Hi all!!
I am fairly new to photo enhancing,restoration,etc.I have PSP9,PS 7 PS elements and PSCS.I have a picture that I have been trying to enahnce,sort of like duotone/hand painting effect.I was thinking I would like the background faded and my daughter to "stand out" a bit more,but sort of like a muted effect,KWIM??
Anyhow,I am a photo program "virgin" I would need a step by step tutorial on how tro achieve thias "look" I have no idea how to work with layers,but I'm sure I will need to know to get the results that I am after.
Can anyone help me,or have any idea what the heck I am talking about?? LOL

Its rather easy to find already written tutorials by searching google, for example ...

+duotone +photoshop

... you will get plenty of alternatives.

I have tried a couple,but they haven't worked for me.Well,more than a couple,maybe half a dozen variations,with different programs,etc.

The tutuorials have seemed a bit complicated,or I read them and they seemed easy,only to turn out a mess in the end.

I know I will get it someday,but it is rather hard to "play" on the computer with 3 kids.I was just seeking a REALLY quick and easy way to achieve this effect.

Thanks :)

Is this what you wanted?

As a mom with 2 small children, I found the only way to learn photoshop was to play with it while they were in bed. I started with some basic tutorials to learn what layers, masks, etc. were all about and then have gone from there. I am by no means as experienced as some of the people here, but I enjoy creating cool photos for my kids. They hang everything I print out on there wall. If nothing else at least my kids enjoy all the things I come up with. Especially if they are in the picture.

You'll have to learn the basics on your own. Folks here could start trying to explain, but they will use terms that you probably won't understand.

Check the web for basic tutorials. There are some good ones here in RTP as well as other sites on the net.

Here (http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshoptutorialsbasic/Photoshop_Basics_Tutorials_for_Photoshop_Beginners.htm)
is a good place to start.

Key words to google on are: MASKS and SELECTIONS in Photoshop.

Keiser
OMG..that is exactly what I wanted!!!!
Would you mind explaining to me how you got that effect???

When you have the time :P

Let's see,

1. made a copy of background
2. did a hue adjustment layer and painted out the baby with black brush
3. did hue adjustment layer and lowered saturation on baby
4. added layer and brought pink color to cheeks and hair bow with brush changed mode to soft light
5. added layer and brought green color back to hair bow
6. added layer and filled with white. Used elliptical marquee tool to remove color over baby and feathered 100px. changed mode to soft light
7. added vector mask and painted some color back into babys skin. used black brush.
8. did a low level high pass sharpen
9. did a levels adjustment to lighten some.

I know some of this makes no sense. It takes practice and patience, but most of all check out basic tutorials either here on retouch or on the web. Learn about layers, tools, masks, channels and practice, practice, practice.

Hope this helps, and have fun.

Oh and someone else may have a simpler way of doing the same thing.

You have been given some good advice and i will add a bit to it, Limit yourself to learning with just one piece of software not all of them it will only add to the confusion. Although which one is your choice ! ! ! ! ! ! !

I know this isnt what you wanted but as it is a quick and easy effect you will be able to do ( honest). Again there is more than one way of doing this and more complicated but this should get results for now and the more results you get the more inspired you will be ( done using ps7)

open image

layers> duplicate

image>adjustments > desaturate

then get the eraser brush and erase parts that you want in colour zooming in to get better results

any mistakes go to the history tab and "go back" clicking on the list

and without knowing it you will have worked using layers ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

hope this has been of some interest for you

Palms

Thank-you all for your help.Some REALLY good suggestions to start.


I'll let you all know how I get along in the next few weeks :)

You might want to pick up a book or two on or go to the library and see if they have some for the program you decide to work with. It's often helpful to start with a book, unless you are running 2 monitors and can read tuts and do at the same time.

As others have said, this isn't something you learn in one sitting or overnight. It takes time, patience and the love of playing with the computer and learning all of the different things you can do. I've been playing with a variety of programs for many years and continue to learn and learn.

If you just plan on doing kid type of things, you might want to get hooked up with some of the digital scrapbooking sites instead. There are many neat sites out there full of digital gallerys of scrapbooking ideas and many helpful people. Didn't know if you were interested in that or not, but just thought I would mention it.

Good luck!

You might want to pick up a book or two on or go to the library and see if they have some for the program you decide to work with. It's often helpful to start with a book, unless you are running 2 monitors and can read tuts and do at the same time.

I was just thinking that.Any suggestions??I work with PS7,PS elements,PSCS and PSP9.
I was thinking of Adobe's Classroom in a Book series.Has anyone used it?

If you have a Borders or B & N's around, stop at them and look at their selections. While I've gone to my local library, they didn't have a big selection. I have Class Room in a Book, but I have others I like better. It just all depends on what you are wanting to do. I go to the bookstore a lot and then come home and order them on-line at Amazon.com for a ton less and free shipping over $25.00. If you have a used bookstore in town, sometimes you can pickup bargins there also. I use CS2 these days, but was previous PSP 5,6,7,9 & 10 user and a handful of different PS Elements versions. Guess you have to decide on what your focus is. Do you want to learn about post processing photos, or do you want to learn about PS stuff, or doing funky things....it just all depends. Photoshop TV & Photoshop Killer Tips are must views....if you're using Photoshop! I have a couple versions of Photoshop Restoration & Retouching which are great. The Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers is good. I have the Photoshop 6 Artistry book which is also good. But then I have how to Cheat in Photoshop, Photoshop Finishing Touches, Photshop Channels and a few of the O'Reilly books, like Photoshop Photo Effects. A mag that is great, but not produced in the US is Photoshop Creative. There are many sites that have wonderful tuts and have learned much from them also. There is so much stuff out there, you'll just never learn it all but it's fun dinking around with it! Good luck.