Moving a piece of one photo to another

[Helmar]

Very new to Photoshop, I could use some help.

I took some shots of a skyline on a tripod, varying only the exposure from shot to shot. In one, everythings ok, except the lighted steeple, which is WAY overexposed. In the other, the steeple is ok, but the skyline is WAY underexposed.

I'd like to take just the good steeple from one and overlay it onto the overexposed steeple on the other.

I expect I'd use layers, but I'm at a loss at how to do this.

Can anyone help me with this?

For some reason, I couldn't upload the files to the forum, so here are links to some small .JPG images.

http://home.comcast.net/~benandmarsha/Image1.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~benandmarsha/Image2.jpg


HBH

[Norm F]

HBH,

I would select the good steeple using the lasso or magnetic lasso. Perhaps you'd want to feather the selection one or two pixels (Select>Feather). Go control J to copy selection to a new layer. Drag the new layer on to the other photo using the move tool. Move the steeple into place on the properly exposed photo. Good luck.

[SCRAPPYGIRL]

HBL,
Sorry I can't help, but I'm sure someone will be along soon who can.

Are your photo's taken in Annapolis MD?

[mom to 4]

I'm with Norm!!!

[Norm F]

I found when I moved the properly exposed steeple over the overexposed steeple that the background produced a glow around the new layer so I cloned (set to darken) the edges of the steeple under the new layer. Then, I used Enhance>Adjust Color>Defringe Layer (set to 1 pixel). Finally, cleaned up the edges of the steeple with a soft eraser. This is what I got.

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1qe0JYnj7PhJ1GiNu9O8GeYIjjvN2C

I'm kind of a beginner as well, but hey, I'm tryin'.

[Daviskw]

Hi Helmar

All the information you need is in the image2. Just do this;

Open a levels adjustment layer

Just watch your steeple and move the gamma slider, the center one, until the brightness in the steeple is reduced as you want. You may need to play with white and black points for contrast. Don't worry how dark the rest of the image gets.

When done click on the attached mask and then press Ctrl+I , do not enter the +, this removes all the adjustment from your picture. The steeple is too bright again.

Now select a brush, make sure your color is white. Now carefully paint over your steeple.

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/587/image21ea.th.jpg (http://img518.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image21ea.jpg)

Butch

[mom to 4]

Great Job!

Norm....You're kinda a beginner????? I don't think so!

[Daviskw]

Good job Norm... I just hate cutting and pasting:p

[Wendy]

Butch ...

I was just going to say the same thing as you :)

...

Wendy

[Daviskw]

Sometimes we do seem to think alike Wendy, although you much clearer. I do have distant relatives over the pond… maybe we are related somewhere in the past..:p :D

[Norm F]

Good job Norm... I just hate cutting and pasting:p

Butch,

Thanks. I'm sure your suggestion is likely the more efficient way. That's the challenge with being a beginner. I locked on the the "move from one photo to another" and didn't even think of using an adjustment layer. I'm sure that I often do things the long way. But hey, I am having fun just the same.

[Juergen D]

The nice situation here is that we have two images, which are identical as far as contents is concerned (except for the exposure). I copied one onto the other, making two layers. The darker one on the bottom. I placed an adjustment layer between the two and painted with black on the layer mask so that the better exposed steeple would show.
I then made some more adjustments via other adjustment layers to the upper (lighter) layer, sharpened, rotated, and that was about it. I like the fact that I can brigthen up the upper layer separately.
Here it is: http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1l9I8ckoA6Feufm3VByPmshiVAIcJ

Juergen

[Norm F]

Sometimes we do seem to think alike Wendy, although you much clearer. I do have distant relatives over the pond… maybe we are related somewhere in the past..:p :D

Butch and Wendy,

You are, in fact related. This is really off topic but Butch's suggestion of a relation to Wendy brought to mind a story which I saw recently on CNN. National Geographic is doing a project called, "The Genographic Project." They have collected DNA samples from around the globe and are using it to trace the ancestory of people. They have already concluded that all living humans are descended from an African man (the project has named him Adam) who lived 60,000 years ago. You can become involved in the project by purhcasing a DNA sample kit for $100. You send them the swab and they will send you the geographic path that your ancestors took to get you where you are today. I have scoured their website and read all about it. I'm not a real science freak but I think it may be the most fascinating thing I've ever heard. Check it out at https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/index.html

[Daviskw]

Norm

That really is interesting... wish it was a little cheaper... but I did not see Mars anywhere on the site. My Mother always told me I was from Mars.

