# Photo Montage - Help request...



## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

This is my first serious attempt at a montage. It is a compilation of photos I shot at my granddaughter's photo op before they (all 28 8th graders) hopped into the bubba truck/limo and headed off to their 8th grade dance.
BTW, school colors are gold/white. I oughta know, I went to the same school a few years ago...uh, 44 years ago to be exact! 

It was very difficult to get everyone to look in the same direction. Parents and grandparents were everywhere in the church and outside shooting and hollering. But regardless, I got some shots I like and I think her parents will cherish for many years to come.

The canvas is 12 x 18 inches and that is the print size I plan to make, plus several smaller ones to hand out.

Tell me what you think. Be honest. I am thick skinned. I can take it for a few minutes!  I can make any adjustments you deem necessary. I have many copies and many layers that can be adjusted.

I used the Limo as the background. Is it too light or too dark or just right. I have the opacity of the background set at 86%, so I can go either way.
Note: The "MT Stringer" signature won't be in the final version.

What about picture placement?
Any other ideas appreciated.
I'll check back later, maybe tomorrow night.
Thanks in advance.
Mike


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

If you're not confused now, you soon will be.  

Mike, I'd think about switching the red dresses photo on the left over to the right - you already have two photos with them to the left of centre on the left hand side of the montage - not sure if that will look right as they are facing the wrong way then, but it might be worth trying just to see the effect. _or_ - is there any reason you chose yellow in the frame? What if that were red?

The photo second from the left on the bottom row - is it possible to straighten the framing? I had trouble with this on one of mine and have no idea how to get the staggered black edge - but someone else might have an idea. 

There is an orange spot of light under the main photo to the lower right. Can you clone that out?

I think to be 100% no opaque in the background would bring out the man's pink/red shirt in the right side of the photo, so leaving it where it is seems more right. Unless it would help to move the eye around the photo in which case I'd darken it slightly and leave the red dresses to the left.

What an awesome job you've done Mike. I'm sure everyone will love all your work. Excellent!


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## Dorado-Mahi (May 23, 2004)

I like the basic layout the way it is but didn't pay attention to the individual images because Karen sees the little details better than most. Will have to run all my money proofs through her before my clients see them! 

The only thing I see that would make the overall montage better (besides Karen's suggestions) is to bring the background opacity down to around 50% or less or darken it. 

When I look at it, I want to know what exactly is on the background image diverting my attention away from the main photos on top of that background. 

Everyone that gets a copy of it should be thrilled. Nice work Mike.


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## Terry G. (Jul 17, 2006)

I agree on the background, i am trying to look around the pictures to see what the background is.


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## richg99 (Aug 21, 2004)

Yep, background is distracting ( even though it was a very unusual conveyance). 

I haven't the artistic eye that others here have...but...I wonder if ...in the photo where Karen says to move the dress colors around..... if just flipping the entire photo over, having the group facing left instead of to the right, might do that same thing??? I don't know and have never tried it...but..it might work...regards, Rich


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## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

Thanks for the comments. You never can tell what others think until you ask. I'll see what I can do to spruce it up.

Prolly...change opacity of the background. I don't want to make it so it is unrecognizable, because it cost sooo much to rent. It is one of the memories of the day too.

I can fix that running light on the door/running board. No problem there.
I'll try to flip a pic or two and see what that looks like.

Thanks again for the help.
Mike


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## RustyBrown (May 29, 2004)

*2 cents more*

Try just grayscaling the background beforehand. I really like this Mike and I'm sure you'll be exceeding expectations with it.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

I looked at it last night and if you want to emphasize the background then instead of having the other images as snapshots floating over it you could erase the backgrounds of the snaps, leaving all the people, and insert them over the background picture. That would preserve a lot more of the limo, but is a lot more work and may look too artificial.

You could also play with the transparency of the foreground images just to see if that blends them any better. Clearly you want them to be the main focus, so that may not help.

