New kid on the block

The Mission

– Shoot a portrait and blend it with toy blocks for a fun composite

Time

– Two hours

Skill level

– Intermediate

Kit needed

– Whiteboard
– Toy blocks
– Tripod
– Photoshop CC or Elements
– Flash kit (or window light)

The best composites are often those that are photographed specifically with the final result in mind. This means that rather than attempting to merge a disparate array of unconnected images, we can instead combine a set of carefully composed, consistent frames that look like they belong together. What’s more, the work done in-camera makes the Photoshop technique much easier and simpler than you might think.

We’ll explain how it works here, with careful lighting and positioning of the different elements that make up our playful block face composite. After photographing the portrait and a pile of toy blocks separately, the images are merged into a seamless whole