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Photoshop Assignments???
cletus
Registered Users Posts: 1,930 Major grins
The weekly assignments have been a lot of fun. I thought it might be fun to have Photoshop assignments as well. The assignments would have to be set up so that they could be accomplished with a variety of image editing programs (i.e. Photoshop, PS Elements, Paintshop, GIMP, etc.). Some ideas I had for assignments:
Does anyone else like this idea???
- Correcting a specific problem in a photo (for example correcting an underexposed photo). A problem photo could be posted along with the assignment so everyone would have the same starting point.
- Creative use of a tool. People could take their own pictures and use the specified tool (for example the hue/saturation adjustment) to create an abstract version of their original image.
Does anyone else like this idea???
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"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
Made even better if we could enslave a proficient Photoshopper to give us a tutorial at the end of the challenge period... you know, to show us the right way to do it so we could learn from them.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
I went to a Photo Shop training camp 2 weeks ago and really got some good ideas. I spent $200 on a program on DVD that should be here this week. Hope it's worth the money.
One of the guys I work with and I sit down and discuss PS tricks from time to time. It is really amazing how many different ways there are to arrive at the same end product.
What's the first project going to be?
Hutch
Open your document.
Create a duplicate layer.
Create an adjustment layer for threshold.
Name it Bob if you want to because we are going to cancel it shortly.
Note the blackest and whitest spots in the image.
When the threshold slider comes up, move the slider to the left until the only spot left is a black spot in the picture. (we are going to set the black and white for color correction).
When you find it, number less than 25 or so, shift click on the spot.
Go back to the slider and drag it to the right until you have a white spot.
Shift click on the spot. The number should be at least 225 -230.
Sometimes the white is not white, so you may not use this selection later.
When both are selected, cancel the threshold layer.
Create another adjustment layer, this time for levels.
When the layer opens, you will note the 3 eye droppers in the lower left corner of the box. The one on the left is for black.
Select the one on the left by clicking, then click on the spot selcted for black in the previous layer. The selected spot will be highlighted with a number 1.
Do the same for the one on the far right and select #2.
When I did this with this picture, there was no real white so I canceled and used the black adjustment only.
Next, I selected the area of the picture that was not the dog by drawing around the dog with the lasso tool and selecting inverse under selection.
Using Control J I brought this selection into its own layer, which allowed me to adust this section of the imager without changing the dog, which I was satisfied with.
Using levels, I really brought this area down to a point where it was not so washed out.
The last bit of change was in the dogs mouth, which was also washed out to some degree.
I again used the lasso tool and Control J to adjust only this area in a separate layer.
This sounds much more complicated than it is. Once you do it a few times, you will breeze right through it for all your images.
Results?
Before...
After..
I think the results are better. After trying this technique, you will most likely have a slightly different result, but it should please you. I hope this helps someone else. It really opened my eyes as to what some of my images should look like.
Hutch
I am by no means a Photoshop expert, but I would love to take a shot at writing up some tutorials (especially if the assignments are kept fairly simple). There are some other folks around here (Cough... Andy) who might be persuaded to write tutorials.
-Eric
Thanks for reminding me about Scott's technique. I'll have to go back and reread it.
I think you and I are thinking alike about the Photoshop challenge. It's a lot of work for one person, methinks. The more tutors with experience with all the imaging programs, the better, IMHO. Sure sounds like a fun way to learn. There's something rewarding about posting your material for others to see.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
The original taken from a moving boat, so it was hard to get a steady footing. The result, these 2 subject boats were pointing uphill.
After a little color correction and sharpening...
I used the Free Transform tool to select the entire image.
I then rotated the image to make the river horizontal.
All that remains is to crop the picture as per your desire.
Maybe not a great picture but much better than the original.
Hutch
Bring on the assignments!!!
If I can help at all... I have taken 2 full semesters of Photoshop, and Digital. Will be taking another semester on CS this fall... By no means a Pro with regard to PS etc, but might be able to help in some areas?
Would love a challenge.
Improve this image. Make the berries look more three dimensional, more round.
Work with the original, which is here.
If you like, use a different image, but the idea should be the same, make the subject seem to have three dimensional depth.
Entries should include not only the resulting image, but also the recipe.
Hint: More saturated colors appear closer. Of course, this excercise is suggested by the work of Dan Margulis and is based on an example in his book and on an excercise with a different image that I Dan assigned in his class, which I attended. Nevertheless, I have found this particularly hard to master.
Although this is a good assignment, when I was originally thinking about this topic I thought it would be good to start off very simple. I get the impression that a lot of the folks here at dgrin are fairly comfortable with PS (or some other image editing program) but it seems like there are quite a few folks that have a good program but aren't quite sure how to use it. If we start the assignments off slow some of those people could still take part. Hopefully with each assignment they would learn a little bit more and gradually the assignments could get more complex.
Another benefit of starting off slow is that the more experienced users might learn alternate ways of doing simple tasks and find a more efficient way of working.
As wxwax pointed out it would be nice to have a step-by-step tutorial available at the end of the assignment. Along with that, providing hints as rutt has is a great idea. Maybe the hints should go in a seperate thread so that someone reading the assignment doesn't see the hints unless they go looking for them???
I guess a lot of this is up to Baldy
-Eric
Why not start a thread for each assignment with a title like:
Eric:
You're right, though, simple would be the best way to begin. One of the early assignments I would suggest would be to change the color of a car. When using photoshop or such, we are supposed to remember that the final image should look natural and unretouched. (This being said after I presented my dog...) I would have to look in a box or two, but if Baldy would like, I would be glad to post some of the early "challenges" we were presented.
