Composite (Montage) Tutorial

[Tom V]

This is a tutorial on how I created the Multiple Kids image. I tried to be as clear as possible, but keep it short (a novel idea for me). I mashed my screenshots way down with #2 .jpg compression so they might load fast enough. I use a Macintosh G4 with plenty of RAM and Photoshop 7. Photoshop 5 & 6 use almost the same method for this job. I keep my main image on my LaCie color calibrated CRT monitor, and all the palettes out of the way on the secondary monitor. I moved some of the palettes onto the CRT for these screenshots. When I made the screenshots, the cursor changed to a pointer, when actually it should have been a brush sized cursor. If you have any questions, or samples of your own montages, please ask or post 'em.

The photo attached here is the final product.

1) Shoot the images. I shot a bunch of images with as little difference between them as possible. I used: a sturdy tripod, manual exposure, and manual focus. Position your subject in various poses and locations for variety. Avoid overlapping positions because it would make more work later on. I avoided direct sunlight because I did not want to have to deal with hard shadows.

[Tom V]

2) Open the images in Photoshop. Do not make any adjustments to the individual images. Combine the images you want to use into one layered Photoshop document. Using the Arrow Tool, drag the image all the way out of its original frame into the frame of another image. To get the dragged image to line up exactly in the window, hold the SHIFT key as you drag. This will keep your images "registered" with each other. Repeat Shift-Dragging all your individual images into your layered document. Turn off the visibility on all but the bottom 2 layers by clicking on the EYE symbol next to the layers in the Layers Palette.

[Tom V]

3) Set up your QuickMask Settings by double-clicking on the QuickMask tool in the Tool Palette (it is on the right, just below the foreground/background boxes). Set it so "Color Indicates" • Selected Area. The color in the box should be a color that contrasts with your subject. Usually a bright red or green is best. You can click in the color box to change its color. Set the opacity to about 80%. If you set it to 100%, you will not be able to see through the QuickMask, which can make things harder to work with. Click OK to save those settings.

[Tom V]

4) Select the next to bottom layer. All layers above this should not be visible. Set your Foreground/Background colors to default (black and white) by clicking on the tiny black/white icon next to the boxes, or by typing D on the keyboard. You should still be in QuickMask Mode (if not, type Q, or click the QuickMask Icon in the tool palette. Use the Brush Tool with a slightly soft edge, and paint right on the subject you want to keep visible on this layer (cover the person). Your brush should have 100% opacity, and will show your 80% opaque QuickMask. This mask will become a selection (and have the "dancing ants" blinking line around it).

[Tom V]

5) Click on the QuickMask Icon, or type Q to get out of Quickmask Mode. The area you QuickMasked is now a selection. Make this selection into a working Layer Mask by clicking on the Add Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette.

[Tom V]

6) Poof! Your selection becomes the white areas on your new layer mask. White area in the mask shows your image, black area in the mask hides your image. The mask allows only a portion of your layer to show, and allows lower layers to show though (areas that are black on the layer mask). The Layer Mask is linked to the image on that layer, so if you move the image, the mask will move with it.

[Tom V]

7) Repeat making a mask for each layer. Make the next layer "up" visible by clicking in the visibilty column of the Layers Palette. Enter QuickMask Mode, paint your QuickMask, exit QuickMask Mode leaving a selection, and click on Add Layer Mask. Make the next layer visible.....

Note the incomplete mask on my topmost layer. My daughter is missing her torso... That is easy to fix!

[Tom V]

8) Why not just use the Erase Tool? Using masks is easily correctable. On my topmost mask layer, you can see that I only have the top of the body showing. It is easy to edit the Layer Mask by painting directly in it.

[Tom V]

9) Select the Layer Mask by clicking on the Mask in the Layers Palette. The Brush Icon (next to the Eye Icon) becomes an Icon representing that the Mask is active. Paint using black and white (or gray for transparent effects). Put the brush over the image, and the Mask is edited, either showing or hiding image on that layer. Use black to hide more, use white to show more.

[Tom V]

10) When all masks are the way you want them, you can "Save As..." your layered Photoshop document as "namexxx.psd, and you can edit the layers and masks later. Flatten the image (Layer Menu > Flatten Image) and make all your adjustments to Levels, Curves, Sharpness, Hue/Saturation/Color Balance,etc, and "Save As..." in .tif format, the most common and useful lossless format, for archival purposes. From your tif file, you can repurpose your image for anything. If you want to send your images over the web, you probably would want to resize the image, and "Save As..." as a .jpg.

There are other ways to do this I am certain. This is the way I do it, and it only takes a few seconds per layer.

[Andi]

Thanks!!! I'll have to print this one...

Just another great day w/ some great people at the S2 site!! Its amazing how much I've learned in the last 2 weeks.

Thanks again...Andi