Michael Brown

Michael Brown

Refining Selection Edges

Slide Duration:

Table of Contents

Section 1: Introduction
Introduction To Photoshop

14m 46s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:09
Learning Photoshop
0:51
Key To Learning Photoshop
0:52
Four Categories of Photoshop
1:39
Selections
1:40
Corrections
2:23
Retouching
2:40
Manipulation
3:15
Bridge, Camera RAW, and Photoshop Overview
3:46
Bridge
3:47
Camera RAW
4:26
Photoshop
5:03
Example: Editing an Image
5:30
Working In Bridge
5:36
Working In Camera RAW
7:19
Working In Photoshop
9:15
Shadows & Highlights Adjustment
10:02
Cropping & Canvas Size Adjustment
10:49
Noise Adjustment
12:24
Lesson Summary
14:02
The Importance of Quality

17m 46s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
The Mantra of Quality
2:07
The Mantra of Quality
2:08
Setting Up Your Camera
3:50
Setting Up Your Camera For JPEG & RAW
3:51
Camera Image Quality and Image Size Screenshots
5:55
Some Tips on Taking Quality Photos
8:28
Fill The Frame & Compose your Shot Tightly In The Monitor
8:53
Example 1: Taking Quality Photos
9:20
Example 2: Taking Quality Photos
10:28
Example 3: Taking Quality Photos
10:53
Check Your Focus
11:46
Be Careful of Camera Shake
13:06
Make Sure That You Get The Best Exposure
14:24
Shoot Multiple Angles and Focal Lengths
15:14
Shoot Several Shots of a Scene If You Can
17:10
Light & Color

15m 27s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:06
A Simple Lesson in Light & Color
1:07
What is Light?
1:08
Brightness
1:19
Color
2:26
Transmitted Light vs. Reflected Light
3:01
Transmitted Light is Additive
4:34
Reflected Light is Subtractive
6:23
Why Is This Important In Photoshop?
7:16
Color Spaces
7:48
Visible Spectrum of Color
8:12
ProPhoto RGB
8:42
Adobe RGB
9:58
sRGB
10:40
CMYK
11:34
Set Camera to Adobe RGB and Photoshop Default to Adobe RGB
13:10
RGB vs. CMYK
14:11
White Balance and Monitor Calibration

17m 34s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:06
White Balance
0:55
What is White Balance?
0:56
White Balance Preset In Your Camera
1:53
Example: White Balance
3:09
Daylight
4:06
Tungsten
4:36
Shade
5:33
How Does White Balance Apply in Photoshop?
6:56
Camera RAW & Temperature Slider
6:57
Monitor Calibration
8:39
Monitor Calibration
8:40
Calibrating Your Monitor Overview
9:32
A Basic Color Monitor Calibration Method
10:51
A Basic Method for Calibrating to a Printer
13:25
Lesson Summary
17:03
Section 2: Workspace
The Workspace

20m 17s

Intro
0:00
The Work Space
0:15
Application Frame
0:16
The New Interface
2:22
The Tool Bar
4:28
The Options Bar
7:31
The Menu Bar
8:38
The Panels
9:16
Mini Bridge and Video Timeline
11:20
The Document Window
12:39
Arranging Documents
16:15
Customizing Your Workspace
17:33
Lesson Summary
19:27
The Tool Bar & Essential Shortcuts

14m 16s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:06
Essential Key Commands in Photoshop
0:43
Photoshop Tools - Defined
1:40
Photoshop CS6 Tools & Tool Shortcut Key
2:14
Photoshop CS6 Tools & Tool Shortcut Key: Overview
2:15
Move Tool
2:51
Hand Tool
3:04
Marquee Tool
3:26
Lasso Tool
3:42
Quick Selection Tool & Magic Wand Tool
4:11
Crop Tool
4:41
Perspective Crop Tool & Slice Tool
7:32
Color Sampler & Eyedropper Tool
8:09
Healing Brush Tool
9:14
Brush/Pencil Tool
9:28
Clone/Pattern Stamp Tool
9:37
History Brush Tool
9:52
Eraser Tool
10:07
Gradient
10:16
Blur/Sharpen/Smudge Tool
10:23
Dodge/Burn/ Sponge Tool
10:31
Pen Tool
10:43
Text Tool
10:50
Path Selection Tool
11:03
Shape Tool
11:09
Hand & Rotate View Tool
11:37
Zoom Tool
11:57
Quick Mask
13:01
Screen Mode
13:17
The Menu Bar

17m

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
File
0:34
New
0:50
Open
1:05
Browse in Bridge and Mini Bridge
1:14
Open as Smart Objects
1:33
Open Recent
1:56
Close, Close All, Close and Go to Bridge…
2:55
Save, Save As, and Save for Web
3:22
Place, Import, Export
4:00
Automate
4:09
Scripts
5:21
Edit
6:18
Undo, Step Forward, and Step Backward
6:19
Cut, Copy, Paste, and Paste Special
6:47
Fill and Stroke
7:10
Content-Award Scale & Puppet Warp
7:17
Free Transform and Transform
7:29
Color Settings & Keyboard Shortcuts
7:50
Image
8:27
Mode
8:30
Adjustments
9:07
Layer
10:08
Layer
10:09
Type
10:31
Type
10:32
Filter
11:24
Filter
11:25
View
12:04
Proof Setup & Colors
12:11
Rulers
12:46
Show Grid & Guides
13:04
Show Pixel Grid
13:58
Window
14:57
Window
14:58
Help
15:27
Help
15:28
Setting Preferences

18m 36s

Intro
0:00
Setting Preferences: General
0:21
Color Picker, HUD Color Picker, and Image Interpolation
0:22
Auto-Update Open Documents, Beep When Done, and Dynamic Color Sliders
1:54
Export Clipboard
2:27
Use Shift Key for Tool Switch
2:40
Resize Image During Place
3:15
Animated Zoom
3:51
Zoom Resizes Windows
4:30
Zoom with Scroll Wheel & Zoom Clicked Point to Center
5:01
Flick Panning
5:33
Vary Round Brush Hardness Based on HUD Vertical Movement
5:49
Place or Drag Raster Images as Smart Objects
6:06
Setting Preferences: Interface
6:33
Appearance
6:44
Options
7:08
Setting Preferences: File Handling
7:44
File Saving Options
7:45
File Compatibility
9:40
Camera Raw Preferences
10:34
Setting Preferences: Performance
12:35
Memory Usage
12:36
History & Cache
13:36
Graphics Processor Settings
14:05
Setting Preferences: Cursors
14:36
Painting Cursors
14:37
Other Cursors & Brush Preview
15:29
Setting Preferences: Transparency & Gamut
15:41
Transparency Settings
15:42
Gamut Warning
15:54
Setting Preferences: Units & Rulers
16:36
Units & Rulers
16:37
Setting Preferences: Guides, Grid & Slices
16:50
Guides, Grid and Slices
16:51
Setting Preferences: Plug-in & Type
17:52
Plug-in & Type
17:53
Section 3: Adobe Bridge
Adobe Bridge Overview

