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12/05/2003 11:00:09 AM · #1 |
In response to another forum thread requesting techniques, etc. for the polishing of photographs with software, I'd just like to suggest that various SELECTION TOOLS are used vastly by me. The ability to select the sky, for instance, has helped many a photo of mine.
Explore your own selection tools and how they work. Here are a few that I use often:
THE LASSO (Normal DPC ILLEGAL): In PhotoShop, this comes in three styles: regular, lime, cherry. Just kidding; Regular, Magnetic, and Polygonal. I use them all (the Magnetic least of all). Remember that you can feather your selection--which becomes extremely important when selecting areas that are not so distinctly defined such as a bright area on a rock or on water you want to cool off a little.
THE MAGIC WAND (Normal DPC ILLEGAL): You can set the percentage for this tool, and using the space bar you can select more than one area at once. You can also adjust your selectio, such as expanding or contracting by x pixels, in the SELECTION menu. Remember that you can feather this as well.
SELECTIVE COLOR (Normal DPC LEGAL): (Photoshop 7--I'm not sure if it is available in other programs) This is normal DPC legal stuff, but I use this tool in almost every photograph I work on. You can select the major colors and add hues, white or black to the to lighten darken or add pop to your colors. My most used color is WHITE, where I might increase or decrease the blacks in the whites for brighter or darker tones. I also use BLACK when I want to increase definition without increasing contrast. Contrast also increases saturation and makes whites whiter, so this is a nice tool. NEUTRALS is another color I use Selective Color for to brighten the image or darken it generally. Have fun playing with this tool!
CURVES: (also normal DPC legal) You can add subtle or drastic tones and colors to a photo by using CURVES. If you want a more sunsetty glow on your building, for example, you can select the Red channel in Curves and move the center of the arc toward the red, for example. For an icy feel, select the Blue channel and move the arc toward the upper left corner. Too much blue? go the oppoosite direction.
I use these selection tools a lot when doing photographs for other projects or prints, and I use the latter two very often for DPC shots.
Have fun!
Message edited by author 2003-12-05 11:37:33. |
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12/05/2003 11:07:47 AM · #2 |
To try and clarify for those submitting to Open Challenges under the "regular" rules, CURVES are an Adjustment (layer optional), and are LEGAL FOR ALL DPC challenges.
The other things you mentioned are SELECTION tools, and generally NOT LEGAL for the open challenges (I think there's still debate about Selective Color).
If you're using the Magic Wand tool to select discontiguous areas, you can also use the "Similar" Selection Menu item; it should select everything else which matches your first selection, within the tolerance level you set for the MW. |
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12/05/2003 11:27:16 AM · #3 |
when doing selections in photoshop, don't be afraid of the pen tool. it's a recent import from Illustrator (the last 2 or 3 versions of Pshop have had it), and it lets you create compound paths for making detailed selections really easily.
it's my new favorite tool, and I'll tell you why: every time you create a new point in your path, it adds an item to your history. if you make a mistake and click way out of line, you can just undo back to where you need to. if you're doing this with the polygonal lasso tool, you're S.O.L and have to start the whole path all over.
Plus you can use the "Paths" palette to save multiple paths within an image, so you can have multiple selections and save them for use later.
I used the pen tool to do my Cloning shot for the Future challenge:  . This is a combination of 4 separate photographs, and Kiwiness uses this technique in all of his "Me and My Brother" shots.
If I have time this weekend, I'll write a tutorial about using the pen tool. It's really powerful.
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12/05/2003 11:28:02 AM · #4 |
| p.s. -- also not normally DPC legal, but still very useful for personal use and free-edit challenges. |
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12/05/2003 11:31:04 AM · #5 |
Originally posted by muckpond:
Kiwiness uses this technique in all of his "Me and My Brother" shots.
If I have time this weekend, I'll write a tutorial about using the pen tool. It's really powerful. |
Yup a powerful tool indeed! Muck I've been wanting to write a tutorial on it but just haven't found the time lately. Good on ya for taking over there :)
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12/05/2003 11:34:13 AM · #6 |
The Pen Tool has been there far longer than that. It's used to create paths that can function as "clipping paths" in PostScipt; basically a mask to discard the photo outside the path, and let whatever's behind it show through.
Paths can also be exported from Photoshop and opened in Illustrator (or probably any vector-editing program).
The major disadvantage of paths in the photographic realm is that it produces a hard-edged junction with no feathering, howver, a path can be easily converted to a selection, and I think it makes a smaller file to save a path than an alpha channel/mask.
