the image.

2. Use the Pen Tool to make an accurate Path around the car (see Project 3 in this chapter). A path of the car has already been created in both project files to fast-track this part of the project.

Note > The Path is also available in the landscape image as the path of the car will not be transferred to the landscape image by dragging the background layer thumbnail from the image file of the car. Dragging a Path thumbnail from the Paths palette into another image will transfer the path but it will only remain in alignment with the subject if an additional path is created around the corners of the image using the ‘Intersect path areas’ option in the Options bar. This has been included in the resource image for this project.

3. Duplicate the layer of the car (Ctrl/Command + J). Double-click on the name of each layer to rename the layers. Name the layer in the middle ‘Shadow’ and then click on the visibility icon to temporarily hide this layer.

4. In the Paths palette hold down the Command key (Mac) or Ctrl key (PC) and click on the Path thumbnail to load it as a selection. Return to the Layers palette and select the car layer to make it the active layer. Click on the ‘Add layer mask’ icon in the Layers palette to create a layer mask that hides the background surrounding the car.

5. Convert this layer into a Smart Object by either selecting Convert for Smart Filters from the Filter menu or going to Layer > Smart Objects > Convert to Smart Object. The layer mask will now appear to be missing but it is still a part of the Smart Object and can be edited. Double-click the Smart Object thumbnail to access the layer mask. Click on the Layer mask and apply a 1-pixel Gaussian Blur (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur). Select OK and then apply the Minimum filter (Filter > Other > Minimum). Choose a 1-pixel Radius and select OK. Save the changes (Edit > Save) and close the file. These changes will update the Smart Object in the project file.

6. Hold down the Shift key and click on the shadow layer so that both the car layer and shadow layer are selected. Click on the ‘Link layers’ icon so that both layers are linked. Use the Free Transform command (Ctrl/Command + T) to modify the size of the car and its shadow at the same time. Click on the ‘Maintain aspect ratio’ in the Options bar and reduce the size to approximately 80% of its original size. Drag inside the Transform bounding box to center the car in the road. Press the Enter/Return key to commit the transformation. As the car layer is a Smart Object no pixels are being discarded in this process so the car can be made larger at any time with no loss in quality (scaling beyond the original size, however, will still result in a degraded image even in a smart layer).

7. Turn off the visibility of the BMW layer. Click on the Shadow layer to make it the active layer. Hold down the Ctrl key (PC) or Command key (Mac) and go to the ‘Create new fill or adjustment layer’ menu in the Layers palette and select a Levels adjustment layer. Check the Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask option and set the mode to Luminosity (the Luminosity mode will prevent changes in color values). Select OK and in the Levels dialog box drag the highlight slider (underneath the histogram) to the left until the road around the shadow is clipped to white. Adjust the central Gamma slider to control the brightness of the shadow itself. Select OK to apply these changes.

8. Change the blend mode of the Shadow layer to Multiply and adjust the opacity of the layer to further refine the quality of the shadow. Some details in the Shadow layer will still be visible at present but these will be removed in the next step.

9. Add a layer mask to the Shadow layer and then make a selection that includes all of the image on this layer that is not part of the shadow. Fill this selection with Black (Edit > Fill > Black). Alternatively you could select the Brush Tool and paint in the layer mask with black to hide any bits of the wall that are still visible. Your car has now been reunited with its shadow.

10. Select the background layer in the Layers palette. Select Convert for Smart Filters in the Filter menu and go to Filter > Blur > Radial Blur. Set the Amount slider to 30, select the Zoom option and select Good or Best from the Quality settings. Select OK to apply the filter. If the effect is not enough, or too excessive, double-click Radial Blur in the Smart Filter component of the layer to reopen the dialog box so that the settings can be adjusted.

