Collage program needed

amumonamission

amumonamission

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Sarah
Edit My Images
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I have been asked to do a collage for a customer where they have one image in the middle and a few around the outside. She specifically would like the type of collage that the edges of the photographs blend in with each other. I have looked at some tutorials on youtube and such like for photoshop but it seems I can only blend one edge of each photo. I have seen other photographers advertise doing collages like this so wondered if there was a program I could use to make it easy or a particular tool on photoshop I could use to do what I want. I don't mind paying for a program if it is good.

Thanks in advance :)
 
Not sure what you mean when you say you can only blend one edge of each photo.
I would do it this way in photoshop.
Open a new blank canvas and the photos you want in the collage.
Copy the background photo and paste it onto a new layer on the blank canvas. Open the other photos and make a selection that you want or resize the image and copy and paste each one onto a new layer so you have each one on a separate layer.
Select the layer you want to work on get the eraser tool ,set the opacity to around 60% and erase the bits you don't want in each photo,moving each layer as into position as you go.
If you want to, change the master opacity on each layer so the background shows through.
Once they are on individual layers you can play around as you wish.
Then when you are happy flatten the layers.
 
troutfisher said:
Not sure what you mean when you say you can only blend one edge of each photo.
I would do it this way in photoshop.
Open a new blank canvas and the photos you want in the collage.
Copy the background photo and paste it onto a new layer on the blank canvas. Open the other photos and make a selection that you want or resize the image and copy and paste each one onto a new layer so you have each one on a separate layer.
Select the layer you want to work on get the eraser tool ,set the opacity to around 60% and erase the bits you don't want in each photo,moving each layer as into position as you go.
If you want to, change the master opacity on each layer so the background shows through.
Once they are on individual layers you can play around as you wish.
Then when you are happy flatten the layers.
Click to expand...

Hi Chris,

The tutorial I watched on you tube showed a different way of doing it than this and allowed you to select the edge of the photo you wanted to blend in with the middle photo if that makes sense, this was ok if you had say 3 photo's that you wanted in a collage all in a row as you would only need to blend the right edge of the left photo and the left edge of the right photo in to the photo in the middle but didn't work for me when I wanted to blend more than one edge as when I selected a second edge on the photo the first edge I blended went back to normal. I hope I managed to explain that in english!! lol!!

Your way seems much better so I will give that a go so thank you :)
 
troutfisher said:
Not sure what you mean when you say you can only blend one edge of each photo.
I would do it this way in photoshop.
Open a new blank canvas and the photos you want in the collage.
Copy the background photo and paste it onto a new layer on the blank canvas. Open the other photos and make a selection that you want or resize the image and copy and paste each one onto a new layer so you have each one on a separate layer.
Select the layer you want to work on get the eraser tool ,set the opacity to around 60% and erase the bits you don't want in each photo,moving each layer as into position as you go.
If you want to, change the master opacity on each layer so the background shows through.
Once they are on individual layers you can play around as you wish.
Then when you are happy flatten the layers.
Click to expand...



Just the same method I use in Photoshop



Les :thumbs:
 
Ok, so I had a quick play and using the way that Chris and Les use I came up with this. I didn't put a huge amount of thought into it as was just to have a go, but what do you think?

sol_collage_resized.jpg
[/IMG]
 
Looks fine, a bit more work on the selection of the individual photos but you have got the principle and having got your head round that you can play with refinements like opacity and blending modes on the individual shots

Good Job

Chris
 
troutfisher said:
Looks fine, a bit more work on the selection of the individual photos but you have got the principle and having got your head round that you can play with refinements like opacity and blending modes on the individual shots

Good Job

Chris
Click to expand...

Thanks, it never stops amazing me how easy yet powerful photo shop can be once pointed in the right direction.

Thamks for your help.

Btw, I posted that example on facebook to show my customer, she loved it and is going to order one for both of her sons on canvas, plus I have been flooded with enquiries for more! :)
 
joel222 said:
Sorry to hijack, but which ps is this done in. Elements os cs6?
Click to expand...

Basically any editing program which allows selecting parts of an image ,uses layers and allows editing of the layer.
The key is putting each photo onto a different layer so you can manipulate them individually.
I don't use Elements but CS6 will certainly do it
 
Last edited:
joel222 said:
Sorry to hijack, but which ps is this done in. Elements os cs6?
Click to expand...

I used cs5 but you could prob use elements, I'm out at the mo shooting a horse event so cant check but as long as it has the eraser tool I'm sure it can be done, I can't remember as haven't really used elements much since getting cs5. It's really easy though with the instructions Chris has given, I also used the free transform tool to resize the photos when I added them to the background, that's a handy tool to know about.
 
I used CS5 on the montage above- very hand bit of software :thumbs:

Les ;)
 
amumonamission said:
Ok, so I had a quick play and using the way that Chris and Les use I came up with this. I didn't put a huge amount of thought into it as was just to have a go, but what do you think?

sol_collage_resized.jpg
[/IMG]
Click to expand...

Still could do with some work as the images don't seem to blend in well

Les :thumbs:
 
Lez325 said:
Still could do with some work as the images don't seem to blend in well

Les :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Yeah I know, I literally just chucked it together though without much thought just to try it out really, I wouldn't put it on my wall at home but I find that my customer (who are not photographers) are less critical than I am lol! :)
 
Gr8Shot said:
I'd clone out those people in the top bg.
Click to expand...

Sorry I missed your comment earlier..


Yeah, the people do stick out don't they, my son is in the Auto 50cc class, they usually have a line up of at least 30 bikes in each races which means that there are 30+ Adults all running around the track in either blue or high viz vests, not good for the photos at all but with that amount of people on the track it is almost impossible to get all your shots without there parents in!! I used to clone them out where I could until I realised I was fighting a loosing battle! If I was doing a collage though I would clone them out :)
 
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