Fun with photo

Issue: Replace someone's body using the Paste Into Selection feature (figure no. 1).

figure no.1

Creating an image collage simply follow these steps:

1. Open the desired (the object) picture - (Click on File -> Open menu or Ctrl+O, figure no.2)

   

   figure no. 2

2. From the Tools toolbar select the Standard (Geometric) Selection Tool -
   Press F2 or to view the tool's properties dialog box.
3. Select the option Elliptical Selection from the selection geometric shape toolbar (figure no. 3).

   

   figure no. 3

4. Select the the face area (In order to actively select the face area, use the mouse to point on the spot where you wish the selection to begin. Click on it with the mouse's left button. While keeping the button pressed, drag the mouse until you reach the desired shape. To finish the operation, release the mouse's left button. The selection created will appear on the screen) (figure no. 4).

   

   figure no. 4

5. Click the Copy icon (found on the Shortcuts toolbar) or Ctrl+C in order to copy the selection to the clipboard.
6. Open the desired background image - (Click on File -> Open menu or Ctrl+O, figure no.5)

   

   figure no. 5

7. For now, we no longer use the object image (the one you opened in step 1). You can minimize it in order to work more comfortably. To minimize the object picture click the minimize icon (found in the title bar of the image window, figure no.6)

   

   figure no. 6

8. Select the background image to make it active (click on the title bar of the image window), then press F3 or to view the layers properties dialog box (figure no. 7)

   

   figure no. 7

9. On the background image select the face area too (figure no. 8).

   

   figure no. 8

10. Click on the Edit -> Paste -> Into Selection menu (figure no. 9).

    

    figure no. 9

11. Using the mouse scale, divert, fit and locate the object face to best fit into the background (use the red "hot" points for this, figure no.10). Click Enter when finished to cancel all selections.

    

    figure no. 10

12. At this stage you should have an image with 2 layers (figure no. 11). Select the background layer (click on the background label) to make it active (figure no. 11)

    

    figure no. 11

13. In order to professionally combine the images select the Eraser tool - . Using the Eraser tool fix the background edges until they will combine with the object face (delete unwanted areas using the left mouse button or undelete using the right mouse button, figure no. 12).
    * You can control the size/opacity (and much more) of the eraser from the tool's properties window. To view the properties window press F2 or

    

    figure no. 12

14. Now we have to remove to unwanted parts that left on the background image. To do this, from the Tools toolbar, choose the Clone Brush tool -
15. The principle of removing an unwanted part is simple - you have to choose an area of the image that is similar to the unwanted part background (usually near the unwanted part). Using the clone brush cover the unwanted object with this similar background. RIGHT click the mouse button on a part of the image, which is similar to the unwanted object's background. Now move the mouse pointer to the unwanted object area, then left click the mouse button. While holding the button, "rub" the unwanted object area, until the object vanishes (figure no.13).
    * If you wish to clone from a new place, simply RIGHT click the mouse button over the new location.
    * You can control the size/opacity (and much more) of the clone brush using the tool's properties window. To view the tool's properties window press F2 or
    * For more info see the Clone Brush tutorial
    Repeat step 16, each time from a new background cloning location, until the entire unwanted parts vanishes. (figure no. 13)

    

    figure no. 13

16. Select the Pasted Object layer - actualy this is the the pasted face layer (click on the Pasted Object label) to make it active (figure no. 14)

    

    figure no. 14

17. Click on the Colors -> HSV… menu to open the HSL dialog box. Use the HSV controls to best fit the face tint to the body tint.
18. Finally you should get the collage - the object face on the new body background (figure no. 15)

    

    figure no. 15
    

Note: You may also easily take out/in someone from a photo (or replacing an image background) using the magic selection feature.