11. Click on the Smart Filters Layer Mask in the Layers palette. Select the Gradient Tool from the Tools palette. Choose the Black, White and Radial options in the Options bar. Set the Opacity to 100% and drag a gradient from the center of the image to the edge of the image window to conceal the effect as the subject matter recedes into the distance.

12. Switch to a Linear Gradient and set the mode to Multiply in order to add another gradient to the layer mask. Drag a gradient to hide the effects of the Radial Blur filter from the sky. As most of the components of this montage are ‘smart’, there are limitless opportunities to fine-tune the image without sacrificing any quality.

High dynamic range – Project 7

Contrary to popular opinion – what you see is not what you always get. You may be able to see the detail in those dark shadows and bright highlights when the sun is shining – but can your CCD or CMOS sensor? Contrast in a scene is often a photographer’s worst enemy. Contrast is a sneak thief that steals away the detail in the highlights or shadows (sometimes both). A wedding photographer will deal with the problem by using fill-flash to lower the subject contrast; commercial photographers diffuse their own light source or use additional fill lighting and check for missing detail using the ‘Histogram’.

Upper Yarra River by Mark Galer

Landscape photographers, however, have dRawn the short stRaw when it comes to solving the contrast problem. For the landscape photographer there is no ‘quick fix’. A reflector that can fill the shadows of the Grand Canyon has yet to be made and diffusing the sun’s light is only going to happen if the clouds are prepared to play ball.

Ansel Adams (the famous landscape photographer) developed ‘The Zone System’ to deal with the high-contrast vistas he encountered in California. By careful exposure and processing he found he could extend the film’s ability to record high-contrast landscapes and create a black and white print with full detail. Unlike film, however, the latitude of a digital imaging sensor (its ability to record a subject brightness range) is fixed. In this respect the sensor is a straitjacket for our aims to create tonally rich images when the sun is shining – or is it? Here is a post-production ‘tone system’ that will enrich you and your images.

Note > To exploit the full dynamic range that your image sensor is capable of, it is recommended that you capture in Raw mode. JPEG or TIFF processing in-camera may clip the shadow and highlight detail (see Adobe Camera Raw).

1. If we can’t fit all the goodies in one exposure, then we’ll just have to take two or more. The idea is to montage, or blend, the best of both worlds (the light and dark side of the camera’s, not quite, all seeing eye). To make the post-production easier we need to take a little care in the pre-production, i.e. mount the camera securely on a sturdy tripod. Take four exposures – two overexposing from the auto reading, and the other two underexposing from the auto reading. One or two stops either side of the meter-indicated exposure should cover most high-contrast situations.

Note > If you intend to use the new ‘Automate > Merge to HDR’ (High Dynamic Range) feature Adobe recommends that you use the shutter speed to bracket the exposures. This will ensure the depth of field is consistent between the exposures.

2. Select both of the HDR project images and open them in Adobe Camera Raw. Click on the lighter image thumbnail and optimize the shadow detail (pay no attention to the highlights that will clip). Raise the Brightness, Contrast and Vibrance sliders to optimize the shadows (+50, +50 and +35).

3. Click on the darker thumbnail and this time optimize the highlight detail. Drag the Exposure slider to –1.00, drag the Recovery slider to +25 and lower the Contrast slider to +25. A small amount of clipping will remain around the sun but this is perfectly acceptable. Click on Select All in the top left-hand corner of the ACR dialog box and while holding down the Shift key click on the Open Objects button.

4. Select the ‘Move Tool’ in the Tools palette and drag the dark underexposed image into the window of the lighter overexposed image (alternatively just drag the thumbnail from the Layers palette with any tool selected). Holding down the Shift key as you let go of the image will align the two layers (but not necessarily the two images).

5. In the Layers palette set the blend mode of the top layer to ‘Difference’ to check the alignment of the two images. If they align no white edges will be apparent (usually the case if the tripod was sturdy and the two exposures were made via an auto timer feature or cable release). If you had to resort to a friend’s right shoulder you will now spend the time you thought you had saved earlier doing the following steps. To make a perfect alignment you need to select ‘Free Transform’ (Edit > Free Transform). Nudge the left side into alignment and then move the reference point location in the Options bar to the left-hand side of the square. Highlight the numbers in the rotation field in the Options bar and then rotate the image into final alignment.

