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Quick and Easy Compositing

Compositing, Photoshop, Post-Production May 02 , Episode 290

In today’s episode we show you some tips & tricks for quick and easy compositing.

Gear Used in This Episode

Wacom Intuos 4 Small

Adobe Photoshop CS6

15" Macbook PRO

Sony NEX 5N

Audio Technica AT2020USB Microphone

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Jonny Henbest

Thats meeee!!!
Ranjoharbri

That was fantastic to watch, I’m pretty new to PS and normally just use it to enhance my images. Compositing is something I’ve not really tried.
I think you’ve just changed that. Thanks.
Jonny Henbest

I really appreciate this one for the concept behind it. I’m working on a 365 right now and I love compositing. (That’s what I originally shot this image for) It’s tough to find 2 hours a day to put into an image after spending and hour on the setup and shoot. This helped a lot to beat down the perfectionist in me that draws 30 mins of work out to over 2 hours. Thanks again Aaron. I’m honored!
http://www.melaniemcniven.com/ Melanie

that was an awesome episode. Very, very helpful. You are so clever. Thanks again.
http://www.hollandz.com Brad Holland

Being able to have an adjustment layer only affect a single layer is gold. Is it possible to have an adjustment layer affect individual layer groups? Thanks for the awesome tips.
Jonny Henbest

Yes sir. You just drop the adjustment layer into a group with all of the layers you would like effected by it. Make sure it is at the top of the group because it will only effect the layers below it within the group.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1440781404 Vernon Klein

An excellently presented compositing tutorial, Aaron. Thank you!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Lawrence-Smith/100000267202500 Lawrence Smith

Dude once again you rock!
Beleighve417

Very very cool, Jon and Aaron !! It was way over my head, but I loved watching you (Aaron) demonstrating on Jon’s photos…. He has GREAT talent ! Good job, Jon !!!
Jon

Dude, you teach way way too fast. Please, I beg you, slow it way down so that we can follow you. There was no way I can do what you are showing me with the speed at which you do it. Not effective teaching in my opinion.
Guest

Beauty of online videos. Pause, play, replay. Lol I end up watching each video multiple times to get it down.
Miles99

Aaron, great tutorial as always but the gun-maniac’s pics sucks. I would prefer not to see such images. Makes them feel like someone would actually appreciates their obsession.
writersbloc

Don’t think this is true, adjustment layers will always effect every layer below them, regardless of grouped status, unless used in a clipping mask. You can clip multiple layers to one layer, but not to a group of layers. The only way I know have an adjustment layer affect multiple specific layers is through a layer mask.

If I wrong and there’s a setting or trick I’ve been missing for years I’d be very interested in learning. Thanks!
http://phlearn.com Aaron Nace

Hey Jon, we go much slower and much more in depth in the PRO tutorials.
http://phlearn.com/pro

Thanks man!
Aaron
Eric Devir

I believe that Writer is correct. Prior to CS6 you would have to merge all the layers in a group and apply a clipping mask to the merged layer (or a stamp visible) to have an adjustment layer just affect that subset of the image.

However, a BIG improvement in CS6 is the ability to add clipping masks to groups! This is a great enhancement.
Eric Devir

Miles-this comes across as super judgey and personal rather than constructive. In my opinion this community is not about passing judgment on other members based on your personal sense of propriety but rather recognizing that everyone has a different vision (thank god) and we are all here to improve at a craft and hone that personal vision.

One of the great lessons I have taken from Phlearn is that photography can be a great medium in which to tell stories, whether violent, emotional, erotic, frightening, wonderous or whatever you can imagine. The world needs more and more stories and more and more people to tell them, not more and more people to proclaim that they should not be told.
http://www.hollandz.com Brad Holland

Thanks for the input Jonny, writersbloc, and Eric. I’ll have to give it a test run and see how that process works and what doesn’t. I have CS5 and won’t be getting CS6 for a while. Either way, Adjustment layers for single layers just changed the whole PS game for me. Mind = Blown!
Nick (in London)

Best (free) tutorial ever Aaron – invaluable. Thank you so much.
Jon

If that’s the case, the tv series is bad advertising if you are trying to sell the pro series. I am totally afraid to buy one of the pro series as you are so fast on the tv show, I have to assume the pro is the same way. I didn’t know you slowed it down for the pro series so I never bought one. perhaps you have a discontinued pro series I can look at to evaluate if i can keep up?
Mark

lol timely subject. I was tasked with creating several quick and dirty composites to help my daughter with a school assignment. We decided to do a round the world fashion shoot. I spent maybe 20 minutes on each. It was fun & I knew it did not need to be perfect. Perhaps I will revisit these in the future.
Guest

Hey Jon, you won’t regret getting the PRO tutorials. Promise!
Markboucher

Awesome! I think it will helps me a lot with my composites, especially with matching colors witch each photos i take for the composites:)
http://www.aaronbrownphotos.com Aaron Brown

Sick.
http://www.leavittphoto.com Ben Leavitt

I loved this one because it showed the concepts behind compositing without the tedious steps of tracing and refining the edges etc. Of course, showing that kind of stuff has great value too, but I prefer concept over technique any day.
http://www.brushpower.com/ Cristian

Nice post! Thank you
Dan

I for one appreciate the fast speed for the daily vids! Otherwise they would take too much time to watch.
Elliott

Some good points in there that are the standard vitals of shopping – lightning matches, perspectives and tone, but I think the end result was just too over blown.

When an explosion goes off, it’s localised and within an area, just like if you’re in your kitchen and you’re cooking something over an open flame and the flames go a little too high – yeah the area around you will be a little bit tinted and the light will change slightly for the whole room – but in something like a parking garage the light from the windows on the left and right isn’t going to be messed with.

If you look, where the windows are and white light is coming through – that shouldn’t have a red tone over it, and only half of John should really too.

Creating masks on your colour overlays are a really big deal when making a scene look realistic, and although you kind of want it to have a bit of a ‘movie explosion’ feel with images like this – sometimes reigning it back just a little and playing ball with reality can improve an image tenfold, and before anyone says “it’s a quick and easy image” well – creating a mask takes seconds
http://www.facebook.com/neil.kremer.5 Neil Kremer

That taught me so much, so fast. Thank you so much for putting this out there.
vikentijs

total awesemeness should do more of these! ))