Just my fifty cents...
ginette
What's amazing is how simple this was:
- Image->Mode->LAB
- Curves->Channel A
- Invert the curve -- move the right side point to the top and the left side point to the bottom.
- Viola
The real trick is understanding why.Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
Rutt:
Glad that "Vickie" is happy... But please note that I did not paste her into the "pleasant summer day." I built the background...
This is a long process of instructions.... I will beging it tonight, and complete it in the morning.... So when you get to the bottom of these instructions, Save it as a Working Copy PSD if you want to be able to pick up from there and finish.
Also be aware for those who may not know. The working HISTORY is LOST when saved then CLOSED. When you re-open, the HISTORY will start fresh as a NEW Slate!
First I started with the "underexposed original."
Going to File
Save as: Changing it to a PSD
Next Select all: (If using PC-- Substitute the Control key for Mac) Mac A
Then: Mac C to Copy
And Paste Mac V 3 times
This will give you 3 New Layers.
Double clicking in the Layer palette will allow you to rename the Layer[/L]Name each layer- I always make it simple. Also, I instantly hide (make invisible) the Background Layer, by clicking on the EYE. This will allow you to have an Original Untouched Layer that You can Easily refer to, or Copy again should you need to.
1. Working Layer
2. Working Background
3. Spare
On the Working Layer:
Now, Using the Magic Wand and the Shift Key, Select the background. Continuing as needed to get as close to the Dogs head without capturing his head with the marching ants of the Magic Wand.
Note: That you can adjust the "Tolerance" at the top of the tool bar. Setting your Magic Wand Tolerance will allow you to determine how much of an area is selected each time you Click on the Mouse. Holding the Shift Key will add to the selection, Holding the Option/Alt Key will subtract from the selection.
When working with the Layer Magnify the Area so that you can get a clear view of what you are selecting.
Continue with the Magic Wand until all of the background is selected. If, (which there will be) there are areas that need more precision, You can use the Lasso Tool Add or Subtract by using the Shift to maintain selection and Add, and the Option/Alt to Subtract as you click.
Once Selection is Complete: Copy and paste as new Layer - Name as BackgroundScene
Select INVERSE: Copy & Paste as New Layer, Name as Dog Head
ADVANCED: Once entire Selection is complete, go to Path, create "Working Path," Save it with Name, ie. First "BackGround" then Repeat with New Saved Path for "Dog Head."
SAVE as DogWorkingCopy.PSD
Now You are ready to begin adjusting Each Layer.
I recommend begining with the Working Layere again, and using it as long as you can.
But that's all I can write for tonight. Hope this helps... I will go on if the interest is ther and you can follow what I am writing, to explain the building of the background and adjustments to correct or at least enhance the Subject, "Vickie."
Later,
ginette
Thanks WxWax... HE will be OK... But he is stiched up, & fairly Bruised up, to say the least.... Not too mention sore as heck. He had never had an IV before, and he has never been in the hospital, or injured really.... So this came as quite a shock to him.... I'm usually the one that is in that role, if any.... He truly was Blessed to have "Walked Out" as well as he did.
But thank you so much for the well wishes... I will pass them on, along with a terrible shot of the accident... No lighting other than a quick Pop-up on the Nikon 5700 and of course No tripod last night, so they are very poor... But you'll get the idea.
I remain, as always,
ginette
The recipe follows, but the theory is more insterting. In CMYK, the berries have much very light cyan and very heavy yellow and magenta. This is what makes them bright red. It also means that small changes in cyan will produce drammatic results; as more cyan is added, the red moves towad dark grey or even black. So we'd like to find or manufacture a cyan channel that has heavy cyan on the edges of the berries and light cyan in the centers. This will give depth to the berries because the brighter color will seem to be closer. We can also sharpen in the cyan channel to bring out detail in the berries.
Recipe:
I used the color correction process (in RGB) presented in in the PS Training camp. Since there was no real white in the picture, I used the following steps:
1. Duplicate layer.
2. New adjustment layer using threshold.
3. Set adjust point #1 to a black spot on the branch.
4. Cancel threshold.
5. New adjustment layer for levels.
6. Set the black sample pen to the #1 adjust point.
7. Applied unsharp mask on the background copy with about 90% on a 4 pixel radius.
8. New adjust layer with saturation at about +8 or +9.
I think this reduces the slight hazy look and pulls the berries out of the background.
Whaddayathink?
Hutch
Wow. Nice work, Hutch. That one was beyond my capabilities.
"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
I really enjoy this stuff.
Hutch
Dan Margulis used limes in the example in his book, In the chapter, "Plate Blending as Poetry". If you have the book, check out the end of the chapter and see the results for the model with the red dress and even cooler, the rose that is the emblem of this chapter of his book.
Now about those distracting backgrounds? I thought that was an assignment that everyone would get behind. Am I the only photographer whose shots are often spoiled by stuff in the background?
This may sound like a lot of work but it wasn't. I think it took all of five minutes:
The project - Make this picture look like it was taken during the late 30s. I have tried several different ways to "age" it and have not been completely happy with the results.
Take your best shot!
Hutch
My latest........
I cloned the lady out.
I selected a new adjustment layer - Channel Mixer.
Selected monochrome and played with the sliders until I got the desired intensity.
Added a fill layer with a dark brown fill at about 16% opacity.
Placed it in the frame.
This one is better than before, but I would like some other ideas. I'm not getting the results I want from black and white.
Hutch
Nice work with the cloning tool!