Cutout bicycle

[reko]

I try to make a path and cut bike's in photohop. Seems to be really hard. I shoot on white studio background with enough lightning. But I never had picture quality like here: http://www.bbyxsports.ro/ I do not know how they manage to do that cutout incredible. You can see even out points of tires.

the biggest problem I have it in the spokes because of their light is reflected

my question: how to light and what tools to use in photoshop to have a cutout so professional.

[skoobey]

Re: Cutout bicycle

Pen tool.

Then refine with soft brush low opacity and smudge tool.

[Vernon]

Re: Cutout bicycle

I would suggest reviewing different extraction techniques and choosing the one that best serves your task.

[klev]

Re: Cutout bicycle

I wouldn't use the smudge tool at all. I would probably use the pen tool to path it out. If you're having an issue with halos, those can be retouched out. When you have a mask available, there's no reason you can't use it as a stencil for retouch work as opposed to just a dropout for the background. Experiment on a small area first, because there is a slight learning curve with where to place the points and how to deal with halos. You can always chop typically 1-2 pixels of haloing as necessary when it comes to pixels that are largely influenced by their background. The shape of the object should take priority though, and the paths should be smooth.

[Benny Profane]

Re: Cutout bicycle

I also bicycle a lot, so I look at a lot of catalogs and books pertaining to cycling, and, I have to say, 95% of designers of said materials (including websites) start with a simple design of bicycles placed on white backgrounds, and then have them shot that way.

Personally, I would never accept a job that required cutting out spokes. Retouching hell, and, well, poor design and follow through.

[skoobey]

Re: Cutout bicycle

I also bicycle a lot, so I look at a lot of catalogs and books pertaining to cycling, and, I have to say, 95% of designers of said materials (including websites) start with a simple design of bicycles placed on white backgrounds, and then have them shot that way.

Personally, I would never accept a job that required cutting out spokes. Retouching hell, and, well, poor design and follow through.

I agree. No professional would shoot it that way.

[klev]

Re: Cutout bicycle

I also bicycle a lot, so I look at a lot of catalogs and books pertaining to cycling, and, I have to say, 95% of designers of said materials (including websites) start with a simple design of bicycles placed on white backgrounds, and then have them shot that way.

Personally, I would never accept a job that required cutting out spokes. Retouching hell, and, well, poor design and follow through.

It's quite annoying to path stuff like that, as you have to be careful about the shape of the path. Sometimes you can't afford to really chop things like haloing, as it would screw up the shape. How would you expect them to shoot the bikes though?

[Flashtones]

Re: Cutout bicycle

Personally, I would never accept a job that required cutting out spokes.

Then don't be aghast when said work is sent to Asia.

[Benny Profane]

Re: Cutout bicycle

I'm cool with that. Garbage in, garbage out.

[skoobey]

Re: Cutout bicycle

It's quite annoying to path stuff like that, as you have to be careful about the shape of the path. Sometimes you can't afford to really chop things like haloing, as it would screw up the shape. How would you expect them to shoot the bikes though?

On a white seamless lit for 0.3 stop under pure white so you don't get the haloing, perhaps with focus shifting or even tilt shift lens.

It's no brain surgery.

[Flashtones]

Re: Cutout bicycle

I'm cool with that. Garbage in, garbage out.

I guess I just don't follow your general take on the industry (and don't get me wrong, I enjoy your posts and presence immensely).

The vast majority of product-on-white catalog work is pathed for silo (at least in my experience), right? You refuse to do such work. Yet you decry such work being sent overseas.

I'm just curious, what cushie corner of the industry do you get to service?

[Benny Profane]

Re: Cutout bicycle

Beauty and products for a beauty product and small appliance manufacturer, at the moment.

I was just saying that, in certain cases, let the Indians and Chinese have the crap work. It's garbage because it's poorly designed in the first place if someone wants a bicycle, of all things, siloed off one background on to another. It's not worth my bother, because I recognized that the third world was doing that work almost a decade ago, and aimed for the high end, instead (well, not quite there right now, but, you can always strive).

It's just dumb design. Much better to walk away from it. You learn nothing from the ordeal, except how to deal with dumb design. Maybe if it paid really well, but, that is very unlikely.

[Flashtones]

Re: Cutout bicycle

I hear ya Benny. I certainly don't want to be a sweatshop path-er either. But that's why I have no qualms sending it out.

I guess I misinterpreted your feelings about overseas providers. Seems I had you confused with the other Benny Profane:

Well well. How about that. This is a first. An Indian complaining about the race to the bottom that Indians and other Asians are responsible for starting. How ironic. And, you expect sympathy from the westerners on this forum who have seen their potential hourly income reduced by the existence of these sweatshops all around the world? Please. Go away.

I mean if you don't want the work anyway, no need to be so bitter if others less fortunate do.

[Benny Profane]

Re: Cutout bicycle

Are you stalking me?

[franko60]

Re: Cutout bicycle

To the OP. Bracket your exposures (with the strobes, not with the camera - you can't bracket strobes with shutter speed and bracketing with aperture will mean you can't composite afterwords). Use the frame from the best exposure for the frame and drop in the wheels from the best exposure for them. Yes, you'll still have to extract but it will be a lot easier than from a higher exposure that has flare on the spokes.

At least, that's the way I'd do it. Actually, I wouldn't - I'd place black reflectors to cut the light on the spokes and light the background correctly and the bike correctly. But that really takes a largeish studio with plenty of depth so you don't have the exposure for the background affecting the exposure for the bike and vice versa. Balance them.