Replacing head on photo

NikInPgh · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:52 am Post subject: Replacing head on photo

We are dong a presentation for work and would like to replace a head on a photo for a screen we are using (trying to replace one employee's head with another as a surprise for them for an announcement we are making about them).

We have replaced the head, but the colors / brightness does not look right. I think one problem is the DPI of the two photos do not match. It might even be the size of the head or we need to add a blur, but hard to tell, we have never done this before. Do I need to add a shadow to her face and how would I do that?

Can anybody help or tell me what I might need to do, or how we can make it a little more realistic for the surprise to our employee.

I attached my PSD file so you can see what the settings for the layer with head contains, but had to reduce the image size to reach file size limit.

Thank you!
Nik

hawkeye · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 8:45 am Post subject:

One reason it doesn't look right is that the lighting on the face is wrong. One side of her body is in shadow but there are no corresponding shadows on the face.

NikInPgh · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 10:22 am Post subject:

We are using photoshop elements, what tool should I use in there to try to create a shadow?

hawkeye · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 11:00 am Post subject:

I'm not real familiar with Elements and which version has what but...

The first thing to do is to get the skin tones to match better. I'm sure you have hue/sat adjustment available, use it on the head layer to get you close.

Add a new layer above and clip it to the head layer, use a very soft low opacity brush (10%) to make the shadows. Build it up gradually, adjust the layer opacity as necessary. You can also paint with white on another layer to add highlights if needed.

I did this very quickly so it's far from perfect but it should give you the idea.

NikInPgh · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:24 pm Post subject:

Thanks! We tried adding a shadow as you instructed - can you give us your thoughts on these? We did it to both, one with a little more shadowing than the other. Did we do enough? Did we do too much of the face in shadowing?
Any thoughts or suggestions on these two attempts?

Also, do we need to add noise to her face to make it match the body since the DPI of each layer differ? If so, how much noise do you suggest?

Would like to make it look as real as possible for surprise announcement to her.

Thanks!

seaco · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:37 pm Post subject:

Being as you seem to need it done quickly you may be better putting the 2 source pics on here and someone here will do it for you, the shadows you've done aren't selective enough you have just darkened her whole face...

jerryb4417 · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:18 pm Post subject:

hi,
this isn't that good it quickie but needed to post to give you idea on some of the things i did...

don't remember all the steps .. smiling lot of going back and forth..

i duplicated
then applied a mask for the face

i sample a color from the body skin that would be close , and i painted, in color mode, the face

since the texture was different between face and body i choose to use a low strength blur tool ..

also on the edges of the skin and hair... i use a low strength blur tool to try to make it appear it not pasted...

now the sun... is to the left and high....

on the left side i used the dodge tool on low strngth to lighten things... .... on the left side of the face and also on the hair....

now on the right side i ended up just usingblack paint bursh very low opacity and just dabble around the nose area

and used the burn tool to darken the hair on the right side .....

it not that great done quickly and i am not that good smiling...... but i hope it gives you some ideas...

NikInPgh · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:28 pm Post subject:

On the shadowing, essentially, we used the opacity brush and did darken the whole face, was not sure where or how to be selective.

Would we be better posting our photos or our PSD file? We are posting them all, but using the photos, more work would obviously need done to get to where our PSD file already is.

Attached is our PSD file before the shadowing (Although we had to reduce the image size in order to upload) if anybody can offer any advice or help. Thank you, much appreciated for any and all advice.

NikInPgh · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:30 pm Post subject:

Thanks Jerry! We will try some of your suggestions next!! Lots there, so we are going to see what we can come up with!

Thanks man!

renata · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:42 pm Post subject:

Hey, that's my sister-in-law's cousin! Just kidding. Is it going to be a nice surprise and will they find it funny?

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