Expand your field of view
Cropping has been practiced since the very beginnings of photography to eliminate anything that gets in the way of an image’s composition. But why not add pixels from other photos to improve the composition?
Subtract or add?
With our cameras, we aim inside a frame. The distracting elements for the final composition may escape us while we’re shooting. We crop out anything that distracts the eye at the print stage for film or in post-production for digital images. With film and digital, we think more about cutting out than adding in to balance a composition.
If silver halide printing techniques make adding difficult, we often neglect this possibility in digital post-production. Today, AI allows creating content from scratch based on what already exists. But nothing can replace reality if it is available, thanks to the combination of several images.
Anticipating the shot
Panorama enthusiasts have long practiced stitching when combining multiple views. But there’s little thought to adding a few pixels to an image framed too off-center by adding the missing pixels from other frames. The only way to do this is to have these complementary images available. This can be anticipated. When you’re shooting, you can often sense when you’ve got a good picture.
However, when you check the framing on the camera’s rear screen, you may notice that some material is missing from the sides, top, or bottom. The solution? Shoot a few frames at the same focal length, shifting to the missing parts to maintain the same angle of view. All that remains is to assemble the images in post-production.
The master image and its complements
Even if its framing can be perfected, the image that stands out for its subject will serve as the master file. In our case, it’s the position of the children, spread out like goblins of all colors. But the yellow wall on the left is not the same width as the one on the right. Cropping to the right would solve the problem. However, the composition would be too tightly focused on the children. We looked for a view or views that would allow us to extend the left wall. We have selected three, which are added to the master file.
Adjusting images
In Lightroom, brightness and color adjustments are made to this reference image in the development module. We then synchronize the settings of the main image with the complementary views to achieve a uniform look.
Photoshop, layers, and Photomerge
Several strategies exist for combining images. One of the most effective is opening them as layers in Photoshop with Photomerge to add missing elements to the base image (Lightroom can’t do this job). Photomerge will combine the selected views. The automatic layout superimposes images based on similar patterns.
Refine with masks
The base image in Photoshop’s layer stack should be at the bottom. If this is not the case, move it to the bottom of the stack. Then, each layer above is associated with a mask filled with black to hide its visibility (Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All). All that remains is to paint each mask with a white brush to reveal what you wish to add to the left of the image. Finally, crop the image so that its proportions are balanced.
Crop
The layer stack reveals white areas. Crop eliminates them while integrating the added parts into the master image.
Discover the photography courses at Spéos
Spéos offers various training courses ranging from simple one-week photography workshops (initiation and advanced level) to 3-year courses. The long courses to become professional photographers allow you not only to master all the photographic techniques and its vocabulary (blurs, hyperfocus, sharpness zone, depth of field, backlighting, focal length, shutter release, autofocus, wide-angle, rule of thirds, etc.), but also all the stages of shooting and image processing.
Visiting the school allows you to discover the premises, the studios and the equipment, and is undoubtedly the best way to familiarize yourself with your future way of working. This is why, in addition to the open days, Spéos offers throughout the year personalized visits by appointment to come and discover the school with a member of the team.
Text and photos: Philippe Bachelier, teacher of Printing techniques at Spéos
