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Cheerleaders B4 & After Pics

I just thought I should share this post that I posted (more than a year ago) on another forum and is now helping others as they revisited. I'm hoping this can help some one here as well.

This is the original post...

As promised.....

Here are the before and after pics of the cheerleaders and Drill Team.

Cheerleaders - After
MG_9476II_web.jpg


Cheerleaders - Before
MG_9476_OriginalWeb.jpg


Drill Team - After
MG_9488_web.jpg


Drill Team - Before
MG_9488_OriginalWeb.jpg


Comments/suggestions welcome

--William

ORIGINAL THREAD

This is my first time shooting Cheerleaders a Drill Team and Tall Flags. This was a challenge but it was also fun! I'm not too happy about the poses but I'l have to do for now. The girls selected their group shots and individual during the session.

The girls have not seen the final pictures yet and before I deliver pics to them on Monday I want to hear comments and critiques by FMers. I printed two 11x14(one of each) and I'm happy with them. I will post the individuals and the Tall Flag squad as soon as I'm done with them.

CC welcome.

--William


HERE'S THE METHOD I USE TO EXTRACT


jcbradshaw wrote:
Wm. I just played a bit with extracting, using the eraser tool. Can I assume you spend a lot of time around the hair?

It took me about 45 (maybe less) minutes to extract the cheerleaders using the eraser tool. As I mentioned before, when you first start it will take some time for you to learn how to get the hang of it, but the more you do it you'll become better at it.

Here's a little tip that works with anything, including hair, zoom in as big as 1600% so you can see where the pixels seperate the object from the background, what you want to do is to keep the line (last line of pixles) of dark pixels around the subject, if you delete this line then the extracted subject or object will look odd. So keep the line of dark pixels. Also, use a sharp eraser tip and not a soft tip. If you do then you will delete the dark line of pixels that you want to keep and you'll end up doing it all over again.

Remember to keep zooming in and out so you know what to earse and what to keep. I use Ctrl+(-) or Cmd+(-) for the Mac to zoom in and out and use the "[' "]" to resize the eraser tip as I see the need and "Space Bar" click and drag to move the pic around.

Since you're starting with this technique, I suggest you start with someting small so you can see the results and gain some needed experience. This will encourage you to try something bigger. When you do something bigger, you don't have to finish it all in the same day, pace yourself so that you don't get frustrated doing it or get bored. Remember, the goal is to finish it so that you can impress yourself and your clients with your work. If you don't love your work enough to spend that much time on it to make it the best you can, then don't expect your clients to do the opposite.

It is tedious but as you can see, the results are amazing. Please post your extracted pictures so I can see them.

Good luck!

--William


Edited by Wm. Velasquez on Jul 04, 2006 at 05:39 PM GMT


HERE'S HOW I DID THE MIRROR EFFECT

Since I don't have a lot of time I will not be explaining every little detail how to do a few things. My apologies for this, if you can not duplicate the effect after reading these instructions please ask and I will help you out to achieve the effect you're looking for.

Now on to the instructions...

1)
Open your extracted picture in photoshop. Duplicate it and rename this layer reflection. No need for Kinkos here hehe

2)
Create the following layers rename them and place them in this order from top to bottom.

Top Black
Original pic
Reflection
Bottom Black
Solid Color Background
Background [locked]

Look at you go, creating all of those layers and renaming them. Does it feel good to do things professionals do? All pros have to create and rename their layers too you know. Hey enough talking, let's move on.

3)
Select the "Solid Color Background" layer and fill it with the color of your choice. Ya, is that easy, and you didn't even have to go to Home Depot to buy paint and brushes. That wall (background) looks good and the color is great!!!

4)
Before you do the next step, make sure you have the foreground set to black, if you don't have it set to that press the "D" key on the keyboard, this will reset your foreground to black and the background to white.

Now click on the "Top Black" layer, go and select the "Marquee" tool from the tools pallete and draw a rectagle across the top, you should see a square with marching ants around the edge of the rectangle showing your selection.

Be very careful with the following step, it is crucial that you understand this part so read slowly and carefully.

While you still have the "Top Black" layer selected with the rectangle shape inside go and select the "Gradient" tool from the tools pallete. Look at the top of the screen, just under the "title bar" there's a bar that goes across the top. This bar is called the "Options Bar" reading from left to right the second icon, the "Gradient Picker" the one that shows colors, it should show black to white. Next to it there's a tiny triangle, click on it and select the "Foreground to Transparent" swatch, is one of the little square with colors. It should be the second from the top if you read from left to right. Click the okay button.
Now select the third icon in the options bar, its names is "Linear Gradient" You can hover your cursor for a sec or two so that Photoshop displays the name for you. Are we done yet? You ask. We'll finish when we finish and I promise I will tell you when you're finish. Okay?

Now move your cursor to your canvas (document) and place it right at the top of the rectangle you created, hold down the "Shift" key and click and drag down to paint the rectangle with your gradient. It should be from black to transparent.

To do the "Bottom Black" layer just repeat the instructions for the "Top Black" layer and flip it vertically. Come on, you can do this, it's just a little challenge for you.

5)
Your pic should now have a top black gradient and a bottom black gradient. If it doesn't, go back and recheck the steps.

The next step is to create the reflection effect so put your photoshop seat belt on and hold on to your mouse and keyboard!!!!!

6)
THE SECRET the secret THE SECRET the secret THE SECRET

Select the "Reflection" layer in the layers pallete; it should be the copy of your original pic. Go to Edit>Transform>Flip Vertical

Woah! what happened, the pic is upside down. Yes it is and that's what we want.

While the "Reflection" layer is still selected, move down your pic and align it in such a way that both are almost touching each other but are opposite of one another. Sure, take your time, I'll wait.. William whistles while he waits..

Finish? Good. Now while you still have the same layer selected, go to Layer>Layer Style and click on the radio button "Gradient Overlay" in the window that pops up.

Then make the following changes:

Blend Mode = Normal
Opacity = 55%
Gradient = Foreground to Transparent
Style = Linear Align With Layer
Angle = -90
Scale = 100

Click the OK button and VOILA!!!! There's your reflection. You are officialy done now.

To create the reflection is easy, it takes longer to extract the pic and set up all the layers with the solid color and gradients etc.

Well, the secret is out now, I hope you enjoy the Tutorial. Keep Photoshoping and NOT Photo-Choping

--William

Edited by Wm. Velasquez on Jul 01, 2006 at 05:29 PM GMT
 
William,

Would the extraction have been easier with a plain (green for instance) background?

That sounds like a lot of work (days worth!) but you did it and it looks good - especially given where you started from!

At the posted size, in some places where the hair meets the background it looks slightly extracted... but if you printed and it looks okay, then there you have it!
 
Would the extraction have been easier with a plain (green for instance) background?

In general, the problem with a colored background is that the specular reflections on the subject from the backgrond will be colored as well. While it may help to extract the foreground subject, it also requires a lot of work to repair these colored fringes, especially on fuzzy transitions. IMHO it is best to aim for adequate luminance contrast, although one doesn't always have the possibility due to size or distance restrictions.

Bart
 

Nill Toulme

New member
William I was just admiring these over on the other forum, and I'm very glad you posted them here. I think the cheerleader one particularly is very successful.

FWIW, I disagree with the comments over there about the reflections not meeting also. Put something down on a mirror and you'll notice it doesn't meet its reflection, because of the thickness of the glass. I'm perfectly comfortable with the effect you achieved here.

Thanks for posting it.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, William,

Fabulous work!

Thanks so much for the detailed decriptions of the techniques that you used.
 
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