22 DIGITAL CAMERA^ SEPTEMBER 2019 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
ver wondered what you’d
look like if you had a cat head
instead of your own? Thanks
to software programs like
Photoshop, now you can!
Photoshop is an excellent tool for creating
surreal and funny images, and if you’re not
keen on cats this can be done with any animal.
The trick for shooting both of your starting
images is to take them under the same
lighting, and shoot against a plain background
to make the cutting-out part easier. I set both
my starting shots up against a grey backdrop,
and lit myself and the cat using one external
flashgun that was bounced from the ceiling.
If you bounce the light rather than firing it
directly, you get a more even and flattering
light, which is easier to work with.E
Swap heads!
Make a surreal and fun
image of yourself and
your pet using a few
tricks in Photoshop4 | PHOTOSHOP1
Open ’em up
Start by opening your
cat headshot. Using
the Clone Tool (press Alt and click
to select the source point, then
paint), remove the top part of the
head, making the background
plain. Just go down as far as the
nose and as the head is being
covered up – it does not have to
be precise. Next import (drag and
drop in) the cat image into your
main portrait image.2
Select head
Using the Quick
Selection Tool, make a
rough selection around the cat’s
head as best you can. After your
initial selection, go to Select And
Mask in the top bar and use the
mask and brush to tidy up your
selection. Once happy, click
Output To Layer Mask on the
dropdown menu (right hand side).
Position the head in place using
the Move Tool, and tidy up any
edges using the Brush Tool (white
brush to bring back, black to
remove) until you’re happy.3
Position head
Go to the Move Tool and,
holding Alt, drag the cat
layer head to duplicate it. Position
the new head where the shadow
behind the model sits and reduce
Opacity by around 15%. Get a dark
grey brush and paint over the head
to blend. If there is a strong line
where the body and head meet,
use the Clone Tool to fix.4
Add a tone
Finally, add a new layer
and put the whiskers
back using a small white Pencil
Tool. (Zoom in and make the
brush the width of a whisker.) To
soften the tips of the whiskers,
add a Layer Mask and, with a
50% Opacity black brush, paint
over the ends. Finally, if you want
to add a vintage tone, open it in
Lightroom where there are many
presets. Go to the Edit Tab’s Profile
drop-down menu and select your
desired option.