I need help!!!!!!

[davidson606nich]

I've decided to try my hand at photo re-touching for my dd pageants. After downloading photoshop 7 the only thing I've figured out is that I'm hopeless. Heck,it took me 30 minutues to figure out how to post a thread on here. If anyone is bored and would like to take me under their wing, just let me know. The lingo everyone has used on the pageant/glitz forums is lost on me as well.

Thanks much,

L-

[Cuervo79]

Well if you're a complete newbie to photoshop I would recommend to look at basic tutorials, on tools, layers, masks, etc. You can also go to Lynda.com to see video tutorials for each. Youtube is a good source too.
After that look for bluring techniques for the skin, using the healing or clone tool to edit the eyewhites. Adding digital makeup, and also cutting and pasting a subject from one photo to another.

You won't be able to do this tomorrow, first practice your knowledge on the basics and go up from there.

O and welcome to Retouch Pro

[stephi88]

i would love to try to retouch one of your pageant photos

[davidson606nich]

Thanks for your intrest! I've attached one of her pics that I took to submit to a local pageant. I got photoshop 7 but all I've been able to do is to make her look like a blurry mutant. I've followed a couple of tutorials on youtube but I've been pretty unseccesful.

[Cuervo79]

Patience. Learn more about masks, so you can "administer" the blur only in parts where you want it.

[davidson606nich]

Ok thats one of things the tutorial left out: what's a mask?

[Aleksman71]

This will help you

Masking
http://www.photoshopcafe.com/tutoria...ng/masking.htm
http://www.grafx-design.com/12photo.html


http://photoshoptutorials.ws/
http://www.good-tutorials.com/
http://www.graphic-design.com/Photos...quickmask.html

[davidson606nich]

Thanks for the links! I figured out how to mask but it's really choppy... but practice makes perfect right?

[Cuervo79]

you can adjust the edges of the brush tool. right click to get the options and in the "hardness" slider put it to 0% if this doesn't get you better "edge blending" you can try to blur the mask a bit with gaussian blur (about 5 or 10)

[davidson606nich]

awsome. I'v practiced some and got a little bit better. I went through and whitened her eyes and teeth, made her eyes a little brighter blue, tanned her some and used the lipstick app. I've tried deleting the background and have gotten nothing but a headache. I tried to copy and paste the edited pic of her and it keeps copying the original. I don't know if it's me or the program... I'm blaming it on the program!

[Cuervo79]

first you have to make a selection (either the subject or the background) so you can delete or cut out what you have selected. It takes time and practice to make it not only good but also look seamless. next time I would recommend that you start on a photo that's easier to do with nothing but the subject and the background so you don't have to do too much when selecting

[davidson606nich]

ok I got a super easy one to try on. However, the picture of her that I've been working on I've tried to select the background and delete it but it doesn't go away. While I still have the areas selected I've hit inverse to select her and copy her to the background I've chosen and get the old pic instead of the edited photo.

[0lBaldy]

Put a new layer under the new cut out and fill it with a neutral color to see your cutout without the lower layers showing through

[garibaldi]

why does it seem that theres such a big thing with these pageants? and why do a lot of people choose such bad images to use as their pageant picture?

[Cuervo79]

Because most of the glitz retouchers have that as an example, I'm thinking its like "a plus" in marketing for the retoucher. Its like saying "you don't need photos taken from a professional, any photo will do"