I took 3 separate pictures of my kids and combined it into the attached singe picture.
Two main questions,
* I like the idea of this picture but the picture doesn't feel "finished", what should I do to complete the picture?
* The lighting is different in each of the photos, do I need to retake the original pictures to get more even lighting, especially the youngest girl?
* Please give me any other suggestions you have.
Each of the individual shots were taken with my Nikon D40, 18-200VR lens at 18, shutter speed 1/40". They were combined into a panorama with Elements. The left and middle shots have minimal or no post processing, the right picture has shadows/highlights tweaked to try and get the exposure more even with the other 2 shots.
You can see the original 3 pictures here March 2009
matonanjin wrote:
The solid green trapezoid in the middle is troublesome.
I agree, the other solid green areas are troublesome as well. My attempts at cloning didn't work too well. Do you have any suggestions on how to fix it?
I agree with matonanjin. The solid green areas need to be fixed. Cloning the right top and left top, and putting in a marygoroound item in the middle (big round post) are my suggestions.
Excellent idea and good job to date. Welll worth fixing. If you have a shot of your daughter on the right looking right at you it would be better but I know thats tough with little ones. They don't pose well.
Could you crop it to a rainbow shape (sorry, can't think of a more technical way of describing it), with perhaps a black background where there's no image?
Here it is after your suggestions. The picture is much better, any further tips? I'm happy with the cloning on the left, but the picture on the right is killing me. Does it look bad to you or have I just been looking at it too long? Maybe I just need to retake the pictures with all 3 kids in the exact same light?
The edge between grass from 1st rigth to middle is a bit abrupt at top that I would fix with bandage tool. I would make the middle green another color (it is too bright and distracting from the subjects.
It would be better on the right child if she was looking up at you but it with the change in middle color I think it is quite good. Without the shadow on the left child on her face would be better as well.
Pictures of your own kids don't have to be perfect because they are yours. It looks good to me.
Conceptually, it is good. The green in the center still just draws my eyes to it. I am sorry, it still just doesn't work for me.
What is important, though, is whether it works for you, as Scott said. If it is good to you and you want to hang on you wall, perfect! It is your kids.
As a thought, have you tried texturing the central green area and giving it a rotational blur , perhaps you could even fade your arm into it then. It may make it sit together.
silvawispa wrote:
As a thought, have you tried texturing the central green area and giving it a rotational blur , perhaps you could even fade your arm into it then. It may make it sit together.
We are stretching my photoshop skills but that sounds like it is worth trying.
I may try taking all 3 pictures again getting the same light and with less of my arm in the picture which will help as well. This was really just a proof of concept attempt anyway, I just can't decide if it is worth pursuing.
