Portrait Composite Layer Tone Matching

Marcus Geezer

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Marcus
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Trying to master placing a strobist portrait onto a background image taken elsewhere. I have at least adequate skills to do the masking etc, but need to learn the technique to match the tones, as otherwise it just looks too artificial. I understand fully that I need to consider light sources are matched, to make it look relatively natural, and although ultimately it wil probably still look like a composite (at least to a photographers eye) my attempt still doesnt look right.

I've researched to discover that I need to match tones or something using channels for each of the layers (i.e. subject and background), but can't find a tutorial that seems to adequately instruct or explain in CS5.

Can anyone offer any advice?

Cheers,
 
There's a section in one of the chapters of Scott Kelby's "Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It" book that describes how to apply the colours from the background to the subject so that they match, using an Average Blur and the Screen blend mode.
 
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