Skills for Creating Composite Imagery

“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.” ~ Carl Sagan

Before I ever explored AI or digital art, I started with photography composites. It’s where I learned to blend imagination with technical skill—to take ordinary photos and turn them into visual stories. While my creative direction has evolved, those foundational skills still influence everything I create today. In this post, I’m sharing 6 practical tips for creating composite imagery that is creatively fulfilling.

Creative freedom!

Creative freedom is one of the benefits of composite imagery. Combining elements from old photos that will normally not see the light of day, finding a stock photo of a magical location, putting your subject in a location you could never travel to, or even creating places or creatures that don’t exist, is possible with composite photography. Creating composite images can be a slow journey at first. When you start to experiment, you will realise the amount of attention this process needs to make the image successful, like anything you have to play and practice, practice.

Have you wanted to try creating composite images? But not sure where/how to start? If you are wanting to learn the BASIC PHOTOSHOP SKILLS have a look at my Composites Basics Bundle Tutorials where I demonstrate the main skills to start the Composite Journey - Selections, Masking, Cutting Out, Colour Matching Elements, Blending elements and adding Light and Shadows.

Here are 3 KEY TIPS to get you started for your first or next composite image, remember to have fun on the journey.

It starts with an idea

In composite imagery, having a concept is a start, and you are only limited by what your mind can think of. The hardest thing will be managing what you have in your head and translating it to an image and your skillset in Photoshop (or other programs that you can create composites with). “Imagination vs Skillset” is the biggest hurdle when creating composites.

The easiest way to do this is to separate your vision into a few categories:

• the background

• the subject

• the extras

• the atmosphere

The most important things to think about before you start are the subject and the background.

Most of the time I choose my background firs, other times I will have an element in mind I want to use, so I have to find the right background to use.

Choose Elements That Actually Work Together

Picking elements for a composite isn’t just about grabbing your favourite photos. It’s about making sure they play nicely together—technically and visually.

Size and Resolution Matter

Start with a background that’s large enough to zoom in and work on the details without it going blurry or pixelated. The same goes for your subject—if you need to scale them up to fit the scene, make sure the quality holds up, especially if you’re planning to print the final image.

Match the Perspective

This one’s often overlooked! If your scene is meant to look like you’re peeking down into a tiny world, your subject should be photographed from above too. Same angle = believable composite. Think about where the camera was positioned for each image. A mismatch in perspective can throw the whole scene off.

Be Aware of the Light

Lighting is a giveaway in composites. If one element is lit from the left and another from the right, your brain picks it up—even if you don’t notice it at first.
In the beginning, I didn’t even think about lighting direction. I just picked elements I liked. They looked great on their own… but together? Not so much. It’s something I’ve definitely learnt the hard way!

When in doubt, keep an eye on shadows, highlights, and the overall mood. You can always tweak light in Photoshop, but the more consistent your source images are, the easier it’ll be to blend them.

Start Simple and Build Your Skills

You don’t have to create a masterpiece on your first try. In fact, the best way to learn composite imagery is to start with something simple and let your skills grow from there.

One of my early composites was a lavender field at sunrise—a beautiful scene I photographed myself. I only added two extra elements, but blending them and working on the color grading taught me so much. It was just the right level of challenge to stretch my Photoshop skills without overwhelming me.

The more you experiment and play, the more confident you’ll get. Each edit builds your toolkit—selection techniques, blending tricks, color adjustments—all the bits that help bring your ideas to life.

Eventually, something clicks: you’re no longer limited by what you can’t do. Instead, your imagination leads the way—and your skills are there to back it up.