Faded Memories...

[TTHW]

Hi everyone,
I'm just learning how to use Photoshop CS3 and trying to get my creative juices flowing. I'm trying to combine two photos and wanted to get some feedback before I started fine tuning my photo. The first photo was of the tree with initials carved into it. I'm trying to copy a selection of a couple from another photo into the tree photo.

Here's what I've got so far.




So, what I was wondering is...
Should I lighten it up? is it too dark?
Try and bring out more of the white on the tree?
I was trying to copy the couple in black and white, but having a little trouble figuring out how to do that. However, I did manage to get the colored version copied over. It's not the best cut and paste, but I'll refine that for my final photo.
Could you tell that they were people in the background?
Should I make them smaller, to seem like they are further away?
Should I add more of their bodies into the photo?
Should I fade them out a little bit more? are they too faded?
Do you think making them black and white would work in the photo?

I'm open to any and all suggestion...I've got a lot to learn!

Thanks for looking!

[sasikumar]

Nice Try Karen!

The couples image is not clear and faded too much..
i cant see anybody in background..but some lightning over the man head
It is transparent and i can see the background and its distorting
Dont make them smaller but make the tree smaller, its emerging out
Black and white conversion may givesout a very dark effect in this case.

For a PS beginner, its really a good try.. keep going..

[steelese]

I understand it's fun to experiment if photoshop, and I commend you for trying. That being said, the subject matter seems a little cheesy. It might not be cheesy if you take a more aggressive stance at creating the imagery.

[dannyrich]

I ould crop from theright just a touch upto the love ear edge, there i a slitherof white on the right th i fnd distractn and possibly took try to bled the couple image through as opposed to sit via opacity.

Perhaps looking at multiplyng layers and through those options to make them appear as opposed to b placed.

I dont know if that came across right but i now what I mean lol!

Ifparts of the couple are blended away then so be it, gives more of an apperiton feel.

[TTHW]

Thanks sasikumar and dannyrich for your suggestions. This is my first real attempt at trying to combine photos and I'm not really sure of what I'm doing. I'm going to work on it some more and see if I can get it to look better. I want the couple to blend in more, so that's one thing I'm going to work on for sure. I have several different shots of the tree, so I might try one of them instead and see if one of thoes work better. My models (my daughter and son-in-law) are going to be here for Thanksgiving, so maybe I'll try and get a better photo of them as well. The one I'm using isn't the best and I was using it to see if the concept of the photo was going to work.

Danny, I'm going to try the blending method you suggested for the photo of the couple...I didn't think of that when I was working on it the other day...and we just talked about that in my digital photography class the night before!

steelese, I don't want the image to be cheesy and I was trying for a romantic or nostalgic feeling. Is it the pose of the couple you find cheesy or the photo concept in general? Or the fact that I'm trying to created the image in Photoshop?

Thanks again for your comments and suggestions!

[Francesca'sPhotos]

This is a beautiful concept over all! I think what would be a good idea to not fade the couple so much. You should unfade them a tad and then a some lighter hues to that half

[TTHW]

I've done some more work on it since November. Here's the updated version...



Brought the couple out more
Added a texture
Tried to get rid of the glow around the man's head and body
Made the tree whiter and lightened it up some

i love everything about the edited photo, BUT i think the couple should be faded as in hte first photo, it really adds something new and different, i really liked that when i first saw the picture i saw the tree right away and i really liked it, then i got an added suprise when i looked further.... the couple. i think the faded couples image suits the ideas of the photo better. id like to try something similiar, that is if you dont mind me using your idea!?! Well done!

[TTHW]

Thanks ntinlizi...your more than welcome to use my idea. Good luck!