Joined: 22 Jul 2005
Posts: 3
Location: Northern VA
Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 7:29 am Post subject: rendering/blending/morphing
I’ve had varying degrees of success in combining elements of two or more photos; usually in the form of transplanting the head or face of one model onto the body of another. Two problems have led to less-than-satisfactory results. I’m wondering if both could be solved by rendering/blending/morphing two or more faces.
#1. Sometimes I find a face I want to use but the quality is unacceptable (low-res, poor lighting, color, etc.). If this could be combined with another face, could I retain some of the basic features of face1 but bring in enough elements of face2 to make the end result technically satisfactory? Is there a better way to overcome this problem?
#2. Some of the best headshots I find are of celebrities. However, I do NOT want to end up with a celebrity “fake” photo. Rather than being a shot of, say, Jessica Alba, I want a picture of a woman who merely bears a certain resemblance to Jessica but is not immediately identifiable as her—or anyone else.
I’m also just intrigued as to what results can derive from combining different races, ages, types, etc.
So, how does one learn how to blend two faces? I’m looking for tips, tutorials, programs. Someone has suggested that the “full” version of Photoshop has this feature (I have “Elements”). Is it easy to use? I’m also looking into Poser. I’m just a newbie here so too much technical jargon will make my eyes glaze over.
Yes, this can be done in Photoshop. It can be somewhat difficult, depending on the source photos and how far you want to go with it. But it is definitely possible.
The technique will vary quite a bit, but here's a basic set-up. You have your two pictures. You decide which one will be the primary source--the one that gets a little bit of the other face transplanted on it. You create a new layer with about 50% opacity and paste bits of the other face onto the new layer. You then move things around until you get a satisfactory result.
This is a grievously simplified explanation; the actual process involves a lot of undos and subtle changes, and sometimes the results just refuse to look good. But the basicmost idea of combining faces is using one or more layers above the background, set to different opacities, with bits of the other face.
By the way, about PS Elements vs. full version: well, the full version certainly has a lot more possibilities. I, personally, would NEVER use Elements because it's simply missing too many of the features that I use on a daily basis. But it works for some people. The learning curve is certainly a bit steep (although I'd say it's more of a long learning curve than a steep one), but you can start off using just a basic knowledge of the program and then learn more and more. If you're using Elements already, learning the basics of the full version will be extremely quick and intuitive. The two programs share the same framework. The full version just has more bells and whistles.
Hope this helps, and good luck. _________________ Interested in showcasing your special effects or learning some new ones from the masters? Check out PSFX!
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