6. Click on the ‘Add layer mask’ icon in the Layers palette. Switch off the visibility of this layer by clicking on the eye icon next to the layer thumbnail. Choose ‘All’ from the Select menu (Ctrl/Command + A) and then choose Copy Merged from the Edit menu (Shift + Ctrl/Command + C). Hold down the Alt/Option key and click on the layer thumbnail. The image window should appear white as the layer mask is empty. Now choose ‘Paste’ from the Edit menu (Ctrl/Command + V). Apply a 1.5-pixel Gaussian Blur (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur) to this mask before. Alt/Command-click to return to the normal view.

7. It is important to recreate the expanded contrast of the original scene otherwise the image will look slightly surreal if the overall contrast is low. The first technique to expand the contrast is to select the layer mask and apply a Levels adjustment (Ctrl/Command + L). Drag in the Output sliders (directly beneath the Shadow and Highlight sliders) until the final contrast appears high but not clipped (lowering the contrast of the mask increases the contrast of the final image).

8. The observant among us will have noticed the ducks have been breeding. The ghost images can be removed by double-clicking the layer thumbnail of the top layer, or Smart Object, in the Layers palette to open the ACR dialog box. Use the Retouch Tool in the ACR dialog box to remove the ducks from the river. You will need to perform this task one or two ducks at a time to prevent the healing area from becoming too large. If the heal area becomes contaminated with lighter pixels from adjacent ducks switch from Heal to Clone in the Type options. Select OK to apply the changes.

9. Hold down the Alt/Option key and click on the layer mask thumbnail. Select the Brush Tool and hold down the Alt/Option key and click on a gray tone next to the ducks to sample the color. Paint over the ducks using a soft-edged brush. Click on the Image thumbnail to return to the normal view. The ducks should now be ghost-free.

10. From the ‘Create new fill or adjustment layer’ menu in the Layers palette hold down the Alt/Option key and select a Levels adjustment layer. From the new Layer dialog box select the Overlay or Soft Light mode. In the Levels dialog box drag the two output sliders towards the center of the gray ramp to limit the increase in contrast to just the midtones (levels 100 to 200).

11. Open the Info palette and look at the RGB values when the mouse cursor is positioned over the dark shadow tones in the image window. If they are too dark to print to a typical output device (below level 15), you can double-click the bottom Smart Object to reopen the ACR dialog box. In the Tone Curve tab raise the shadow values as required. Select OK to apply the changes.

12. One way of controlling luminance and contrast in the shadows is to apply a Shadow/Highlight adjustment to the base Smart Object (Image > Adjustments > Shadow/Highlight). Both the Midtone contrast slider and the Radius slider in the Shadows section can be used to control the localized contrast in the shadows. Select OK to apply this adjustment as a Smart Filter to the Smart Object.

13. Complete the project by adding a Smart Sharpen filter to the same Smart Object, as this is where the bulk of the fine detail resides in this composite image. Select OK to apply the changes. Applying a sharpen filter to this Smart Object (a camera Raw file) instead of a rasterized layer (created by merging the visible elements to a new layer) means that we have deferred applying any ‘destructive’ changes to the image data in this file. The automated HDR feature would have to process the data to achieve the same result and the ducks would not be happy.

