# Montage/Collage



## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

I posted this originally on the Hunting board, but thought I would throw it over here as well.

Someone gave me the link to a website for an artist who does custom collages and puts them on archive paper or canvas. I have no pictures in my office from my trip to Africa and thought it might be a neat alternative to the traditional trophy photos.

The artist's name is Lucy Fletcher and she has a website.

I must be bored today because I took a shot at putting some pictures together for myself. My wife declined to comment, which means she thinks it stinks!

The Photoshop file is 27 megs and the high resolution JPEG is over 20 megs. I uploaded a lower-resolution version:



Click picture for larger version.

Full-sized here (Warning -- it is around 5 megs).

Unfortunately I have no artistic talent! For clarification, I tinkered with the pictures in Photoshop to add some effects -- the original files are just plain photos.

On balance it would be cheaper to pay someone talented to do this, but the process at least got some ideas flowing. Not sure I want to pay what it would cost for her to do a 24x16 like this but professionally and with talent, but applying a fairly low hourly rate to my time I spent today, I could have already bought one!

Now, I can get this one printed out at a photo lab for not too much, keep messing with it (still kind of think I need to rearrange some of the items) or give up and print some regular pictures...

I would not object to some critique here, but understand I was working under some time limits and cut some corners -- applying art filters to reduce artifacts from upscaling the images and varying opacity of layers to try to get a little better blending of the original pictures.


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Charles I think it's awesome! If you wanted, you could add in more natural landscape features, water, more trees etc. If I was doing this myself, I think I'd try moving the giraffe (bottom left) further back to give an illusion of depth of field.

Larger, clearer objects forward, and smaller, or less distinct objects further back towards the distance.

Awesome collage!!! rosesm


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## Dorado-Mahi (May 23, 2004)

One thing that I notice right away is the perspective of your animals/people are visually "out of order" to me. I would like to see the largest ones in front and down low and the smaller ones decreasing and descending in size going back toward the mountains, if that makes any sense. Other than that I like it. 

I made some fishing montages a few years ago. I'll see if I can find them to post up.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Thanks for the suggestions.

The idea is not to make it look as if it is one scene, but a collection of elements, so I think that using a natural perspective order might be contradictory. I probably went too far in the sizing and editing in the first place to give it that look.

I am still playing with it and considering making the other elements larger, and continuing to vary the opacity.

I am not sure how much I should respect the horizon or layer additional elements above it.

Or I could give up!

I'd like to see your montages if you post some, Capt. Ray.


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

In which case Charles, maybe you need to pile on more images, or lessen the background size? Maybe have some overlap and/or put them at odd angles so that the viewer is not automatically expecting to see a 'complete scene' but more a well, abstract collection.

Don't give up! It looks like it's great fun to do!


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Koru said:


> In which case Charles, maybe you need to pile on more images, or lessen the background size? Maybe have some overlap and/or put them at odd angles so that the viewer is not automatically expecting to see a 'complete scene' but more a well, abstract collection.
> 
> Don't give up! It looks like it's great fun to do!


Thanks -- I think it is too busy or about as busy as it should be now, but I think making some images larger will help. Making some of the images less transparent might also, but I think it helps to belnd the elments together.

Can't I have it both ways? Separate elements blended together without being one cut and paste scene?

I want so much!


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

lol Hey Charles, you can have anything you want! It's your art, friend! 

I think you're onto something there, making those images larger would work well.


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## Dorado-Mahi (May 23, 2004)

I did these for a couple of customer/friends and never tried any more. All shot with my old Olympus C-5050 Point-N-Click.

I started on the last on but never finished it.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Those are nice -- I especially like the way the picture in the first one looks like part of the shirt. I see the same idea in the second as well.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

*Last One Tonight*

One more version:



As before, click the picture for large size.

Click here for JUMBO size if you have a high-speed connection and time!

I won't say I am satisfied, just tired.

I appreciate the suggestions. If I seem to be ignoring them, I am not. I am just putting them in my head to sleep on. I also played around with the size/perspective/placement quite a bit.

Most of all, it makes the $400-500 cost of having a large one professionally done seem much more comprehensible.


