My Holiday Project
This was a photo editing project to create custom posters from casual photos taken during a karate event. The goal was to remove the clutter from the background and move the focus to specific subjects.
Project Details and Instructions
With Photoshop Elements 7, I isolated the subjects from the background by applying layer masks and painting on the masks to reveal only the subjects. Shadows were lightened with the dodge tool and the clone tool came in handy to add missing feet etc. I decided to use the existing background to create a dramatic backdrop by applying a radial blur. I then flattened the image, duplicated the layer and applied a linear burn blending mode to create the dramatic effect.
Tips and Tricks
- To isolate the subjects from the background was quite a challenge because the original photos were not well focused and had a lot of clutter and objects partly obscuring subjects. Long shadows cast by trees and the grass around the feet was also a problem.
- With my first attempt I utilized the lasso and quick selection tools, together with the refine edge function - but this did not present good results, so I turned to online tutorials for tips.
- I came across some free hidden tools for Elements, including the layer mask tool available in full Photoshop but not in Elements.
What else would you like to share about the project?
The layer mask tool is a must for creative photo editing - if you are using Photoshop Elements and don't have it yet, go get it now, you will never look back - it just makes hiding and revealing objects so much easier.
