Photoshop - Basics I

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Photoshop - Basics I

     For today, I thought that I'd start on presenting the "basics" of Photoshop. You  can use the free program "Gimp", if you don't want to purchase Photoshop Elements (a less-expensive version of Photoshop. Corel also has a fine program, and there is also Compositor.

       I like to have a specific procedure, so that each time I open up an image, I always do the same "repairs" in a specific order. I do this so that I am always familiar with the steps, and I can process lots of images in a short amount of time.

      Procedure:

1. Open up the file

2. Save it as a copy or rename it, so that the original is kept

3. Adjust the automatic colour

4. Adjust the shadows/highlights

5. Sharpen the image if it's out-of-focus and it's the only one

Image 1

 Open up the file

(Don't forget to rename the file)

 Adjust the automatic colour

4. Adjust the shadows/highlights

5. Sharpen the image if it's out-of-focus and it's the only one

 Sharpen the image if it's out-of-focus and it's the only one

The Final Image 

Image 2

Here is a "typical" image that I often see on E-Bay.

The person has a point-and-shoot digital camera, but can;y get closer that this.

You can usually purchase a close-up accessory or filter, but in not here's what to do-below.

Photograph the item with the largest file size possible, since you'll have to crop the image.

Cropping simply means to frame.

When you use the rectangular marquee (rectangular-shaped capture function)

you may not be centred. Dont' worr. You can move the "capture lines" up or down to reframe the item.

The Item Re-framed

The item reframed another way.

The final result.

Once captured, the file is then:

1. Flattened so all layers disappear

2. Resized. I generally use 16 cm x 12 cm @ 300 pixels (6" x 4" @ 300 pixels).

Image 3

 The Starting Image 

(A saved copy)

 Automatic Color

I photographed this item improperly.

I didn't turn off the overhead fluorescent lights, and used tungsten lighting at the same time.

As a result, "automatic colour" may not work, since there are 2 light sources to correct!

It this case, it didn't.

 So I did  edit>>undo,  and started all over.

 I decided to manually correct the colour balance

There are 2 colours presenting incorrect colour.

Correct 1 colour at a time.

 I decided to remove red, by adding cyan (the opposite colour of red)

 Here is the result with the red removed.

Now we see that there is the other colour - yellow.

 I'm goiung to remove the yellopw by adding the opposite colour of blue.

 Here is the final colour correction with the yellow removed.

I can still "play around" with the final colour, but this will do for now.

 I have those Kraft paper bags to keep the oil from running on my laundry folding table.

They're distracting, so let's remove those bags.

 So I used the rectangular magnetic lasso.

It does a good job, but at the beginning go slowly.

You can do edit>>undo of course, if you make a mistake.

  The default (starting point) for the magnetic lasso is the + sign.

What this means is that after you complete a "capture", you can add more to this capture.

 I "captured" the extra areas that couldn't be captured on the first try.

The + sign allowed me to add more captures after.

I forgot to mention, that to finish a capture, you have to close the capture or bring back the lasso to the starting point. In this way, you create a closed shape, and Photoshop will capture the selection.

 Once you hsve the capture, you can use the "rubber stamp" tool to copy and paste selections into the areas needing correction. In this case, the necessary corrections are the Kraft paper bags.

You select from an area close to the area needing "repairs". In this way, the colour, tome and texture are the same.

 The Rubber Stamp Menu

The rubber stamp menu has an extensive array of options.

By actually working with each tool in Photoshop, you can "get a feel" for what the options do.

 You press down the  command key (in Photoshop on a Mac), and that takes a sample for "depositing" on the Kraft paper areas.

 Lifting your finger off the command key, now shows you the round symbol.

You them simply move the symbol and  the sample is deposited or painted over the Kraft paper.

In the beginning you may have "jittery" or "shaky" movements.

After I'm finished, I deselect the area that I was working on.

 Here's a beginning change to the Kraft paper.

I'll now have to do more work to blend the new corrections.

I spent more time "blending"the 2 areas.

Notice that I removed some distracting areas on the sides, and  blended the bottom lip of the table.

I also was not 100% in the result.

I left it like that to demonstrate, that even I can still work on the image!