Photoshop Creative

Does anyone know of a really good tut. for this? I have done some before...I tend to get alot of white along edges...Before I put it on background with color then placed my photos then used layer masks to erase and bring through...I think they could be better.. Thanks for any input!!

One thing I do when "montaging" is to, when I've pasted an added picture into a layer, place the layer alongside, and not over, the main background, so I can see what I'm doing better when I mask out bits. The size of the picture layer doesn't matter too much at that stage, as long as you can see all of it easily just off the background. When I've got rid of stuff I don't want I drag it back onto the background to a rough position but I can carry on moving it around.

Hi Geoff!
Thanks so much for the tip! I'll try it!! In the past I've used say a red background and as I blend I have the edges around peeking through...it just doesn't look as polished as I would like...

Kev just posted this in Member's tut that might be helpful.
Christell
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2720

Geoff, after thinking about this I guess I don't follow you...what do you mean place layer alongside background??? I'm getting older and also blonde!

Check out my collage by Kev on the Before and After thread. Kev's tut really works!
Chas

for terriscrapper.... what I meant was that, once you've added your new layer (the smaller image), drag it outside the area of the main background, so you can see the edges and can therefore see when you've taken all the straight edges off it. Then you can drag it back into its approximate final position on the background. If you drag a layer onto a crowded background it gets a bit cluttered and, on a computer monitor, you can't really see if there are any straight lines in amongst it - but you'll see them if/when you print the final version. On this kind of montage, (like the one at http://www.prestophoto.com/photos/image/818115/24460 ), using a collection of images without sharp borders or frames, it's important not to have any straight lines.

Hi
When montaging - if you want to blend the pictures into a background, try this.
1) Use the select tool to place a selection around the picture.
2) Select inverse
3) Feather - say 10
4) Hit backspace once, twice, ....
The edges blend into the background.
Hope that helps!
tonyt

Wow, that sounds easy! I've always masked it off!!

Geoff, your montage was exactly what I was thinking of..I like the look alot!!

For tonyt .... that's a nice easy technique. I'd have to say, though, that it would give 'regular' shapes, rather than the very irregular shapes that I like to 'interlock' like a jigsaw puzzle. I do my best to break up the regularity and avoid too much uniformity, like a grid pattern. With a Layer mask I have free rein to get into angles with buildings and cut out anything else I don't like, which may be included in a regular selection, even when feathered.