Tips on masking in Adobe Photoshop CS5

My last post was on a similar subject but the video had no sound. I hadn’t mastered Adobe Captivate 5.5 trial version. I still haven’t but at least I can give you sound . I have now figured out how to stop the panning but I am afraid you will have to put up with it on this one.

This is all about how to create a mask and change the background on your image, hope you get something out of it.

Masking with Adobe Photoshop CS5

Here is the video

and here is the final image

Tips on masking in Adobe Photoshop CS5

Adobe Photoshop – Tips on masking

I cannot believe I haven’t made a post since Easter. I won’t make an excuse because excuses are like a***holes….everybody has one.

Instead I am going to try and help someone who asked me today how to use masks to replace a background. Here is a little demonstration using Adobe Photoshop CS5. There is no sound as I am using Adobe Captivate 5.5 Trial version and sound isn’t included.

Hope you get something out of it.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 – a review

A beta version of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 has just been released and as many have recommended this product as both an editing tool and a way to manage a large catalogue of photographs, I downloaded a copy and tried it out.

This is the first time that I have ever used Lightroom and at first glance it looks like a great tool. This beta version has no help in the upload but it was easy to navigate, import to a catalogue, name sets, add tags and metadata. I then tried some editing and again was surprised at the ease of use but when I uploaded it to Flickr….not the same as my screen at all. I then did the same tweaks in CS5 and uploaded to Flickr and got what I saw on the screen. Checked all the colour settings which all match up to SRGB. Baffling.

So verdict, great for catalogueing but as for editing won’t change yet until I know what is going on with the upload process. If that was sorted would be great for batch processing and reduce workflow considerably. Never did find out how to re-size an image for different mediums but I am sure it must be there somewhere.

Here are the two edits and before downloading they looked identical

Lightroom

Edit with Lightroom 4

CS5

Edit with CS5

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year

The last week before Christmas and I am not sure how many more posts I will make before the end of the year. Nearly all the shopping done but I have a shoot in Hampshire on Wednesday and one never knows how many jobs ‘her indoors’ will doll ou between now and then.

I wish all of you that follow me both here and on Flickr a very merry Christmas and I hope that the new year brings you everything that you wish for.

The model for this image is Victoria Summers

Merry Christmas with Victoria Summers

Do you re-touch your portrait photographs?

This is another question I am often asked. The answer is in most case almost certainly especially if the subject is female.

I was talking to a wedding photographer one time and I asked the same question. He told me that if he doesn’t re-touch he gets far less final sales.

The key is not to do too much. Don’t make a sixty year old look like a 30 year old but taking 5 or ten years off will almost certainly get you a sale.

You saw some images of Annie Moya yesterday. At 26 she has beautiful skin and to skin smooth her until she looks like a plastic mannequin would be a sin. She had a few small spots on her chin, you poor girls must hate those hormones doing that to you, and so a little spot removing with the clone tool is all that is needed.

Here is a before and after to show you what I did to her.

After Photshop

You will also find a few more examples here.

All in a day’s work

This clip contains the images I shot for a new customer today who is preparing to launch a new Brand for men.

24 images produced, styled and edited by me as one day’s work. The only thing about this type of product photography is you have no=one to talk to. I have a total of 90 to do so it will be Billy No Mates for me for a few days.

If you want to know how it was lit just make a comment

Russian Grafitti

I couldn’t help myself. Combining the images of some grafitti I took in Volgograd, Russia with Miss Pixie and FiresSecret. Hope you like them.

Beware of the Dog

Run

Madness

Studland Set 2

Continuing on from my last post about my Studland shoot, next in line was “Mistakes”, inspired by the saucy seaside postcards that you could buy in the 50’s and 60’s.

This was the inspiration card

Saucy Seaside Postcard Inspiration

Set 2 – “Mistakes”
The Brief

Saucy Postcard – Print and card sale

Saucy Seaside Postcard embarrassed dancer

Cast – Raphaella as dancer and MonModel as helper
Location – Preferably outside on lawn but if weather does not favour could use front hall
Make-Up – Stylised with dancer’s cheeks blushed
Hair – Dancer in ponytail, spectator hair up.
Wardrobe – Dancer in bright coloured TuTu and flesh coloured knickers, Helper bright sportswear and spectators in earth tones, coats, hats and maybe willies. (Will grab some of the others hanging about for this shot but no more than 4, Nikki might want to be in this as a spectator)
Props
Matching Tutu knickers
4 politician masks
Walking sticks (CStGPA)

The Shoot

The girls went off to change with Nikki fussing over them and I and my trusty assistant for the day, ‘Biscuit’, broke set and moved on to the next location. The sun was in and out of the clouds and so I decided to use two Bowens with reflective umbrellas to give an even light over both main subjects. Set up either side of camera and at head height. I used a shutter speed of 1/125 at F11. This gave me a wide depth of field making sure the main subjects and the audience were in focus.

With the camera on a tripod I set the models in position, marking their spots with coins so that I could always have them in the right part of the frame. After 18 shots we had it in the bag and here is the result.

Mistakes

Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance

STUDLAND SHOOT

The Studland shoots are always worth being involved with. The location is stunning with a magnificently furnished house, a greenhouse and grounds that go on forever down to the beach.

I was booked in for this shoot on February 1st and decided I would try and challenge myself, working with two models instead of concentrating on one. I felt I would be able to handle 5 set ups on the day and wanted to use a different light for each. Wanting to get the best from the day I worked up some ideas into a brief.

The story for the day was to be Harmony (With Nature). We live on this planet for a short time and seem to have “Not a care in the world”. We continue to make “Mistakes” while others watch on. With the internet we have lost our “Innocence” and should know better. It is our “Arrogance” that makes us attempt to better Nature. Why cannot we strive to be in “Harmony” with Her instead.

I knew I would need the help of a stylist and immediately contacted Nikita Sablier whose work I had been following with interest. She was as keen as mustard to get involved and the models were very happy with my ideas. Working with Nikki was a joy and we didn’t need the 3 months.

The Game was afoot…

Especially for you dog lovers

The assignment for this afternoon was to take some pictures of my neighbour’s six week old golden retriever puppies. There were eight puppies and all have been sold bar two. A photographer’s life is not so bad, lying out in the sun and watching little bundles of fur playing and capturing the moments for posterity.

Obviously no flash today and a fast shutter speed. F6.5 at 1/350th gave plenty of depth of field. I wanted sharp and was able to shoot at 200 ISO. Finally I had chosen my 18 to 55 Nikon lens so that I could get down with the little critters and catch them at their level. They tire easily and quickly so time was of the essence.

I was able to produce 26 edited images within 2 hours from shoot through edit which can be seen on my Flickr Photostream .

Here are two of my favorites.

Give Us A Hug

And Who Are You?