There is not really a specific message I was hoping to convey through this composition. I just wanted to add things that looked nice in my head, and I knew from the start that I wanted to combine color photos with older black and white photos.
Since I combined color with black and white, I found the color curve adjustment layers very helpful to adjust the highlights and shadows of each individual component to look like they all belonged together. I also used the quick selection tool and the refine tool to make fine selections, especially on hair and clothing. For the sky and fire in the background, I used blend modes to only show the stars and fire/smoke.
I really enjoyed creating this and had a lot of fun with it. I love creating analog collages as well, so this was a good way for me to expand the medium of collage. I think that surreal and realistic compositions are fun to make, but I'd probably only make realistic compositions for practical reasons. I am more interested in creating surreal collages.
Related website
