Teach an Old Dog a New Trick - DPChallenge Forums

12/13/2003 06:46:09 PM · #1

After a bad experience touching up images last weekend I decided it was finally time to learn something about Photoshop.

I wanted to acquire two simple skills. One, learn to clone out image defects. Two, learn to replace the sky in one image with the sky from another.

Here are the first attempts:

Original camera image:

Images with new sky and one branch cloned out in two of them:

I'm embarrassed to say that cloning out unwanted objects is so easy it isn't funny. That is all I needed last week.

Replacing sky is a little trickier because of edge effects and learning to use selection tools and layers.

In my trial with complete sky replacement I overcame edge effects by expanding my sky selection by 1 pixel when I replaced the old daylight sky with night sky. There are several other different ways this can be done.

I am wonder what you recommend for handling edge effects when doing sky replacement images?

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

12/13/2003 09:12:25 PM · #2

Originally posted by stdavidson:

I am wonder what you recommend for handling edge effects when doing sky replacement images?

I always feather the selection before using "Paste Into" to help the two images blend together -- try somewhere between 3-9 pixels to start with (more for a higher-resolution image). You can try this both before or after expanding the selection as you already tried to see which works best.

moodville

Nikon D100

12/13/2003 10:59:20 PM · #3

The edges on the mountains do stand out a little from the sky, but if you feather it like GeneralE suggested it may blend it a little better.

As for the overall effect, it's good, but it depends on what look you are trying to achieve. It has a nice surreal feel to it rather than realistic, but that's certainly not a bad thing. If you were wanting a more realistic look then one thing to always be aware of is your shadows. In the first example the shadow of the stump is falling behind it, and yet the full moon is also behind the stump. Granted it could be car headlights or whatnot but in most cases where the image has been manipulated in a similar way it is the shadows that usually give it away.

12/13/2003 11:35:54 PM · #4

I will try these images both with feathering and with feathering and a 1 pixel expansion.

Thanks!

12/14/2003 01:02:44 AM · #5

Wow! The one with the lunar eclipse is way deep. Just added it to my favs!

12/14/2003 01:05:09 AM · #6

Rooster... OK, You are on my Christmas list now. What do you want? :)

mclaren_choo

Olympus C-3040Z

12/14/2003 01:06:07 AM · #7

For the cloning part,
I wonder if U have tried using the "healing brush" tool??? (a small plaster-like icon on top of the clone icon in Photoshop 7.) Personally i find it easier to work with, compared to cloning. It somehow seemed more intelligent then the clone tool.

Offering my small help. Hope it works for u. Good luck.

Colin.

12/14/2003 01:07:51 AM · #8

I have PS7 so I will have to check that out.

Thank you.

12/14/2003 01:16:27 AM · #9

Share more of this great work! There's nothing more gratifying than to see a good shot come out the way it was intended. I feel good when I can share in on that. Plus, I'm obsessed with the moon & when I see a great shot with the moon in it, I just can't help myself!

Message edited by author 2003-12-14 01:35:44.

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

12/14/2003 01:29:17 AM · #10

Here's an example I did several years ago. I was trying to make a portrait of my friend Kate out of a snapshot. You're all welcome to guess how this might be different from the original before I reveal the steps ... but I'll let you know I was up to version "h" before I finally stopped here. This was so long ago I'm not even sure I can find the "original" to post for comparison, but I'll try!

Message edited by author 2003-12-14 01:30:03.

12/14/2003 01:36:58 AM · #11

So will anyone do a tutorial on how this technique can be done. Iw ould love to know. Is it a really long process and tedious?

12/14/2003 02:13:10 AM · #12

GereralE... I assume you added the cloud background. In any case wherever the actual boundary is it is very natural. Getting that right is the key to success.

Feathering a black-to-white or white-to-black with a sharp narrow boundary isn't as clean a transition as I would like for the images I was working with.

Rooster... A tutorial on how one particular image was done could be written. However, experimentation seems to indicate that the contrast and color difference between the two objects being merged suggest different techniques for different images. In any regard, the technique would not be legal for DPC submissions.

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

12/14/2003 10:40:18 AM · #13

I recommend making a selection, then turning that into a mask layer. You can then adjust it using the Filter->Other-> Maximise and Minimise filters to grow/ shrink the edges. Gaussian blur and USM filters also work well for blurring and sharpening the mask edges.

Once I have a good gradient on the edge (if I want a soft edge) either by using gaussian blur or the gradient 'black to transparent' fill tools, I then use levels and curves to move the mid point and contrast (severity) of the gradient as needed - much easier than having to get it 'perfect' straight away.

12/14/2003 12:16:30 PM · #14

Sure, it's not allowed here, but I would just like to know how to do it. I think it would be cool.

12/14/2003 01:35:57 PM · #15

Gordon,

I did try all levels of feathering and layer edge effects to get the cleanest transition for the sky borders. Basically they did not work as well as I would like because of a 1 pixel dashed line that remains.

Depending upon the amount of feathering a faint white soft focus like glow would be generated. I did experiemneted with all the layer options to find out what they do.

The closest to what I wanted was to expand my selection by 1 pixel and feather by 1 pixel which got rid of the border but the blur on the montains was unaccepatable.

The positive side is that I am learning the tools better and discovering what their capabilities are. I suspect borders for individual merges will be done in different ways depending on the difference in contrast, color and light between the merged items.

Making a mask gives you more flexibiity in the edge effects you can apply but there is always a little playoff against what you are trying to do. It is a bit like doing the same things only in a different way.

It is just a atter of learning and experimentation. It would speed things up if Photoshop were a little more intuitive.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

12/14/2003 01:43:46 PM · #16

Rooster,

Do you have Photoshop? If so, there is an excellent tutorial on Photoshop basics I recommend...

Adobe Photoshop Basics:
//graphicssoft.about.com/library/course/bllps5out.htm

It is a good way to learn the basics you need to manipulate images with Photoshop. It is a great general introduction to all the capabilities of the software.

It will take days to work your way through it all, but worth the effort.

You can also use Google to scan for Photoshop tutorials all over the Net that teach you specific techniques for specific goals. Once you have the basics down it is easy to apply them to see if they work and modify them if they don't quite do it for you.

12/14/2003 02:08:28 PM · #17

Thanks for the link! Look forward to leaning more!

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

12/19/2003 04:16:11 AM · #18

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Aha! I found the original on a PhotoCD from 7/14/94 -- scanned from a Black&White negative. Here's a link to the unaltered original opened at the middle of the 5 sizes provided:

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

12/19/2003 03:34:46 PM · #19

*one bump* I have to quit posting these in the middle of the night...

Message edited by author 2003-12-19 15:35:15.