Original image by Duncan P Walker (www.iStockphoto.com) Duncan P Walker also created the image titled American Patriot on page 153

Displace and Liquify – Project 8

The layer ‘blend’ modes are an effective, but limited, way of merging or blending a pattern or graphic with a three-dimensional form. By using the blend modes the pattern or graphic can be modified to respect the color and tonality of the 3D form beneath it. The highlights and shadows that give the 3D form its shape can, however, be further utilized to wrap or bend the pattern or graphic so that it obeys the form’s perspective and sense of volume. This can be achieved by using the ‘Displace’ filter in conjunction with a ‘displacement map’. The ‘map’ defines the contours to which the graphic or pattern must conform. The final effect can be likened to ‘shrink-wrapping’ the graphic or pattern to the 3D form.

Displacement requires the use of a PSD image file or ‘displacement map’ created from the layer containing the 3D form. This is used as the contour map to displace pixels of another layer (the pattern or graphic). The brightness level of each pixel in the map directs the filter to shift the corresponding pixel of the selected layer in a horizontal or vertical plane. The principle on which this technique works is that of ‘mountains and valleys’. Dark pixels in the map shift the graphic pixels down into the shaded valleys of the 3D form while the light pixels of the map raise the graphic pixels onto the illuminated peaks of the 3D form.

The alternative to using a displacement map is to use the Liquify filter. The Liquify filter allows the use to push pixels around as if they were a thick liquid. It is possible to freeze areas of the image so that they are not accidentally moved in this process. This project will explore both alternatives.

The limitation of the displacement technique is that the filter reads dark pixels in the image as being shaded and light pixels as being illuminated. This of course is not always the case. With this in mind the range of images that lend themselves to this technique is limited. A zebra would be a poor choice on which to wrap a flag while a nude illuminated with soft directional lighting would be a good choice. The image chosen for this project lends itself to the displacement technique. Directional light models the face. Tonal differences due to hue are limited.

Note how the straight lines of the flag are distorted after the Displace filter has been applied. The first image looks as though the flag has been projected onto the fabric, while the second image shows the effect of the displacement filter – it appears as though it has been woven or printed onto the surface of the fabric.

1. In order to apply the Displace filter you must first create a grayscale image to become the displacement map. Open the project images from the DVD. In the Channels palette locate the channel with the best tonal contrast between the shadows and the highlights (in this case the Blue layer). Duplicate this channel by dragging it to the New Layer icon at the base of the palette.

2. With the Blue copy selected, go to Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast. Raise the Brightness slider so that the tonality on the left side of the face extends from deep shadows to bright highlights (this will ensure good displacement on this side of the face). Select OK.

3. In the History palette click on the history step before this Brightness/Contrast adjustment to return to a point prior to the adjustment. Click in the checkbox to the left of the Brightness/Contrast history step to set the source for the History Brush Tool. Select the History Brush Tool in the Tools palette. Choose a large soft-edged brush and set the Opacity to 30%. Paint repeatedly over the left side of the face to apply the adjustment to the left side of the face only. You are creating a channel where both sides of the face have a full tonal range. You can further enhance the hills and valleys by selecting the Dodge or Burn Tools from the Tools palette. Set the Opacity to 20% or lower when using these tools and then proceed to either lighten the hills or darken the valleys as you see fit. Remember this is a displacement map not a photograph.

4. Apply ‘Gaussian Blur’ (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur) to the Blue copy channel. Applying a higher Radius of Gaussian Blur (closer to a Radius of 10 pixels) will create a mask that produces a smooth-edged displacement (minor flaws in the skin will be ignored). Using a lower Radius of Gaussian Blur (1 to 4 pixels) will create a mask that produces a ragged-edge displacement (every minor flaw in the skin will lead to displaced pixels).

Note > If the filters appeared ‘grayed out’ (temporarily not available) try clicking on the background layer in the Layers palette and then on the Blue copy channel.

5. Export this channel to become the displacement map by choosing ‘Duplicate Channel’ from the Channels menu and then ‘Document > New’ from the Destination menu. When you select OK in the Duplicate Channel dialog box a file with a single channel will open in Photoshop. Save this file as a Photoshop file (your ‘displacement map’) to the same location on your computer as the file you are working on. You will need to access this ‘map’ several times in order to optimize the displacement.

