New to photoshop, After some guidance and hopefully a solution to a crisis lol.

[fredfish]

Just to chip in briefly to Sams Excellent walk through of some of the techniques.


Another thing to keep in mind is that the better you can get the photo in the camera the better your end result will be. Look up some tutorials on controlling "Depth of Field" and you should be getting closer to your desired result without the need for manipulation. You might need to invest in a lens with a longer focal point something like a 100-200mm lens - that should get you a pretty good effect in camera.



Just as an aside I am not too keen on the amount of blur of some of the dogs - EG the first image. It looks to me like there is too much blur. I would prefer some more of the body to be in focus.

Just my 2 penneth


Cheers


John

 

[Jerry D]

fredfish

I think the blur is to conceal how much editing is being done. The heads are in focus but the body and background isn't.
When you're going from this...



to this...



..more blur is better, right?

 

[Curtis Shield]

Yes more blur is better as can manipulate the image more makes the dog look more freaky more appealing to some.. I'm wanting to learn the effects so I can do it on my own photos..I have managed to get to grips with the layers, I just need some more walk through's and steps by steps on the best stage thanks people! Also Fred thanks for the advice on the different lense and I will most definitely look up some depth of field tutorials. This is about as much as I'll ever be dabbling in with photoshop but my photography skills could always do with improvement,..

 

[IamSam]

Before I try and explain the next step, I want to express my dislike for the effect.

I would also like to add that I'm not at all certain that my following instruction will translate in PSE.


Make two duplicates of your original photo. Turn off the original photo layer. Never work on the original.

Select the second copy (uppermost) layer and use one of the selection tools to make a selection of the dog. I used the Polygonal Lasso Tool but any will work.


Once you have the selection, you need to copy the selection to it's own layer.
In Ps, you would use Layer Via Copy LAYER > NEW > LAYER VIA COPY (Cmd/Cntrl + J)
This places the selected dog on it's own layer.
We will call this new layer "Bad Effect" or Big A s s Dog!.


Next we have to distort the "Bad Effect" layer.
There are multiple ways to do this but this is how I would do it.

Enter Free Transform.
In Ps it's EDIT > FREE TRANSFORM (Cmd/Cntrl + T)
NOTE: I have turned off the laer below for demonstration only.


Use any of the free transform functions you need to distort the dog.


Here I have turned on the layer below so you can see how I'm matching the "Bad Effect" layer to the dog layer.
I have also lowered the opacity so I can see the underlying dog layer.
I'm using warp (which is part of the free transform function)



After I'm done I return the "Bad Effect" layers opacity to 100%.

Notice the edges, we have to blend the "Bad Effect" layer to the dog layer.
We use a layer mask and a the Brush Tool for this.


Add a layer mask to the "Bad Effect" layer.
Select the layer mask.
Use the Brush Tool to clean up and blend the edges.
I masked out the head so the original (smaller) head shows through.








Next you would make a Stamp Visible copy and add the blur effect.

 

[IamSam]

You can also puff up the muscles with the Liquify Tool...................if PSE has one.


Blurred

 

[Curtis Shield]

You can also puff up the muscles with the Liquify Tool...................if PSE has one.
View attachment 71571

Blurred
View attachment 71572

Great Sam thanks for all your help however the last two images are not what I will be doing lol liquefy looks a little to much.. however the other ones looked great I only want to achieve a little more exaggeration and the blur I think the warp tool was great !! Now just to add the blur. I'm going to have myself a go just now let you know how I get on,, could you do a example on the black dog like above ? Thanks !

 

[sc00t]

I have nothing technical to offer, Sam's got this covered at the very least. But I do wonder why people want to make their dogs look muscular. What a bizarre niche market!

 

[Curtis Shield]

I have nothing technical to offer, Sam's got this covered at the very least. But I do wonder why people want to make their dogs look muscular. What a bizarre niche market!

Well in fairness the dogs do look like the photos just not "as" buffed up seeing them in person still gives the wow factor I think its just a technique people are using to become more noticed seems to be working.