Different lighting

[Sanda]

I need your opinions. I have two photos the I want to combine them, that's not a problem I can do that. But the problem is the lighting is different in both. One has shaddows on the faces of the people and the other the subject is facing the sun. I can retake the one of the person in the sun but the problem is then she would get suspicious of my reason for wanting to retake the photo and the compliation is a gift for her. My question is should I just retake and hope I don;t have to explain myself or should I try to match the lighting. If I should try to match the lighting. any suggestions on the best way of doing it?

[jeaniesa]

Hmmm. Interesting dilemma. If you have time, I would try to match the lighting. Then, if it's just impossible, retake the one photo.

To match the lighting, I think it would be easier to try to ADD shadows to the one taken facing the sun rather than remove the shadows from the other one. Here's what I would try:
Add a 50% gray layer above the image, change the blend mode to overlay. Then use burn on that layer.
Or, just create a new layer (empty) and paint with black where you want shadows. Then play with the blend mode and opacity.


I'm not sure which will give you a better effect as I've never actually tried this, but it's where I would start. Someone else may have a completely different opinion.

You should be able to determine where you need the shadow by looking at the photo that has them.

Good luck!

Jeanie

[jaz]

I had the same problem. I wanted to composite a couple of roses to give to my wife as a gift (along with a poem). Unfortunately, I didn't have much to choose from at the time (I was on lunch break at work) and I ended up having to compromise and use a pair of flowers with contrasting light (Especially since I had to flip one horizontally).

I could do some more work with masking and shading to make them closer but the water droplet reflections will give it away.

The image is 3/5 of the way down on this page:

http://www.jackzucker.com/Photoshop/index.htm

[Ed_L]

Sandra,

Why don't you tell her that there seems to be a problem with exposure settings when using your camera with different light directions. She could help you by being a subject for tests. Then maybe you could get her to let you take her pic using side lighting, front lighting, and back lighting for comparisons. I could get by with using that with my wife, but not sure about someone else.

Ed

[Sanda]

Just thought I would post the two photos to show you what I mean. I want to put all 3 sisters together.

[Sanda]

Ed
I told my mum that I must have messed up with the photo and she happily posed for a series of shots. Unfortunately the sun was a little high in the sky so I don't have a perfect match for the shaddows but I can work with what I have. And I don;t think she has a clue what I'm up to.

[CJ Swartz]

I don;t think she has a clue what I'm up to.

She'll have a special laugh to add to her special gift when she opens it.

[Sanda]

knowing my mum, she's probably worked out roughly what I'm up to. She may be 81 but she's not dumb and she's always been able to see right through me.

[Sanda]

What do you think? Does the lighting look right?

[Sanda]

duh.. must post image.

[d_kendal]

Very nice work, Sandra, I'm sure she'll love it. the one suggestion I've got is to maybe lighten up the middle one's face a bit?

- David

[CJ Swartz]

I agree with David about adding more light to your mom's face - maybe a duplicated layer set to Screen mode with a layer mask to add light only where you want it. You got the light on her shoulder coming from the right direction, and just looking at it -- I would have thought they were photographed together. BTW, she has beautiful hair.

[Sanda]

Thanks David and CJ I will add more light to her face, I think I went from one extreme to another. My first photo had too much light on her face and the other had too little. Oh well we learn by trying these things.

Thanks CJ I'm happy with the way mum fitted in the middle but I was lucky I had an easy photo of the other two sisters to work with.

BTW when she sees the photo she's going to say "is my hair that white?" it is but she always thinks it's darker.

[phili1]

Hi Sandra great job on the insertion. I agree with the rest about the faces.

I did this quick. I used the magnetic lasso on each face and adjusted it in curves. At the end I did a curves adjustment on all.

I also tried the dodge tool but the results looked fake.

[Ed_L]

This thread kept slipping by me. She's gonna be one happy lady when she sees the results. I'm sure you have the face lightened a bit by now, and it looks great. Nice job!

