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Pilgrim's Progress: I WILL master photoshop!

R

Rachel Foster

New member
Long-standing members of OPF know I've struggled mightily with Photoshop, a task that feels sisyphean to me. But...I will overcome it, perhaps in tortoise-like fashion, but I shall master this miasma of frustration and aggravation!

Ok, enough emoting. I've squirreled away a number of photoshop tutorials I've been given here on OPF, but I must master some basic problems first. One issue is layers. I will be able to conquer that with books, online tutorials, etc.

The issue I'm finding more elusive is selection. HOW do people do such clean selections? I've assumed it's my lack of fine-motor coordination and poor dexterity, but I've lately wondered if that is the case. For example, if I'm using magic wand, "smooth" and "feather" seems to help a lot.

Can anyone point me to a quick, easy, beginner-level reference on how to do selections? Are there tricks?
 
C

Charles L Webster

pro member
Rachel, I found some good tips on how to do selections in a book, the name of which I've forgotten. But the essence is this:

1. draw a rough outline of the area using either the lasso or magic wand tool.

2. Subtract from that using the lasoo tool with the Alt key pressed (cursor changes to lasso with minus sign)

3. Zoom in and repeat until you're satisfied. The trick is to keep repeating the selection process, zooming in each time, until you've gotten it as close as possible.

BTW, do all this stuff on a new layer.

In some circumstances, the magic wand works great. Under others it's not worth using.

With some practice, you can become quite good at selecting that zit on the kid's face, or the piece of fishing line used to support the product.

If you're looking for a soft edge, change the feather setting.

HTH
 
J

Jerry Levin

New member
Hi Rachel - I'll add to this a tiny bit.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out (let alone join) NAPP: National Association of Photoshop Professionals: http://www.photoshopuser.com/members/

That's one of the most awesome, deepest support organizations out there for PS and Lightroom. Many different levels (or should I say layers) of forum help, huge discounts on Adobe and other image-related hardware and software (e.g. 20% off all Adobe titles).

There are road-show tutorials that hit the major cities, and well worth their admission prices as well

Cost is $99/year and is probably the best $99 value I've ever gotten.

And no - I don't work for them - it's the other way around...
 
A

Alan Cole

New member
Rachel,

If you are looking for one book with lots of illustrated examples of Photoshop techniques for selecting detail try :

Katrin Eismann, Photoshop Masking & Compositing. Peachpit Press

Her book uses many techniques ranging from simple to advanced. She explains using masks and layers in detail and there are sample pics which can be downloaded and then you can try the various processes while reading about them. For example there are Chapters entitled "Masks are your Friends" and "Layers are your Friends". Ch.8 is 50 pages about "Selecting Hair and Fine Detail" while the last part of the book explains how selections can be put to use in composite photos.
Well worth the money.
Alan Cole
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Rachel Foster said:
Long-standing members of OPF know I've struggled mightily with Photoshop, a task that feels sisyphean to me. But...I will overcome it, perhaps in tortoise-like fashion, but I shall master this miasma of frustration and aggravation!

Ok, enough emoting. I've squirreled away a number of photoshop tutorials I've been given here on OPF, but I must master some basic problems first. One issue is layers. I will be able to conquer that with books, online tutorials, etc.

The issue I'm finding more elusive is selection. HOW do people do such clean selections? I've assumed it's my lack of fine-motor coordination and poor dexterity, but I've lately wondered if that is the case. For example, if I'm using magic wand, "smooth" and "feather" seems to help a lot.

Can anyone point me to a quick, easy, beginner-level reference on how to do selections? Are there tricks?
Click to expand...

Rachel,

The Russel Brown videos are free! Search on line!

The method offered above with the Lasso Tool is not clean enough for careful and high end work. However it's perfect for getting a good idea of what one wants to do.

Just work with Russel Brown!

Asher
 
R

Rachel Foster

New member
Books are great!

Videos sometimes are great (I'm kind of deaf.....) but if it's mostly visual, that will also be a huge help. Thanks all. (I'll be hunkering down and quietly working on this for a while.)
 