Butch

[Daviskw]

That really is a fascinating project. Have you participated Norm?

[Wendy]

Butch ...

What you too :eek:

Wendy

[Daviskw]

You can always tell us Martians… I glow in the dark and have an insatiable attraction to a certain candy bar.

How about you Wendy

Butch

[Wendy]

Butch ...


I'm not saying a word :cool:

Wendy

[Norm F]

That really is a fascinating project. Have you participated Norm?

Hi Butch,

No, I am not participating...yet. For now, I am just delighting in the discovery that we are all, well, black! :D Sometime, when I'm feeling a little flush I will probably order a kit and give it a go. It looks like fun.

[Helmar]

Juergen,

I'm REALLY struggling to get started and could really use more detail on some of the steps you discussed.

Could I impose on you with a step by step (Select menu item x, move curser to y, etc) on HOW to:

I copied one onto the other, making two layers.

I placed an adjustment layer between the two.

painted with black on the layer mask.

I think I can figure out the rest....

I think that once I can get past this block I have, I should be able to pick up speed in learning PSE4.

Thanks again for your help!

HBH

[Helmar]

HBL,
Are your photo's taken in Annapolis MD?

No, these were taken from my home in Kittery, Maine, looking out at Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

HBH

[Juergen D]

HBH,
No problem, I hope that I don’t leave out too much.

copied one onto the other, making two layers
Open both images and have the layers palette open, too. Once you opened the second image, it may cover the first. Just drag it down a bit and the other will be visible underneath. The thumbnail in the layers palette will be the one of the active image, the one you just moved around. Click on the other image and it will become active and the respective thumbnail will be in the palette. Hold the shift key and click on the thumbnail and drag it onto the INACTIVE image. This will make it active and you will now have two thumbnails in the layers palette, the background layer and layer 1. You can close the other image now.

placed an adjustment layer between the two
Rename the background layer to layer 0 by double clicking on its thumbnail. Be sure that the bottom layer contains the image with the correctly exposed steeple (the overall darker one). Keep it active and click on >Layer >New Adjustment Layer >Levels. Click OK. Group the upper layer with the Adjustment layer (>Layer >Group with Previous). The only image you will see now in your workspace is the upper, lighter one.

painted with black on the layer mask
Set your foreground color to black, the background to white. Select a soft brush, set the opacity for it to about 65% (in the options bar) and click in the layers palette on the Layer Mask Thumbnail (the right box) of the adjustment layer. Paint in your regular workspace over the steeple and you will see how it gets darker. In this painted area you are exposing the content of the lower layer. If you make a mistake, type X, which will make white the foreground color and paint with it, then go back to black (X) and continue.

Juergen

[Helmar]

Juergen,

Thanks MUCH for your help, but I'm not quite there yet.

I've gotten to:


painted with black on the layer mask
Set your foreground color to black, the background to white. Select a soft brush, set the opacity for it to about 65% (in the options bar) and click in the layers palette on the Layer Mask Thumbnail (the right box) of the adjustment layer. Paint in your regular workspace over the steeple and you will see how it gets darker. In this painted area you are exposing the content of the lower layer. If you make a mistake, type X, which will make white the foreground color and paint with it, then go back to black (X) and continue.

Juergen

One.bmp shows just after I've renamed the background layer to Layer 0.

http://home.comcast.net/~benandmarsha/One.bmp

Two.bmp shows just after I've done the Layer/New Adjustment Layer/Levels.

http://home.comcast.net/~benandmarsha/Two.bmp

Three.bmp shows just after I've done the Layer/Group with Previous

http://home.comcast.net/~benandmarsha/Three.bmp

When I've painted with the brush, though, the thumbnail has changed (Four.bmp), but the main image with the too light steeple is unchanged.

http://home.comcast.net/~benandmarsha/Four.bmp

What am I doing wrong?

HBH

[Juergen D]

Group the upper layer with the Adjustment layer (>Layer >Group with Previous)

HBH,
You grouped the middle layer (adjustment layer). Ungroup it (>Layer >Ungroup) and group the upper one, Layer 1.
Try that and see how that goes. :)

Juergen