What’s Your Preference?

Shotty · #1 (**permalink**) 07-10-2011, 01:18 AM

Cloned! by tmshott, on Flickr

Camera Canon EOS REBEL T1i
Exposure 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture f/8.0
Focal Length 60 mm
ISO Speed 800
Flash Off, Did not fire

So this was my first time using photoshop. I followed the photoextremist tutorial on youtube for Multiplicity photography. I'd like a critique on composition, and the techniques used in editing this. I'm not sure what the technical terms are for what I've done here, I basically just followed the tutorial. After I was done with that I adjusted the brightness and contrast a bit. Thanks for looking!

Edit: I just noticed that the top step is apparently cut in half. If anyone else notices a discrepancy like that I would appreciate a heads up =)

Blankstein · #2 (**permalink**) 07-10-2011, 08:19 PM

I would not get into the composition critique, as it is always subjective and is totally independent from the cloning etc. I would, perhaps, make it a little tighter.
As for the photoshopping, it is pretty good for the first try. However, you must have noticed already that while playing with it, you start asking yourself when enough is enough? When merging several photos, you can spend hours ironing out the tiny details. If you are enjoying this (as some would enjoy playing a computer game), then this is not an issue. But if you think about commercializing your work, then the effort required to make it really good is almost always prohibitive.
You have attempted the simplest case: same light, same distance, same lens etc. If you shoot from the same point, putting separated (not interacting) “clones” together should be a simple task. I have to say that you rushed to share your work a bit, as the “front” girl is not pasted in smoothly enough, and the “last” girl has broken the upper step indeed

But then again, if it is just to put on the postcard to please Grandma – then it is just great!

Shotty · #3 (**permalink**) 07-10-2011, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blankstein

I would not get into the composition critique, as it is always subjective and is totally independent from the cloning etc. I would, perhaps, make it a little tighter.
As for the photoshopping, it is pretty good for the first try. However, you must have noticed already that while playing with it, you start asking yourself when enough is enough? When merging several photos, you can spend hours ironing out the tiny details. If you are enjoying this (as some would enjoy playing a computer game), then this is not an issue. But if you think about commercializing your work, then the effort required to make it really good is almost always prohibitive.
You have attempted the simplest case: same light, same distance, same lens etc. If you shoot from the same point, putting separated (not interacting) “clones” together should be a simple task. I have to say that you rushed to share your work a bit, as the “front” girl is not pasted in smoothly enough, and the “last” girl has broken the upper step indeed

But then again, if it is just to put on the postcard to please Grandma – then it is just great!

Hi Blankstein, Thanks for replying. I'm very new to photography in general as well as photoshop. Right now I'm pretty much just having fun learning how to use both photoshop and my camera, and when to use what settings. I haven't given any thought at all to commercializing my work. Right now this is all just a hobby to me. I just played with it until I thought it looked good, it wasn't until after I had posted it (thinking that I was done) that I noticed that I had missed a few things. I guess that in itself is a lesson, I'll have to remember to check my work thoroughly when I finish something in the future. I'm not sure what you mean about the front girl being pasted in, I used layer masks (Is that the same thing?). I realize that I am probably being defensive, (and maybe I am a little bit) but in the interest of learning do you have any tips on how I could have done that better? Maybe using a softer/smaller brush? Or some other technique entirely? Thanks again for the response!

kcoppock · #4 (**permalink**) 07-10-2011, 09:45 PM

Shotty, I think it's a great image; I love the umbrella as a prop. I think what Blankstein's trying to say is that it's fairly obvious to see the stitch marks where you masked them together. Look closely around her hands (especially the upper and lower image -- I'm assuming the second image was used as the base?). You can tell the steps are misaligned. I'm guessing that you handheld these shots? If so, you might want to try using Photoshop's Auto-Align Layers before merging, to get them aligned the best that you can before masking them together.

I would pick one image as the base image, then add the other two images with a Hide All mask (so nothing is visible). Then, just "paint in" the girl from each layer, using the layer mask and a white brush.

Shotty · #5 (**permalink**) 07-10-2011, 10:01 PM

Thanks Kevin, I'll give that a try! I actually used a tripod but there was quite a few minutes between at least two of those, I probably pulled the camera out of wack when I was taking the last photos (the ones used here are but a few of many). I'm going to give this another try with that auto-align layers thing you mentioned, I bet it's a safe bet to look in the layers menu? haha Thanks again.

Shotty · #6 (**permalink**) 07-12-2011, 04:20 AM

Gave it another try with a different set of images. Here's the result:

Arguing with myself

Arguing with myself by tmshott, on Flickr

Blankstein · #7 (**permalink**) 07-12-2011, 02:07 PM

Again, won't get into composition etc. Moreover, this looks like an exercise to acquire the technique. So, you have acquired it well enough I guess

. I bet you had your camera on the tripod and of course did not change any settings. Now, try to put ten of you on the sofa, but make this sofa extra long to accommodate all .... I guess you'll see no responses to your post as your trick is obvious on your shot.
Look at my exercise:
can you see the big edit?? (take 2)
- Can you see the big edit? Looks like nobody gets it - or is it so obvious that nobody would bother to indicate the flaws?

Shotty · #8 (**permalink**) 07-12-2011, 04:58 PM

I like the idea of attempting to add more duplicates into the image, but I'm not sure I could figure out how to elongate existing objects like my couch at this stage of my learning. The only people I have to ask about this are the people here at DPS, otherwise I'm being self taught on everything here. I read about a photoextremist challenge that requires one to put 100 clones of him or herself into the image and I think I might try that because it sounds fun. As for the post that you linked to I think the answer is yes.

Edit: Then again, mine is really obvious too and a couple people replied to it.

Blankstein · #9 (**permalink**) 07-12-2011, 05:56 PM

The challenge with “photomontage” is not the number of clones but basically these three aspects: camera angle, light, and actual focal distance. Quite often you may see a composite that looks like a composite, although you cannot explain what exactly is missing. It is just that your eye will catch some unnatural details and pass them on to your brain, subconsciously.
To “elongate” your existing sofa, you will have to take several pictures of yourself, moving the camera parallel to it and taking a shot, say, every 2-3 feet (I’d say about the width of the cushions). Then you glue them together, leaving the left armrest on the left side, right (with the lamp) – on the right, but sticking more “parts” in between.
This would be a challenge compared to your second image, because you have to move the camera and retouch merged images. Still, there is no need to think about light and focal length (they are not changing).
For my photo, I had to hand-hold the camera and move it, thus changing the effective focal length and the angle. Only the light remained more or less the same. To do that in a rather small washroom and get a realistic result was a challenge - to me only, I guess...