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This article is from November 4, 2009, and is no longer current.

Combine Images Creatively in Photoshop

One of the most rewarding projects you can tackle in Photoshop is combining images. Whether you’re swapping skies, creating a collage, or building a panorama, it’s a useful procedure that’s also a lot of fun.
In this tutorial you’ll learn how to fade one image into another using a gradient mask, and then you’ll discover a new twist on the classic oval vignette collage.

Fade One Image into Another

By using a layer mask in conjunction with the Gradient tool, you can create a soft, gradual transition from one image to another (or many). However, the first step in any collage project is to combine two or more images into the same document, so they’re each on their own layer.

Step 1

Open at least two images and position the document windows so you can see them both at the same time. TIP: If you’re using Photoshop CS4, you can use the Arrange Documents pop-up menu in the Applications Bar (circled) and choose the 2 Up preview options.

Click the image below to see a larger version:


You can combine the documents by dragging from the Layers panel of one open document into the open window of another, as shown below. Alternatively, you can copy/paste one image into another: Just click to activate one document, choose Select > All (Mac: Command + A, PC: Ctrl + A) and then copy it by pressing Command + C (PC: Ctrl + C). Next, click to activate the other document and then press Command + V (PC: Ctrl + V) to paste. Once you’ve combined the images into a single document, you’ll see them both in your Layers panel, as shown here. Feel free to close the other open window if you like.
Click the image below to see a larger version:

Step 2

Over in your Layers panel, click to activate the layer you want to be on top of your collage and then drag it to the top of your layers stack. In this example, it’s the dude in the helmet.

Step 3

Add a layer mask to helmet dude by clicking the circle within a square icon at the bottom of your Layers panel. You’ll see a white layer mask thumbnail appear in your Layers panel (circled), but you won’t see any change on your document because at this point the mask is empty.

Step 4

Press G to grab the Gradient tool. Trot up to the Options bar and click the down-pointing triangle next to open the gradient menu (circled). Choose the black-to-white gradient from the pop-up list (third from the left in the top row), and from the row of gradient types, click the linear gradient button (also circled). Why are you choosing a black-to-white gradient? In the Realm of the Layer Mask, painting with black conceals and white reveals.

Step 5

With the layer mask active (you’ll see a tiny hairline rule around its thumbnail as shown in the screen shot above), mouse over to your image and click once where you want the fade to begin and drag to the right for 1 to 2 inches. As you drag, Photoshop draws a line that represents the width of the fade: The shorter the line (the distance you drag), the narrower the fade will be and the harsher the transition. (It won’t be a hard edge, but it’ll be close.) The farther you drag — the longer the line — the wider the gradient and the softer the fade. TIP: If you want the gradient to be perfectly horizontal, click and hold the Shift key as you drag.
Click the image below to see a larger version:

As soon as you release your mouse, Photoshop plops the gradient into the layer mask and your images appear faded together. If you’re not happy with your first Professional Gradient Dragging Attempt, keep clicking and dragging with the Gradient tool until it looks good to you; Photoshop will update the mask automatically. Be sure to experiment with dragging for different distances and at different angles. If you want to start over, click the mask thumbnail in your Layers panel and select the whole thing by pressing Command + A (PC: Ctrl+A). Press Delete (Backspace) and you’re back at square one.
Here’s the image as it should look now: Click the image below to see a larger version:

Step 6

If you need to move the faded image (helmet dude), make sure that layer is active in your Layers panel, and grab the Move tool by pressing V. Mouse over to your image and drag the image wherever you want it.
Here’s the final result: Click the image below to see a larger version:

Soft Oval Vector Vignette

Next, let’s look at an updated approach to a time-honored technique called the soft oval vignette. In days of old, this technique called for an oval selection that is feathered, tarred (kidding!), and masked. These days you can create a non-destructive and fully resizable vignette using Photoshop’s built-in vector Shape tools. After you’ve combined two images into the same document — each on its own layer — follow these steps:

Step 1

Over in your Layers panel, make sure the soon-to-be-vignetted layer (the motorcycle racer) is not locked. If it is, double-click it to make it editable. Since you need to use a layer mask for this technique, you have to unlock the Background layer or Photoshop will squawk rather loudly. If you’ve worked with the photo before and you’ve already unlocked the Background layer, you can skip this step.
Here’s the two images we’ll be using: Click the image below to see a larger version:

Step 2

Grab the Elliptical Shape tool and set it to Path mode. Any Shape tool will work, though for this example, press Shift-U to cycle through the Shape tools until the Elliptical Shape tool is on top (circled). Trot u
p to the Options bar at the top of your screen and click the Path mode button (also circled). This forces Photoshop to draw a path instead of creating a separate Shape layer.

NOTE: Settings in the Options bar are sticky, meaning the next tine you use a Shape tool, it’ll remain in Path mode until you change it back to Shape Layer mode. You’ve been warned!

