A better way to do this

A better way to do this · 05:20 PM

Hi,
The hardware store is in downeast Maine. Right after taking the photo of the stove three lobstermen came in to buy maintenance items and stood around it and talk for a while. Rather than just making a mask and putting the stove in it, there should be a better way of displaying this. Got any ideas for me?

Thanks,

clarenceclose · 02-10-2007, 06:41 PM

I am not quite clear on what you want to accomplish.
Need to see the lobstermen to understand.
What I see is the stove in an inset shot and the outside of the place as the background.
Would be glad to give some pointers, but need to be clearer on where I am pointing.

regken · 02-10-2007, 06:51 PM

Yea, that wasn't clear was it. Am just trying to show the unusual interior of this old hardware store.

Thanks,
Ken

foxglove · 02-11-2007, 02:00 PM

Hmmm, that is a challenge. I'm a big fan of triptychs, for some reason - maybe you need to step back from fitting it all in one image, get a suitable third image, and make it a set. I'm imagining, for instance, the middle picture being the exterior of the store (maybe cropped in a little tighter to lose a bit of the clutter) and two views of the interior on either side. Be nice if you could get the lobstermen standing around the stove, too. Probably not at all what you had in mind, but you asked for ideas!

I hope it helps trigger something useful for you.

Julie

clarenceclose · 02-11-2007, 07:59 PM

OK here is an idea.
You have a bit of the base picture you want to cover (the truck/trailer) and you have a bit of the photo you could sacrifice (the sky).
Overlay the base photo with a layer of white (new layer above) then change the opacity of the white layer so the base layer shows through ~50% but eyeball it to your liking.
Next put the stove layer more down and a little to the right, you can move it later for adjustment. Make a square marque selection somewhere inside the edge of the photo and set your feather to something appropriate which will not only fade the photo but round the corners. Now selection/invert to capture the outside of the picture. Next make a layer mask by clicking on the layer mask dohicky at the bottom of the layer pallet which should fade the edges of the stove photo, allowing some of the base photo to come through.
Next get some detail photo(s) of the inside of the store...one I picture is a rough lobsterman's hands around a hot cup of coffee, closeup. put this one up in the sky area and try the same treatment as above. May be room to add another detail but don't get it too cluttered, letting the background of the photo be the main bulk of the assembly.
my 2 cents.

regken · 02-11-2007, 08:10 PM

Thanks Clarence. I've copied your instructions and will work on it this week.

Thanks,

regken
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02-10-2007, 06:41 PM	#2
clarenceclose Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Pocatello, Idaho Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,506	I am not quite clear on what you want to accomplish. Need to see the lobstermen to understand. What I see is the stove in an inset shot and the outside of the place as the background. Would be glad to give some pointers, but need to be clearer on where I am pointing.

02-10-2007, 06:51 PM	#3
regken Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangor, Maine Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,377 Original Poster	Yea, that wasn't clear was it. Am just trying to show the unusual interior of this old hardware store. Thanks, Ken

02-11-2007, 02:00 PM	#4
foxglove Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Atlantic Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,049	Hmmm, that is a challenge. I'm a big fan of triptychs, for some reason - maybe you need to step back from fitting it all in one image, get a suitable third image, and make it a set. I'm imagining, for instance, the middle picture being the exterior of the store (maybe cropped in a little tighter to lose a bit of the clutter) and two views of the interior on either side. Be nice if you could get the lobstermen standing around the stove, too. Probably not at all what you had in mind, but you asked for ideas! I hope it helps trigger something useful for you. Julie

02-11-2007, 07:59 PM	#5
clarenceclose Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Pocatello, Idaho Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,506	OK here is an idea. You have a bit of the base picture you want to cover (the truck/trailer) and you have a bit of the photo you could sacrifice (the sky). Overlay the base photo with a layer of white (new layer above) then change the opacity of the white layer so the base layer shows through ~50% but eyeball it to your liking. Next put the stove layer more down and a little to the right, you can move it later for adjustment. Make a square marque selection somewhere inside the edge of the photo and set your feather to something appropriate which will not only fade the photo but round the corners. Now selection/invert to capture the outside of the picture. Next make a layer mask by clicking on the layer mask dohicky at the bottom of the layer pallet which should fade the edges of the stove photo, allowing some of the base photo to come through. Next get some detail photo(s) of the inside of the store...one I picture is a rough lobsterman's hands around a hot cup of coffee, closeup. put this one up in the sky area and try the same treatment as above. May be room to add another detail but don't get it too cluttered, letting the background of the photo be the main bulk of the assembly. my 2 cents.

02-11-2007, 08:10 PM	#6
regken Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangor, Maine Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,377 Original Poster	Thanks Clarence. I've copied your instructions and will work on it this week. Thanks,

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