swapping heads

Did a portrait of three kids today. I have a base photo with two of them looking good, but the third is a mess So I need to grab a head from another shot and replace.

Whats the best way to do that is cs4?

Thanks!

Open both images at the same time. Select the head in the image that you want to use. I like to select with the quick selection tool and refine with the quick mask tool. Select the pointer tool and click on the selected head. Drag it onto the image where you want to use it. Use edit transform to scale and rotate it as needed. It will be on it's own layer. You may want to use Layer/Matting/Defringe​. You may also have to adjust the swapped head for color.

Lasoo the good head, feather 5-20 pixels, copy to other image, convert to smart layer, transform. Use adjustment layers if you need to match color of brightness, just alt click between the new head layer and the adjustment layer to make the adjustment only apply to the head layer.

I can do a head or eye swap on similar images in about 1 minute using this method.

I did a group shoot where in one image some people were smiling and some were not and in another others were smiling. I took a few shots and between them I had a smiling face on every person. While shooting, neither they nor I moved. The only thing that changed was the facial expressions.

I put each image in it's own layer, dropped the opacity to see through them and lined up the heads. I then created a layer mask and erased the non smiling faces leaving the smiling faces. The end result was a group shot with everyone smiling.

If the exposure or white balance is off between the photos it won't look right and would require additional PP to make things match.

Thanks for the input. Will be working on it in the next few days. I might post the results.

Just cut the head out roughly. Then use layer mask taking away the stuff you don't want with a black brush. Then if you make a mistake you can swap to a white brush to bring the image back. Better than being stuck with what you've got by using quick select/quick mask combo.



BTW I've swapped heads etc. heaps of times. People don't notice if you don't tell them (assuming you get the lighting right).

Stealthy Ninja wrote in post #9156141
Just cut the head out roughly. Then use layer mask taking away the stuff you don't want with a black brush. Then if you make a mistake you can swap to a white brush to bring the image back. Better than being stuck with what you've got by using quick select/quick mask combo.



BTW I've swapped heads etc. heaps of times. People don't notice if you don't tell them (assuming you get the lighting right).

This sounds good. Maybe I am working too hard. I often cut away backgrounds and am in the habit of getting my selection right...

Hard works is for suckers and the would be rich.

Headswaps as explained on Shootsmarter.com

Awesome. Thanks!

Yeah when making those action shots where a bunch are merged into one, i put one photo on a new layer at a time, and erase everything around the subject, and the background sticks from the first image, as well as the subject in the first image, hopefully at a diferent place. but in your scenario, i would open both pics, and clone stamp the face starting at say, the pupil of one eye, and clone until you get to the edges