Photoshop® CS5 Bible

Chapter 21. Combining Images

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Creating realistic composites

• Placing secondary images using masks

• Creating a photo montage

• Creating panoramas

When you begin to do more with Photoshop than just correcting photos, the first thing you might think of is image composites. An image composite is any image that has added elements, from a simple text caption to a complex photo montage.

Probably the most difficult part of creating a composite is the ability to create a realistic image that doesn't look like it's been made from more than one element. Even when the image itself is implausible, such as a shark silhouetted in the wave holding up a surfer, or a snowman in the desert, you want your viewers to look twice and wonder if just maybe it might be true. I've lost count of the photos off the Internet that friends and relatives have forwarded and asked, "Photoshopped or not?"

In this chapter, you learn a few tricks of the trade for making your composites look great. I'm sure as you work you'll come up with a few tricks of your own. Every composite has its own unique problems to overcome. Having a thorough knowledge of the tools at your disposal in Photoshop is the best way to solve them.

Creating Seamless Composites

Creating a composite is much more than just slapping two files together and hoping they mesh well. Placement, perspective, lighting, and color all play key roles in whether a composite looks great or looks mashed together.

Fortunately, there's a reason why a Photoshopped ...