Merging Sunset

[katiexjo]

I am having a hard time merging this sunset into the photo. Please help. Both of the photos were taken during the same sunset. One was exposed for the sunset and the other was exposed for the people and the house.

I would like to figure out how to get them together in the easiest and prettiest fashion.

Thanks for your help.

~KJ

Here's the damage that I have done so far!

[katiexjo]

[Texentric]

If you are using Photoshop, you put the sunset as a layer over the foreground(people). Then add a layer mask to the sunset layer(may not be able to with PS Elements), and using a soft brush paint black in the layer mask over the parts of the foreground you want to show up. Use a progressively smaller brush at lower opacity on the edges--like the man's head and the bush on the right. The layer mask icon in PS is the little rectangle with a circle inside on the bottom of the layers pallette, just highlight the layer you want it on and click on the icon. Then click on the mask and start painting--Black Conceals, White Reveals is the pnemonic on this. If you overdid it, you just change the brush to white and paint back over your mistake.

What you want to do is avoid a sharp transition like you have now.

It may help if you tell us what program you are using to edit.

[katiexjo]

Thanks for the suggestion! I figured out an easier way. I selected the sky and selected the other parts of the photograph separately. I just feathered my selections alot, and that made them blend together much easier and then I went along the edges with the stamp tool and blended it a little more. This is my final result, not perfect, but much easier in the end, and I know the clients will like it as well.

~KJ

[katiexjo]

[Breezy]

your final version looks pretty good to me

[katiexjo]

Thanks, I am pretty happy with it, and the client's response was "WOW"...so it is a keeper for sure! I was just stressing out at 12 am when I couldn't get the photo to do what I wanted! But after a little brainstorming, it worked! YEAH!

~KJ