Christmas Tree Photo Ornament

[FrankMi]

This image goes back to 2011 but I post it here so that those of you that had not seen it and would like to do something similar would have an opportunity to create a special image for their Christmas cards.



You may be asking yourself how you might do something similar? There are a number of versions of this on the web, but the one pointed out to me by Al (Juniperlush) in her thread The Art Of Doing Nothing can be found in This Video.

I hope you enjoy this little sidetrack use of your camera and post processing as much as I did in creating my version of the image. I had an artificial tree which didn't look so good, but my neighbor let me 'borrow' her real tree for my image. Feel free to use this one to get you started if you wish!



If you decide to give it a try, you can post your results in this thread if you like.

[Loose Canon]

2011-
First one I ever did!



2012-
Featuring a big staff shoot I did and this is the version I sent to the Client minus a bit of text for posting here!



2013-
Made into a banner for a glass blower and minus some text for posting here!



I’ll probably do one for this year if I get around tuit! Looks like I am getting worse at it by the year!

[Shadowman]

Nicely done.

[IzzieK]

Good ones, Terri...beautiful...I like your first one better. #2 is just too neat looking to be related to Chrissie.

[Loose Canon]

Thanks guys!

You're probably right about that Izzie! But the Client loved it! After all what could be better than shots of the staff on a Chrissie ornament?

[Nancy Moran G]

Thank you Frank. I posted in the Community section as to how to do this a week ago. I guess I didn't phrase it well as no one could figure out what I meant ;{
I have PSE 11 and am hoping your video,will be compatible to me as am not very experienced in any pp stuff.
Nancy

[Loose Canon]

Hi Nancy!

I read your post in the other section I know what you are talking about. I was interested in seeing if we could find a solution or workaround together in PSE then got distracted! 4-letter word- “work”!

Unfortunately, my PSE version is throwing hissy fits and refusing to launch so I couldn’t get in there to look around at what we might do! I think I’m going to have to do a re-install and that is at least a week down the road from here before I am able to do that.

Its been a while since I have used PSE so I googled up and found you could print a contact sheet from PSE Organizer but had to jump through hoops to save it. I didn’t find if you could re-arrange the thumbnails within the contact sheet, however, which is kind of a requirement in making the ornament as I recall. I’m also presently on a limited data use so I can’t watch a lot of video where I’m at.

I think it may be possible to work around this if necessary by re-sizing your images to a thumbnail-type size, loading them in layers, expanding your canvas, and positioning them to your liking in the expanded canvas.

I didn’t get a chance to test this theory in PSE though. In theory it should work if the contact sheet road doesn’t travel!

Let us know how you make out with the videos and if they point you in the right direction. I’m betting we can make it happen if we want to bad enough!

[FrankMi]

Thank you Frank. I posted in the Community section as to how to do this a week ago. I guess I didn't phrase it well as no one could figure out what I meant ;{
I have PSE 11 and am hoping your video,will be compatible to me as am not very experienced in any pp stuff.
Nancy

Hi Nancy, I had a look at your posting and responded there with what I hope will be a workaround for you to create the contact sheet.

[FrankMi]

I think it may be possible to work around this if necessary by re-sizing your images to a thumbnail-type size, loading them in layers, expanding your canvas, and positioning them to your liking in the expanded canvas.

Hi Terry, that is exactly how I did it in CS5 so I'm hoping it will work in PSE for you and Nancy as well. When I did it, I loaded all the images into layers first then set the crop size and cropped them all at once. Then is was just a question of positioning each image within it's layer to a location that was pleasing.

I also found that images on the edge of the ball are not easily recognizable so for those locations I just made copies of some of the images that were more centered in the ball.

[Loose Canon]

Thanks for confirming that for us Frank. I no longer really use PSE so I’m a bit rusty with it. Your solution seems a quick and painless one but I wonder if the cropping might have to be done a bit differently rather than in bulk if using differing aspects (portrait/landscape).

Been a while since I have done this (a year in fact), or viewed the instructional video, but the next question is does PSE have a “Spherize” filter and of course an elliptical/circular marquee tool.

It does.

So Nancy, it looks like you are good to go if you want to give this a shot!

[Nancy Moran G]

Thank you Terry and Frank. I would really like to try this but it may be over my head at the moment. You know, last year I said I would get better so I WOULD be able to do this 'next year'. Ugh. I guess I better get more focused in 2015.
Nancy

[Nancy Moran G]

Ok, I gave it a go...I have pictures on 1 sheet as a collage. Saved as a PSD so far.
Am going to try finding a way to make it a sphere...
Wish me luck.

How do I save it as a JPEG with all layers showing to send to family?

[FrankMi]

Ok, I gave it a go...I have pictures on 1 sheet as a collage. Saved as a PSD so far.
Am going to try finding a way to make it a sphere...
Wish me luck.

How do I save it as a JPEG with all layers showing to send to family?

You should be able to save as Jpeg with all layers combined into one image by default. In CS5 you can use Ctrl+Alt+Shift+"E" to do a Stamp Visible, combining all visible layers into one. I'm not sure if that is available in PSE.

[Nancy Moran G]

Watching YT at library. I have a sphere altho not quite the Christmas bulb shape...still,working on it.
IF, IF, I get the results like you all, do I copy your tree branch photo? And then what?
Geez, I am so un-techie :{
Nancy

[Loose Canon]

Atta girl Nancy! I was stunned (and not just a little disappointed) thinking that you had given up before you even got started good! You can do this thang. I got Faith in ya!

