first montage

[cpittmx]

Ok, I finally did a montage. Any suggestions? One thing Im curious about is how do you get the inset pics to be the same size? Also how do you get the frame width equal on all sizes.

What I ended up doing with each of the inset photos is resize one then drag each other photo on top of it and resize until equal. Is there a better way?

What I did as far as the frame was after I have made filled the square rectangles with white I zoomed way in on each inset where I could use the move tool to make small adjustments and just move photo around until it looked equal. Is there a faster way?

Thanks,
Curt

[Wendy]

Hi Curt ...

Nice work on the montage ... it is looking good :)

To get the white frame equal there are everal methods you can use ... my favourite is (before you add the image to the montage).

Image>Resize>Canvas size ... you do have to experiment with the size but do about 10% of the longest side. Put the same figure in both boxes, tick relative and set the canvas colour to white.

... and there you go :)

Wendy

[cpittmx]

10% bigger than the dimensions of the photos you are adding to the montage?

If so how do you know how big they are going to be before you lay them unto your background and start seeing what size looks right?

[Wendy]

Curt ...

Making the white line around the image that way means that when you move the photo into the image and resize it then the frame will stay in proportion to it ... :)

To get all the images the same size I tend to use guides from Grant's Tools ... then put the images into the montage and line them up with the guides. Then use the move tool to adjust the sizes ..

Wendy

[NMarti]

Curt
I love that background photo! It is so mysterious and fantasy-like. Very beautiful!

[ktnoon60]

Curt, its a lovely montage. Like Nancy I love the background photo, it could stand on its own.

Kt

[Robyn]

Curt,
Very nice. I agree with KT and Nancy about the background.

[cpittmx]

Nancy, KT, and Robin, thanks so much for the compliments I like the way the background photo came out also and I am less thrilled with the overall effect of the montage, but I'm not sure exactly why. It doesn't seem to blend or flow well. Atleast I figured out how to put one photo into another! At first I was doing it a very backwards way I was using the marque tool to draw a box then fill in the box and using paste into the get picture in, because I couldnt figure out why every time I selected a different picture in the photo bin it opened up a whole new window. Finally figured out that once it opened the pic in new window I could select it there and drag it into the background photo in the photo bin. Which seems backwards to me. It seems like should be able to grab out of the bin and drag into the window.

Wendy, Im very dense and I'm not following you. Is something related in a tutorial somewhere I could look at. Im not sure what you are creating with the canvas thing.

I remember someone being dubbed the "king of montages" who was this? I want to go back and look at their gallery so I can get some ideas. I also love Nancy's autumn montage..it is very beautiful. Someone also had a really cool geyser montage.

[Robyn]

I am less thrilled with the overall effect of the montage, but I'm not sure exactly why. It doesn't seem to blend or flow well.


Curt,
This just purely a personal preference, but I would prefer to see your smaller images overlapping or linked in some way. I feel that could help with that "blend or flow" that you are looking for. Perhaps also vary the sizing of the three images.........once again just personal opinion........others may disagree.

As an additional 'creation' I'd love to see you do something with the background image......that's just a beautiful photo!

[cpittmx]

Robyn, thanks for the input. I will try placing the smaller images differently and overlaping.

I used some of the ideas from the showing off photos video on the background photo. I used the vignetting and also used a blue photo filter to make the clouds moving through the forest stand out a little more.

[Robyn]

Curt,
Here is the link to Kev's gallery. He is the king of montages. But not everything he's done is in his gallery. Do a search for posts by Kev and you will find lots of goodies.

http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/gallery/view_img.php?id=6443

[cpittmx]

Ok, thanks I will do that.

I have added a montage using more small photos and overlapping as you suggested. Next I would like some suggestions on how to frame them. How would I achieve a frame like Mike uses here? I think maybe it would look good in my montage.


http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/gallery/view_img.php?id=577

[Robyn]

IMO that looks great Curt. I like the way you have placed the photos, they lead one's eye into the background and up the path very nicely.
I would add just plain very narrow frames (probably black) around them now. I think anything else would make the montage too 'busy'. But play around with it, you may not agree with me.:)

[Wendy]

Hi Curt ...

This is what happens:

Open any image (but make sure it is flattened) (A)
Image>Resize>Canvas size ... you do have to experiment with the size but do about 10% of the longest side. Put the same figure in both boxes, tick relative and set the canvas colour to white. (B)
... and this is what you get (C)

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1RQLyjaBpAZrsJFFivfaTZY4RZDfN8

I think that Mike used the Border Focus Tutorial to do the effect on his image (Subscriber Area, Videos, 22nd July 2005)

Hope this helps

Wendy

[cpittmx]

Robyn, Thanks for all of your suggestions. I think you may be right that a simple black border would be best. I will play around with options, I guess that will be the best way to learn how to do things.

Wendy, thanks so much for the visual lesson. I think I get it know. I will give it a try soon as I get home from work today. Wish I could load PSE on work computer!

[Wendy]

Curt ...

If you did load it into the work computer then you would spend all day playing :)

Wendy

[cpittmx]

Wendy, very true and exactly the reason why I have not loaded it. I actually already spend to much time on the forum while at work! :D

[NMarti]

Wendy
I have it on my work computer and it is so tempting to play all day but the boss does come in so I check in on breaks and lunch. I did have to start signing out though because I found out someone was using my computer when I wasn't here and even did a couple of posts under my name!:eek: Now I log out but do like being able to keep tabs of what is going on.

[Wendy]

Hi Nancy ...

Gosh ... someone actually posted under your name :eek: ... no wonder you log out nowadays :)

Wendy

[BADSQUIRREL]

Very nice montage! I too have to agree with everyone and say that the background image is wonderful. I like the montage with the borders around the small photos, it feels like it has a dimensional effect(is that even a term?? :D ).

[NMarti]

Wendy
Yes - very freaky - I knew I didn't post something and yet it was under my name so I asked around and two people told me the other person was on my computer (which is forbidden anyway) and said she commented about leaving messages on my name. She is no longer here, not because of the messages but because she was messing around on my computer and other things that happened. Who knows what all she did but glad she's gone and learned my lesson. :rolleyes:

[Shari]

Curt - your beautiful photos are from Costa Rica aren't they? We spent a month there in '91 before it became so popular. I sure wish I had been into photography then. I guess we will just have to go again! You are doing very well. I still get frustrated but find the more I get off these forums and try doing something and succeed - things stick with me. I can actually do many actions without my notes now.
Shari

[cpittmx]

Yes it is Costa Rica. Spent 3 weeks there last summer on the most awesome vacation I've had yet. We had one guide with us our entire trip and picked up local experts everywhere we went. Including W. Alfaro expert on birds of costa rica...he wrote the book, Mark Wainright who wrote mammals of costa rica, and Richard Laval..worlds expert on bats. It was truly remarkable. I brought home over 600 images and that was getting rid of the bad ones every night.

[cpittmx]

finally finished it. thanks for all of the input you all gave. I like the final product much better than the first.

Wendy, I used your method for the borders and that was much simpler than what I was doing. thanks so much.

[ktnoon60]

Curt, thats a beautiful photo and I much prefer it this way.
KT

[Robyn]

Curt, thats a beautiful photo and I much prefer it this way.
KT

I agree. It's beautiful Curt.

[Wendy]

Hi Curt ...

That is excellent ... I really like the way it looks !!

... and so glad the borders worked OK :)

Wendy

[cpittmx]

Thanks, now to decide what I should do next.

[michoumisalade]

I like your well-done montage. As other, I love your background image...so poetic! I would like to take a walk on this little track :)