6. Open the flag image and drag the background layer thumbnail into the portrait image. Lower the Opacity of the layer to 40% and use the Move Tool to drag the image into a good location. Apply the ‘Free Transform’ from the Edit menu and drag the handles of the bounding box to achieve a ‘good fit’ (I have enlarged the flag slightly so the stars extend to the end of the nose). Hit the Return/Enter key to apply the transformation and then set the Opacity of the layer to 100% and the mode to Multiply.

7. Choose Convert Layer for Smart Filters in the Filter menu. Choose ‘Filter > Distort > Displace’ and enter 40 to 50 in the Horizontal and Vertical Scale fields of the Displace dialog box. Select OK and then browse to the displacement map you created earlier. The displacement is then applied to the layer. The Displace filter shifts the pixels on the selected layer using a pixel value from the displacement map. Grayscale levels 0 and 255 are the maximum negative and positive shifts while level 128 (middle gray) produces no displacement.

8. If the displacement is excessive, click on the Displace component of the Smart Filter to reopen the Displace dialog box, and then lower the settings. In the project image the Vertical Scale has been lowered to 25 so that the red stripes do not get excessively distorted. Notice how the filter will once again want to know where you stored your map. If you intend to re-edit this image at a later date the map must be stored with the image.

9. Click on the ‘Create a new layer’ icon in the Layers palette to add a new layer at the top of the layers stack. Choose the Spot Healing Brush from the Tools palette. Check the Sample All Layers option in the Options bar and choose a small hard-edged brush. Zoom in and paint over any ‘holes’ or ‘islands’ that may have appeared in the flag as a result of the displacement. Use a brush marginally bigger than the problem area to avoid creating further problems.

Note > If the Displace settings, Mode or Opacity of the flag layer is altered this layer will have to be deleted and a new one created. If you are happy with the displacement you could alternatively rasterize the Smart Object and apply the ‘fixes’ directly to the flag layer.

10. Apply a layer mask to the flag layer by clicking on the ‘Add layer mask’ icon in the Layers palette and then select the Brush Tool from the Tools palette. With Black as the foreground color choose a small soft-edged brush and set the Opacity to 100% in the Options bar. Paint over each eye to mask the flag in this region. Click on the flag thumbnail to make it the active component of the layer and then apply a 4-pixel Gaussian Blur (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur) to soften the effect.

11. From the ‘Create new fill or adjustment’ menu in the Layers palette choose a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. Lower the saturation slider to –25 or until the colors of the flag feel comfortable against the desaturated tones of the portrait. You could alternatively apply the Hue/Saturation layer directly above the background layer and click on the Colorize option in the dialog box. In this case, move the Hue and Saturation sliders to –35 to achieve a skin tone.

Paulina Hyrniewiecka

Composite lighting – Project 9

The lighting of a studio set is often compromised by either limitations of time or the complexity of the lighting that is required for the creative outcome. Take, for instance, the example above, where the ideal lighting required for the creative shadow and the wine is different. Perfect the lighting for one and the quality of the other is compromised. The solution is remarkably simple of course. Perfect the lighting for one at a time and then create a composite image in post-production. The drama of the shadow is created by a the use of a spotlight from the side, whereas the wine and label are lit with softer floodlights from the front and rear. Prior to CS3, pin-registering each exposure in-camera using a sturdy tripod was an essential requirement for the success of this technique. Small differences in camera position (such as knocking the tripod between exposures) can now be corrected using the new Auto-Align Layers command. This project concludes with replacing the label with a vector graphic.

1. Open the two project photographic images and make a composite image by dragging the background thumbnail (in the Layers palette) from the wine image into the shadow image. Rename the top layer (double-click the layer name) as ‘Wine’. Shift-click both layers to select them. Select Auto-Align Layers from the Edit menu and select the Reposition Only option before selecting OK.