Step 3

Mouse over to your image and drag diagonally to draw an oval, and Photoshop creates a thin gray outline of the shape. If you want the oval to be perfectly round, press and hold the Shift key as you drag. If you want to draw the oval from the inside out, press and hold the Option key (PC: Alt). If you want to move the oval as you’re drawing it (in other words, while you’re holding the mouse button down), press and hold the Space bar.
Click the image below to see a larger version:

NOTE: The next two steps require you to have Photoshop CS4; scroll down to see a workaround for Photoshop CS2/CS3.

Step 4

Back in your Layers panel, add a vector mask by Command-clicking (PC: Ctrl-clicking) the “Add a layer mask” button at the bottom of the panel (circled at left below). Likewise, you can add a vector mask in Photoshop CS4 by choosing Window > Masks and clicking the “Add a vector mask” button at the top right of the panel (circled at right below). Click the image below to see a larger version:

If you don’t want to feather the oval, you can stop here.
This is what our collage looks like: Click the image below to see a larger version:

Step 5

Feather the mask by opening the Masks panel and dragging the feather slider to the right to about 40 pixels.

Step 6

If you want to move the motorcycle rider within the vignette mask, you can unlock the mask from the layer by clicking the tiny chainlink icon between the layer and mask thumbnails. Once the thumbnails are unlocked, you can click either one to activate it and then use the Move tool as described earlier.
Here’s the final collage: Click the image below to see a larger version:

The wonderful thing about using a vector mask is that you can activate the mask and then resize it using Free Transform without losing any quality (Mac: Command + T; PC: Ctrl + T). That’s right; the mask’s edges will be just as smooth and crisp as they originally were.

Photoshop CS2/CS3 Feathering Workaround

Since there’s no Masks panel in Photoshop CS2/CS3, you can’t feather a path on the fly. You’ll have to turn it into a selection first and add a mask. This workaround produces a pixel-based layer mask instead of a vector mask, which means you lose the ability to resize the mask after you’ve created it, but you can always resize the path before you create the selection. Here’s how:

Optional Step 4

Once you’ve drawn the oval shape, open the Paths panel by choosing Window > Paths, and from the Paths panel fly-out menu (circled below), choose Make Selection.

Optional Step 5

In the resulting dialog, enter 40 in the Feather Radius field and press OK.

Optional Step 6

Go back to the Layers panel and add a regular layer mask (pixel-based) by clicking the “Add a layer mask” button at the bottom of the Layers panel.

Not bad, eh?! As you can see here, collages are a great opportunity to use your own imagery in conjunction with stock photos. Just think of the possibilities! A wedding photo faded into a bouquet of flowers, piano keys faded into a sheet of music, Captain Kirk faded into a shot of the Starship Enterprise…
Until next time, may the creative collage force be with you all!
 

James Fritz is a Principal Program Manager: Content Tools and Workflows at LinkedIn.
  • Anonymous says:

    That’s a good one Lesa! As always, you rock.
    Jim

  • Anonymous says:

    Very useful tutorial !
    Sarah Al Awadhi

  • Anonymous says:

    Great tutorial but no response from my email on 11/4. I guess the free credits were a gag?

  • Terri Stone says:

    I’ll ask Lesa to respond to everyone who emailed her. Keep in mind that spam filters (on her end or your end) can sometimes be to blame when emails don’t get through. If you don’t hear from Lesa within 1 week, drop me a line with the words “iStockPhoto credits” in the subject line. My address is [email protected]

    Terri Stone
    Editor in Chief, CreativePro.com

  • Anonymous says:

    I travel extensively and just arrived home very late last night (11/5). Please be patient as I get caught up on email; you will all get your free credits in the next few days. Thanks for reading!

  • Anonymous says:

    The “patience” post is from the author of the article, Lesa Snider :)

  • Anonymous says:

    Thanks for sharing this

  • Anonymous says:

    Layer masks are an essential tool in PS, but it’s easy to forget to exploit even the simple techniques. Mind you, as a motorcyclist, I like your choice of subject matter for this tutorial as well.

  • Anonymous says:

    Lesa, you rock!

  • mary denson says:

    I am just adding another THANK YOU.

  • Anonymous says:

    Great explanation of merging 2 or more photos! I haven’t needed to do this or used masks in several years, and just got CS4 and am feeling lost. This is very thorough, easy to understand, and a great help! Thanks!

  • Anonymous says:

    Wow, these “collages” are super lame! Congratulations!

  • Anonymous says:

    you rock!

  • Anonymous says:

    FAB!!!

  • Anonymous says:

    I love the jokey language used here, to put across the actual technique… makes for enjoyable learning!

  • Anonymous says:

    This was a nice article with a nice end effect. Thanks for posting

  • Anonymous says:

    Hi, i liked your article. Found it useful.

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