A while back, I decided to go into GIMP and create an image of me and my sons, but to overlap our faces, and merge them at the eyes, nose, and mouth. It’s a simple trick, really:
- Bring in each photo as layers, preferably where each photo was taken at the same distance and position from the camera, though it’s not entirely necessary.
- Resize your GIMP canvas so that each of the faces will fit, so essentially doubling the original image size.
- Drag horizontal alignment lines from the rulers so that they line up with the original photo’s eyes, nose, and mouth. Drag vertical alignment guidelines out from the rulers to align with the eyes and nose.
- Resize the side image layers so that the eyes, nose, and mouth line up with the alignment guidelines.
- Move the side images so that they overlap with the eyes.
- Create layer masks for each of the side images.
- Apply a gradient to each layer mask so that it reveals the faces to the right and left, but hides the overlapping portion of the faces over the central face.
- Export the image and save the XCF.
I loved this image. I really liked how it captured all of us, and showed our connectivity. For Father’s Day this year, I had them hop in front of the camera again, so that I could recreate the image. I might make it a yearly thing. Here’s the 2020 image:
John LeMasney to defend Android vs. iOS tonight at Princeton Public Library