18m 13s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:06
The Basic Interface
0:53
Starting Adobe Bridge
0:54
General Tab
1:52
The Panels
3:50
The Panels
3:51
The Tools Bar
6:35
Navigation Tool
6:43
Favorites
7:20
Recent Files
7:33
Boomerang
7:48
Get Photos from Camera & Refines
8:17
Open in Camera Raw & Output
9:28
Thumbnail Qualities
9:56
Sorting Files
10:50
Workspace Layout
11:09
Filmstrip
11:32
Metadata
12:05
Output
12:15
Menu Bar
13:20
Menu Bar
13:21
Content View Controls
13:48
Content View Controls
13:49
Customizing the Workspace
15:25
Customizing the Workspace
15:26
Lesson Summary
17:19
Importing, Sorting, and Rating

22m 22s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:09
Preferences
0:32
Accessing Preferences
1:00
Appearance
1:13
Behavior
1:34
Favorite Items
2:00
Metadata
2:28
Menu Bar
3:14
File
3:15
Edit
4:04
View
4:48
Stacks and Label
5:33
Window
7:22
Importing Images
7:39
Getting Images
7:40
Selecting Specific Files
8:35
Save Options
11:17
Advanced Options
12:33
Apply Metadata
13:25
Editing & Rating
14:28
Editing & Rating
14:29
Filtering
20:34
Filtering
20:35
Lesson Summary
21:17
Getting Organized

13m 9s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Getting Organized
0:32
Stacks
0:33
Favorites
3:08
Collections
4:48
Keywords & Search by Filtering
7:07
Summary
11:00
Creating PDF's and Web Photo Galleries

8m 49s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:05
Creating PDF's
0:32
Getting Started
0:33
Output & Document
0:57
Layout & Overlays
2:28
Header
3:22
Web Photo Galleries
5:10
Getting Started
5:11
Output & Appearance
5:30
Create Gallery: Upload Location & Saving
7:05
Adobe Bridge Summary

11m 18s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:15
Summary of Principal Features in Adobe Bridge
0:27
The Bridge Workspace is Customizable
0:28
Downloading Images From a Camera Directly to Bridge
1:55
Sorting, Labeling, and Rating Images
3:01
Filter Panel
4:20
Favorites Panel
5:21
Navigation
7:51
Keywords and Metadata
8:19
Creating PDF's and Web Photo Galleries
10:17
Section 4: Camera RAW
Camera RAW

11m 44s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:43
What is RAW & Camera RAW?
1:02
JPEG
1:03
RAW
3:30
Camera RAW
4:17
Camera RAW
5:20
Choosing Your Files
5:21
Camera RAW Workspace
6:07
JPEG vs. RAW
7:08
Camera RAW, Part 2

22m 40s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:19
Why Use Camera RAW?
0:35
Why Use Camera RAW?
0:36
Why Bother With Photoshop?
1:16
Why Bother With Camera RAW?
2:03
A Quick Look at The Tool Bar and Tools
2:52
Getting Started in Camera RAW
2:53
Save Image, Open Image, and Done
3:50
A Quick Look at The Tool Bar and Tools
5:06
Basic Panel
8:18
Temperature Slider & Tint
8:19
Exposure
9:54
Highlights & Contrast
10:23
Whites and Blacks
11:14
Clarity
11:21
Vibrant and Saturation
12:13
Lens Corrections
13:25
Enable Lens Profile Corrections
13:56
Color Tab
15:34
Split Toning
18:10
Split Toning
18:11
Noise Reduction
18:39
Detail Panel
19:59
Noise Reduction
20:23
Tone Curve
21:36
Tone Curve
21:45
Section 5: Photoshop Basics
Categories

11m 28s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:06
The Four Basic Categories in Photoshop
2:10
The Four Basic Categories in Photoshop Overview
2:36
Selection
3:01
Correction
4:14
Retouch
4:47
Manipulation
5:31
Some Important Tools and Valuable Shortcuts
6:23
Hand Tool
6:30
Move Tool
7:21
Zoom Tool 1
7:56
Zoom Tool 2
8:39
Zoom Tool 3
9:13
Quick Mask
9:38
Gradient Tool
10:58
File Formats

9m 37s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
The Primary File Formats in Photoshop
0:41
PSD
1:10
TIFF
3:09
JPEG
4:20
PNG
5:55
GIF
6:22
PDF
7:01
DNG
7:37
Image Size, Canvas Size, & Resolution

20m 54s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:06
Image Size & Resolution
0:49
Pixel Dimensions & Document Size
1:31
Canvas Size
13:48
Canvas Size
13:49
Saving Your Images

17m 18s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:06
Saving Your Images
0:27
Save & Save As
0:28
Save in Background and Auto Save
6:04
Save for Web
8:27
Cropping & Straightening

13m 59s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Correcting for Lens Distortion and Camera Vignetting
0:50
Correcting for Lens Distortion and Camera Vignetting
0:51
Straightening Horizons
4:06
Straightening Horizons
4:07
The New Interface & Cropping
6:20
The New Interface & Cropping
6:21
Perspective Cropping
10:10
Perspective Cropping
10:11
Brushes

28m 3s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:08
Basic Brushes
2:17
Introduction to Basic Brushes
2:18
Brush Control Panel
3:47
Brush Control Panel: Mode
4:19
Brush Control Panel: Opacity
5:04
Brush Control Panel: Pressure
5:11
Brush Control Panel: Flow
6:44
Brush Control Panel: Airbrush Control
7:46
Brush Sizing Shortcuts
8:54
Adjusting Brush Size and Hardness Shortcuts
8:55
Bush Controls
11:54
Brush Controls
11:55
Types of Brushes
16:25
Bristle Brushes
16:26
Erodible Tip Brushes
17:54
Air Brushes
19:18
Mixer Brushes
22:25
How to Make a Custom Basic Brush
25:02
Sharpening Methods

18m 3s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Sharpening Terms
1:58
Amount
2:11
Radius
3:06
Threshold
3:44
Sharpening Methods
4:29
Sharpen
4:30
Sharpen More
5:42
Sharpened Edges
6:53
Smart Sharpen
9:04
Unsharp Mask
11:08
High Pass Sharpening
12:48
Exposure & Color, Part 1

