[Rob Barron]

This is a combination of two photos: one of a statue in the grounds of Stapehill, Dorset, and the other of my wife who I asked to stand in the exact same direction.

I then used Photoshop and loads of time working out how to add the face to the statue without making it look obvious. I used blending modes, transform tool, cloning, patch tool, extraxt tool, rendering tool for background, etc. so all in all it had a fair few layers at one stage. It was another of my 'Here's one I prepared earlier' works that I used when I was teaching Photoshop to others. I have others I use now but this still gets interesting comments when people see the print and my wife together!

Look forward to your comments: does it work for you or not?

Cheers,
Rob

[fionaB]

umm did u try using the statue as a displacement map and then use that for your wives face?
its certainly different. im not 100% sure if i like the effect or not tho!

Fi

[stepheno]

I'm not too sure if your wif will like it either

[Rob Barron]

Originally Posted by stepheno

I'm not too sure if your wif will like it either

She loves it

No Fiona, I didn't use a displacement map as there is not enough contrast in the statue to get a clear contour set. I would point out I did this about 4 years ago with Photoshop 6. It was designed as a tuitional example and displacement maps were not something I got asked for a lot in those days! More advanced users certainly ask me for it today and I show it to them but back then it was mostly cloning, blending, curves, layer masks etc.

Cheers,
Rob

[skipper954]

Hi Rob

I am sure that this was a very difficult thing to do, but honestly, I don't think that it was very effective. Your wife's face looks like a mask on the statue. There is a very evident break at her jawline, and her skin tones don't match the statue.

I am not sure what effect you were looking for, but if it was your wife's face blended into the statue, you are not quite there. Perhaps with the updated PS, it could be better.

But then I have no blooming idea how you did this.

skip

ps - if "blooming" is cursing in the British Isles, I am sorry.

[Rob Barron]

LOL, 'blooming' is fine Skip :o)

In my defence (and I am absolutely fine with you saying whatever you like so don't worry on that score) I think I should say that the printed version shows absolutely no sign of any join whatsoever and blends perfectly. So much so that when I entered it into a competition the judge, one of the better ones I should add (I know a lot of rubbish ones!) said it was a well captured shot of the sculpture and had no idea it was a combo shot of two pics.

Sadly the compression for online has lost some of the little marks on it as I was careful to ensure that the face area had the same sort of stone markings and weathering that the rest of the sculpture has. Without those it does look slightly too smooth around the face when i look at it on here, almost like the face is shining more than the rest. It doesn't in print but there we go, it was just the idea I was showing, not it being a perfect shot. Just thought I'd stick something a bit different up.

I'll go back to one of my macros or something for the next one :o)

Cheers,
Rob

[skipper954]

It must be really wonderful to see the print.....sad that it didn't turn out as you wanted here.

[Rob Barron]

Originally Posted by skipper954

It must be really wonderful to see the print.....sad that it didn't turn out as you wanted here.

It's just the way it goes sometimes. The compression process does take out detail that we would rather were left in sometimes but that's ok, we live and learn and just move on to the next one :o)

See what you think of my mono.... done a Dave this time :o)

Cheers,
Rob

[j sotelo]

Rob you ought to put this picture up and let other give it try

[Rob Barron]

Juan, sorry I am not with you. What do you mean put it up? I have put it here on display and my 'Image Edit button is ticked so people can do as they please.

But remember whatever others do, they are working on one image, I was working on bringing two images together. Been up over a month though now so this one is old news to most people. Doubt anyone wants to try pimping it. But they are always welcome if they wish.

Cheers,
Rob