June 09 Contest Discussion Thread

[T Paul]

Add your comments, questions or general discussion about the contest entries here. This is also a great place to share your techniques or ask others about theirs.

Most members are eager to hear comments/suggestions about their entries, so please take the time to help each other out.

[T Paul]

If you would like receive an email about upcoming contests you can subscribe to the Retouching Contests mailing list here

[Kraellin]

it has become quite obvious that T Paul is a sadist. no question! of course, that makes all the rest of us masochists, but that's beside the point. i mean, why didnt you just have us cutout a billion snowflakes on a beige background? sheesh!

seriously, this is going to be more of a contest than i originally thought. there's a WHOLE bunch of tiny little crevices and whatnot to watch out for and those fringes and feather ends... sadist, that's all i can say

(we love ya, T )

[Janet Petty]

I'm glad someone else said it first. Thanks Craig.

This is no challenge, BTW. It is a study in Tedium! AAAACK!

Thanks T. Now I KNOW I need new glasses.

Janet

[Kraellin]

lol, janet

[T Paul]

LOL well I can’t take all the credit, it was a team decision.

Here are a couple of masking tutorials to help:

• RetouchPro Masking Tutorial by Flora
  
• Masking out Difficult Images in Photoshop
  
• Masking Hair (Video)
  
• Masking hair in Photoshop CS4 (Russell Brown Video)
  
• Mask Details (Deke McClelland)
  
• Masking a Tree (Channels)
  
• Removing the Background (Photoshop Channel Mask)
  
• Blend If Masking

[Veralisa]

A really difficult part (among others) for me is figuring which areas are part of the dancer and which areas are part of the background.

Thanks T Paul. Those resources look mighty interesting.

[T Paul]

A helpful tip is to duplicate the image and adjust it as necessary to make a strong mask. Then once you have created the mask you can apply it to the original image.

[friiskiwi]

"final image must be exactly 800 pixels high by 600 pixels wide (portrait format) "
That's not possible, without chopping his legs off.

[LonK]

friiskiwi, I have a feeling you are cropping the photo horizontally (landscape format) -- 800W x 600H. If you crop vertically (portrait format) -- 600W x 800H, as required, you should have no problem including the whole subject.

[friiskiwi]

Thanks, I'm blond, but not quite that blond. Actually what I had done, was initially crop the images so he filled all the area, and then I couldn't change it to 800 x 600. You are quite right, the image will nicely crop to 800 x 600, just leaving more background than I wanted.

[happymind]

sounds like a good challenge to me ill do my best to cut this dancer out im gonna spend the rest of today making a start -thanks for this opportunity to get feedback practice the craft of photoshop and win this comp - i agree with veralisa i think the feathers at the back have gaps and the blurred parts are further awawy do not to be cut anway have fun

b

[Ruzzez]

AAAGGGG!!!!

Now that I started I can't stop.

[Janet Petty]

Poor Ruzzez. You have my heartfelt sympathy. Hahahaha.

Janet

P.S. just joking

[LonK]

Without a doubt, this assignment seems daunting at first look, but it needn't be very difficult. Actually, you can do it without even making/using a mask. Here is a basic workflow that should be quite simple to follow.

1. Using the full size original, duplicate background layer. Name the dup "stencil".
2. Between these two layers, add a solid color fill (white) adjustment layer.
3. With the stencil layer active, use the polygonal lasso tool to select the subject. No need to be very accurate, just quickly surround the subject. When done, Ctrl-shft-I to invert the selection. Hit backspace to delete the selected area. The white from the underlying layer will show through. Most of the background is now gone. Next is the tedious part of the process.
4. Still on the stencil layer, zoom in very close. Again, use the polygonal lasso tool to select a "hole"; backspace to delete it. Continue selecting/deleting "holes" until all of the background is gone -- replaced by the white in the fill layer.
5. To make the shadow, duplicate the stencil layer and fill the cutout with black. Name it "shadow". Use transformation to pull down "shadow" towards bottom of the subject and fit as expected. Guassian blur that result slightly. Move the "shadow" layer just below the "stencil" layer.
6. Crop and resize as required.

In lieu of the polygonal lasso tool, you could also use the standard lasso tool or pen tool. For very small areas you could use the erase tool or simply paint white.

Work in several short sessions taking extended breaks in between. You'll be surprised how quickly you can complete it.

How will you do it?

[Sveltepig]

Hi all
nice contest, this one
what do you all think: is the requirement of rmoving the entry number for the number only, or for the page with the number on it?
k

[Algarve Images]

Good lord!
i might attempt this, just thinking if i have a spare week or two
Gary...

[T Paul]

Originally Posted by karin l

Hi all
nice contest, this one
what do you all think: is the requirement of rmoving the entry number for the number only, or for the page with the number on it?
k

I was hoping that BOTH the entry number and page would be removed to present a cleaner appearance.

[T Paul]

Kudos to Lonnie for the workflow tips and to Shalford for being the first to brave the contest!

[LonK]

Selecting Feathers

Making a clean cutout of the tiny fuzzy feathers can be challenging. Here's a useful technique.

1. Zoom in pretty close. (These are the feathers on top of the subjects head.)
2. You can actually make a rather rough polygonal lasso tool selection of the background around the feathers. Work with small areas at a time. Select then backspace to delete backgound and reveal white as I explained in my last post.
3. Activate the smudge tool and select a spatter brush tip. Click the brush once (don't drag) partly inside the area.
4. Move the brush away and Shift-click the brush. This contrains the stroke to a straight line and...
5. ...pulls some pixels outward making soft streaks. (Experiment and vary brush size, smudge strenth and streak direction.)
6. Continue doing this around the edges. You can also push the white inward. Sharpen if you wish.

With care you can make convincingly soft feathers on your cutout (much better than my quickie example).

Hope this is helpful...

[Nasturtium]

These may be of use;
Photoshop Masking & Compositing, by Katrin Eismann - Chapter 3 -The Essential Select

PS LAB Color: Chap. 9
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=22331&highlight=flower

[Sveltepig]

thanks T Paul

[happymind]

hello im sorry wheres the page number i can see the " 28 " what do you mean page number ? cheers

[happymind]

how i may do this delete large chunks of the background first
select colour range channels mask out with a fine brush very detailed areas in one area - split the image into areas to cover delete the background in stages b

[T Paul]

Originally Posted by happymind

hello im sorry wheres the page number i can see the " 28 " what do you mean page number ? cheers

Number "28" is written on a small white square of paper and pinned to the dancer's costume.

[Janet Petty]

Good luck to everyone. I'll be out of pocket without a computer until the end of the month. I'm really looking forward to what others post. It was a fun, but tedious challenge. And I'm serious when I say I need new glasses.

LonK, I had already finished my submission when you posted your mini-tutorials. It is very interesting to note that we think along the same lines. Thanks for posting your hints.

Janet

[happymind]

I know i think you mean the sheet of paper the number is on when you say page right?

the number and the page / or liile sheet of paper it is written on aswell is this information correct ? thankyou

[T Paul]

the sheet of paper the number is written on

[happymind]

@ janet petty although i'd say im a begginnner becoming an inntermediate photoshop user your work is impressive from what i can see youve doena remarkabley good job - a high standard a jedi indeed -
threre are elements that i can barely make out in the original that have been enhanced ( lower left strings from feathers ) the shadows ace

care to enlighten us as to which technique you employed ? thanks
A

[Ruzzez]

I am debating on whether to add to toe of the left foot that is hidden by the grass. The final result does not look quite right without it, but does it fit within the contest rules?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.