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## Dorado-Mahi (May 23, 2004)

Charles Helm said:


> Those are nice -- I especially like the way the picture in the first one looks like part of the shirt. I see the same idea in the second as well.


Thanks Charles. It was kind of difficult to find places to insert images with so much water and sky in the main image. Their clothing was the only place I had available.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Well, my wife may hate it but it went to the imaging lab this morning for printing on Fuji archive paper. Now if I can figure out a cheap way to get it matted and framed, assuming it comes out okay.

I did discover that the few thousandths of an inch it was off 24x16 will probably give me Excedrin headache number 876 when I get it back.


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Charles Helm said:


> One more version:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I like what you've done.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Koru said:


> I like what you've done.


Thanks. I hope it looks decent printed 16x24...


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Charles Helm said:


> Thanks. I hope it looks decent printed 16x24...


I'll keep my fingers crossed, but I'm sure it will look great. 

As for framing. Have you thought to ask in the TTMB? I don't go there much but there always seems to be a lot of members hanging around in there.

Or, better yet, try the woodworking forum here. Those guys and girls are showing some amazing stuff. Maybe one of them does framing.

You might be able to stop by a framing shop and ask if they have any matt boards they are throwing out... sometimes shops here have them on 'sale', maybe a slight bit of damage to the outside (that could be cut off and wouldn't be seen under a frame).

Just some thoughts.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Thanks for the suggestions -- I am quite a ways away from most of the members who are in the Houston area. I will try the "craft" store first (they closed the one we used to use for framing but there is another not too far away) and if that fails I did get a recommendation for a framing place not too far from my office.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

I picked up the print today. Seeing it in print, there are a few things I would change, but not enough to revise the image and re-print it. Next stop, the framing place.


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Okay, I've been intrigued and wanted to have a go, so here's my first attempt (just don't ask me how I did it). I know that I need to work on the framing more, and I found moving the pictures around quite cumbersome, so I think I'm not quite doing that right.


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Charles Helm said:


> I picked up the print today. Seeing it in print, there are a few things I would change, but not enough to revise the image and re-print it. Next stop, the framing place.


Just out of interest Charles, what would you change and why?

I'd love to see a photo of it framed.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Koru said:


> Just out of interest Charles, what would you change and why?
> 
> I'd love to see a photo of it framed.


1. Edit more of the original background out of the Kudu picture.

2. Move the giraffe slightly to the right.

3. Increase the font size on my name/copyright notice.

4. Less effect filter on some elements, more on others.

It is hard to visualize on the computer monitor exactly how a 24x16 print will come out. Overall I supposed I am pleased. Someone on the elevator asked me who painted it! At the photo lab someone commented on how big my Zebra was -- not a conversation I have every day.

When/if it is framed I can try to post a picture, but those can be hard to take when you have them under glass.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Koru said:


> Okay, I've been intrigued and wanted to have a go, so here's my first attempt (just don't ask me how I did it). I know that I need to work on the framing more, and I found moving the pictures around quite cumbersome, so I think I'm not quite doing that right.


In mine each element is in its own layer and I can move them pretty easily in Photoshop by editing that layer, selecting the move tool, and dragging them around.

Did you try a unifying background shot like a parking lot or road for the cars?

The whole process is so subjective and it is hard to say what approach is best for the subject matter.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

*Back From the Framing Store*

Lucky me, I went to the framing place during the half-off sale. I picked it up today and got it on the wall. I had to take down my nice whiteboard with wood cabinet and closing doors (and pull down video screen!) to make room, so I went ahead and put up another print my wife gave me a long time back that I did not have room for before. This is the most empty wall in my office now, but that probably will not last.





My office is a tough place to shoot without a tripod, especially on a cloudy day!

[Click imaged to enlarge.]


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

What awesome photos Charles! The montage looks great and well done on the sale! 



> In mine each element is in its own layer and I can move them pretty easily in Photoshop by editing that layer, selecting the move tool, and dragging them around.
> 
> Did you try a unifying background shot like a parking lot or road for the cars?...


I haven't had time to figure out how to have different layers for different photos and then combine them into one image. - talk about technical!  I'll get there, eventually.


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