Group Composition

[Boca Life Photography]

I have been struggling for a week trying to get a descent group photo. Any advice?

[Boca Life Photography]

Don't cringe - I stopped working on this one.

[Boca Life Photography]

Here's another one I gave up on. 

[Damien Symonds]

Gee, what happened?  Why are they all chopped off?

[Boca Life Photography]

I'm doing a terrible job merging!

[Damien Symonds]

No, I mean the original photos.  Did you not have enough room to step back a bit?

[Boca Life Photography]

No, it was a tight space full of parents and kids!

[Damien Symonds]

Well, either of the versions you posted could work, but why are you working with hard-edged brushes?  That's catastrophic.

[Boca Life Photography]

I lower the opacity but it still doesn't look right to me. Teach me o master!

[Damien Symonds]

No, not the opacity, the hardness!!!!!  Brush hardness must always be at 0, always.

[Boca Life Photography]

OK, I will be sure to check it from now on.

[Damien Symonds]

It will change your situation from "Blending these photos is impossible!!!!!" to possible.

[Boca Life Photography]

Here is my best attempt. 

[Damien Symonds]

You'll need to apply some cooling filter to the angry warm parts of the face at the top left, won't you?

[Boca Life Photography]

Yes. Anything else?

[Christina Keddie]

You've also made that top left head markedly smaller in relation to her body, right?  I don't know the child in question, but it looks off just on its own, and that head is much larger in the other photos in this thread. 

[Boca Life Photography]

You are right. I need to re-do it. 

 

Thank you!

[Christina Keddie]

Just now, Boca Life Photography said:

You are right. I need to re-do it. 

 

Thank you!

By "redo it," you mean go to that layer and transform it, right?  Because you still have everything as smart objects and separate layers?

[Boca Life Photography]

Yes! It was a quick and easy fix.