CS3 selection techniques - low contrast backgrounds...

[Dan O'Leary]

What would you CS gurus recommend as the quickest, most effective technique for selecting the background in an image like this? I tried magic wand with various settings and several other tools before I gave up and used (not so) quick mask to paint in the selection.

[Maxis Gamez]

I would leave it alone Dan. The image is awesome as it is! But I'm sure someone can help you out with that!

[Dan O'Leary]

I've already done the NR on this image. But to do it I had to struggle with selecting the background. I was hoping someone could suggest ways for me to do the selection easier in the future.

[Robert O'Toole]

Hi Dan,

Beautiful image first of all.

The answer to your question depends on the intent and purpose.
If you are asking to extract or to just make a selection to control contrast?

A mask will work best for speed and for making selection to make contrast or sharpness.

The usual selection techniques such as a channel selection or others that rely on contrast will not work here. This is a fine example of a worse case if your intent is to extract the pelican.

A pen tool in combination with a channel selection would be the techniques of choice for the best, unfortunately also the slowest, results.

Robert

[Dan O'Leary]

Thank you, Robert. While I wish you had a "magic bullet" to share I'm kind of happy to hear that, at least in this case, my photoshop techniques were not primitive.

My original intent was to extract the pelican to run noise reduction only on the background. Worst case sums it up. ;-)

I ended up using a (not so) Quick Mask. Wonder where I might have learned that one?!

[Robert O'Toole]

Thank you, Robert. While I wish you had a "magic bullet" to share I'm kind of happy to hear that, at least in this case, my photoshop techniques were not primitive.

My original intent was to extract the pelican to run noise reduction only on the background. Worst case sums it up. ;-)



Well that makes it easy now that I know what you are up to. Make 2 versions, one low noise reduction maximum sharpness and detail, convert another high noise application and less sharpeness and detail naturally. Paste the less noisy image, Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Tab,Ctrl+V, over the origional then apply a layer mask or even easier grab a zero hardess eraser (use a smaller master diameter to make a more defined edge, dont increase the hardness) and paint the sharper, less noise reduction applied bottom layer image back with the eraser brush. The mask version is a little more complicated. Should turn out great either way.
Let me know if this helps, or you need any more explaination or details.

This will be detailed in APTATS 2. I use the technique all the time.

Robert

[Charles Glatzer]

Dan,

If you use an Edge mask you can apply sharpening to specific edges, without effecting smooth areas. Moreover, you can invert the Edge mask to make a Surface mask, should you wish to apply noise reduction to only the non-sharpened areas. Additionally, you can dupe layers and change blending modes to selectively sharpen the light and dark pixels independently.

Tip- Sometimes it is easier to select the subject and then invert the selection for the background. And, you can combine tools and methods to achieve the best selections.

Masking and Selection techniques are key to truly unleashing the power of Photoshop!

Best,

Chas

[Fabs Forns]

If you Noise Noise Ninja, this has a Noise brush, which would be easy to apply on the background.

In my opinion, since the edges are not so critical for noise reduction here (unless the noise is much more evident on the bigger image) just duplicate the layer,
run noise reduction and mask off the effect from the Pelican, using a smaller brush around the edges.

I had a try at it, did Noise Ninja and some Gaussian Blur on the duplicate layer( reflection was too sharp), created a layer mask and painted black. It took me around 3 minutes for the small file.
Great advise for further selection has been given above.