Monochrome Triptychs
This idea can be used in several ways such as greetings cards and competition photographs.
The necessary use of three images means that you will need to have taken 3 similar photographs. In turn this means that when out photographing you must consider images in threes and not just single frames. Additionally you will have to think about how the image will look when made monochrome. For this you have to learn what makes a good black and white image. Essentially this is to think in terms of the shapes within the viewfinder frame and to think of the variations in tones. To assist in this try looking through a Red Filter.
The technique involves placing three images on a Background using the Paste Into idea into a Template that has three black patches arranged tastefully. Some of these can be downloaded or make your own.
1. First get your 3 images opened and convert them to monochrome. The easy way is to use Ctrl+U to bring up the Hue & Saturation box. Drag the Saturation slider right across the left [-100].
2. Generally the image needs more work. Use a Levels Adjustment Layer to boost the contrast by dragging in the end sliders but not too far. Flatten image.
3. Open a Template.
To make a Template open a New page of say 3500 x 2500 pixels and 200 px/in. View > Grid. Change the Grid to suit by Edit > Preferences > Grid. Change the Grid Line Every to 33.3 Percent with 10 Sub divisions.
Use the Rectangular Marquee to make an outline on the left third. Edit > Fill Black. Try using the Freehand Lasso for a different effect or even Paint directly with Black using the Rough Round Bristle brush tool. Save it.
4. With the Magic Wand set to the default 32 tolerance and click on one of the patches. This will select the whole patch.
5. Now choose you image from the 3. Press Ctrl+A to select all the image. Go to Edit > Copy.
6. Back to the Template. Now for full Photoshop click on Edit > Paste Into to put the image into the patch. For Elements duplicate the Background from Layer > Duplicate Layer and Edit > Paste Into to put the image into the patch.
7. Adjust the size using Free Transform [use Ctrl+T] to show the part of the image you wish to display.
8 Click on the Background Layer.
9. Repeat steps 4 to 7 for each of the other two images.
10. For full Photoshop CS range Highlight the three image layers by holding down the Alt key. Then click the link icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette.
11. Click on the Layer menu and click on Merge Linked.
12. For Elements select the Background Layer and using the Magic Wand click on the white border. Inverse
the selection.
13. To put a line around each image go to Edit > Stroke. Set this box to Black; Inside; 6 pixels. Click OK.
14. To finish off try getting a split tone result. One way to do this was written in Two Tone Pictures [qv]. Another way to try is to go to Enhance > Adjust Colour > Colour Variations. Now tick the Highlight spot; move the Adjust Colour Intensity slider down one notch. Making the highlights redder click on the Increase Red once and then on the Decrease Green [i.e. Increase Magenta].
15. Now click on the Shadows spot; move the Adjust Colour Intensity slider up one notch from the mid point. To make the dark parts bluer click on the Increase Blue once and Decrease Red once.
16. Click OK. Check the result. It may not be right straight off. To increase the colour just repeat 13 and 14.
17. A Drop Shadow can be added from the Layer Styles tab in the menu bar. To do this in Elements it is necessary to remove the white area around the 3 images. Select these. Inverse and press Ctrl + X to cut. There should now be showing the chequerboard around the images on the Layer Palette image of the top layer. The Drop Shadow will now show up against the white of the template layer.
18. You can also add a fill. Select the bottom layer. Go to Edit > Fill > Pattern. From the Customs Patterns menu choose a monochrome type. There are lots more found from clicking the triangle. Try Artists Surfaces. Make the Opacity about 20%.
19. Done.
