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04/02/2005 07:12:55 PM · #1 |
I have seen some amazing editing by the members of this site, including lifting something from a photo to be placed in a new image.
Can someone point me at a detailed tutorial on how this is done? I use The GIMP, but I can translate from PS if necessary.
Specifically, I have a flower that I want to lift from a photo to use in a webpage.
Thanks for any tips you might have.
Ron |
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04/02/2005 07:15:51 PM · #2 |
Use a selection tool to select the flower. Feather the selection. Copy the selection with cntrl-c. Open a new document with a transparent background. Paste the selection into the new document, Use whatevber means the GIMP provides to export this as an image with transparency.
Robt.
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04/02/2005 07:16:40 PM · #3 |
| I don't know about specific tutorials, but for isolating a single element the magnetic lasso tool in photoshop is generally a simple way to do it. Once the element is selected, you can copy, paste, etc. |
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04/02/2005 07:22:24 PM · #4 |
Originally posted by bear_music:
Use a selection tool to select the flower. Feather the selection. Copy the selection with cntrl-c. Open a new document with a transparent background. Paste the selection into the new document, Use whatevber means the GIMP provides to export this as an image with transparency.
Robt. |
Yes, of course :-)
But how do you guys get the selection so tight around the object? I can never get the threshold set so that only the object is selected. I am guessing I just need to learn the various selection tools a little better, but it seems to me it will often end up being that I just have to zoom way in and carefully outline the object pixel by pixel -- if that's the way it has to be, fine. But if you guys have tricks ;)
Ron |
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04/02/2005 07:25:48 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by itripn:
Originally posted by bear_music:
Use a selection tool to select the flower. Feather the selection. Copy the selection with cntrl-c. Open a new document with a transparent background. Paste the selection into the new document, Use whatevber means the GIMP provides to export this as an image with transparency.
Robt. |
Yes, of course :-)
But how do you guys get the selection so tight around the object? I can never get the threshold set so that only the object is selected. I am guessing I just need to learn the various selection tools a little better, but it seems to me it will often end up being that I just have to zoom way in and carefully outline the object pixel by pixel -- if that's the way it has to be, fine. But if you guys have tricks ;)
Ron |
It's difficult to set a threshold that will make the magnetic lasso work for every boundary on your element, but once you make an initial selection you can go back and fine tune. Holding down shift or alt will allow you to add or subtract from a selection using any of the selection tools. |
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04/02/2005 07:45:36 PM · #6 |
I use the magic wand to select most of the flower, which is usually self-contained and a different color. Then I use the oval amrquee at high magnification to trim out the edges mostly, sometimes in combonation with magnetic lasso.
Robt.
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04/02/2005 09:56:54 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by kearock:
Originally posted by itripn:
Originally posted by bear_music:
Use a selection tool to select the flower. Feather the selection. Copy the selection with cntrl-c. Open a new document with a transparent background. Paste the selection into the new document, Use whatevber means the GIMP provides to export this as an image with transparency.
Robt. |
Yes, of course :-)
But how do you guys get the selection so tight around the object? I can never get the threshold set so that only the object is selected. I am guessing I just need to learn the various selection tools a little better, but it seems to me it will often end up being that I just have to zoom way in and carefully outline the object pixel by pixel -- if that's the way it has to be, fine. But if you guys have tricks ;)
Ron |
It's difficult to set a threshold that will make the magnetic lasso work for every boundary on your element, but once you make an initial selection you can go back and fine tune. Holding down shift or alt will allow you to add or subtract from a selection using any of the selection tools. |
This is much easier to do with a mask/alpha channel than with the selection tools only. Once you have the rough selection, save it to a new channel. Make the channel visible and the active channel -- you can then use any painting/drawing tools to paint the mask right up to the desired object. If you use a soft-edged paintbrush, the selection will automatically feathered.
When you have the mask where you want it, activate the RGB channel and load the selection, and proceed with the copy/paste steps.
