A "new approach" to collages --- doing it the old way!

September 30th, 2015
I love collages, and like to use software which allows free expression, not tied to rules, pre-set templates or other limitations, and this was just what I needed to make this rather mundane shot look a little more interesting, with a border "zooming in" on memories of the past. This may not look like a collage, but it was hand-crafted using the collage tools in Google's Picasa -- the closest match to the way we used to do it in pre-digital times with scissors, paste, paint and brushes, placing images and text of varying shapes and sizes anywhere we liked on the page, individually cropped, resized and processed without affecting other elements on the page.



The border was created from an enlarged copy of the main image, partially desaturated and softened, with "focal zoom" and vignette applied, and sent to the background. It's as simple as that, but is only one of a vast number of options limited only by the imagination because all you need with this software is to think of a design and just do it! It really is that easy ... and is totally forgiving if you make a mistake or decide to modify the image at any stage, before or after posting!

Has anybody else any other useful tips or examples of hand-crafted designs produced "outside the box", avoiding the limitations of pre-set templates?
September 30th, 2015
@jannatul18 .. No problem if you are using Picasa. Just open your 50 fiies, click create and select Picture Collage, then choose between "Picture pile" if you want to format by hand to your own design, or one of the offered templates if you prefer.

I believe most other collage software packages also offer templates in various designs.
September 30th, 2015
Love this idea!
September 30th, 2015
Thanks for this info Arthur I'm not a great fan of collages but this opens up a whole new way of processing them and I love it!
September 30th, 2015
Super job Arthur!
September 30th, 2015
Fantastic collage! It's so interesting to look at and has a wonderfully nostalgic feel to it without being sad (as in I miss the old days).
September 30th, 2015
Thanks for this post. I love your collage!
October 1st, 2015
Very nice collage, I use Picasa as well but haven't made a collage. Might try it next time!
October 1st, 2015
Thanks!!
October 1st, 2015
So, is the center a collage? Because my Picasa won't collage that way.
October 1st, 2015
@homeschoolmom

Thank you for the question, Lisa.

Here's a screenshot of the Picasa editing screen 'in progress' during the making of this collage:




The centre image was the original straight from the camera and I made a slightly larger copy which was set to the background and became the border when the centre was overlaid on it.

I uploaded both files and clicked create and Picture Collage (highlighted here in red) and selected Picture Pile as described in my reply to Jannatul Ferdous. Good Luck, and perhaps you will show us the result of your next attempt.

(I am using Picasa 3, which have had for many years now and used first on WindowsXP, then 8.1 and now on 10.)

October 1st, 2015
Thank you Arthur, I should give this a try the next time, using picasa a lot myself and its great for doing a collage.( Hope you don't mind me using your thread Arthur for answering Jannatul)
@jannatul18 I did a collage on picasa a little while ago of all my favs over the last years using 728 photos http://365project.org/khirsch/365/2015-09-10
October 2nd, 2015
MALICIOUS FILE WARNING

Thanks everyone for joining in this discussion. Anyone thinking about trying Picasa for the first time should note that the Windows 10 version offered on the web D0ES N0T EXIST and attempting to download it may harm your computer, but the earlier versions are safe for use on Windows XP, 7, 8.1 and 10.

@jannatul18 @linnypinny @thistle @nanderson @olivetreeann @dmcoile @radiogirl @darylo @homeschoolmom @khirsch
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