We often get requests for putting someone's head on someone else's body. That's a popular one. And, this time of year, people are looking for clever ideas for greeting cards or gag gifts. So, I thought it would be fun to write this quick tutorial -- and at the same time do a gag picture for my daughter and new son-in-law. So we'll get two birds with one stone.
I started with this lovable photo of the typical department store Santa with the kids on his knee. I'm sure many of you have been in photos just like this -- I know I have. But don't ask me where this came from... I have no idea where, or who these people are. However, the photo has sufficient resolution, and all the charm I need for the little gag. Besides, the faces will be gone in a minute.
Once finding the shots I'll be using for the "new faces" I simply use the Lasso Tool to rough out the heads, and drag them into the work photo file. Once selected, just tap "V" and drag them into the work file. They'll arrive, each on their own individual layer.
Notice, I've left some of the original picture around each photo. For now, I just want to check to make sure they'll work out in this setting. At this point I'll select and use the Transform (Cmd/T or Ctrl/T) and with the shift key, scale the images until they are about the right size for the picture. You'll find photo gags like this a big funnier if the heads are a little larger than one might expect.
Once sized up, return to the Lasso Tool (Tap "L") and begin trimming away the excess background from the new faces. Notice that I will leave a sliver of the background.
n this kind of assembly, you can save yourself some time and trouble -- with a uniform sliver -- by selecting the image (Cmd/**** or ctrl/**** the layer thumbnail to select it) then choose: Select > Feather and set the feathering to one pixel, then Select > Inverse (to select all the background) and simply Delete. The sliver will get thinner. Delete again, and thinner yet. It took me three deletes to get a nice smooth edge with no background. You could use the Defringe command, but it's far too coarse for me.
Wooops! Too much...
