How can I do this better please?

ladysue

ladysue

Suspended / Banned
Messages
4,222
Name
Sue
Edit My Images
Yes
I took a photo of my daughter in laws dog getting a treat for my 52 this week but I have had negative comments about the pp and I am not happy with it either. So here is the completely unedited version
1.


and my attempts at processing it with Elements

2.


3.


and finally
4.


I'd really appreciate some ideas on how a novice like me could improve the shot.
Thank you
 
I'm assuming that you want to blur the background of the image?

Keep the doggy in sharp focus and remove distractions from the bg?

if this is the case then you've started well by 'cutting' around the aforementioned pooch - however to make this work you have to be very accurate with your 'cutting'.

When making your selection, you need to remember a few things:

1. Use the right tools. Using the Lassoo tool for a selection this complex is frustrating and will never produce the results you want. A good trick is using 'quick mask' (press 'q'). In Quick Mask mode, you can paint out bits you don't want selected (by literally painting them black with the paint brush) it's easy to correct mistakes by 'painting' in white- which will re-select for you. Don't be confused when you paint in black and it shows up a red - when you're in a mask, red means de-selected. When you're done with paining in/out in the mask, press q again to convert it into the marching-ants selection you're used to.
I'm doing a terrible job of explaining this, but give it a try, it's really very intuitive.

2. Take time. Selecting the bits you want to remain in sharp focus is the most important bit of this whole process - the more accurate you are here the better the result will be.

3. Feather. Worried about that harsh-looking edge between what's in focus and what isn't? Go to select->modify->feather and add a 2-3px feather to your selection - you shouldn't really need to do this if you've been accurate enough with your selection, but it can help if it still looks a little too harsh.



However, be careful when blurring out the whole background, because (as in some of your edits) it looks like the Dog's just floating in space. Have a look at some tutorials on creating Depth-of-Field effect, or 'Tilt-Shift' photography effect - they might cover some of what you're trying to achieve.


I'll take some time and have a go at this edit at some point :)

Cheers!
Mike
 
Mikebert4 said:
I'm assuming that you want to blur the background of the image?

Keep the doggy in sharp focus and remove distractions from the bg?

if this is the case then you've started well by 'cutting' around the aforementioned pooch - however to make this work you have to be very accurate with your 'cutting'.

When making your selection, you need to remember a few things:

1. Use the right tools. Using the Lassoo tool for a selection this complex is frustrating and will never produce the results you want. A good trick is using 'quick mask' (press 'q'). In Quick Mask mode, you can paint out bits you don't want selected (by literally painting them black with the paint brush) it's easy to correct mistakes by 'painting' in white- which will re-select for you. Don't be confused when you paint in black and it shows up a red - when you're in a mask, red means de-selected. When you're done with paining in/out in the mask, press q again to convert it into the marching-ants selection you're used to.
I'm doing a terrible job of explaining this, but give it a try, it's really very intuitive.

2. Take time. Selecting the bits you want to remain in sharp focus is the most important bit of this whole process - the more accurate you are here the better the result will be.

3. Feather. Worried about that harsh-looking edge between what's in focus and what isn't? Go to select->modify->feather and add a 2-3px feather to your selection - you shouldn't really need to do this if you've been accurate enough with your selection, but it can help if it still looks a little too harsh.



However, be careful when blurring out the whole background, because (as in some of your edits) it looks like the Dog's just floating in space. Have a look at some tutorials on creating Depth-of-Field effect, or 'Tilt-Shift' photography effect - they might cover some of what you're trying to achieve.


I'll take some time and have a go at this edit at some point :)

Cheers!
Mike
Click to expand...

Thank you Mike. Thats really useful. I'll have a go at the quick mask thing later. I havent heard of that before. I usually use the magnetic selection tool but that is difficult if its a big selection cause I cant find a way to get any little bits around the edge that I have missed or little bits I didnt really want selected.I have done one more edit and will post it in a minute.
Thank you
Sue
 
I actually quite like number 2 - the orig. is way underexposed and number 2 fixes it but gives halos - due to HDR I trust? Go easier on the HDR and I think you'll be onto a winner.

I'm also not sure about the floor on number 2 - dog looks like he's floating.
 
trencheel303 said:
I actually quite like number 2 - the orig. is way underexposed and number 2 fixes it but gives halos - due to HDR I trust? Go easier on the HDR and I think you'll be onto a winner.

I'm also not sure about the floor on number 2 - dog looks like he's floating.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your comments. Its not HDR because I dont know how to do that. I just selected it using the magnetic tool and have tried to get rid of the halo by selecting bits of it and darkening.I know what you mean about the floating dog.
 
there you go....

i hope i did it right for you!

4366228375_23f1d171d1.jpg
 
I find the best way to select the subject in PS is to use the pen tool, with which you can create nodes and curves etc, then convert the path to a selection with a feather of a few pixels. Works brilliantly.
 
Hi Sue, the problem here is not the selection, but the unescapable fact that adding gausssian blur/ or any other kind of blur will stretch pixals beyond the the selection and slightly into the subject which gives a bad halo when any decent amount of blurring is added.

I supect thats the reason the other posters added minimal blurring.;)

Heres a way around it, I used Elements as that is what you are using.This is just quick and dirty for demonstration .

1-Duplicate the layer and select the dog and cut him out, I used the magic extractor here.

2-Now heres the trick to stop the halo forming, clone the edge of the background nearest the dog to overlap the edge of the dog on the background layer like so.

122090208.jpg


You can now blur the background as much as you like without getting a halo.

You can take it further by when you first start duplicating the layer twice.

You can then add a clipping layer between the original background and blurred background and use the gradiant tool on it to make the out of focus background fall off naturally like so.

Just rough and ready as it is a low quality web image.:)

122090207.jpg
 
FruitFlakes said:
Elements doesn't have the pen tool I'm afraid.
Click to expand...

ki_user said:
Here is my take on it, the main problem I see with the others is the OOF looks way too un natural not like real DOF. I think I have done OK.

original_kaylasml.jpg
Click to expand...

AlexGermino said:
you are most welcome ladysue.....

happy to help our fellows here!:)
Click to expand...

OlyPaul said:
Hi Sue, the problem here is not the selection, but the unescapable fact that adding gausssian blur/ or any other kind of blur will stretch pixals beyond the the selection and slightly into the subject which gives a bad halo when any decent amount of blurring is added.

I supect thats the reason the other posters added minimal blurring.;)

Heres a way around it, I used Elements as that is what you are using.This is just quick and dirty for demonstration .

1-Duplicate the layer and select the dog and cut him out, I used the magic extractor here.

2-Now heres the trick to stop the halo forming, clone the edge of the background nearest the dog to overlap the edge of the dog on the background layer like so.

122090208.jpg


You can now blur the background as much as you like without getting a halo.

You can take it further by when you first start duplicating the layer twice.

You can then add a clipping layer between the original background and blurred background and use the gradiant tool on it to make the out of focus background fall off naturally like so.

Just rough and ready as it is a low quality web image.:)

122090207.jpg
Click to expand...

Thank you Paul. I will try to do this. Because I havent really used layers before. apart from just selecting an area and blurring or sharpening it, I will have to work out how to do some of the things you have suggested.I havent found the magic extractor so will have to look for that. It will be good practice for me as I want to learn how to do more PP.
Thanks
Sue
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top