Blending photographs with background

[Kelly]

I am new to Photoshop and at times feel overwhelmed with learning the program but I am a very determined person! I am wanting to make a collage of photographs. My background will be in a gradient. My questions are:

1. Should I make the background white or transparent?

2. How do I blend the edges of my photographs into the background so there are no hard edges of the pics?

Thank you for all your information. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone here!

~kel

 

[theKeeper]

Hi Kelly, and welcome to the show!
Hope you enjoy your stay.

Use Layer Masks for that effect Kelly.
Here, checkout these tutes and learn more about them:
http://photoshopgurus.info/beginners/masks-clipgroups.shtml
http://photoshopgurus.info/intermediate/layer_masks/layer-mask_effects.shtml

Any questions, just ask.

Have fun!

 

[Guest]

Hi Kelly, welcome to the board

Here you can find a video on how to make a vignette;

http://www.apple.com/creative/resources/ttphotoshop/621trim.html

I would advice you to do Mark's tutorials first, because they really teach you the important basics of layer masks that are needed for your purpose.

 

[Kelly]

Thank you!

Thank you! I am getting ready to sit down and start practicing!

~kel

 

[sfm]

Welcome aboard Kelly B7 have fun and any probs just shout
sfm

 

[Rick Miller]

Greetings Kelly.

You've come to the right place. Mark (theKeeper) has done an excellent job of creating a helpful and friendly community. As you'll soon see - the people here are fantastic.

Cheers!

 

[Yutosi]

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome Kelly,
indeed the people here are so very nice.

in additon to Sir Mark's (mark you got to find an inbetween name ) tips i would like you to experment with Fethering and copying and pasting, that's select an object from one picture >> feather it too hard >> cut and paste, it's fun. []


Ammar

 

[Kelly]

Thank you everyone

Thank you everyone. I feel very welcome. I have been up all night practicing and starting again. I will have to stop for a while tomorrow because I do have a socceer game! LOL!

Again, thanks for everything. Talk soon.
~kel

 

[Kelly]

I did it!

I did it! I did it! Na Na Na Bo Bo! LOL!

Thank you for everyone's help! I appreciate the sharing of your knowledge with me.



~kel

 

[Guest]

That's good to hear Kelly. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask

 

[sfm]

Kelly jumped for joy on a few acheivements myself - another thing learnt
sfm

 

[Tron]

Welcome Kelly, sounds like you will fit right in here with the rest of us goofballs ha ha. Very happy that you got the help you need, but please don't stop comming back

 

[wbiss]

Welcome Kelly!
Jumping for joy will become regular exercise if you stick around here! I don't even make it to the gym these days!

 

[Kelly]

I'm a staying around!

Just like bad breath, I think I'll be staying around! LOL!

Ok, sfm, you have to share -- what did you achieve? Isn't it a wonderful feeling to sit down at a computer and learn something new. I have a difficult time relating this to my family and friends. They just don't get it. So it is nice to talk with people who understand.

Take care.
~kel

We could learn a lot from crayons:
Some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull,
some have weird names, and all are different colors,
but they all have to learn to live in the same box.

 

[sfm]

oooooooo there were lots of things but the dodge and burn tool which I had never used was the only tool with layers and colours only that created this image
sfm

 

[Kelly]

How beautiful!

Wow sfm! How georgous! Such beautiful rich colors! Didn't that just make you feel on top of the world when it was finished? Thank you for sharing.

~kel

 

[sfm]

yep I was proud as punch with that lesson

had a devil of a time trying to get him to stay still - he kept swimming around through the rocks and corals [confused] ha ha ha
sfm

 

[wbiss]

WOWSER WOWSER SUE! That's a real BEAUT and I'm so glad that you shared it! You've given me reason and thought to test out those tools. You definitely had the perfect subject matter!

 

[Guest]

Paracanthurus hepatus, Palette Tang, Flagtail surgeonfish, Hepatus tang, Regal Tang or what ever other name is in my aquarium books I love those Tangs, one of the most beautiful fish around. I saw a Naso Tang one day (see attachment) and first I thought it was a fake fish, so beautiful
If it wasn't for the fact that I don't have that large fish tank (yet), this one or one of his buddies was already swimming in front of me. You know, that's such a great challenge to try to copy their natural environment in a fish tank. Absolutely impossible, but it's the challenge that makes it so much fun! Keep those fish posted Sue

 

[Tron]

Nice fish Sue love what you have done there

Kelly - just had to say I love your signature, learn a lot from crayons. Very good advise for all