@marthadimeoSummary: In this photo compositing example, I illustrate the steps and techniques used to seamlessly add a person to a photo. To add a person successfully to any photo—and in this case, just the face—careful attention must be given to lighting, color balance, and perspective, along with meticulous refinement to blend the two images together.
Having Fun At the Whistler House Museum of Art
It was the occasion of an art exhibition opening that brought me to the Whistler House Museum of Art in Lowell, Massachusetts. The museum features a life-size reproduction of one of James McNeill Whistler’s most beloved and iconic painting: Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1—also known colloquially as Whistler’s Mother.
But this isn’t your typical reproduction of a famous painting, rather, it’s a real-world, interactive experience where visitors can become one with the art!
I’m never one pass up a fun photo opportunity, and that day at the Whistler House was no exception. In this post, I share with you the process of transforming a snapshot—taken during a crowded gallery opening—into a finished, portfolio-worthy example of photo compositing techniques.
Photo Compositing: Adding a Person to a Photo
Step 1: Correct the perspective, adjust the tonality and color balance, and crop.
The Shooting Situation: The life-size photo cut-out was located in dimly lit room under incandescent lighting causing the orange color-cast. The gallery was crowded so it wasn’t possible to step far enough back to shoot the cut-out straight on. So the first step to begin this photo composite is to square up the painting, and remove the color-cast.
Step 1 in the digital photo compositing retouching process.
Step 2: Color Integration is Key: Color Match & Size the Headshot
I then took my place behind the painting and had a friend take the photo. On a technical note, notice the orange color-cast is absent from my headshot. That is a result of using the phone’s built-in flash. Since the photographer moved in close to frame just my profile (rather than the entire painting), the flash was sufficient to light the scene effectively.
My skin tone is much too warm—too healthy-looking!—for the gray-and-black color palette of the artwork. Using adjustment layers in Photoshop, I matched the color balance of my profile photo to the tones and palette of the painting. Next, I adjusted the size and rotated my head to align with the tilt of the head in the painting.
Step 3: Merge and Blend to Complete the Photo Composite
As the expression goes, the devil is in the details. The final step was to remove the face cutout and blend my face into the background. This has to be done seamlessly, with no telltale signs of Photoshopping, for the composite to be successful.
A Fun Before/ After
If you could become part of a masterpiece, which one would you choose? Drop me a line; I’d love to hear!
Thinking Creatively About Photo Compositing
Food for thought: How could you use photo compositing in a creative way to bring an unexpected—and fun—twist to your next project? Let’s brainstorm together.
See More Photo Compositing Examples
> An artist walks into the whimsical world she created.
> Adding people to a group photo: when the Board of Directors cannot gather for a group photo.
> Creating a product prototype with photo compositing.
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