18m 43s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:06
Exposure and Color Overview
0:29
The Mantra & The Controls
0:30
Auto Exposure & Color Controls
0:59
Manual Exposure Controls
1:46
Color Controls
2:21
Adjustment Demonstration 1
3:20
Curves & Auto Color Correction Options
4:37
Brightness/Contrast
7:47
Levels
8:36
More On Curves
10:15
Adjustment Demonstration 2
13:26
Using Curves
14:02
Adjustment Demonstration 3
16:10
Using Curves
16:18
Lesson Summary
18:12
Exposure & Color, Part 2

26m

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Demonstration 1: More on Curves and Levels
2:19
Levels
2:52
Curves
5:54
Demonstration 2: More on Curves and Level
8:11
Curves
8:12
Demonstration 3: Shadows & Highlights
11:09
Overview
11:10
Shadow and Highlights
12:16
Demonstration 4: Hue/Saturation and Vibrance
15:46
Hue/ Saturation
15:47
Vibrance
20:06
Demonstration 5: Color Balance
22:52
Color Balance
24:09
Exposure & Color, Part 3

21m 4s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Demonstration 1: Exposure and Color Correction
2:20
Images Overview
2:23
Correction In Camera RAW
4:59
Correction Using Color Balance
8:43
Demonstration 2: Exposure and Color Correction
13:40
Correction Overview
13:41
Shadow/Highlights
15:04
Curves
16:38
Vibrance
17:21
Hue/Saturation
17:49
Back to Curves
19:19
Images Comparison
19:38
Gradients

24m 5s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
The Paint Bucket & Gradient Tool
0:37
The Paint Bucket Tool
0:38
The Gradient Tool
3:20
The Gradient Editor
10:07
The Gradient Editor
10:08
The Gradient Map Feature
16:26
The Gradient Map Feature
16:27
The Gradient Mask
20:55
The Gradient Mask
20:56
Lesson Summary
23:13
The Transform Tools

20m 5s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Transform Tools: Overview
0:21
Introduction to the Transform Tools
0:22
Scale
2:16
Skew
3:57
Distort
4:34
Perspective
5:00
Warp
5:38
Scale & Skew
6:45
Scale & Skew Demonstration
6:46
Distort
8:39
Distort Demonstration
8:40
Perspective
12:38
Perspective Demonstration
12:39
Warp Demonstration
13:35
Adaptive Wide Angle
14:28
Puppet Warp
15:46
Puppet Warp Demonstration
15:47
Actions

16m 17s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:06
The Actions Panel
1:30
The Actions Panel
1:31
Preset Actions
3:11
Wood Frame
3:12
Sepia Toning
4:34
Molten Lead
4:43
Gradient Map
5:13
Creating An Action
6:05
Creating An Action Demonstration 1
6:06
Creating An Action Demonstration 2
8:33
The Batch Command
12:30
The Batch Command
12:31
Lesson Summary
15:22
Section 6: Selections
Introduction to Selections

24m 41s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Introduction to Selections
1:28
Apps and Plug-ins for Photo Correction
1:29
Introduction to Selections
5:26
The Principal Selection Tools: Marquee
7:39
The Principal Selection Tools: Lasso
8:15
The Principal Selection Tools: Quick Selection and Magic Wand
8:42
The Principal Selection Tools: The Pen Tool
9:09
The Principal Selection Tools: Quick Masks & Layer Masks
9:33
Panels: Refine Edge
12:04
Panels: Mask Panel
12:50
Panels: Channels
13:07
Panels: Paths
13:25
Functions: Feather
13:36
Functions: Calculation
14:19
Selections Demonstration 1: Scenery
15:08
Selections Demonstration 2: Car
20:04
Selections Demonstration 3: People
22:51
Lesson Summary
24:06
Selection, Part 1

19m 32s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Marquee Tool
2:44
Marquee Tool (Rectangular and Oval)
2:45
Lasso Tool
7:07
Lasso Tool (Freehand and Polygonal)
7:08
Quick Selection Tool
10:28
Quick Selection Tool
10:29
Magic Wand Tool
11:38
The Magic Wand Tool
11:39
Demonstration 1: Scenery
13:44
Demonstration 2: Flower
15:10
Quick Mask
16:12
Brief Look At The Magnetic Lasso Tool
17:50
Lesson Summary
18:56
Selection, Part 2

31m 29s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Basic Selection Shortcuts
1:24
Basic Selection Shortcuts
1:25
Demonstration 1
4:50
Magic Wand Tool
6:10
The Quick Selection Tool
6:38
The Polygonal Lasso Tool
7:26
Saving and Loading Selection
11:25
Free Hand Lasso Tool Correction
12:54
Painting in Quick Mask to Adjust a Selection
15:49
Image Adjustments
17:45
Demonstration 2
20:50
Painting in Quick Mask & Adjusting the Image
20:51
Lesson Summary
30:46
Feather

13m 24s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
What is Feather?
0:53
Demonstration 1: Fixing the Water
1:26
Demonstration 2: Feather Sample
4:32
Demonstration 3: Fixing the Cove
6:42
Refining Selection Edges

31m 28s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Demonstration 1: Scenery
1:42
Recapping The Use of Feather
1:43
Refine Edge
4:30
Demonstration 2: Flower
10:00
Selection of The Flower
10:01
Preparing The Selection for Cutting Out an Image for Composition
14:01
Demonstration 3: Scenery
19:02
Selection: Grow and Similar
19:03
Edge Detection and Refine Radius Tool
22:21
Lesson Summary
29:52
Pen Tool, Part 1

25m 33s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:06
The Pen Tool
2:11
Free Form Pen Tool
2:24
Convert Point Tool
5:10
Pen Tool: Shape & Path
7:13
Making Selection With The Pen Tool
8:05
Demonstration 1: Car
18:22
Using The Pen Tool to Make Selection Around a Car
18:23
Pen Tool Summary
22:46
Practice Assignment
23:26
Pen Tool, Part 2

26m 8s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:08
The Pen Tool Recap
0:27
The Pen Tool - Part 2: Working With Points On A Path
2:11
Adjusting a Point For a Sharp Corner
2:51
Activate and Non-Active Points
5:01
Activating a Point(s) & Moving a Point
5:55
Deleting Single and Multiple Points
8:43
Demonstration 1: Automobile
10:17
Adding a Point
11:35
More On Deleting Single and Multiple Points
14:45
How Far Apart to Place Points to Make a Path
16:08
Saving a Path
21:35
Filling or Stroking a Path
23:02
Lesson Summary
25:48
Alpha Channels & Calculations

