-
Best way to cut out face in a photograph?
Please do not answer this question unless you are highly experienced.
Please don’t be offended! – I need more than the casual answer.
(If a “beginner” answers then people think the request has been answered and don’t contribute.)Question: What is the best way to cut out a face in a photograph with a busy background ?
I’m also looking for SPEED and accuracy.Also this is for print usage not video.
The ways i’m familiar with are:
1. Hand paint a mask with paintbrush.
2. Use lasso tools to create a selection set
3. Use pen tool
4. Use extract filterThanks
Larry
-
5 Replies
-
advanced ways… caluclations…. it really depends on the image…
I suggest you look for Katrin Eisman’s book on masking
Richard M. Harrington, PMP
Author: Photoshop for Video, Understanding Adobe Photoshop, and ATS:iWork
-
If the background is ‘busy’ as you say then I would recommend either the pen tool or painting a mask. The mask will allow you to make a softer edge than the pen tool, which may come in handy especially around hair.
If the background is a much different color than the foreground (blueish in tone with a red foreground for example) then you can use Calculations as Richard suggests or simply duplicate one of the color channels (probably red in the example I gave) and use Curves or Levels to crush the background into black, bring the foreground into white and make a very rough layer mask.
Darby Edelen
Lead Designer
Left Coast Digital
Santa Cruz, CA -
Masking objects, people, hair etc. can’t all be done in the same way. Don’t start looking for the ‘MAGIC BUTTON’ there is none….each image might need a different approach, depending on the image, colors, background etc.
Masking is a basic operation, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to create a nearly perfect mask.
Use common sense, and the tools of the trade (Photoshop).
Still can’t do? use a plugin like MASK PRO or other masking programs to do the job for you.
By the way, shouldn’t such a basic beginners question be in the PHOTOSHOP, ILLUSTRATOR BASIC forum, I’m sure it has been answered a million times. -
I’ve been cutting out faces for years. Why I didn’t ask this in the basic forum is that I wanted more advanced answers for the best possible results and I need SPEED. I want to do alot more, but in professional TV production I don’t always have the luxury with tight schedules.
I’ve been spoled by products like ultimatte, which I no longer have.
Thanks
Larry
-
You could use Image > Calculations to calculate some raw mattes from blue or green screens. Generally the way you would do this is by taking a Maximum (Lighten operation) on the Red & Blue channels and then Subtracting the green channel from that (for a green screen).
But this still requires some forethought before the shooting.
Darby Edelen
Lead Designer
Left Coast Digital
Santa Cruz, CA
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up