Learning to combine bird images - Series

[Brownbear]

I would like to learn how to combine a series of bird images into one shot, and I would like to be able to do it well.

Following is my try. I used Photoshop CC and combined the layers using masks. (Photoshop auto-merge doesn't work because it can't match the ripples in the water)

The ripples are impossible to match so I just did my best and tried to make the ripples artistically.




Questions

1. Do the ripples work in a merge even though they don't match? Perhaps a better approach to an image with ripples would be to place the bird in a circle around the ripples?

2. How does one eliminate the join lines between each image? I used a brush of varying opacities but I can still see faint lines between the images.

Any and all tips would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

[chauncey]

Were it me, assuming it is worth the effort...Go back to the individual images>make selections of the ducks>make duplicates of them all>clone/content aware fill to make the ducks go away in the duplicates>merge the images without the ducks manually, using transform when needed>pull the previously selected ducks from the original images and insert them into the merged background image.

This is going to be a PITA, only you can say if it's worth it.

[Cantab]

2. How does one eliminate the join lines between each image? I used a brush of varying opacities but I can still see faint lines between the images.

Any and all tips would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

Christina, I don't see any joint lines in the posted image (or do I need new glasses?). Are the joint lines you see the marching ants? If so, I recall having to deal with them in my Malahat pano: see posts 7 and 9 Large Pano File & Wandering Seams.

[Brownbear]

Hi Chauncey,

Thank you for taking the time to advise. No it's not worth it and far beyond my post processing skills. I'm hopeless at cloning. I chose this image to learn to combine images with because the bird (pigeon guillemot) doesn't fill the frame and because I love the water.

Nevertheless I really wish to learn how to combine bird images, and I'm sure I have some easier images to learn with.

May I ask you to share a few basic tips on combining shots photographed in succession, and what types of backgrounds that it works best with. And then in say about a weeks time I will find another bird image to try it on, and post for everyone to learn from.

PS PITA new word for me and a great descriptor.

Were it me, assuming it is worth the effort...Go back to the individual images>make selections of the ducks>make duplicates of them all>clone/content aware fill to make the ducks go away in the duplicates>merge the images without the ducks manually, using transform when needed>pull the previously selected ducks from the original images and insert them into the merged background image.

This is going to be a PITA, only you can say if it's worth it.

[Brownbear]

Christina, I don't see any joint lines in the posted image (or do I need new glasses?). Are the joint lines you see the marching ants? If so, I recall having to deal with them in my Malahat pano: see posts 7 and 9 Large Pano File & Wandering Seams.

Hi Bruce,

They are faint but definitely there at 100% view. However, thank you for sharing your thread. I will review all the information in there. Truly appreciated.

[bnnrcn]

I couldn't see the joint lines either Christina, nice trial and very cute birds

[csa mt]

I can very faintly see one join line between the last two birds; but one really has to look for it, and I wouldn't have noticed had you not brought it up.

I think your image is very striking, and has to bring a smile to anyone that sees it!

[chauncey]

I have never tried doing multiple bird images when they remain in the water, getting the ripples correct might, very well, be an exercise in futility.

Aside from that, get to know the transform tools...invaluable when manually merging images.

Simply crop your initial image way oversize>select and drop another image in place at a 50% opacity
(so as to properly align things) transforming as necessary>raise opacity and flatten>repeat as necessary.

[Brownbear]

Binnur... Thank you. Indeed they are adorable birds! I photographed them last summer, and I'm a little obsessed with these guys/gals.

Carol... Thank you. A smile is a great thing to give rise to.

Chauncey... I've never used the transform tools but I will look them up. I'm not going to give up yet because Manfred likes my ripples but I will sit on this for a bit before I try again, and maybe I will just try a few on images with no ripples. Thank you for advising. There is an artist hiding in me somewhere. Truly appreciated.

[Loose Canon]

Nice job here Christina.

I’m not sure why you would even want the ripples to match.

I’m curious and I may have missed this already, but did you shoot this as a burst? i.e. keeping the camera still and shooting the bird as moved through the frame?

[nimitzbenedicto]

I couldn't see the joint lines either Christina, nice trial and very cute birds

I would strongly agree with Binnur!

[Brownbear]

Thank you Terry.

I'm not sure either... I guess for some reason I just think that they should and/or that they would be that way in nature. If I simply stitch the images together without any overlap there is too much space between the birds (because they don't fill the frame), so I moved them closer together and tried to have all the ripples circling the 1st bird, leading to the next etc.

Yes. I have one or two more shots but managing to combine these was enough for me for now.

I am going to try again later this week.

As always, thank you.

Nice job here Christina.

I’m not sure why you would even want the ripples to match.

I’m curious and I may have missed this already, but did you shoot this as a burst? i.e. keeping the camera still and shooting the bird as moved through the frame?

[Brownbear]

Thank you Victor... Truly appreciated. (a few lines are there )

I would strongly agree with Binnur!

[Brownbear]

Sorry to advise that I have given up on the guillemot image. But I will save it and perhaps revisit it in a years time to try again.

Here is a simpler shot that I think I managed to do a fair job of merging. I expanded the canvas vertically and moved the images to create a slight overlap, used a layer mask and brush to erase the join lines. I almost had to clone in some water on the bottom of the image but avoided it by duplicating the 1st image to create water overlap.





If you can see the joins or if anything looks odd, please let me know. I have one more image that I will try this with this weekend.

Thank you.

[TonyW]

I think you have done a very good job with the joins here. I think I can deduce about where they must be but still cannot really see them.

[IzzieK]

I am sorry you decided to give up on your Guillemot. The way you had illustrated that, as I had already said, looks like a dance. The last one looks better for merging. I love this one -- it has a different look to it than the other one. Consider the guillemot your artistic endeavour at the most...

[Stagecoach]

Hi Christina,

Good effort and a surprise from the normal horizontals we see. As for the joins none seem obvious to me at this size and I would expect most viewers are going to be concentrating on the birds, not the water.

Look forward to the next image.

Grahame

[chauncey]

Christina, when I've taken those BIF series, I always followed up by taking virgin images,
of the same scene without the bird, as insurance for having a good background if needed.
A pure "cover my a$$" scenario.

PS...sometimes a Triptych would prove more attractive.

[Brownbear]

Tony, Izzie, Grahame and Chauncey - thank you for advising.

Tony & Grahame...

Thank you. I don't think I can see the joins at full size and that was my goal, as well as having the water look natural. Vertical because the gull was flying that way.

Izzie... Thank you. Let's just say I've put the Guillemot image on hold because my PP skills can't live up to my vision. (my attempts to join the images are taking too much time)

Chauncey... Thank you for sharing that. At this point in time placing birds on a different background sounds far more challenging to do than combining images. I hope to create something artistic but still true to the scene at hand. (oxymoron)

[Mark von Kanel]

Christina,

Thanks for the thred, learning loads, unfortunatley i dont know enough to advise, but great pp well done! i cant see any joints.