I fail to integrate a layer into a background image (color tone, light, etc.). Help

[Toshop]

Hello to photoshop gurus, and glad to have registered here

I often meet an issue and i haven't managed to find a tutorial about it.
Regularly, i want to integrate an object from a picture, into a different image, and make the two "assorted".

Here's an example, i've put the image of a space station (quickly modified) from a movie, then put it on an Earth image. And we clearly feel and see that the space station was added to it, the color tone are different, the light, the contrast, etc.



How could i homogenize the two, make the space station (or any object, for example an apple taken from a picture of a grocery under sunlight, paste on a kitchen desk with different light source, etc.)?

I'm not asking to do the work instead of me, but real explanations and guidance on it

I've put the psd file in attachment. View attachment example.psd

Thanks guys!

 

[Toshop]

Re: I fail to integrate a layer into a background image (color tone, light, etc.). He

I could add that i've already tried playing with the blending options but the result was lackluster so i must do something wrong.

Thanks.

 

[hawkeye]

Re: I fail to integrate a layer into a background image (color tone, light, etc.). He

You answered your own question when you said; "...the color tone are different, the light, the contrast, etc."
All those things need to be altered to match with the background.

 

[Toshop]

Re: I fail to integrate a layer into a background image (color tone, light, etc.). He

but there aren't automated procedure to do it? like auto-tone? And how should i do it, find a "common ground" value between the parameters of the background image and the layer, or totally adapt the layer to the background image parameters?
And besides those parameters, is there any blending option (emboss ? shadows? etc), filter (blur? grain?) that could "integrate" the space station or any object, into a different image?

I'm a third of a newbie in toshop so some step by step guidance through examples would be very useful (if there isn't a tutorial on it, but i failed to find such), and could certainly help others than me.

Thanks again

 

[Toshop]

Re: I fail to integrate a layer into a background image (color tone, light, etc.). He

heck, even the light source is betraying the different origin of the pictures. The sun isn't lighting the Earth the same way that the space station.

 

[hawkeye]

Re: I fail to integrate a layer into a background image (color tone, light, etc.). He

There is simply no one size fits all description of what to do and how to do it for any given photo.

To start: For the color, you could try Match Color (Image-Adjustments-Color Match). For the lighting you could try Filter-Render Lighting Effects. But neither is guaranteed to work satisfactorily right out of the box. There are many other tools and ways to deal with the issues you outlined. Knowing all the tools, what they do and what will work best takes a lot of experience.

 

[Keebs]

Re: I fail to integrate a layer into a background image (color tone, light, etc.). He

You can sometimes cheat the eye by reducing contrast in both images until they match, merging them, and then increasing the contrast again. Wouldn't advise it as a goto solution though.

 

[IamSam]

Re: I fail to integrate a layer into a background image (color tone, light, etc.). He

Hi Toshop, I agree with what's been stated so far and as far as....

...heck, even the light source is betraying the different origin of the pictures. The sun isn't lighting the Earth the same way that the space station.

....just turn the station around and angle it!

Mind you, this still needs a lot of work!

I made a different selection of the station.
I added two Curves adjustment layers with inverted layer masks (and the Brush Tool) to boost the contrast.
A Hue & Sat adjustment layer to help the color.
The Blur tool to blend the edges better.
And a Lens flare, which it could probably live without!

 

[dv8_fx]

Re: I fail to integrate a layer into a background image (color tone, light, etc.). He

Here's a quick play I did on your psd. Sometimes you have to adjust the background image to create just the right mood and in order that you may be able to blend your additional objects in better,

But n this instance, you need have an object that will blend well with the existing background you have and would respond well to whatever edit you do in terms of lighting effects or color adjustments. In your ST inspired Station, there's just too much of a cyan hue in the mix and the sunlit areas are off. Try using the entire station and play around with the Vibrancy and lightness/darkness controls on the BG itself as well as the Station.

Based on the scenes's lighting, the sun would be at 11'oclock position thus the stations side facing away from the sun should be darker with the dome lit on top. This may require a bit of Burn tool work on the darkside and sunlit areas on top dome and station platforms.

Sam's object is better in terms of lighting but still needs a lot of work to get it right.

I'll give another go at your image later in the day....

 

[Toshop]

Re: I fail to integrate a layer into a background image (color tone, light, etc.). He

Well, i see that i have a dozen of tools as levers, it's a bit complicated, i thought it would simpler, especially for adjusting the contrast, tone, etc.

Also, it seems i don't have the filter > render > light options. Where are the "sunlit" possibilities in CS6?

Here's a first attempt at improving the picture. What i have done:

- one curves adjustment layers with inverted layer masks (and the Brush Tool) to boost the contrast, but didn't quite understood why i was doing this, why inversting it, same for selecting layer masks? And it seems i had to merge down visible to do it
- A Hue & Sat adjustment layer to help the color.
- The Blur tool to blend the edges better.
- Burn tool (midtones, exposure 75% is that right?) on the hidden face of the station
- Dodge tool (midones, exposure 50%) on the left side of the station.

 

[Toshop]

Re: I fail to integrate a layer into a background image (color tone, light, etc.). He

Here's a quick play I did on your psd. Sometimes you have to adjust the background image to create just the right mood and in order that you may be able to blend your additional objects in better,

But n this instance, you need have an object that will blend well with the existing background you have and would respond well to whatever edit you do in terms of lighting effects or color adjustments. In your ST inspired Station, there's just too much of a cyan hue in the mix and the sunlit areas are off. Try using the entire station and play around with the Vibrancy and lightness/darkness controls on the BG itself as well as the Station.

Based on the scenes's lighting, the sun would be at 11'oclock position thus the stations side facing away from the sun should be darker with the dome lit on top. This may require a bit of Burn tool work on the darkside and sunlit areas on top dome and station platforms.

Sam's object is better in terms of lighting but still needs a lot of work to get it right.

I'll give another go at your image later in the day....

View attachment 42513

Thanks for this, is it your final go at the image? Could you detail step by step what you have done for me to repeat it? Thanks.

 

[IamSam]

Re: I fail to integrate a layer into a background image (color tone, light, etc.). He

The main thing I did different from my previous version was to use a Hue & Sat adjustment layer to bleed of some of the blue. Also changed the position of the station.