2. Check the alignment by temporarily setting the blend mode of the wine layer to Difference. If the layers have not been aligned using the Auto-Align Layers command (thin white lines along edges may be apparent, indicating misalignment), select the Move Tool and nudge them into position using the arrows on the keyboard. Return the blend mode to ‘Normal’ when alignment has been achieved. Make a path around the bottle using the Path Tool (see Paths and selections – Project 3). Save the Work Path and then hold down the Command key (Mac) or Ctrl key (PC) and click on the Path thumbnail to load it as a selection.

3. In the Layers palette select the Wine layer and then click on the ‘Add layer mask’ icon. Soften the edge of this layer mask by going to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. A 1-pixel radius should be OK to give this bottle a smooth edge.

4. Select the Brush Tool from the Tools palette. Select Black as the foreground color and using a soft-edged brush set to 30% Opacity, paint to darken the right side of the bottle cap. Make several stokes with the brush to darken the cap further. Create a second Path around the label of the bottle. Save the Work Path and then hold down the Command key (Mac) or Ctrl key (PC) and click on the Path thumbnail to load it as a selection.

5. Hold down the Alt/Option key and select a Curves adjustment layer from the ‘Create new fill or adjustment layer’ icon in the Layers palette. In the New Layer dialog box that opens select the Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask checkbox and set the mode to Luminosity. Select OK to open the Curves dialog box. Adjust the brightness and shadows to optimize the tonality for the label and select OK. Apply a 0.5-pixel Gaussian Blur filter to the mask (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur).

6. This step will straighten the sides of the bottle (not absolutely straight due to the slightly high camera angle). Stamp the visible elements of the layers into a new layer. The keyboard shortcut for this is to hold down the Ctrl + Alt + Shift keys and then type E (for PC) or to hold down the Command + Option + Shift keys and then type E (for Mac). With this composite layer on top of the layers stack use the Free Transform command (Command + T or Ctrl + T) and then click on the Warp icon in the Options bar. Access the rulers (Ctrl + R or Command + R) and then drag some guides into the edges of the bottle and label. The guides will provide feedback for when alignment has been achieved. Push gently at the sides of the bottle to make the bottle fit within the guides you have created.

7. The image has been optimized for the shadow, the wine and the label, and the client then decides, belatedly, that the current pre-production label in three sections is to be changed in order to save production costs. They provide you with an EPS vector graphic (a vector file that can be scaled to suit the needs of your image) from the designer and have asked you to incorporate it into the image you have already captured. Open the EPS file in Photoshop choosing a 300ppi resolution in the Rasterize dialog box that opens. Drag the background thumbnail from the Layers palette into the composite image.

8. Apply the Free Transform command (Edit > Free Transform) to the label layer. Make the label slightly narrower by dragging one of the bounding box handles and then click inside the bounding box to drag the label into position. Select the Warp option in the Options bar and drag down just above each center section of the grid to recreate the curvature of the label (the curvature will be greater at the bottom than at the top of the label due to the camera angle used to capture the bottle). Commit the transformation by pressing the Return/Enter key and then go to Filter > Noise > Add Noise so that we can add texture to the label (the color in the graphic is flat at present). Add 1% Gaussian Noise to the label with the Monchromatic option checked.

9. Click on the ‘Create a new layer’ icon in the Layers palette and set the blend mode of the layer to Screen. Select the Gradient Tool from the Tools palette and set the foreground color to White. In the Options bar choose the Foreground to Transparent gradient and the Reflected gradient option. Set the Opacity to 100%. Note the point just above the label where the reflection on the surface of the bottle is brightest. Click in this position and drag out towards the edge of the bottle (hold down the Shift key to constrain the gradient to a horizontal). Drop the Opacity in the Options bar to 50% and change to a Linear gradient. Again holding down the Shift key drag a second gradient from the right side of the bottle towards the center of the label. With Layer 2 active create a clipping mask (Layer > Create Clipping Mask) to restrict the gradients to the label only. Lower the Opacity of the layer to 50% to reduce the effect of these added highlights.

