| Author | Thread |
|
|
12/18/2006 07:38:00 AM · #1 |
I need to do some editing on the photo below (light on white entry) I am going to be using it in a show at my local photography center. However, when printed it's a little grey - the background is a white wall but obviously the camera is reading it as grey. I have tried to edit this using levels, a layer mask etc but somehow I just don't seem to be able to make the backgound whiter without ruining the flower itself.
I know the desired look can be achieved, I just need some tips and hints to point me in the right direction. I do only have PS Elements 4 for the Mac, although I do have access to PS CS2 at the photography center. I'd prefer to do the editing in Elements, since this is the software I have immediate access to.
So, I'd be grateful of any ideas from the gurus out there.
Message edited by author 2006-12-18 07:38:26. |
|
|
|
12/18/2006 08:45:47 AM · #2 |
I'm sure there are better ways to do this, but I would use the magic wand tool with a low setting and then clean up the edges with a magnetic lasso tool. It will take a LOT of time since the magic wand will capture parts of the flower with it. Once you have the clipping path where you want it, SAVE the selection in case you want to isolate it again. Then I would delete the background white and put it over a filled white layer and add drop shadow where you want it.
Edited to add. Personally I like it the way it is, the grey tones help define the shape of the flowers petals. If its printing to grey, you might want to check the color calibration matches that on the printer.
Message edited by author 2006-12-18 08:48:38.
|
|
|
|
12/18/2006 08:48:27 AM · #3 |
Working in PS Elements 2 so the tools should be similar.
I opened the "info" palette and chose the color picker tool to take a look at the background colors. It prints grey because it is grey.
To see what it would look like as white I made a selection of the background and while the selection was active created a Hue/Saturation layer. On the Hue/Sat layer set the lightness slider to 100% (on Master) to turn all background pixels white.
This is what the background looks like in pure white:
|
|
|
|
12/18/2006 08:50:34 AM · #4 |
Originally posted by Tlemetry:
I'm sure there are better ways to do this, but I would use the magic wand tool with a low setting and then clean up the edges with a magnetic lasso tool. It will take a LOT of time since the magic wand will capture parts of the flower with it. Once you have the clipping path where you want it, SAVE the selection in case you want to isolate it again. Then I would delete the background white and put it over a filled white layer and add drop shadow where you want it.
Edited to add. Personally I like it the way it is, the grey tones help define the shape of the flowers petals. If its printing to grey, you might want to check the color calibration matches that on the printer. |
Actually, I used the magic wand set to a tolerance of 3 to select the background...very quick. Then choose the masking brush and clean up the flower parts that merged.
I agree the grey tones may be necessary to define the shape of the flower best. |
|
|
|
12/18/2006 09:36:58 AM · #5 |
Playing around a bit more...
Here I faded the original Hue/Sat layer to about 30%.
I created another Hue/Sat layer and increased lightness +47 as can be seen in the open dialogue box. I used a soft black brush set to about 20% opacity to "paint back" some of the flower on that layer.
You can also see the info box open...this is where you can see the RGB makeup of whatever the color picker passes over (white should be 255, 255, 255 and black would be 0, 0, 0) |
|
|
|
12/18/2006 09:52:18 AM · #6 |
| i tried playing with it. the problem is that the ends of the petals are so similar to the background that anything in terms of brightness or color messes up the whole shot. |
|
|
|
12/18/2006 10:48:13 AM · #7 |
Thank you all for your suggestions - this is very, very much appreciated.
I will have a "play" with it when I get home from work this evening.
Again, I do thank you all. |
|
|
|
12/18/2006 11:48:10 AM · #8 |
Here's my shot at it. Select most of BG with magic wand, tolerance 3, use oval marquee tool to fine tune local areas, levels on BG and flower separately, hue/sat in yellow range for center of flower:
The goal here was a more ethereal delicacy than any of the other versions have shown.
R.
Message edited by author 2006-12-18 11:50:12.
|
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 09/13/2025 12:09:49 PM EDT.
