Saturday, May 27, 2006

Microsoft GroupShot create a composite image



Microsoft GroupShot enables you to combine multiple photos of the same scene and create a composite image, that eliminates or exchanges parts of the original photos with parts of a nearly identical shot from the same sequence. A good example for the use of this software is to exchange facial expressions in a group shot. For example a person may have his eyes closed in an otherwise perfect photo, but has them open in another (not so perfect) shot. Microsoft GroupShot enables you to easily transfer the person`s face from shot B to shot A while maintaining all other details of the image. The program automatically stitches and aligns the detail and attempts to create a perfect composite of the two (or more images). If you have a series of shots of an identical group, taken within a short period of time, you can successfully interchange facial expressions across multiple images and have a final blend with all perfect smiles. You can also use the software to remove unwanted elements from any image (not just group shots), as long as you have an almost identical shot that does not contain the element to be removed (e.g a pedestrian walking through the scene). It takes a little while to understand the concept, but once you do, GroupShot is remarkably easy to use. The most important criteria for a successful composite is that you have at least 2 images, that are almost identical, taken from the same angle and in the same light. Provided you have a compatible series of shots, the results can be quite amazing!

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