Ed

[Sanda]

Yes I have lightened the face and my brother is getting the photo put onto a cake for her so when we pick it up I'll take a photo of it to show you all how it turned out.

[Ed_L]

How 'bout one of her when she sees it too?

Ed

[phili1]

Cute Idea Sandra she will love it.

[Sanda]

as promised here's a photo of the christmas cake with the photo on it. My brother is giving it to her today, I'll be very interested to see her reaction. I may take the camera but as it's going to be at a club I don't know if I want to carry it around with me all day, knowing how forgetful I can be I'll lose it. lol

[phili1]

Sandra they did a super job I am sure she will love it, and a picture of the event is called for. You must implant in your mind if I loose the Camera I am a bad bad girl and youj will remember!!! HA ! HA! Have fun.

[CJ Swartz]

What a great image -- that process they use on cakes is really surprising!

But, will she eat the cake...?

[d_kendal]

Excellent job Sandra!! yeah, I'd be interested to find out what kind of printing process is used to print on the cakes with something that's actually edible!

- David

[pstewart]

Nice job Phili, and Sanda your final pic turned out pretty well. All I would suggest is to add some sunlight to the side of her head/face to match the lighting on the other two ladies.

Phyllis

[Sanda]

My brother decided to keep it for Christmas day. SO I'll have a good chance of getting the photo.

Great job Philli1 I followed your lead and lightened her face.

Good idea Phyllis, I didn't think of that. duh

CJ I can hear her now " I can't cut that and eat it"

David I'll go back to the cake shop and ask about the printing, I'm interested myself. I should have asked when I was there but I had a million things on my mind with christmas shopping and such, I just didn't think of it.

Ed I think she's going to cry when she gets the photo to go with it.

Thanks everybody for your input it's been a great help.

[Sanda]

Well my brother gave the cake to mum but her reaction was a little less than hoped for. She hardly made a comment. except to say that she didn't know where to cut it.
Then I gave her the photo and again her response was dissapointing. She liked the frame looks like the whole idea was a big flop.

[Ed_L]

That's too bad Sandra. After all the effort on your part to give her something special. As hard as we try to please people, sometimes it a little disappointing. Just part of life I guess.

Ed

[CJ Swartz]

Sandra, your mum sounds like my mom -- she didn't know how to show much pleasure directly. I'll bet you'll hear something later FROM OTHER PEOPLE that she tells about the cake and shows the photo to -- they'll say "how thrilled she was to get it", and you'll be thinking "Now, why couldn't she tell ME that!"

Remember, parents don't want us to get big heads, so they have to measure out the praise in drips and drabs. You did a good job, and you did it for her --- just be proud of your work, and hope you hear something nice about it before NEXT Christmas. Perhaps you'll hear something next year like -- "why didn't you give me another nice family photo?"

[phili1]

Hey Sandra we think it was a fantastic Idea. Moms and Dads can do that to you but CJ is right you will hear from another source.

[Sanda]

I should have been prepared for her reaction but I wasn't. I should have known she would not see it in the same light as it was intended but that's ok I enjoyed doing it and I learnt a bit about combining different lighting situations, so it's cool. I'm going to send a copy of the photo to the other surviving sister and hopefully she will appreciate it.
Thanks you all for your help and your words of encouragement.

[d_kendal]

I've been wondering what kind of process they used to make the cakes with a photo on and I finally found out! I was at work today and I had to go into the office for a minute and noticed a printer and scanner with the brand name "Bakery Crafts" on it, and I was curious so I looked closer, and realized that this thing must be what they used for the cakes so when I got home I searched for the brand name and came up with this. apparently how it works is the photo gets scanned, then printed on "edible paper" (sounds tasty doesn't it ) with the "edible inks" (something very similar to food coloring I'm sure). I don't know exactly how they attach it to the cake, I'm guessing it has something to do with slapping it on the cake then heating slightly so it'll attach itself to the rest of the icing (it was late so there was nobody to ask about it, I'll see if I can find out any details from one of the bakery workers sometime). anyway, I just found it kind of interesting and I though you all might too.

- David