help with layers?

[kellyLynne]

I dont know if im posting in the right area, but here goes. In trying to place a person in another picture, what i am doing is copying pic of person, pasting to another pic, and then using the erase tool to reveal the person. Is this the best way? and how do i match up 2 pictures hues, contrast, etc?
I have attached a few pics ive done this way, what do you think? is there an easier, more aesthetic way?http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=276401691&albumID=95660&imageID=3497224

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=276401691&albumID=95660&imageID=3497226

This one is shaky...
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=276401691&albumID=95660&imageID=3363772

[Karin Sue]

I couldn't see your pics. The links took me to a login page. I am using an outdated brower so I don't know if anyone else will have that problem. You might want to check out pixentral.com for posting images, or the gallery on this forum.

It sounds like your technique is working for you.

I usually paste a feathered selection of the person on top of the photo he is to be added to. Sometimes I will select part of the foreground of that picture and paste it on top in a new layer if the person needs to be behind something--sandwiching the added person layer between background and foreground layers of the second picture.

You can use all of the enhance menu options on a single layer to get a best match on the contrast, etc.

[kellyLynne]

How do you cut your images? do you use the magnetic tool? And how do you feather that section?

Thanks for info on picentral. I am going to post the links for the pics again, if this doesnt work, i give up.

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1dNygl1Zzk7JvPNpsnBZBRRnJERQUt

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=17ThsMQoWqEDjpbM52WR6kIp98bVkt

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1avniiRJcvXbDm0fSjjlvjrIeAZL4

[GaryK]

Those looked great. :)

Using whatever selection tool works for you is the best way to select.:D

Everybody has their own ways, but finding a way that works for you is the best way to do it.

[douglas m scott]

Kelly,
The Magnetic Lasso Tool works fine if the part of picture you want selected has good contrast with background you are removing it from. You can also use the Selection Brush. Usually the first thing is to use the Zoom tool to magnify image 100%, then choose the Selection Tool of your choice. After Selection tool is clicked on, and before doing any selection go to the Feather window at top of work area and type in a number. For low resolution images 3 or 4 will probably work, for higher resolution images try 8 or 9, these are just estimates. After completing selection CTRL+j to put on its own layer, turn off the eye ball of background layer and you will see how much feather you have. You can now click on move tool and drag this feathered selection onto another picture.

After dragging onto another image, go to layer pallet and click on the black/white circle and choose Hue and Saturation, for now don't make any adjustments just click OK. Now Hold down ALT key and hover cursor between this layer and the Selection layer below it and the cursor will turn into a double circle (black/white with left point ing arrow) click and this will clip them together. Now double click the thumbnail that looks like a b/w graph and this will open back up the Hue and Saturation window. At Edit you can click dropdown and choose individual colors, or just leave it at Master and adjust sliders to help with blending. After making your edits you can right click on the bottom image and Flatten. or go to File> Save As PSD if you might want to do further editing later.

doug

[JulieM]

KellyLynne,

I think you've got a great technique. These look great...

[Diana]

KellyLynne,

Regardless of the technique you are using, the results are great! Whatever works for you. Not only are your images well-crafted, but more importantly......your creativity ROCKS!

Diana

[kellyLynne]

Thanks everyone so much for your input....Douglas, regarding the techniques you posted for me, i am using pse4...does this work on my system?

[douglas m scott]

Kelly,
Yes it works with PSE4.
And as the others have said the images you posted are terrific.

doug

[kellyLynne]

Okay, I followed what you said to do, i open the pic that I want to cut from. When I open the pic that I want to be the background, i cant "move" the cut image to the background pic, because they show up on the palette as two different issues at hand, if you know what i mean. Is there some way to link the image ive cut, to an image ive just opened besides cutting and pasting, thats all that seems to work for me.

[GaryK]

Kelly

Try this

once you have selected whatever.. do a control-J .. that should put your selection on a new layer.
Now... with both images open on the workspace, drag the layer of the cutout (that you just made) to the other picture.

There are other ways as well but once you get the hang of this it works well.

[Buffalo Tony]

you have to change the viewing mode to tile or cascade so they appear in the window together window>cascade

[kellyLynne]

i did try to drag cutout to other pic , doesnt work for me, because if the "cut out" is up, the other is not, and vice versa.
ill try the other technique also. thanks