Tap Room Podcast 51: What is Composite Photography

Composite Photography, what is it?

The simplest explanation is the usage of two or more images to create one new image. Composite photography can wear many different hats, so no matter what kind of photographer you are, you may be able to benefit from creating a composite.

When most people hear composite, they think of replacing the boring blue sky in an image with a brilliant red and orange sunset. However, composites go far beyond a simple sky replacement. Photographers used composites for a variety of other things, including collages, focus stacks, fantasy scenes, focal length blends, and more!

The amount of compositing you wish to do on your own image is up to your own discretion. This guide will help you to figure out how to go about compositing your images. For the sake of simplicity, we will be talking about how to composite two photos from the same scene.

Why Use Composite Photography?

Photographers use composite photography for many different purposes. Some photographers aim to create scenes or capture things that would not be humanly possible. Other photographers wish to create better photography conditions at locations that they may never visit again. Some photographers even use composite photography to overcome the limitations of the camera. When using two or more photos from the same scene, usually the idea is to utilize an image with a nice sky and another image with a nice foreground.

How Do I Plan For a Composite Shoot?

If you wish to create a composite, you’ll want to have a tripod. This is because when the images are taken from the exact same spot, it is much easier to blend them together afterwards. If you take the images from different spots, it is possible to blend them but requires advanced techniques. Once on location, set up your tripod in the spot you’d like to shoot and be careful not to move or bump your tripod. Oftentimes, you’ll need to wait a while between shots if you are trying to capture an image of good light in the foreground, and another one of good light in the sky.

How Can I Use Composite Photography?

There are a variety of programs that will aid you in creating a composite image, but none as popular as Photoshop. Photoshop allows you to easily create any kind of composite that you’d like. Let’s look at a step by step guide to creating a composite in Photoshop.