Blending help

[danman03]

So, I'm in the middle of making a composite for a friend of mine. He's opening a food trailer business and he wanted to see what his truck and trailer would look like and to send something to investors. I really haven't had any luck finding the right background that I have in mind, but the one I am using isn't too bad I guess. My question, is what do the experts think about how I should blend the truck and trailer to the background? I want it to look as realistic as possible.

 

[IamSam]

On thing that you need to do is impart some of the ambient lighting of the BG onto the truck and trailer. I would use a Solid Color adjustment layer, masked to the truck and trailer, and then I would scroll trough the blending modes to see which one looked the best.

 

[fredfish]

I agree with #iamsam - I would also say be careful of your light source. There is clearly sun coming from behind the tree - however the light on the trailer (and to an extent but less so on the car) is coming from the front.

 

[IamSam]

You need to mask out the windows of the car so the BG shows through.

 

[danman03]

The light source is one of the main things I wanted to fix. I was probably going to try to use a lens flare to cover up some of the truck and trailer and hide the highlights. I figured that would blend the image a little better, on top of using what iamsam suggested with the solid color adjustment layer. Also, I'll mask out the windows and probably just tint them to give a more custom look to the truck. I want to add some reflections in the trailer.

 

[IamSam]

You also need to add some appropriate shading for backlighting.

 

[fredfish]

I am pleased you are aware of the light source ( I sort of guessed that you might be ).

The other thing is the shadows under the car and the trailer are (in my opinion) just a little too defined and also very fractionally in the wrong direction (if you reference the direction of the shadow from the trees) - too be honest I am being hyper picky - but you did ask

Cheers

John

 

[danman03]

I am pleased you are aware of the light source ( I sort of guessed that you might be ).

The other thing is the shadows under the car and the trailer are (in my opinion) just a little too defined and also very fractionally in the wrong direction (if you reference the direction of the shadow from the trees) - too be honest I am being hyper picky - but you did ask

Cheers

John

I think the shadows might be my hardest thing to fix. I have no idea how to make under shadows for cars.

 

[IamSam]

You could take a look at some of these tuts.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Photoshop+making+car+shadows

 

[fredfish]

Would you object to sharing the files? (IE the background and the other layer with the car and trailer).

I would be thinking about trying to cut the existing shadow away with the pen tool (a little difficult but not impossible) then on a layer below the car and trailer and with a soft brush at about 70 - 80% opacity paint in a shadow. You can also use a copy of the cut out / select it and fill it with black with a feathered edge. Then (again on a layer under the car) use transform to distort the now black shape so it looks like a shadow - using skew to change its direction. Use the opacity on the layer to vary the strength of the shadow.

It is more complicated to describe than it is to do!

Cheers

John

EDIT - Or follow the link that Sam posted (post crossed)

 

[inkpad.t]

I would choose another background , don't think you would get many passing customers dropping in to your trailer where it is. I don't think this type of image would be right one to send to investors, Only my personal opinion, I would imagine that where ever the food trailer was going for business would be in a crowded area with lots of people. so i would probably choose something like these.





I know your trailer is not in perspective to these 2 images, but try finding the right background and taking a photo of the car and trailer to fit to it, taking in to account the lighting on wherever background you choose. Even better would be to take the car and trailer to where it would be used and take the photo in its natural environment, then edit it in lightroom or Photoshop or both.

 

[danman03]

I can share the files, that's no problem. I think what you described is the method I used though. I cut the truck and trailer out of the background onto a new layer, and then I erased everything but the shadows and kept those on a separate layer. I messed with the layer blends and set the shadows to Multiply.

 

[danman03]

You're right, inkpad.t. I was trying to keep to a theme of backwoods traveling around the country type of of feel. But, I have been looking at alternative ideas for a background.