Click to Embiggen – you see loads more detail
Session 3 of my Creative Black&White course takes us into the land of compositing, blending images or parts of images to make a new image.
This kind of compositing I find really challenging and have spent the last few days looking at images and trying to come up with variations that would result in a final cohesive image and…….. not got anywhere.
So tonite I sat down at my computer, determined to scan my LR catalog for some useful images and I came across a series of high speed wave images I took a few years ago, working at very high shutter speed to freeze the waves, and catch all the texture and splashes. Was actually quite a fun exercise but I never did anything with the images.
Then I remembered I had some inside shots of a derelict building and wondered what might happen.
Processing Steps:
1. I edited each image in LR and converted to a BW there, and tweaked further.
2. Bought both images into PS, placed the waves over the building image.
3. I experimented with blend modes but normal gave the best effect so I added a mask and painted out the top bit of the waves.
4. Adjusted the wave image down a bit and carefully masked away at the top of the image til it appeared to be coming out of the building parts and elements
5. Did the Move and took it into Nik Silver Efex where I like the Wet Rocks Preset
6. Some tiny extra crops on the sides and DONE!
Lesson learned, sit down and play with actual images rather than doing it all inside your head – it makes all the difference.
I really love how the water seems to come out of parts of the building and the colour of the water reflects that, purely serendipity but once I saw the opportunity, lots of careful masking helped make it work.
Did I pull it off, at first glance does it fool you? Love to hear your comments and thoughts!
As requested the original images and also a further edit to my image above – for the challenge it was supposed to be made up of three images – can you find my third one?
Learning to See Light 
Oh, wow, this really looks the real deal, Stacey! Love the combination of images and how you got the water to appear way back inside the building. I’m still struggling with this assignment and will post something but not up to this standard. Simple idea, but you’ve got to have the idea first 🙂 and then the knowledge to make it work.
Thanks Lee, I was struggling with ideas too and then just opened up my archive and had a look at the photos, saw the wave and my brain started clicking and whirring. Inspiration will strike!
I love the two images together – great work
Thanks Raewyn, serendipity that I had the idea and the images to do it
I would love to see your original images too. I think this is a great idea to post how you created it. I’m in this course too.
Thanks for the idea, I should have done that originally, updated with the original two images.
I love the way the waves interact with the boards of the building. Fantastic!
Yeah thats just damn lucky but when I saw it starting to happen I was quite excited!
Beautifully done!
Thanks, I had a lot of fun with that one 🙂