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[Graphics23]

Maverick,

Great job!

I had one more tweak to try. If you like it let me know and I'll tell you what I did and why.

I'd also like to write a full tut on this final change. With your permission I'd like to use this image as one of the examples.

Regards,

Michael

[maverick911]

thanks for that info. I'll give it a try. Is it possible there is some flare around the ears where I used the mask? Or is the image under the mask protected 100%?

Mark

[maverick911]

Michael, yes the tweak looks good. What did you do? I would be very happy for you to use this image in a fill tut.
Mark

[Graphics23]

Originally Posted by maverick911

Michael, yes the tweak looks good. What did you do? I would be very happy for you to use this image in a fill tut.
Mark

Hi Mark,

I did four quick things; two Channel Blends and two Sharpening moves.

First Channel Blend; converted to LAB, used Apply Image to blend the A channel into the L using Overlay mode. This darkened the grass and lightened the tiger. This change in contrast is meant to focus attention on the subject just as the dof does.

Second Channel Blend; duped the BG layer, changed its blend mode to Overlay, added layer mask of blurred L channel inverted. This gave a very subtle color boost overall.

Cmd Opt Shft/Ctrl Alt Shft E to copy everything to a new layer then applied the sharpening to this layer.

First Sharpening move; Cmd/Ctrl 1 to select the L channel, Cmd/Ctrl clicked the L channel's icon to create a selection, inverted selection, ran USM at 200, 1, 0. Deselect all. This added snap to the darker tones.

Second Sharpening move; still with the L channel active, ran USM at 50, 40, 10. This is called Hiraloam, which stands for High Radius Low Amount. It gives more of a contrast boost than traditional sharpening and generally added shape to the tiger.

I've kept things rather terse here but will go into much more detail when I create the tutorial.

Thanks for letting me use your picture.

Regards,

Michael

[maverick911]

You're welcome. Please let me know when you have completed it
Regards
Mark

[maverick911]

HELP! I have to say I thought I was reasonably intelligent until I started trying to use masks! I have made a more accurate selection around the Tiger and across to the sides with the Pen Tool and somehow managed to Clone the grass around the Tiger. Now I have a line across the image where the mask is which I need to blend somehow but I cant get it to work on both the masked and unmasked areas even though I have unchecked the mask. Should I have to Flatten the image in order for this to work?

[Graphics23]

You shouldn't have to flatten.

Is "Sample All Layers" checked?

Regards,

Michael

[maverick911]

No it isn't. Thanks Michael - clearly a giant leap forward for me. However I still have a line across to the left above the tail, where I made a selection with the pen tool which I can't do anything with. I have uploaded screen shots of PS here would you take a look at my set up and tell me where I have gone wrong. Thanks

[Graphics23]

From the screenshot of your Layers palette it looks like you're attempting to edit an area that's being masked. So the edits you're making are probably just hidden. You can toggle the masks on and off by Shift-Clicking on the mask icons in the Layers palette. Turn the masks off and see if your edits are now visible.

If you're new to using masks I recommend keeping them as simple as possible. The first thing I noticed when looking at your Layers palette is you have two masks on the working layer. It's hard to tell from the screenshot but it looks like the two masks are covering the same area. I would eliminate the vector mask and focus on becoming comfortable using pixel masks.

You can turn the vector mask (rightmost icon) into a pixel mask (middle icon) by Ctrl-Clicking on the vector mask, this will create a selection. Use Ctrl Shft I to invert the selection. Then click on the pixel mask and fill with black. Finally, drag the vector mask to the trash.

Combining vector and pixel based masks is a very powerful technique. The goal of which should always be to have razor sharp and soft blurry edges in your mask at the same time. If this is not needed then the job can be done with either type of mask alone.

If you want to avoid all this and just get on with fixing that line the easiest thing would be to create a new blank layer on top and clone into that layer with the "Sample All Layers" option.

Good luck,

Michael

[maverick911]

Thanks very much for your trouble Michael, I will give it a go.

Mark

[maverick911]

Well I gave up on this after 2 hours (maybe there is something wrong with my copy of PS :o)) When I toggled the various layers damage appeared on the Tiger, so I flattened the image and had a go at the Simulating Depth of field with Lens Blur Tut, but it has affected the pixels around the ears. I used the Quick Selection Tool. After 6 hours on this, the original image is looking more attractive by the hour!

[Graphics23]

Hi Mark,

When I reach a point of extreme frustration due to a perceived lack of progress, I take it as a sign that it's time to switch gears.

So I'll stop working on the problem image and begin a new project.

If the frustration is bad enough I'll even step away from the computer (gasp).

You're experimenting with techniques and tools which are new to you. It takes time to develop new skills and your mind/body can only absorb so much at once.

Take a break. Either work on something completely different or better yet engage in some physical activity. I find a hike in the woods can really help to clear the head.

Don't get discouraged. Believe it or not, frustration of this nature is a good sign. It means your mind/body is preparing for a new level of understanding. Learning to recognize this and not fighting it will get you through it much better than banging your head against a wall.

Regards,

Michael