20m 7s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:06
Demonstration 1: Scenery
1:43
Alpha Channels: What Are They & How to Use Them
1:44
Demonstration 2: Car
8:05
Working With Alpha Channels
8:06
Introduction to Calculations
13:15
Demonstration 3: People
14:54
More On Alpha Channels & Calculations
14:55
Lesson Summary
19:35
Section 7: Layers, Layer Masks, & Composites
Layers & Adjustment Layers

22m 10s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Layers Basics & The Layer Panel
1:46
Layers Basics & The Layer Panel
1:47
Organize Layers
10:16
Layer Style
12:06
Add Layer Mask
12:27
Adjustment Layers
13:32
Adjustment Layers - Why & How
16:46
Example: Using Adjustment Layers
16:47
Lesson Summary
21:34
Layers & Adjustment Layers, Part 2

21m 24s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:06
Unlocking The Background Layer & Linking Layers
0:30
Unlocking The Background Layer
0:31
Linking Layers
3:36
Adjustment Layers & Layer Masks
7:15
Adjustment Layers & Layer Masks
7:16
Masks vs. Alpha Channels
17:18
Mask vs. Alpha Channels
17:19
Layers & Masks Examples

16m 29s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Layers, Masks & Adjustments
1:04
Making The Selection, Layers, and Mask
1:05
Adjustments: Cove & Ocean
6:42
Adjustments: Sky
12:06
Adjustments: Land
13:44
Layer Composites, Part 1

26m 4s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Seeing Digitally & Selecting Your Composite Elements
1:24
Seeing Digitally
1:25
Selecting Your Composite Elements: Size, Lighting, Perspective, and Color Match
3:57
Creating a Composite
10:10
Creating a Flawless Element Edge
10:11
Moving a Layer From One File to Another
18:15
Changing the Color
23:39
Lesson Summary
24:45
Composites Part 2

24m 6s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:06
Creating The Composite
2:21
Images Overview
2:22
Sharpening The Image
5:08
Moving & Placing Layers
6:45
Retouching The Wall
9:28
Retouching The Wall Under The Flowers
12:24
Adding Shadow With The Burn Tool
14:58
Adding The Lawnmower
17:24
Lesson Summary
23:38
Section 8: Retouching
Basic Retouching: Tools & Techniques

28m 56s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
The Basic Retouching Tools and How to Properly Use Them: Demonstration 1
2:39
Image Overview
2:40
Rubber Stamp Tool
4:04
Spot Healing Brush Tool
15:18
The Basic Retouching Tools and How to Properly Use Them: Demonstration 2
19:36
Healing Brush, Spot Healing Brush, and Rubber Stamp
19:37
Patch Tool
24:30
Lesson Summary
27:34
Content Aware Functions

23m 10s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Content Aware Fill
1:39
Using the Content Aware Fill
1:40
Content Aware Move
8:10
Using the Content Aware Move
8:11
Content Aware Scale
11:30
Content Aware Scale: Demonstration 1
11:31
Content Aware Scale: Demonstration 2
15:06
Content Aware Extend
17:30
Content Aware Extend: Demonstration 1
17:31
Content Aware Extend: Demonstration 2
20:05
Lesson Summary
21:34
Retouching People: Part 1

21m 33s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Retouching People: Part 1
1:36
Retouching The Skin
1:37
Retouching Around The Eyes
6:01
Retouching The Eyes
12:06
Body Contouring: Chest
17:33
More On Retouching The Skin
20:12
Retouching People: Part 2

24m 25s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Retouching People: Part 2
1:29
Retouching The Lips
2:30
Retouching The Teeth
8:55
More On Retouching The Lips
11:43
Body Contouring: Face
13:40
Advanced Techniques For Retouching Skin
17:33
Retouching People: Part 3

20m 28s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:09
Advanced Techniques For Retouching Portraits
0:59
Advanced Techniques For Retouching Portraits: Part 1
1:00
Advanced Techniques For Retouching Portraits: Part 2
8:14
Retouching Hair
14:02
Retouching Hair: Part 1
14:03
Retouching Hair: Part 2
15:55
Section 9: Filters and Blends
Basic Filters & Blend Modes

18m 26s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:06
Basic Filters
0:36
Basic Filters Overview
0:37
Filter Gallery
1:48
Filter Gallery: Plastic Wrap
3:11
Filter Gallery: Texturizer
4:17
Blend Modes
5:40
Blend Modes Overview
5:41
Dissolve
6:06
Darken & Darken Color
6:55
Lighten
7:26
Hue, Saturation, Color and Luminosity
8:12
Demonstration 1: Lighting Effects Filter
8:41
Preparing The Image
8:42
Adding Lens Flare
9:31
Filter: Render Lighting Effects
9:51
Adding Another Lighting Effects Filter
11:38
Adding Lighting Effects Filter To The Background
13:13
Demonstration 2: More On Filters & Blend Modes
14:40
Blend Modes Demonstration
14:41
Oil Paint Filters Demonstration
15:56
Lesson Summary
18:06
Blur Filters

25m 12s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Blur & More Blur
0:54
Blur: Average
0:55
Blur
1:46
Blur More
2:41
Gaussian Blur
3:18
Gaussian Blur
3:19
Box, Lens, and Shape Blur
4:42
Box Blur
4:43
Lens Blur
6:38
Shape Blur
7:50
Motion and Radial Blur
8:39
Motion Blur
8:40
Radial Blur
9:05
Smart and Surface Blur
10:04
Smart Blur
10:05
Surface Blur
11:39
The New Blur Gallery
14:05
Tilt/Shift Blur: Demonstration 1
14:33
Tilt/Shift Blur: Demonstration 2
17:26
Field Blur
19:05
Iris Blur
22:16
The Liquify Filter

16m 17s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:16
Demonstration 1: Using the Liquify Filter
0:34
Introduction to The Liquify Filter
0:35
The Liquify Filter Workspace and Tools Overview
1:50
The Push Tool
3:38
The Pucker Tool
3:48
The Bloat Tool
4:02
Adjusting the Face
4:15
Adjusting the Eyes
6:32
Adjusting the Body
9:24
Demonstration 2: Using the Liquify Filter
11:41
Adjusting the Image
11:42
Using The Mask Tools in the Liquify Filter
13:12
Vanishing Point Filter

