A long time back (well, I think within the last year or so) something was mentioned on Caedes on this discussion board, a link to a programme I think it was. Can't remember what the programme is called or who posted the thread but I know it is used for sorta multiple things... hard to explain... the examples they used were pictures of people repeated about 10 times in each picture in different positions.

Thinking about it now it could have even been a link to a photoshop technique, but I'm pretty sure it was a programme. Anyone know anything of the sort?

Thank you =]

Gem xx

I recently posted a self portrait that sounds like what you're trying to achieve. (See 'Three Too Many' in my gallery).

It has to be planned ahead of time though and shot from a stationary position, ie. a tripod (preferably using a cable release or a very light touch on the trigger). All the frames must be exactly the same POV as all the others and exposed as alike as possible (use Manual Focus at the beginning & don't touch focusing after that - Auto Focus will change from shot to shot and spoil the whole project). After shooting, load the files into Photoshop and using one frame as the base or background shot, drag all the the other frames on top of it. In the Layers palette, from the top down, click the eye to the left of each layer to make each one transparent, until you have only the background frame and one fully visible layer. Drag the Opacity slider for the layer above the background frame to about 50% and zoom in on a particular feature that's now visible in both layers. Using the Move tool, drag the 50% layer so that it exactly aligns with the same feature below it (I usually zoom to the pixel level just to make sure it's exact). Turn the Opacity slider back to 100% and click the eye to make that frame transparent. Go up to the next layer and do the same alignment procedure using the same feature (you could shortcut this step by just aligning all the corners, but I don't trust it - any bit of camera movement will change the POV and you can always crop the edges, so it's better to align from the center out). When all the frames are aligned, start clicking different layers on and off to see if they add or detract from the composition you want. If you have a layer that just isn't working, it's best to drag it to the trashcan down in the lower right hand corner of the Layers palette. When you're done selecting your layers, it's a good idea to make sure that each one has the same apparent exposure as all the others - use Levels, Curves, etc. to adjust. Then click all the eyes 'on' in the Layers palette and starting at the top: Turn the Opacity slider down to about 50-60% and using the Erase tool, erase the part of the top layer covering up the figure below it (if they're close together you may want to use a harder edge on the Erase tool). Turn the Opacity back to 100% and finish any fine erasing you may have missed. When you're satisfied, merge that layer down and start again (lower opacity, erase, raise opacity, merge down). At the end, if your alignment at the beginning was accurate and your exposure adjustment was good for each layer, you should have a nice multiple portrait. The possibilities are endless.

I know this isn't the simple programme you were probably hoping for, but outside of multiple exposures in the camera (which will also require using a tripod & cable release), I don't know of another method to achieve what you want. You'll see it's really a very simple process once you've done it.

Good luck.

It might have been me who posted the links; can't really remember. One image was a guy in his house having a conversation with himself, playing a boardgame, etc.

You can do the similar thing if you had a flash or flashlight. Go out at night/in a dark place + long shutter speed (however long you need to run around) + shine the light around ... and of course, you can shine it at yourself while you hop from spot to spot. It doesnt look the same, but you get the idea.

Or if you had a flash (or a strobelight; which btw, i really want to buy right now) that repeated, you could do one of those stroboscopic effect things.

But I think you're thinking of the take multiple photos + photoshop it version.

I also recall Geri mentioning a similar method to achieve the opposite effect, ie remove people/objects from an image; basically if you were at a crowded tourist site (the colosseum, for example) you would take several photos from a tripod mounted camera as people/vehicles etc move around in front of you; then later if you took enough shots you should be able to clone out the obstructions using bits from the other photos you took when they had moved on.

Removing an object or a person from an image will soon to be automated to a high degree. A new picture editing program using a process called "seam carving" is due to be released soon, possibly as a Photoshop plug-in. You can see a video of the program at work here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIFCV2spKtg

The footage relevant to people or object removal is at about 3m 45s

There's another photo editing program soon to be released that can replace area's within a picture with different content, but make it look entirely natural. You simply outline the area you want replaced and the program searches the Internet for an appropriate patch that's of the same context as what you're replacing and blends it in. It may even find multiple choices to pick from. The name of the program escapes me for the moment, but it should be available soon.

The downside of course is - once someone changes a picture of yours with these methods, is it still yours? After all, the original content that you created is not longer completely there.

I think i linked to ... like a long time ago ... a program that does that automatically (and reduced noise). Forgot the name.

..oh yeah, photoacute. Of course, that was then, and this is now...and even then it wasnt a great program. But anyways...

Ah, thank you for explaining it for me.

I knew there was definitely a way to do it without having to cut and paste around people as that sounded very tedious and not particularly accurate!

Thank you to all that have replied, and I think I shall take a look at this mention of a program that removes people.

Thanks again!

Gem xx