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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Best source for learning Photoshop Collages???
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05/11/2005 05:49:25 PM · #1
Hello everyone. Not certain if this is the best place to post this question but this is where I chose based on the choices provided.

Heres my question. My Niece is active in sports and my sister really admires some collages she saw being sold at sporting events. I am new to Photoshop and know just the basics. However, because I know the basics I can follow instructions on how to do things in Photoshop.

Without showing someone elses work or their website, I can describe the Collages as up to a dozen different photos "cut out" with haze-like stuff seperating the photos. A variety of text, both see through and solid. Also some "break- out" images on some edges. (where the photo will overlap the frame to give a sort of 3-D affect. I also saw instead of the "haze" a sort of haze with lines through it like sun rays almost. All of this is surrounded by a nice border.

Can anyone tell me of a book that would detail how to do all of the various steps or some other source? I think I could find each individual step if I looked hard enough, but I'd hate to waste time if I could find it all in one book or one location.

I could PM anyone the website whose collages I'd like to learn how to do if my descriptions are vague or confusing.

My goal is to make one for my Niece this summer.

Her Volleyball team will be playing in the Junior Olympics and I'd like to give her one made from photos of that!

Thanks for any and all suggestions. By the way, I have Photoshop 7.0 only.
05/11/2005 06:16:57 PM · #2
Anyone?? Please :)
05/11/2005 06:31:07 PM · #3
web sites;

worth1000.com
dvgarage.com

books;
digital compositing for film and video by steve wright; focal press
how to cheat in photoshop by steve caplin; focal press

magazine;

photoshop user:the how to magazine

good luck
05/11/2005 06:32:31 PM · #4
Collages can be made quiet easily.. but this one seems quite complicated.

I'd have to see one to see if I could do it and then explain it to you... or you can do a search on how to do it using Photoshop 7.

Some of the Digital scrapbook sites might a tutorial that you could use also.

05/11/2005 06:37:46 PM · #5
//www.dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=182769

See this thread also
05/11/2005 06:40:37 PM · #6
I cannot express enough my enthusiasm for this product... If you are interested in doing collages, you should take a look at Fotofusion.

Some samples:

, , , ,

The thing is... everything you see here I could easily do in PhotoShop. But it might take me about 10-15 minutes to do it. These can all be done in FotoFusion in about 1-2 minutes. It's a whole lot more fun and lets me be a lot more creative!
05/11/2005 06:40:49 PM · #7
Can you PM me with the website - I might be able to help you with a step-by-step.
05/11/2005 10:10:17 PM · #8
Thanks so much for all of the wonderful info. I really appreciate it. I think I'll have to try some of it out in the next few days.

Can't wait :)
05/11/2005 10:44:57 PM · #9
By far, the best book ever written on the subject:

Photoshop Masking & Compositing
by Katrin Eismann

Here is one of many user reviews:
Every book I've read by Katrin Eismann has been very good. Even so, This one was better than I expected.

Katrin has designed the book so it could be used as a textbook for Photoshop teachers. There are files to go with the book and its lessons available for download over the internet. You can use these files to do the lesson projects she has throughout the book. This was true with her book on photo restoration and retouching, as well.

As the title suggests, she gives excellent information on making masks in Photoshop. She gives you the theory, so you can better understand how masks work, and then gives you lots of techniques for creating masks.

Often, masks are required to extract a person or an object from the background of a photo, so you can composite it into another photo. She gives excellent tutorials on doing this, including how to preserve hair and fine detail. We all know how much more real a composite looks when you are able to capture those stray hairs. It's all about selecting those fine details with out selecting the unwanted stuff. She gives you several selection strategies that you can use in different situations.

She also gives you strategies for using the pen tool to create complex paths and combine paths. And there is a selection technique called the "multi-pass" technique (page 300).

In the compositing section, she devotes the first part to image execution, showing you how to design your photo shots for compositing. And gives some good advice in "Photographic Essentials."

I was blown away by a project she showed in which some books were composited in with buildings, matching perspective to make them fit perfectly. See page 416 for the final result, and read the pages preceding it to see how it was done. I was even more impressed with another project that begins on page 431. In that project, there is an ordinary photo of two people fencing in the woods at a medieval faire. The end of the project results in a dramatic photo with beautiful lighting.

She also covers alternatives for achieving results, such as sharpening a photo with High Pass instead of Unsharp Mask. This is a great book for someone who wants to improve their Photoshop skills. You probably should be an intermediate level user, able to understand all of the basics of Photoshop if you want to use this book.
05/11/2005 10:57:53 PM · #10
Photoshop Down and Dirty Tricks by Scott Kelby is an awesome book.
He exlains step by step and it works like a charm. My husband and I recently took a 1 day seminar with him and it was worth every penny of the 99.00 we paid per seat. He and his books are very funny and easy to follow. You can not miss with any of his books.

Scott's web site

We were refered to him by Skiprow.. BTW thanks for that Skip..

Message edited by author 2005-05-11 22:59:07.
05/12/2005 01:05:24 AM · #11
Woooo, I just got the Down and Dirty book for Mothers Day! I just had not read through all of it yet! I will be sure to go through all of it before I pick up other books.

I am so pleased with all of your responses and how detailed some were. I appreciate all of you taking the time to help me out!

I think with time and practice I could learn it, I was just lacking info on the best way to learn!

Thanks so much to all of you for your helpfulness.
05/12/2005 01:28:47 AM · #12
Oh Wow, I still have books to buy and sites to look at, but let me say that I downloaded the trial of FotoFusion and I absolutely love it! I have barely begun to try it out, but you were right about the ease of use. I had a collage done within about 2 minutes after the install, lol. Pretty cool.

Thanks for the suggestion DWTerry. Odds are good I'll have to get it when the trial ends.
05/12/2005 01:33:14 AM · #13
Laura, I managed to convince my family that Fotofusion would make a perfect Mother's Day present - and I LOOOOOOOOVE it!!!!

Make sure to watch the instruction video on the website.
05/12/2005 01:56:18 AM · #14
What a coincidence. I just watched the video before I read your post!
Even without it I opened the program and it was easy enough to figure out the basics. So cool.

The best part is my Birthday is in a couple of months, lol, since I already have my Mothers Day gift.

What version did you get? Since its so new to me, I don't know about all of them, I just downloaded the trial for the print version thinking it would allow me to try out more stuff.
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