Produce a composite image
How to select, transform and combine multiple layers
IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes
YOU WILL LEARN How select a complex subject, transform a layer’s content, and use masks to combine layers
YOU’LL NEED macOS 10.14 or later, Pixelmator Pro 2.1.2 (£34.99)
Image-editing apps such as Lightroom do a fine job of fixing problems with colour, tone and composition, but to get really creative with your photos you need to be able to work in layers. Pixelmator Pro (pixelmator.com/pro) has a host of tools that enable you to select, transform and combine parts of different photos into a layered composite image – like popping a child onto toadstool, for example. In this tutorial, you’ll discover how to use the intelligent Quick Selection tool to select and isolate a person from a complex background and then scale and transform them so that they look as if they belong in a different location.
You’ll also learn how to fine-tune a selection by applying brush tips to layer masks. Layer masks enable you to hide or reveal a layer’s contents in a non-destructive way. You’ll also learn professional compositing tips to help blend the contents of multiple layers’ together, such as adding shadows using brush strokes.
Pre-production
To create a successful composite image, you need to make sure that the lighting is similar in every photo that you’re going to use. If the shadows in your source photos are cast in different directions, the lighting won’t look convincing in the layered composite image. To create the assets for this project, we snapped the toadstool first and then posed the child in matching lighting conditions. George Cairns
To create a successful composite image, make sure that the lighting is similar in every photo