Blend modes & color issues

[Jayell]

Here's one for you serious Photoshoppers. I know just enough to be dangerous.
I have these two photos.

photo-bookcover.jpg

I know how to get them together using a selection, then PASTE INTO. So far, so good.

picture-on-cover.jpg

What I want is to blend them such that the binding edges on the back show through. I know to flip through each of the blend modes to see which ones accomplish that the best.

book-cover-blended.jpg

But when I do that, I lose the original color. Every photo is different, due to colors, etc. I've gotten a couple that work great.
I've also tried using an adjustment layer .. but once the blend mode is applied, it pretty much screws up all the adjustments. The issue for me is getting the binding to show through, while maintaining the original color (or close to it). Is there another way to approach this?

Using PS-CS5

[Steve Grisetti]

I'd have suggested Blending Modes too. Although if Overlay doesn't work, the others probably won't.

Try making a copy of the book's cover and pasting it to a new layer, ABOVE the artwork, then use a Blending Mode on that layer (so that the cover is blending with the photo rather than the other way around).

[Helen]

Hi
I think you have to use a Displacement Map or the "Filter/Distort/Displace". I have not done this for quite awhile so I cannot remember the exact procedure. I done a quick google and came up with a couple of links not sure how good they are, but should you give a bit of a start.

http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-effects/texture-map/

http://www.photoshopcafe.com/tutorials/dispmap/dispmap.htm

There maybe another way, and later today when I use Photoshop I will have a quick look.

[Jayell]

I'd have suggested Blending Modes too. Although if Overlay doesn't work, the others probably won't.

Overlay actually works pretty well, when I desaturate the blue out of the book. I think that's what was causing most of the trouble.

Try making a copy of the book's cover and pasting it to a new layer, ABOVE the artwork, then use a Blending Mode on that layer (so that the cover is blending with the photo rather than the other way around).

This is interesting, Steve. Hadn't thought of this. It didn't solve the issue in this case, but it did provide a new set of blending combinations.Something to keep in mind for future projects.

I'm also taking a Lynda.com course in blending modes shortly. That should help

[Jayell]

I done a quick google and came up with a couple of links not sure how good they are, but should you give a bit of a start ..

Thanks for the ideas & links, Helen. Will look at these when I get a minute.

[momoffduty]

I was going to suggest starting with a white book, but my PS skills are trial by error. Just wanted to say thanks Jayell for posting the photos with your question. Please post more PS stuff like this as you learn. I could use the tips!

[Jayell]

Please post more PS stuff like this as you learn. I could use the tips!

Cheryl, I've taken many Lynda.com tutorials, but one source I love for (FREE!) tips is http://www.scrappersguide.com/category/tips_ps/. You can go back for pages. Each tip is just a 5 or 10 minute project, and you end up with a finished project and perhaps some new skills. I believe it was Munickster that first provided the link to them. I'm not into scrapbooking, but they've got the best resources for just learning photoshop skills!

My first 'blending' project from a Lynda.com tutorial on Creative Compositing turned out like this
I started with these photos).

photos.JPG

.. and with a few layer masks, adjustment layers, and a lot of playing, tweaking, moving, and fiddling, ended up with this:

j-d-blending.jpg

[momoffduty]

Thanks Jayell for the link, bookmarked! And wow, that blending project looks professional. Please post any other projects, love to see what you come up with.