10. Convert the label layer to a Smart Object (Filter > Convert for Smart Filters) and then sharpen the label using the Smart Sharpen filter. In the advanced options set the Fade and Tonal Width sliders to 50% for both the Shadows and Highlights. Apply the same filter settings for the wine layer (Command/Ctrl + F). Hold down the Alt/Option key and click on the visibility icon of the Stamp Visible or composite layer. This will switch all of the other layers off so you can then see any areas that are transparent as a result of the Align Layers and Warp editing procedures. Crop away anything that is surplus to requirement and click on the Alt/Option visibility icon a second time to switch all of the layers back on.

Creating a panorama – Project 10

In recent years shooting multiple pictures of a scene and then stitching them to form a panoramic picture has become a popular project with digital photographers. For the last couple of versions of Photoshop, Photomerge has been the tool to use to stitch your photos together. In CS3 Photomerge and the blending and stitching technologies that sit beneath it have been given a total revamp. This feature combines a series of photographs into a single picture by ensuring that the edge details of each successive image are matched and blended so that the join is not detectable. Once all the individual photographs have been combined the result is a picture that shows a scene of any angle up to a full 360°.

The feature can be started from the File menu (File > Automate > Photomerge) or via the Tools > Photoshop > Photomerge option in the Bridge file browser. The latter approach allows the user to select suitable source pictures from within the browser before activating the feature. Next you will be presented with a new Photomerge dialog containing five different stitching and blending or Layout options. They are:

Auto – aligns and blends source files automatically.

Perspective – deforms source files according to the perspective of the scene. This is a good option for panoramas containing 2 – 3 source files.

Cylindrical – designed for panoramas that cover a wide angle of view. This option automatically maps the results back to a cylindrical format rather than the bow-tie shape that is typical of the Perspective option.

Reposition Only – aligns the source files without distorting the pictures.

Interactive Layout – transfers the files to the Photomerge workspace where individual source pictures can be manually adjusted within the Photomerge composition. This is the only non-auto option.

In most circumstances one of the auto options will easily position and stitch your pictures, but there will be occasions where one or more images will not be stitched correctly. In these circumstances use the Interactive Layout option. In the Photomerge workspace individual pieces of the panorama can be moved or rotated using the tools from the toolbar on the left-hand side of the dialog. Reposition Only and Perspective options are set using the controls on the right. Photoshop constructs the panorama when the OK button is clicked.

Ensuring accurate stitching

To ensure accurate stitching, successive images need to be shot with a consistent overlap of between 15 and 30%. The camera should be kept level throughout the shooting sequence and should be rotated around the nodal point of the lens (the pivot point of the lens/camera combination where the perspective in each photo remains constant) wherever possible. Special mounts that aid in nodal rotation are available for use on top of a standard tripod. The focal length, white balance, exposure and aperture need to remain constant while shooting all the source pictures (manual settings are suggested).

1. Select Photomerge from the File menu (File > Automate > Photomerge) to start a new panorama. Click the Browse button in the dialog box. Search through the thumbnails of your files to locate the pictures for your panorama. Click the Open button to add files to the Source Files section of the dialog. Alternatively you can start in Bridge by multi-selecting your source files first and then choosing Tools > Photoshop > Photomerge.

2. Now choose the Layout type from the Photomerge dialog. For most panoramas the Auto option is a good place to start. For very wide panoramas with many source files try the Cylindrical Layout and for stitches where it is important for the images to remain distortion free, pick Reposition only. For more manual control or in situations when the Auto option doesn’t produce acceptable results choose the Interactive Layout option. The Advanced Blending option (bottom of the dialog) will try to smooth out uneven exposure or tonal differences between stitched pictures.

