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can anyone help me with this photo project,im struggling


OK, I'm going to be blunt.

You say you're sort of a newbie, but you didn't follow the tut's advice and use the pen tool to make your selection. Your selection is awful, total newbie at renders, not mincing words here.

This tutorial is very long, interesting, but very involved and very likely way beyond your skill level. Certainly with the pen tool it is. You so need to learn the basics of PS and find tutorials that challenge you but don't stump you for the time being.

We all have to accept our limitations at some point. Well, "we" whoever "we" applies to, do not of course have to accept anything more than we wish to accept, lol, but that may truly hinder creating good results and learning new skills.

I do admire your desire to push yourself, but like you said, you're struggling because this is beyond your current abilities. I do hope my blunt criticism doesn't hurt your feelings, but I do think there are plenty of tutorials out there that will give you lighting effects like this. In fact, we just finished a Forum Challenge that included lots of links to whole sets of tuts. Just be sure you pick one that's a bit shorter and a little bit simpler. Here is a link to Challenge 11. I know you will find a good one to use. You can also download brushes for lots of sparkle effects (I suggest going to deviantarts.com) so you can customize your own touches to the girl. She's very pretty btw.

If you look up some tutorials on creating renders, you will find lots of advice, like using refine edge or mask. If you like, just ask, and one of us, myself included, can outline some steps for you to use. Also, if you search making selections here on the forum, you should find something. Sometimes you have to use several different search terms or you'll get a jumble of results.

I wish you lots of luck with this. Is this a gift or practice for your own Photoshop growth?

We'll help you. I promise!
 
hi thanks for that, shes my daughter and its just practise to gain more skills on ps.i didnt use the pen tool i quickly used the background eraser tool as i was in a hurry at the time.i know i probably ran before i walked,it was just i came across the image and liked the finish
 
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Hang in there darloay, Clare is hard but she is fair. Follow the advice of the people here and I guarantee you will improve. Get your feelings hurt and get PO'd and you won't, simple as that. Been there, done that .
 
hi, ive been watching a few pen tool vids the last hour or so, managed to cut it out a lot better. i know i tried too much 2 soon,but every days a learning day i guess.
thanks for the advice
 
Yes, ALB is right, having gotten some of my opinions in the past. I hope you realize that I am trying to help.

I think most of us believe the BG eraser is a lot of hype, at least IMHO.

Everyone has their preferred method for making selections. When I want to do a fast selection on an image like your starting pic, I use the quick select tool, zoom in very tight and adjust the edges as much as possible.

Then I mask it and do a refine mask. Usually I will smooth the edges just barely and see what adjust edges does. Be sure to have it on a contrasting BG so you can see any halos.

As you make changes, you'll see them previewed, so you might want to start adjust edges with something like negative 1 pixel. It depends on the total size of your image how much you adjust of course.

Finally, if there are stray hairs and such that I want to keep, I will use smart radius, starting with a low pixel size. Then you use the circular tool and run it around the edges of the hair. Be careful or you'll erase too much of the hair or put back too much background. But it will give back some of the detail.

Once you apply the refining, you can go into the mask, zoom in, and check for spots that need fixing. Paint with black to erase and white to restore.

You can use this method or something like it while you learn to use the pen tool which has a fairly steep learning curve, though some people pick it up pretty quickly. I use the pen tool often, but not every image requires such precision, so I often use the quick select. Some like the magic wand but I usually get better control with the other. They are both together in the toolbox in case you can find one but not the other.

The way I see it, before you go on to adding effects, get the subject isolated as well as you can; then the work you put into making a background and adding cool lights and such will make your overall results much more satisfying.

My 3 "Ps" of PS are: Practice, Patience, and Play. Always enjoy the process, even when you're pulling your hair out!
 
Darloray, I made a selection using the quick select, etc., as I described. This image does not lend itself well unfortunately. So much edge detail is fuzzy that I had to use more smooth edges than I liked then had to do more fixing inside the mask than I normally would expect to do. You can see on the legs and skirt of the dress where I have not sharpened the smooth edges and it makes a soft but noticeable outline. This would have taken me the same amount of time or (probably) less using the pen tool. But if you are still learning to master the pen and want decent results, this method will work OK.

Some people try to be perfectionist about selecting tiny edge details like flyaway hair, but after a point, I shrug and get out my hair shape brushes. I did a lot on this img, making layers below and above. When I paint on the layer above, I then go in with a soft eraser and blend the edges into the hair. Here is my result in png and jpeg. I have decreased the size quite a bit, but I think you'll see the results. Incidentally, if you would like the png so you can go ahead with the rest of your practice in lighting effects, I'll post the full res one for you to download. Just let me know.

Though I should not be so presumptuous as you may have made a lovely selection by now! Nor am I suggesting you should stop practicing, but from what you have said, you are full speed ahead in learning Photoshop. Bravo!

PrettyGirlMasked.jpg PrettyGirl.png
 
I'm gonna step in here. First "what a real sweetie! You are blessed.

As Clare said, and did this image for a guru is a toughie.. Do you have another shot with a different background by her head ?

I am going to see if I can get crisper than Clare, but I don't know...till I try.
 
Wouldn't take much to get crisper, lol. Of course I could have done the edges better or pen tooled, but I wasn't sure if I was doing a demo or giving out a png. Anyway, have fun. She is a sweetie.
 
You gonna have to get down on it to beat that Mike...great extraction there QB (they don't call her the Queen Bee for nothin!)

Here is my effort..that is a tough little photo mainly due to its quality I think.
PTDC0010.jpg
 
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thanks,guys. shes 7 next week.
ive been working slower with the pen tool and got it a lot better,but everything takes practice. im gonna take a look through that challenge 11 link.

thanks again
 
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just an update, i found a background for now but thats next on my list to create my own. i think ive got removing an image figured out a lot better than i did,i tried it myself again rather than use the helpfull images other did for me here,so to make it easier to learn more.

next was to learn the curves with the pen tool which i think looks ok for a 1st attempt.


anyway heres my first go
View attachment 33611

thanks for the help,
 
WOW, really great improvement on the cut out there darloray! What a comparison. And the background is pretty cool too. You could make this a birthday present. But I bet you've already shown it to her.

:thumbsup:
 
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