18m 45s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Retouching In Perspective
0:28
Vanishing Point Filter
0:29
3D Compositing
6:44
Step 1: 3D Compositing Overview
6:45
Step 2: Creating a Plane With The Vanishing Point Filter
9:35
Step 3: Pasting and Editing The Image
11:26
Step 4: Blend Mode
15:19
Section 10: Text
Using Text In Photoshop

31m 49s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Using Text In Photoshop
2:50
Type Tools Overview
2:51
Vertical Type Tool Demonstration
3:31
Character and Paragraph Type Panels
3:51
Linear Text
4:37
Font, Font Style, and Font Size
8:09
Leading
10:40
Tracking
11:59
Kerning
12:35
Letter Height & Width Distortion
15:45
Text Color
16:31
Character Adjustments
17:22
Paragraph Text
19:07
Alignment & Justification
19:11
Indent
23:08
Add Space
23:35
Put Type In Photograph
24:20
Put Type In Photograph
24:21
Guides and Grids
26:26
Guides and Grids
26:27
Manipulating Text

13m 58s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:06
Manipulating Text
0:36
Warping Text
0:37
Rasterize & Free Transform
3:26
Clipping Paths
5:40
Type Effects: Bevel & Emboss
7:53
Type Effects: Drop Shadow
10:06
Type Effects: Pattern Overlay
11:17
Type Effects: Stroke
12:47
Lesson Summary
12:58
More Text Effects

16m 31s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Type On A Path
0:36
Creating A Path
0:37
Texts On A Path & How To Modify Them
1:48
Chrome Type
6:58
Step 1: Getting Started
6:59
Step 2: Rasterizing & Gradient
9:20
Step 3: Bevel & Emboss
10:45
Step 4: Merge Layer
11:10
Step 5: Curves Adjustment Layer
11:54
Step 6: Adding Color
13:54
Chrome Type Summary
14:43
Lesson Summary
15:56
Section 11: Cool Features
Colorize and Black & White Conversion

13m 16s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Demonstration 1: Colorize
0:32
Colorize
7:30
Demonstration 2: Black & White Conversion
7:40
Black & White Conversion Using Hue/Saturation
7:41
Black & White Conversion Using Grayscale
8:51
Black & White Conversion Using Black & White Adjustment
9:30
Demonstration 3: Black & White Conversion
11:25
Black & White Adjustment
11:26
Panorama

22m 6s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
Shooting For The Panorama
0:50
Hold The Camera Steady
0:51
Overlap Your Images
1:36
Use The Same Exposure
2:02
Use The Same Zoom
2:44
Apply The Same Correction to Each Image
3:03
Scenic
3:25
Correct Way To Shoot a Panorama
3:26
Creating A Panorama In Photoshop
5:42
Adjusting The Images
6:22
Lining Up The Images
8:21
Photomerge Overview
10:02
Photomerge: Auto
12:34
Photomerge: Auto & Geometric Distortion Correction
15:36
Photomerge: Spherical
17:10
Photomerge: Collage
18:18
Photomerge: Reposition
19:20
Panorama Images Conclusion
20:10
HDR

20m 32s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
High Dynamic Range (HDR) Overview
0:21
HDR Overview
0:22
How To Shoot HDR
2:49
How To Shoot HDR
2:50
Processing HDR in Photoshop
7:09
Merge Files to HDR Pro
7:10
Exposure Value (EV)
9:21
Looking at The Image
10:08
Mode: 8 bit, 16 bit, and 32 bit
11:49
Highlight Compression, Exposure and Gamma, Local Adaptation, and Equalize Histogram
13:00
Preset: Photorealistic
13:46
Preset: Scott5
14:25
Custom Preset: Edge Glow
15:25
Custom Preset: Tone and Detail
17:02
Custom Preset: Advanced & Curve
17:48
Final Result
18:41
Photo Frame Effect

21m 27s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:08
Preparing Your Image
0:44
Gradient Overlay & Blend Mode
0:45
Layer Mask & Curves Adjustment
6:35
Merging Effects
13:07
Creating The 3D Frame
17:00
Step 1: Canvas Size
17:01
Step 2: Inner Shadow
18:08
Step 3: Sign The Image
19:49
Lesson Summary
20:49
Creating & Editing Video

26m 19s

Intro
0:00
Lesson Overview
0:07
The Video Workspace Overview
1:44
The Video Workspace Overview
1:45
Creating & Editing Video Demonstration
6:46
Importing Media
6:47
Organizing & Editing Your Clips
7:48
Adding Transitions
14:54
Using Adjustment Layers to Modify Clips
16:57
Adding Still Images
19:10
Adding a Soundtrack
20:28
Rendering Your Video
21:23
Lesson Summary
22:14
Final Edited Video
24:37
Section 12: Course Summary
Course Summary

6m 38s

Intro
0:00
Photoshop Course Summary
0:11
Photoshop Course Summary
0:12
Image Adjustments Review
2:11
Custom Shapes Review
5:19
Final Tip
6:03
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Refining Selection Edges

  • Refine Edge lets you modify your selection by controlling the feather, softness, and/or the expansion or contraction of the selection edge.
  • The Edge Detection feature allows you to select very fine detail such as hair, or sky through the leaves and branches of a tree, and so on - an AMAZING feature!

Refining Selection Edges

Lecture Slides are screen-captured images of important points in the lecture. Students can download and print out these lecture slide images to do practice problems as well as take notes while watching the lecture.

  • Intro 0:00
  • Lesson Overview 0:07
  • Demonstration 1: Scenery 1:42
    • Recapping The Use of Feather
    • Refine Edge
  • Demonstration 2: Flower 10:00
    • Selection of The Flower
    • Preparing The Selection for Cutting Out an Image for Composition
  • Demonstration 3: Scenery 19:02
    • Selection: Grow and Similar
    • Edge Detection and Refine Radius Tool
  • Lesson Summary 29:52

Transcription: Refining Selection Edges

Hi everybody, Michael Brown with you here again.0000

Welcome back to educator.com's Adobe Photoshop CS6 course.0002

In this lesson, we're going to be talking more about modifying and perfecting selections and making them flawless.0007

In the last few lessons we've looked at the tools, how to make, add and subtract, modify, paint selections in the last lesson.0016

We looked at feather, how to adjust the softness and thickness of the edge.0024

In this lesson, we're going to go further into refining the edge of the selection.0029

First of all, we're going to do a little recap on the use of feather, we're going to go into the refine edge dialog box.0035

If you look at your Toolbar, and every one of the selection tools over here--it's grayed out right now because we don't--I'll just make an active selection, and now you see that the refine edge button is highlighted.0045