R

Rachel Foster

New member
Well, CS4 seems far easier than the CS2 I was struggling with. I'm convinced I got suckered into buying a bad copy. Live and learn: I won't make that mistake again. A lot of my struggles related to that, I think.

Even better....the University has folks who are photoshop whizzes and I will be able to have some one-on-one help soon! Watch out, Photoshop....you are about to be mastered!
 
M

Michael Fontana

pro member
Rachel

if you like books, here's another vote for Katrin Eismann's "Photoshop Masking & Compositing".

In about 3 years, you' ll now everything about PS.
Unfortunatly, PS will be different than today.

just a joke ;-)
 
M

Michael Fontana

pro member
Rachel Foster said:
Ha, funny man!
Cem, I am Borg Queen!
Click to expand...

A really authentic translation ;-)

Well, my Borg Queen, we all struggle a bit in these update-scenarios and believe me:
there isn't anyone - maybe apart from these who devoted the entire live to PS - who knows everything about PS.

The reason is that there' re many ways of using it.
 
L

leonardobarreto.com

pro member
If you push the letter "Q" you can Edit in Quick Mask and select in ways not possible with the lasso tool. For example: push letter Q and then use "G" for gradient, Q again to go from Quick Mask to Selection and use Levels and/or Curves to adjust the part of the image that was selected with a gradient.

I use that for applying blurs or burning parts of the image in a graduated pattern...

Another useful suggestion is to use blur tool (r) in the edges where the lasso tool was used so that they blend in with the rest of the un retouched image...
 
D

doug anderson

New member
Rachel Foster said:
Long-standing members of OPF know I've struggled mightily with Photoshop, a task that feels sisyphean to me. But...I will overcome it, perhaps in tortoise-like fashion, but I shall master this miasma of frustration and aggravation!

Ok, enough emoting. I've squirreled away a number of photoshop tutorials I've been given here on OPF, but I must master some basic problems first. One issue is layers. I will be able to conquer that with books, online tutorials, etc.

The issue I'm finding more elusive is selection. HOW do people do such clean selections? I've assumed it's my lack of fine-motor coordination and poor dexterity, but I've lately wondered if that is the case. For example, if I'm using magic wand, "smooth" and "feather" seems to help a lot.

Can anyone point me to a quick, easy, beginner-level reference on how to do selections? Are there tricks?
Click to expand...

I've been struggling with CS4 myself. I've finally got some grasp of curves. Wife's brother coming tomorrow to give me a tutorial on layers. The problem is that the stuff is counter intuitive: it was built by computer programmers. My mind doesn't work like a programmer's so I have to learn everything arbitrarily. Like memorizing French verbs. Good idea to write things down: my memory stinks.

Good luck.

D
 
O

Olaf Ulrich

New member
Alan Cole said:
Rachel Foster said:
HOW do people do such clean selections? I've assumed it's my lack of fine-motor coordination and poor dexterity, but I've lately wondered if that is the case. For example, if I'm using magic wand, "smooth" and "feather" seems to help a lot. Can anyone point me to a quick, easy, beginner-level reference on how to do selections? Are there tricks?
Click to expand...
If you are looking for one book with lots of illustrated examples of Photoshop techniques for selecting detail try:

Katrin Eismann, Photoshop Masking & Compositing. Peachpit Press.
Click to expand...
I second that recommendation---another vote for Katrin's great book which I consider a must on every Photoshop user's shelf. Even though the current edition is four years old (Oct 2004), it is perfectly applicable with CS3 and CS4. I wonder if a 2nd edition is due anytime soon ... does anyone know?


Alan Cole said:
Her book uses many techniques ranging from simple to advanced. Ch. 8 is 50 pages about "Selecting Hair and Fine Detail" ...
Click to expand...
Part of those 50 pages can be found on the Internet here:

http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/remove_backgrounds/index.html

By the way, Katrin's other book---which is Photoshop Restoration & Retouching (3rd edition, Nov 2006, New Riders Press)---is worthwhile too.

-- Olaf
 
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