STEP BY STEP BLEND YOUR FOCAL LENGTH IMAGES

Discover how to use Photoshop to combine two versions of a landscape taken at different zooms

01 PREPARE THE IMAGES

Open your images in Adobe Photoshop (if toning in Lightroom first, ensure both images have identical adjustments). Analyze the scene in the wider of the two images and determine where the easiest join line will be. Here the dark banks of the lake are ideal.

02 COPY AND POSITION

Go to the zoomed-in image then grab the Move tool. Drag it to the tab of the other image and then down and in to copy it over. Lower the layer opacity to around 50% then hit Cmd/ctrl+t. Use the bounding box to transform, resize and position the image to fit.

03 PAINT A MASK

Bring the layer opacity back to 100%. Click the Add Layer Mask icon in the Layers Panel then grab the Brush tool. Paint with black to hide parts of the long image so that it blends with the wide scene. Use a soft-edged brush tip for a gentle transition.

04 FINE TUNE THE BLEND

Zoom in close to check the edges of the layer, making sure the blend looks natural. Using a smaller brush, paint with black to hide parts or hit X to switch to white and paint to reveal hidden areas. You can also paint at a lower opacity for a gentle transition.

05 CLONE TO TIDY

Make a new layer then grab the Clone tool. We can use it to tidy any rough areas in the composite. Set it to Sample: All Layers in the tool options at the top, then hold Alt and click to sample a clean area and paint to clone over any dodgy patches.

06 FINAL TONING

Hit Cmd/ctrl+shift+alt+e to merge a copy of all the layers then go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter. Try the colour-shifting presets in the Profile Browser (click the grid icon in the Basic Panel to access it). Make other tonal changes or local adjustments you like to finish.