Also with the Lasso tools--there it is here...with the Magic Wand tool--there it is there, and with the Quick Selection tool, it's even there.0063

Now the Pen tool does not have it, but once you get a selection with any tool that does not have the easy access to the refine edge, you can always go to the Select menu and right above the Modify dropdown menu you will see refine edge there!0073

So as long as you have an active selection--doesn't matter what tool you're in--you can get to the refine edge dialog box through the Select menu.0092

OK, alright, so let's go and take a look at this shot that we did before and I want to do a little bit of recap and we'll move forward at the same time.0101

Remember we selected the sky in this particular shot, and we found that the Quick Selection tool did not necessarily do the best job because as it looked for the edges, you can see it right there, it dropped down because it was unable to detect that specific edge, and it dropped down to find a harder point of contrast and texture.0114

So we tried the Magic Wand tool, and remember you can adjust your tolerance--the wider the tolerance, the wider the range of color--if I run this up to like 65 and I click it's probably going to go crazy, look what happened.0139

It pulled all the way down past the mountains, almost down to the greenery.0157

If we drop back to about 35, it's still too much, but if we drop down around let's say 11, we don't get it all--there's the band of similar color to correspond to a tolerance of 11...0162

Then we hold our Shift key to get the plus sign or you can go directly to the add icon, click and expand it...I didn't add, I just did that so it took a new one...Shift to add, there's that--Shift one more time, and you can now see that.0180

Let's zoom up with Command on a Mac, Control on a PC and the spacebar, we'll scrubby zoom on up...and here we are--you see we got a really nice tight edge to the mountain line between the mountains and the sky.0197

We're going to take a look with Quick Mask at the edge of that selection--let's zoom it up, Command or Control plus a few times, and look what happens with the Magic Wand, and the Quick Selection does have anti-alias in, it smooths slightly but not necessarily enough.0216

In this case, you can tell we have no feather--you can see that by the jaggies, so that's going to be a little prohibitive to make a smooth blend, so how do we deal with that?0234

Remember in the past, we could have gone Select, Modify, feather and picked a number, but you don't necessarily see immediately what the number's doing until you type it in, then you back to Quick Mask and you go "gee, that's a little too soft", so we're just going to go ahead and back that out to where we've got the hard one.0246

Well, there's another way, and that, as I pointed out, was the refine edge dialog box--it's a very powerful little tool, so in this case we're going to click refine edge.0270

Before we go into modifying, let's just take a look at the overall box and how it's laid out--the dialog box.0286

Up on the top you have a choice of view mode, when you click on this little arrow we get a dropdown menu.0294

Now we are highlighted on the overlay mode which is the same as the Quick Mask--I particularly like this view because we're used to seeing it anyway.0303

If you want to just see the crawling ants without Quick Mask--there you have it, you can also make the masked area black with transparency for the selected area.0313

You can also go white for the mask plus transparency, or remember the channels which we're going to talk about in the next lesson, there's basically viewing it as a channel--white and black, you can view it on a layer or you can reveal--that's if we had transparency on a layer, that's what the checkerboard is.0325

Let's just go ahead and leave it at the overlay--to me this is the best way to look at it--I can see what's going on, I recognize it, I'm used to using the Quick Mask, so why get used to something else--have it the same.0350

Alright, now there's a couple of other check boxes back here.0363

This is called Edge Detection which we're going to talk about in the next example.0369

Down here below that we have a box--adjust edge; smooth, feather, contrast and shift.0375

I'm going to cancel for a moment, remember the modify?0383

Smooth, expand and contract which is the expand...I forgot what it said down here--shift edge is the same as expand and contract, the border is the same as right here.0387

In other words we have the same tools except now this has been here--the modify, all the way along with Photoshop, but now it's incorporated into this dialog box refine edge so you can actually watch what's going on!0408

What a wonderful feature--you don't have to do something, go out see if it works, if it worked fine, if it didn't you have to undo it, go back and do it again and so on.0425

So, in this case we're just going to punch in let's try one pixel of feather, and right off the bat it shows you what's going on...look.0433

If we just scrubby zoom it (I think we can scrubby) we'll just take it down to zero, we up it to let's say two or three--you can see it's getting real soft, but one pixel, remember when we were talking about feather and I showed you the example?0446

To take a hard edge and just make a nice, clean, smooth edge, one pixel of feather.0463

You never want to leave it at zero, so now you can see already that we have a really nice, smooth edge (we'll zoom out just a little bit) see how wonderfully smooth that is--just perfect for what we wanted to do.0469

So that shows you how we'd use just the feather right here, I'll give you a preliminary example of what shift edge is.0485

We have a selection of the sky, if we saw some edge you could either go expand (that is widen that selection) notice how it pushed down and you can see the mountain top, so we took the whole selection and made it go outward, or you can pull it inward and let's go to zero first...0494

You can see that's the zero point--watch what happens...notice it jumped inside--hard to see here because it's just a solid color, so you can shift that edge--that was the same as you saw under the Modify, expand and contract.0516

The contrast increases the contrast on the edge, and the higher the contrast the sharper it gets, so contrast effectively sharpens up and hardens the edge a little bit, smoothing does exactly the opposite, just tends to--look at that, see it tends to take the little corners out, it really smooths off the edges a lot.0530

Let's just back that off a little bit and you can see what it did--it actually on the mountain top, when we got the full smooth--you can see just a little bit of white where it was zero smoothing, see how it follows the contours better?0553

So you have a choice of smoothing, feather which softens, contrast which actually sharpens the edge, and shifting the edge--all four of these options are right here, and then there's this decontaminate colors which has to do with the edge detection--we'll deal with that down the line.0567

So all we had to do here was put in the one pixel of feather--we see we have a nice, smooth edge line--we click OK, we can just double check it if you want and there it is.0583

Now we've done that--that's how we adjust the feather the easy way, so you can see exactly what you're doing.0593

Alright, let's go over to...this flower right here, and we're going to deal with...0600

In a future lesson we'll be using this flower in another image to make a photo composite, but right now we're going to talk about the selection of the flower.0611

Now I think we did this in selections--we also used this flower and showed that the Magic Wand tool having to click around even with (let's run that up to like 55 and click)...what did it do?0621

Ah, there we go...you notice that it didn't get all of the areas of color and then if we Shift click, it's going to take some time--it'll eventually get there, but we're having to spend time.0645

Time is the critical factor when you're making selections and we've done a pretty decent job here with this multiple clicking, it's OK, but we could've done in faster.0661

In this case, we use the Quick Selection tool; drop our brush size down just a little bit, and remember you don't go all the way out to the edge, let the tool find the edge--it's looking for edges, and notice as I just drag here and stay away from the edges it finds them, it's going out to look.0672

