How To Create a Photo Montage

Step By Step Guide for Creating Your Own Photo Montage

The Initial Idea

For Mother’s Day, I wanted to create a unique gift for my wife this time. Something that I could make myself without it being too cheesy!

I came across the idea of making my own framed photo montage first after seeing a site called newphotoworks.com. Newphotoworks.com not only showcased examples of these great looking framed montages made from personal photos, but they were also offering people a chance to buy their training as a business (for almost $2,000).

Being familiar with Photoshop, I immediately heard in my head “I can do that on my own”!

Here are the steps I had taken that you can take as well:

1. Gather Photos

Since this was going to be a gift for my wife, I had to sneak around while grabbing pictures of my wife and of my daughters from the family photo albums. You can use as few as four and as many as ten to create a great finished piece.

2. Layout and Composition

This is where you begin to lay out the photos in a way where they can create a flow within the final image, even though they are multiple pics. Taking a lead from Newphotoworks.com, the number of photos determines the size of the finished piece. I chose to use seven photos total: three including one daughter, three including another, and one in the middle with the three of them together.

The montages look better the more horizontal the final piece is, so I chose a unique size to go with: 8 inches x 24 inches. Not a common frame size, but common enough to be carried in your local art/framing store.

Sketching layout ideas in a sketchbook is very helpful, as well as lining your photos up on your workspace. This helps to create a “roadmap” so that you will know where each pic should be placed.

The layout also calls for creating a background which looks best at about 50-60% opacity.
I included a few additional photos in that background; hidden among a nice image of flowers (the wife loves flowers!).

3. Scanning and photo placement

Once all the photos are chosen, simply scan them all into Photoshop. Using your cutting tools, cut the images from their original backgrounds and place on your workspace.

4. Trimming

This is the delicate, yet important part. Take the necessary time to trim up as many of the rough edges as possible. No need to rush here. If you’ve already been working on the project for a while, take a break and finish the next day. The more relaxed you are, the more you won’t mind taking your time in cleaning up the details.

5. Fine Tuning the Layout

Again, take your time in tweaking and adjusting the placement of your images so that they flow together and guide the eye like good composition should. Using your blending tool as well as your eraser (25% opacity or less) both help to soften any overlap and will help your multiple pics become one complete composition.

6. And Finally, Framing

Make sure the frame complements the final piece, especially if you chose to include a mat. A montage can sometimes be on the border of being busy, so neutral “easygoing” frames seem to work best.
My wife loved the final piece and I felt great giving her something that I made rather than something store bought this time. It’s also a great idea to consider doing for others to earn a little extra money.

Please share your comments, especially if you plan to try one yourself!

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