Nice of you to step up and do this for them and I am sure they will appreciate it.


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

...just wondering out loud here...

i wonder what would happen if you cropped that background photo and enlarged it so that most of the background was limo...

_an aside:_ i was watching the news on tv last night and they showed somebody standing up in front of a huge monitor using their hands to move photos around on the screen - kind of touch type screen gone Big. just imagine what it would be like to be able to do that with a montage. okay, let's not imagine it. i'm having enough trouble trying to tame this optical mouse my son plugged into my computer. *rolling eyes* it seems to travel at the speed of light with barely a touch! lol


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

One other sugggestion, I would shrink the signature and move it to the bottom left so folks don't have a tendency to read it.


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

Koru said:


> i'm having enough trouble trying to tame this optical mouse my son plugged into my computer. *rolling eyes* it seems to travel at the speed of light with barely a touch! lol


You know they have speed controls for those, right?

For me, it is a trackball all the way.


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Charles Helm said:


> You know they have speed controls for those, right?
> 
> For me, it is a trackball all the way.


I've managed to slow the speed down to just over the illegal speed on a motorway  (going through the control panel and mouse thingees).

My son thought it might be a good idea to try it when editing a photo... I haven't edited one since he plugged it in as I've been waiting to 'get used' to how it moves - very different than my old AND UTTERLY FAITHFUL trackball that's sitting in the top drawer right beside me just waiting to get back into full time work again.


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## richg99 (Aug 21, 2004)

To increase/reduce the speed of your new mouse
START
CONTROL PANEL
MOUSE
POINTER OPTIONS
Then just move the slide bar whichever way you want to go...
hit APPLY
regards,Rich


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## ImReddog (May 15, 2006)

I'm not much of a photographer nor do I have the ability to do what you have done, but.... the thing that I find distracting is the grey sky on the top. I guess that it is grey, it comes out as white on my monitor. Other than that, I really like it.
jra


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## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

You are right, ImReddog and I don't know how to fix it!


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## grayfish (Jul 31, 2005)

I felt ImReddgo was on to somethimg on the sky. So I was away seeing what might be done. Got back in time to see your post Mike.

Give this a look see.

_Edit: I see I missed some on the right. Sorry _


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

grayfish said:


> I felt ImReddgo was on to somethimg on the sky. So I was away seeing what might be done. Got back in time to see your post Mike.
> 
> Give this a look see.


You beat me to it grayfish. Great job.


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## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

I've already got cloning out done on the running light. I'll work on the grey sky when I get a chance. Thanks for all the tips. It may be a long night.
Mike


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

oh my gosh would you look at that! what a stunning difference grayfish. that changes most everything. somehow it helps with the red dresses too. i'd say they can stay right where they are with that colour in the sky. -- it's better without that orange light too. awesome montage!


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## RustyBrown (May 29, 2004)

*Very nice*

A+++ Guys

You nailed it.


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## grayfish (Jul 31, 2005)

MT Stringer said:


> I've already got cloning out done on the running light. I'll work on the grey sky when I get a chance. Thanks for all the tips. It may be a long night.
> Mike


Not sure what software you are doing you editing with Mike, but the color change on the sky is fairly straight forward. Dependent on what program you use. You select/mask the sky using the magic wand tool. Then using the select/mask brush, add what was missed with the magic wand. Invert/inverse the selection/mask. Then you can use a color paint brush tool to color over the inverted selection. I use a brush that was larger than the whole photo. And set at about 20% opaque. That way I can use several strokes to make it darker with each stroke until I like it.. Then I removed the selection/mask. I had to go back a clone some areas of the sky that I missed on the mask portion..



You could also delete the area selected and us a layer underneath the photo as a fill layer. Since you deleted the sky in this process it will show through. Merge or blend the layers to finish. Then clean up with a clone brush.



I used Mask and select in the instruction because differing program use those terms to mean the same thing. Same with invert or inverse.



Jack


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