And we just keep coming around...and it missed a little bit down there with some greenery but that's OK and I'll drag across here, and notice how much more quickly we made that selection using the Quick Selection tool.0693

Now, we're going to modify that a little bit because we missed a spot down here, we're already on the add icon so I'm just going to add a little bit more right there--it cooked and found that edge, and I want to subtract here so I'll just use the icon this time, and come around fairly close to the flower but I don't want to touch the pink because if I touch the pink it'll just move on inside.0708

I think we've done a pretty good job--let it cook, just a little bit right there on the corner, OK.0736

Now we'll check it again with our Quick Mask, but in this case the Quick Mask is red, doesn't work really well--I can see already we missed a couple of spots.0743

Now, the way we're going to deal with that and an edge right here, we'll just go ahead and paint more mask, remember?0752

So we'll just go over where it's only a small percentage with 100%, clean up that little edging right there, make the brush a little smaller, and we'll paint up around the edge--now we can't do a tremendously accurate job, otherwise we'd spend an enormous amount of time, but we'll take care of that right now.0759

You can see we're just a little...I hope you can see this, see how it's a little outside the edge of the flower?0783

It went slightly past--you can see that in every aspect--see the little dark edge, so we got a little too far, not bad--oh yes there's a good spot to look at it right there.0792

See we got just past the edge of the flower?0805

OK, no problem.0809

The first thing I want to do is change the color to blue so we can see this more accurately...and we'll go back in and now I can show you that on the edge.0810

See we're just a little out from the edge--the Quick Selection found that, and you do notice though (let's go up to the top here) that the edge is not really, really harsh like it was with the Magic Wand, it's got an amount of harshness--you can see edging...see right here you can see pixels but it's not as bad--that's that smoothing slightly.0821

But we need to take care of that, so OK, out of Quick Mask, back to the refine edge dialog box.0846

Now we're in the Move tool, I'm not even going to go back--Select, refine edge, there's my dialog box and there's our normal view again--back.0853

The first thing I want to do is we look at the edge, I want to feather it just a little bit but instead of just feathering let's try smoothing...now see what that did, it actually softened the edge too much--I'm sorry, I was using the wrong tool.0863

Smoothing just did a pretty decent job, look at that.0880

I'm going to zoom that--let me find a brighter spot on the flower so you can see it better...yes, here we are.0884

Let's go back to zero...and let's smooth it and see what happens here, it's hard to see but it's taken out those corners--remember that's what it does, we want to get all of the shape, so let's feather it again.0892

Let's feather one pixel...and it's hard to see what happened...let's go around to this side right here and back that off--there you can see it a little bit--I'm actually going to feather two pixels.0906

We got a little softer, you see that?0921

Watch right on the edge, now it's at zero pixels, now it's at two and there's a reason I did this--I'll show you in a minute.0924

OK so I've feathered it which means it went outward a little bit, and when we're getting past that edge again so it's going to have an excess edge--the reason we're doing this is to cut out--let me show you, let's stop right with this, and we're going to cut the flower out...0931

Command or Control+C to copy, Command or Control+N for a new file, what it does--if you've got something in the clipboard that you've copied and you go Command or Control+N to make a new file, it will make a new file that is just large enough to contain the object in the clipboard.0950

So now if we paste--Command on a Mac, Control on a PC, the letter V--there's the flower, but see what happened, by feathering the two we softened it and we got too far out on the edge, so if we're compositing this item it's going to have a distinct line around it that gives away the fact that it wasn't real, so I'm going to undo that, go back to our flower...0976

And so what we're going to do is we're going to go back into the refine edge box again.1001

Now we've feathered it, we've already feathered it so it has that soft edge, but now what we're going to do, we're going to shift the edge.1006

I want to get back inside the flower so we get away from that dark edge so I'm going to move it to the minus side--watch, see how it pulled in?1015

I'm going to pull it in as far as I can go, I'm going to click OK and you can actually see it, there's your crawling ants--notice how the crawling ants have moved inside the flower, and if we go to Quick Mask you can actually see the edge of the flower is inside the mask.1023

So now when we copy (Command on a Mac, Control on a PC, the letter C) we'll go back to our blank document and go Command or Control+V to paste, and let's take a look at the edge of that flower.1043

Look at that, see how nice and clean the edge is now?1058

And it's also feathered soft but not too soft so you can see detailing all the way around the edge work of the flower, so what have we learned from that?1062

Let's go back to the flower, zoom out a little bit, go into the refine edge dialog box, so originally what we did is we made the selection with a Quick Selection which was a little harsh, we did a two pixel feather this time, just a little more to push it softer.1075

Then we contracted the flower selection inward until it came inside the actual boundary, and with the softer edge, and inside the flower when we copied it and pasted it, it actually removed that hard edge because we come inside, so now you see one usage for the (let's go back over to the flower) for the refine edge dialog box.1095

In addition to feather, you can control the edge smoothness and you can shift it--make the entire selection expand or contract, really cool and this is a real key in compositing is to get those smooth, clean edges, a wonderful one.1124

Alright, you understand that, let's take a look at a third example here, and we'll look at the rest of the refine edge dialog box.1140

You're going to love this one...let me see where I'm at...I want to open up 37...oh I did two untitled, there it is...untitled one, there we go.1149

So here's a scene that we're going to deal with more in compositing, but we want to select the sky in this.1165

We already did this one time but we're going to do it a little differently this time.1172

What we want to do here, is--and I'm not going to concern myself with these right now, we'll be taking these out in retouch--I want to make sure I have a selection that's nice and smooth, gets my edges, but I also want to get the trees.1177

When we tried to get a normal selection by using let's say either the Quick Selection tool or the Magic Wand--Magic Wand ought to work actually pretty well here, let's knock that tolerance down to about 24 and see what happens.1192

Click, got most of it--Shift, click, and that really brought it down in there--let's take a good look at it right on the edge.1206

But you notice, because the Magic Wand looks for areas of similar or contiguous color, when it hits a boundary, it gets stopped.1215

Now, there is a way to expand the Magic Wand a little further...we go to the Select menu, let's go down to Grow--Grow will push it a little further...didn't really do it because it still has the boundary.1228

Now we're going to try one more--Select, similar--it's going to look through the entire image and pick similar color to the sky (and it cooks) and now if you look--let's do the Quick Mask...it's blue now, we need to change it back to red so we can see it clearly...1245