I look forward to the tutorial; I mostly find paths powerful but complicated and a pain to use.
Message edited by author 2003-12-05 11:34:57. |
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12/05/2003 11:38:32 AM · #7 |
Thanks Paul. I've clarified above. And Muck--you're right. I need to learn how to use the Pen Tool! I'm afraid of it!
Originally posted by GeneralE:
To try and clarify for those submitting to Open Challenges under the "regular" rules, CURVES are an Adjustment (layer optional), and are LEGAL FOR ALL DPC challenges.
The other things you mentioned are SELECTION tools, and generally NOT LEGAL for the open challenges (I think there's still debate about Selective Color).
If you're using the Magic Wand tool to select discontiguous areas, you can also use the "Similar" Selection Menu item; it should select everything else which matches your first selection, within the tolerance level you set for the MW. |
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12/05/2003 11:50:11 AM · #8 |
fear not, young padawan! if i can learn it, anyone can.
i helped create clipping paths for a 50 page catalog this summer, so i'm a "pro." ;)
it's really not hard...just have to use the buttons on the keyboard while you're clicking away to get the full power of it. |
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12/05/2003 12:21:12 PM · #9 |
Just to add to this - the most powerful idea I've found for making accurate selections easily and quickly is to make the image do the work.
Don't start out by trying to draw around a shape - use the shape to make the selection. Channels from the image can be turned directly into selections (alt+click on the channel). From there, you can easily save it as a mask and filter/ edit that directly to create further separation between the item you want to influence and the rest of the scene.
Second part of this is to identify the unique aspect of what you want to select, and use that to drive the selection - tonality is very powerful, as is colour. Texture can also be used to filter out particular features over others.
Hand drawing a mask or using lasso/pen tools has now become my last thought for doing selections, rather than my first thought. ALso note that masks, quick masks, alpha channels, selections and pen paths can be quickly changed back and forth (though pen paths are just edge representations, so don't support variable blend strengths)
Message edited by author 2003-12-05 12:22:27. |
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12/05/2003 01:52:11 PM · #10 |
Thanks for this useful info I for one will find it useful
Sue |
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12/05/2003 02:54:47 PM · #11 |
Cool Gordon! I'm gonna try this tonight!
Originally posted by Gordon:
Just to add to this - the most powerful idea I've found for making accurate selections easily and quickly is to make the image do the work.
Don't start out by trying to draw around a shape - use the shape to make the selection. Channels from the image can be turned directly into selections (alt+click on the channel). From there, you can easily save it as a mask and filter/ edit that directly to create further separation between the item you want to influence and the rest of the scene.
Second part of this is to identify the unique aspect of what you want to select, and use that to drive the selection - tonality is very powerful, as is colour. Texture can also be used to filter out particular features over others.
Hand drawing a mask or using lasso/pen tools has now become my last thought for doing selections, rather than my first thought. ALso note that masks, quick masks, alpha channels, selections and pen paths can be quickly changed back and forth (though pen paths are just edge representations, so don't support variable blend strengths) |
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12/05/2003 05:03:58 PM · #12 |
| But if you have a pen/tablet combo, painting a soft-edged mask in an alpha channel while looking at the image is pretty quick and very intuitive. |
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12/05/2003 06:08:29 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
But if you have a pen/tablet combo, painting a soft-edged mask in an alpha channel while looking at the image is pretty quick and very intuitive. |
Yes it is, and I do that when I'm stuck. I find the image has a better idea on where the edges are then my hand/ eye/ pen combo ever can be. Like I said, drawing is my last resort now when it comes to following an edge. Gradient fills on masks also make smooth transistions a doddle. I still often use a brush to finish up a mask and fine tune edges, but I hardly need to do that. There are a variety of tools, and a variety of situations, so obviously pick the best one for the particular need. When I'm dodging/ burning faces/ portraits and so on, I typically use brush tools for example...
Message edited by author 2003-12-05 18:09:23. |
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12/06/2003 10:25:09 AM · #14 |
| All this info is really helpful and Muck I hope you write that tutorial as I am miserable when it comes to the pen tool. Thanks to Gordon and you for all the valuable info. |
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12/06/2003 11:51:57 AM · #15 |
WOw,, very helpful everyone. I too have long avoided the pen tool..
Hopefully next week I will have time to experiment with it.
Thankyou all. |
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