3. Select OK to start the stitching process. With all options the process will proceed automatically. The exception is the Interactive Layout option, which opens the Photomerge workspace and then allows you to start to edit the layout of your source images manually.

4. To change the view of the images in the Photomerge workspace use the Move View Tool or change the scale and the position of the whole composition with the Navigator. Images can be dragged to and from the light box to the work area with the Select Image Tool. With the Snap to Image function turned on, Photomerge will match like details of different images when they are dragged over each other. Checking the Use Perspective box will instruct Photoshop to use the first image placed into the layout area as the base for the composition of the whole panorama. Images placed into the composition later will be adjusted to fit the perspective of the base picture. The final panorama file is produced by clicking the OK button.

5. Once stitched the panorama opens in Photoshop. There will be edge portions of the document that contain no picture details. New picture detail can be cloned into these areas or the ragged edge of the panorama can be trimmed using the Crop Tool.

6. Though Photomerge does an admirable job of blending these individual street scenes together, there will be some areas in the finished panorama that have ghosted details or parts of a subject missing. These problems are due to people moving through the scene between exposures and occur most at the edges of frames. Thankfully the Photomerge file preserves the original source images in separate layers and applies blending via a series of masks. Some of the ghosting problems can be corrected by editing the layer masks directly. Others can be fixed by masking the problem areas first before stitching (see Step 8 – Mask then stitch – for details).

For example, the front wheel of the bike in the center of the picture is missing. To paint this detail back in, locate the bike layer and then hide the layer beneath it (click on the eye icon in the Layers palette). This approach works best if the source images have been captured with fixed exposure and white balance settings. When source images vary widely in brightness or color, balance these factors first, before stitching and mask editing.

7. Next click onto the bike layer mask. Select the Brush Tool and set the foreground color to white (white reveals the image/black hides the image). Paint onto the image to reveal the wheel. Now show the under layer. Notice that the wheel has now obscured the parking sign and the girl just behind it. Switch the foreground color to black and with the bike layer mask still selected, paint back in the parking sign and the girl. In reality, painting with black means that you are hiding the parts of the wheel that are obscuring the girl and sign.

If this mask editing solution still doesn’t provide good results, try masking the problem areas such as the gent behind the bicycle and the girl in front of it, before sending the files to Photomerge.

8. Adjusting the blending masks should solve most ghosting problems, but in some circumstances you may need to find an alternative way to correct the problem. Try these solutions:

Remove – To remove the problem you can use the Healing Brush, Patch or Clone Stamp Tools to sample alternative parts of the scene and paint over stitching errors. The success of this type of work is largely based on how well you can select suitable areas to sample. Color, texture and tone need to be matched carefully if the changes are to be disguised in the final panorama. Be careful though, as repeated application of these tools can cause noticeable patterns or smoothing in the final picture.

Repair – In some instances it is easier to select, copy and paste a complete version of the damaged subject from the original source image and paste it into the panorama picture. This approach covers the half blended subject with one that is still complete. If you have used the Perspective option in Photomerge or have resized the panorama then you will need to adjust the pasted subject to fit the background. Use the transformation tools such as Rotate, Perspective, Warp and Scale to help with this task.

Mask then stitch – Another option is to mask or erase the problem areas in the source images before using Photomerge to stitch the photos. With these picture parts no longer present in the source images Photomerge blends detail from other photos to fill the gap. When using this approach be sure to only mask (or erase) detail that is contained in the overlapping sections of the source photos. Going beyond this point will leave Photomerge no picture details in any source photos to use to fill the masked areas.

9. As a final touch you can non-destructively darken and lighten specific areas of the panorama (dodge and burn) by adding a blank layer to the top of the layer stack, changing the layer’s blend mode to Soft Light and then painting with a black soft brush to darken and a white one to lighten. Both brushes are set to 30% Opacity or less.

Jeff Ko

Jeff Ko

Jeff Ko

Chris Mollison