We're back to red and then the color is indicating masked areas.1265

You notice it did a reasonable job of getting inside and picking up all of the colored sky, but it missed some of it--you notice it pushed a little too hard, some of the indistinct edges are now gone away.1270

Let's look at the rest of the image, there was no blue down in the rest of the image so we should be just fine.1287

OK, look at it--it even got down into here, but we need to feather and really refine that, so let's get out of the Quick Mask and let's go to our refine edge dialog box.1294

Now, a couple of things that we can do here...I'll tell you, I'm going to do something that shows this even better--we're going to de-select that and go back and we're going to do this with the Quick Selection tool because it's more dramatic to show you how that refine edge box works.1310

Let's just go ahead and let her find the edges, and you notice in this case we can't expand inward, and it's got down inside the trees but that's OK.1328

We'll go to refine edge again...now, there's all that area where blue should be, so what we're going to do is we're going to deal with what's called Edge Detection, and this is entirely new for Photoshop CS6--it had it in CS5--it's better here.1338

This is a mind blower, I got to tell you, this totally drives me crazy every time I do it and I've been working with it ever since they came out with it.1360

It will find the edges--notice here it missed on the trees and it didn't pick up the sky, what you want to do is you adjust your radius.1369

The radius at this time is zero--if we move the radius up, you'll begin to see it pop.1379

That's the width of the area where the Edge Detection tool is working right now.1386

You can go much larger if you want, it gets way out of control, I have found that the most efficient and the best usage is somewhere around one third of the width of the bar right in here.1393

Then we click smart radius, that means it's going to look by itself and then we have these two tools; refine radius and erase.1409

In other words if we use the refine tool and it goes too far and gets something it doesn't we can use the other tool to erase it but watch, here's all you got to do, don't blink, don't sneeze and be sure you're sitting down because you're going to fall down when you see this.1419

What we want to do is try get the selection to seal the edges of the tree branches, we're just going to take the radius and go away...leave it, and we want to pick those back up and we want to find the blue in the trees.1434

All you have to do, is you paint with the brush and you paint to connect the selected area which is the sky down into what you're looking for--you have to have it connect, so we'll just start painting, and we'll move our way down in the trees...and just make sure that we've covered that entire area.1449

Now I'm going to release, it's going to cook and don't blink...look, that's absolutely unbelievable.1471

Look at the quality of the edging around--I'm going to even clean it up just a little bit more to see if it picks it a second time--it might get it a little better...1480

You're looking at where it picked up the red--that's the mask--so it masked out all those very fine edges and it found the blue in the trees.1493

Let's move down a little further--you can see just a little edging here--we'll just go over that...and it picked back up all that fine detail--here's some blue down there...you can see that--some more blue in the trees here, just come on down in...and look--you can see the blue and all of the fine edges are now picked--this is just an amazing tool, I don't know how it works.1501

Somebody was pretty sharp...and there you have it again, once again it got the detail...but one of the things now I'm going to tell you--we'll just move on down here very quickly--I'm going to back out a little bit because you don't need to see all of it--here we go again, there's a big swath of blue in the trees right there, watch...1524

My gosh...I'm sorry, it just blows me away every time I do this tool.1545

Now it may not be able to extend down into this area here, we missed a little bit--it can't find everything.1552

Now the Grow feature probably would, we may even try that in a little bit to see what happens--I don't want to ruin our edges though...looking pretty good, let's see what we get in this tree...oh my gosh, oh my gosh, here's another big swath.1561

Now you notice every time I do this I paint from the selection down into and make sure that it's all connected, let it go, and there you have it, and if it doesn't get it the first time, paint it a second time and the algorithm will pick it back up, so there you have that one.1579

Now we've got a fantastic selection--now one of the things that you have to keep in mind here, when you have extremely fine detail like those little tiny leaves and branches there, we cannot feather this.1598

What we should've done, is with the edging there is the very first thing we did was put one pixel of feather, then you go back across with the Edge Detection painting tool, and even if it was one pixel where you paint, it will find all of the detail right out to the hard edges then you can have your clean edge along the grassy areas down here--nice at one pixel and everything else would be perfect.1612

We'll click OK, I'm going to save this selection as an alpha channel, we'll just call it Sky With Edge Detection, and click OK and let's take a look at it and see how it really did.1638

De-select, and let's zoom it up...look at that, just absolutely remarkable the amount of detail that was pulled out by this tool.1657

Now, here's another thing--we're going to get into alpha channels right now.1673

If you can see it on your monitors, right in this edge here below there it's a little gray looking, see down in here--let me get the brush small so I can use it as a pointer--right in there, and right down in there it's a little bit gray.1679

In other words it couldn't tell what's going on and in other words that's kind of a semi-transparent area, anything that's gray.1694

We'll talk about this more over in alpha channels...1701

OK, got you covered on that, so there you see this has done a pretty good job, and let's go back to RGB.1709

When we load that selection let's just play for a moment here, I'm going to load the selection and I'm going to go ahead and do a hue saturation and just do a weird color change on the sky to some purplish color...1718

And let's zoom up...and you can see, look at that.1734

You can see how it's just done a phenomenal job through there.1739

What that is (let's get the selection back) go back to the refine edge dialog box, that is the principal controls within the refine edge dialog box.1744

Output decontaminate colors--when you're selecting hairs, you can see with these fine edges this is beautiful for working with portraiture, and if you have kind of the thin area at the very outer part of someone's hair where it's almost a little blurry, it can be really hard to pick up and it's going to be light.1759

When you composite a background in you'll see that, and this output decontamination of colors helps to clean that up on the edges so it blends it in better.1778

We don't need that right here now so there we have that.1790

Let's go back to our title box, and put up a layer and let's see what we've done so far.1793

We have...done a little review of feather, delved a little bit further into it, we've gone through the refine edge dialog box and you see that it takes everything (let me just do a quickie again, there it is right there) all of these controls that were under the Modify are all in the refine edge dialog box.1800

Feather, sure you can feather it and actually watch it feather, so you don't have to have any guesswork and if for example that's feathered inward too much, you can always expand your selection or contract it, or increase the contrast to change that a little bit, or smooth it out to clean out the humps, all sorts of stuff.1827

Edge Detection feature we went over, which is phenomenal for selecting fine detail, and the output we haven't dealt with yet here but we will at another lesson, and I showed you how to prepare a selection for cutting out an image.1847

For compositing with the flower, what we did is we made the selection and then we contracted it with a little bit of feather so that we cleaned up the absolute edge so it's absolutely perfect when it is composited.1862

So that's a summary of everything we've learned in this particular lesson on the refine edge dialog box and refining an edge in Photoshop CS6.1878

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