A challenging composite

One of my digital composites that I'm most proud of is this 18th century carriage combined with a night background of Lindau Island in the southern part of Germany. I photographed the carriage in the National Carriage Museum in Lisbon, Portugal, and like all museums the background was less-than-ideal. Since the lighting in the museum was artificial, I had to use a background with similar light. That's why I chose a night scene. To cut this out, I used the pen tool to precisely go around the carriage, including inside the top of the rear wheel. Look closely at the carving detail on the top edge of the carriage. That's why I had to be so careful and pay attention to detail. I kept the stone floor from the museum, and that saved time and made the subtle shadows beneath the carriage real. Dealing with the glass windows was a challenge, but in the end I was very pleased with the result. The entire process took me about an hour and a half. When a photography tour is over . . . it's really not over because you can spend many days and weeks creatively working on the pictures you took. Photoshop opens so many artistic possibilities. It's a great time to be a photographer.