Save at least one copy of your page as a .psd with all the photos on it so you can have it later if you need to start fresh at some point.

You should be able to save as Jpeg with all layers combined into one image by default. In CS5 you can use Ctrl+Alt+Shift+"E" to do a Stamp Visible, combining all visible layers into one. I'm not sure if that is available in PSE.

This is available in PSE. To do it Nancy, choose (highlight) the top layer in your layer stack, then follow Frank’s instructions. This action combines all visible layers into one layer on top of the stack in addition to keeping all of your previous separate layers intact below it. If you don’t choose the top layer but instead choose a lower layer in the stack, you will only combine all layers below the chosen layer. So choose the top layer to be sure to combine all layers below it.

IF, IF, I get the results like you all, do I copy your tree branch photo? And then what?
Geez, I am so un-techie :{

Yes Nancy. WHEN, WHEN you get the desired results, save Frank’s tree branch shot to your computer. Open it and your sphere in PSE so both are open at the same time. You can only view one at a time but both will be open.

Here are some screen shots. This is photoshop but PSE will look somewhat similar (close enough I hope!). I have both shots open in PS and Frank’s tree is viewable with its tab highlighted (circled in yellow) and the other next to it, which is my sphere, is grayed out.



Make the sphere shot viewable by clicking on its tab at the top.



Select all of this shot by going into the layers panel and choosing Select>All or use keyboard shortcut Ctrl/a on Windows or Cmd/a on Mac. You should see a marquee (marching ants) around the frame of the shot. Copy it by going to Edit>copy or Ctrl/c on Windows or Cmd/c on Mac.



Then go back to Frank’s tree (making it viewable by clicking its tab) and paste the sphere onto Frank’s tree by Edit>paste or use Ctrl/v on Windows or Cmd/c on Mac. Now you have Frank’s tree as one layer, and the sphere as another in one image. Congratulations! You have just made a composite image and you are totally awesome!



As you can see the sphere is way too big and yours will most likely be the wrong size too. No worries though because we’re going to shrink it down to size. Select (highlight) the sphere’s layer. Choose Image > Transform > Free Transform and a bounding box will form around the sphere with drag handles (little squares in the bounding box frame). I have circled one of the corner drag handles.



To scale the width and height proportionally, either press Shift as you drag a corner handle, or select Constrain Proportions in the options bar, and then drag a corner handle. In other words, click and hold any corner handle, press shift key, and drag the bounding box either smaller or larger to make it the size you need.

Release the mouse first, then the shift key when you get it where you want it.



To move the entire sphere around the frame just put your cursor inside the bounding box, click, hold and drag it where you want it.



You can also rotate the sphere if you want by hovering your cursor around/over a corner handle until you see an “L” shaped arrow, click and hold and drag.

To commit the transformation, double-click inside the bounding box, and then click the Commit button (checkmark), or press Enter.
To cancel the transformation, click the Cancel button (circle with a slash) or press Esc.

You can do this procedure as many times as you need to get your sphere the way you want it.



When you get to this point and if everything is the way you like do a Save As. Name it something different from your original page with photos on it and save as a .psd. Then before closing the shot flatten the image then “Save As” again and save it as a .jpg for posting or sending around email. Close it but when it asks you if you want to save it don’t save as you have already done so as both a .psd and .jpg.

Take your time Nancy. One step at a time. Try not to get discouraged if everything goes to hell. Post back if you run into a hiccup.

If you have trouble with the tools just google. For example a google of “free transform in pse” will get you info on free transforming the sphere to size.

Most of all have fun! After all its Christmas Time!

EDIT NOTE:
Looks like Tinypic might have squished my shots. If so, rather than me going back and resizing everything just tap it into Lytebox!

[Nancy Moran G]

THANK YOU Terry, yes I am shouting that!
Omg, will try your most informative post today. Yesterday, I got stuck at making the bulb shape. It said to get the tool and hold shift and pull 'mouse point' across screen to form a circle. Nada for me. It didn't do anything when I held it down :{.
Will head back to the library to spread out and give it another go.
Thank you so much.
Nancy

[ST1]

Thank you Frank for the use of the Christmas Tree background image. Having watched the Gavin Train video I've used it today.

[Nancy Moran G]

Grrrrr Peter, I am still trying to figure it out!
Just new with PSE 11 so I feel I have jumped off the deep end at the moment. But am learning a lot by my mistakes.
Can you post yours?
Nancy

[ST1]

THANK YOU Terry, yes I am shouting that!
Omg, will try your most informative post today. Yesterday, I got stuck at making the bulb shape. It said to get the tool and hold shift and pull 'mouse point' across screen to form a circle. Nada for me. It didn't do anything when I held it down :{.
Will head back to the library to spread out and give it another go.
Thank you so much.
Nancy

Nancy, when you use the tool to drag across the screen start at the top left hand side and you must "CLICK" and drag to the bottom right. I can't help you with Elements as I use photoshop but they are similar. Keep trying, I'm sure you will get there, good luck.

[FrankMi]

Thank you Frank for the use of the Christmas Tree background image. Having watched the Gavin Train video I've used it today.

Neat Peter! I like it!

Hi Nancy, it looks like Terry was able to give you some pointers. Good show! I can't wait to see how yours turns out.

If I recall correctly, there were several Christmas Ornament videos and tutorials available. I can't remember which other one I watched but I'm sure you noticed that mine didn't exactly match Gavin's. I'll see if I can find the ornament video that I used.

Meanwhile, I did, however, find a PDE11 tutorial on how to make a Christmas Snow Globe! Hope this helps!