merging two photos

[Sanda]

I've been asked to combine two photos and make it look as if the three people were in the original photo.
I'm having trouble with one area in particular and would like your opinions as to what I should do with it. The main trouble area is maked. Please let me know what you think I should do.
I've posted both the photos and what I have done so far.
Thanks
Sandra

Opps

[Sanda]

try again

[Sanda]

the originals

[Ed_L]

Sandra,

Couldn't you use the transform option to straighten out the inserted woman? Then maybe you could place her in a slightly different position so she doesn't appear to have two arms. You might even try moving her to the other side. Just my first thoughts.

Ed

[Ed_L]

Another possibility. This was a real quick fix, but I'm sure you know what to do with it.

Ed

[jeaniesa]

Hmmmm - I like what you've done, but I do understand what you're not happy with. I like repositioning like Ed did, but I would try to take it a step further. To be honest, I don't know if this is even possible - haven't tried it myself and I'm too tired right now. Perhaps in the morning...

Anyway, what I would try would be to reposition the arm of the girl in the back to wrap around the woman's neck. If you put the woman on the left, then somehow you need to drop the girl's shoulder and reposition the arm so that it goes behind the woman's neck with the forearm down in front. This may not be possible to do and still have the photo look natural though. Just seems like if it really were a group shot that the girl in the back would be hugging both people - not just one.

Sorry to offer a suggestion which I haven't had a chance to try yet. Good luck!

Jeanie

[DannyRaphael]

Source for body parts

I like Jeanie's suggestion. Her comment about having an arm around each person seems like a natural thing to do.

But I cringed a little when I read it. Why? I've personally found it difficult to reposition and/or transform arms, hands, crossed legs, feet, etc. so they look realistic when I get done. When I do it, the result usually looks like a Dr. Frankenstein hack.

As an alternative to slicing, dicing and/or using the Transform (mangle?) function to manipulate limbs and the like, another Katrin gem is to "get replacement body parts" from other sources.

Pages from (remember these?) old Sears or Penny's catalogs are a goldmine of natural looking (and well lighted) images of hands, arms, feet, shoes, arms-around-shoulders, replacement clothes (if subject is standing), etc. Scan 'em, scale, touch 'em up, color correct and blend. Presto: New shoes (or arms or whatever).

Though not quite as gender nor age diverse as a Sears catalog, I've borrowed a few hands and bare feet from Victoria's Secret catalogs too... while shopping for my wife's birthday, of course! With the plethora of junkmail catalogs in circulation these days, there should be no shortage of ammunition.

I'm looking forward to seeing your final result, Sandra. Good luck.

DannyR

[Doug Nelson]

Here's a really (really!) bad composite job, but a quick and dirty composition composite (or comp-comp ). Just an idea.

[OhThatGirl2001]

Well, I've worked on it for a bit and I have to say, I like what you've done. I chose the woman on the right and saved the selection as Alpha chanel 1 and then inverted the selection and copy and pasted the two girls in. After that, it's a matter of sizing and color. I wasn't very creative with the background. As you can see, it is very similar to yours.

You're doing all the right things

Lisa

[Ed_L]

Ooops! Wrong one!

Ed

[DJ Dubovsky]

Why not put the woman behind the two girls? Wouldn't that eliminate your trouble area?
DJ

[OhThatGirl2001]

OK - so I tried leaning the mom a little closer. I think with a little juggling around - you can somehow cover the arm that's in the way.

Lisa
DJ - that's an interesting idea - I guess you would have to resize the girls first.

[Ed_L]

That looks real good! I don't know if that's the final version, but if it is I have one criticism. Getting rid of the table and bottle, (IMHO), would make it much better. Other than that, it looks great!

Ed

[Sanda]

thanks everybody you've all been a great help. It's so great that so may people are willing to give ideas and help when you need it.
That blue thing behind the girls is a person, it would be better if I removed it.
I favor the idea of the mother being included in the hug although putting mum behind the girls is interesting too. The reason I'm leaning towards the hug is my teenage son was looking at it with me and commented that it looked strange that the sister was hugging her sister and not her mum. He thought that hugging mum would be preferable to hugging a sister. So I'm working on two versions and I'll post them as soon as I have something closed to being finished and you may want to comment after all you guys may notice something I don't see.

[DJ Dubovsky]

Since altering the original hug might be alot of work with possible oddities emerging in thier posture you could also consider Mom joining the hug by extending an arm around the sister in back and the other arm coming across in front to clasp the girls. Just another idea to confuse you with Sanda.
DJ