Message edited by author 2005-04-02 21:57:54. |
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04/02/2005 10:23:12 PM · #8 |
Here is one sample of what you are trying to do Gimp LAyers
Some more gimp Links
//www.novell.com/coolsolutions/feature/11583.html
//docs.gimp.org/en/
//www.gimp.org/tutorials/
//gug.sunsite.dk/?page=tutorials
//www.ufocomes.de/files/basegien.html
//gimp-savvy.com/BOOK/index.html
//www.gilesorr.com/papers/gimp-tutorial/gimp.html#AEN241
Another link of gimp links
I know this was not 100% the answer but lots of good information here for Gimp users |
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04/03/2005 03:53:46 AM · #9 |
I have not tried the alpha channel bit...but plan to soon as it looks to be a better way.
One thing you can do - once you have teh selection made, set teh edge to feather 3 pixels (or whatever, 3 is common choice) you can in PS anyway, 'shrink' the selection by X pixels - i have done this on occassion to help remove any leftover background, particularly if the BG is going to contrast with the new BG.
Some pics are easier to cut out than others - if you plan ahead then it is easy - shoot the item on a white or black, or blue or green (those 2 are called chromakey) and then you can use the magic wand, and presto chango.
 
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04/03/2005 04:13:03 AM · #10 |
| Photoshop has an "extract" tool for this. Not sure if gimp has one. |
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11/17/2005 12:44:02 AM · #11 |
But how do you do this with hair/fur!! Been trying to look at the Russell Brown video/tutorial but it's huge and am on dial up. I've found a tutorial by Colin Smith herebut am still not getting clean sharp edges on the fur.
Any more handy tips/tutorials or do I just need to keep trying
thanks
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11/17/2005 12:52:31 AM · #12 |
the image I've been working on for the last forever! I keep getting green edges round the top of her head and on both side in the fur. Not clean edges. I need help.........
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11/17/2005 01:02:02 AM · #13 |
Originally posted by suemack:
the image I've been working on for the last forever! I keep getting green edges round the top of her head and on both side in the fur. Not clean edges. I need help......... |
//studio.adobe.com/us/tips/tip.jsp?p=1&id=100674&xml=phs8kbhairmask
//studio.adobe.com/us/tips/tip.jsp?p=1&id=100675&xml=phs8kbmaskplay
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11/17/2005 01:04:38 AM · #14 |
I lifted my backgrounds here.
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11/17/2005 01:08:07 AM · #15 |
Originally posted by Rikki:
I lifted my backgrounds here.
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How Rikki, I'm using ps7
Thanks Welland, am having a look at those now :))
Message edited by author 2005-11-17 01:08:49.
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11/17/2005 01:13:19 AM · #16 |
For these cat photos, I usually use curves and levels in PS7. When I took the shots, I metered their noses, overexposed it by +1 stop, then recomposed and shot the image.
I usually shoot RAW to begin with when taking portraits like these. It just allows me the flexibility of using "in-camera" manipulation without really doing any major "damage" to the image.
I've never tried Faidoi's tutorial from Adobe but I'll give it a shot. |
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11/17/2005 01:24:45 AM · #17 |
Yeah but extracting her from the grass is proving very difficult. In all 3 channels there are loads of similarities in the b/g and her fur, or her ears are too dark
Used the green and blue channels, red was more contrast in the lower fur areas but completely lost the ears.
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02/08/2006 03:16:57 PM · #18 |
Hi suemack! This sort of problem drives me nuts too. Both Russell Brown's tutorial & the ones listed above give tips for how to deal with the situation when different areas of the image are better for different channels.
What I found particularly useful though was the second link above. I never got the perfectly clean results I wanted using Russell Brown's technique, and it was wonderful to discover that Deke McClelland (of the Adobe links above) also didn't get picture-perfect results. However, the 2nd link describes how to use less-than-perfect edges & blend them into the background so that they look ideal.
I can't wait to try it! |
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