Help with photoshop CS2

[marcmccalmont]

I often find I need to adjust the sky different from the landscape, so I have tried using the magnetic lasso to select the sky, added levels and curves adjustment layers then inverted the selection and added levels and curves to the land. Magnetic lasso settings; feather 3px, anti alias on, width 10px, edge contrast 10%, frequency 57. I usually end up with an annoying white line on the horizon. Do you have a technique that works? Better settings?
Thanks
Marc

[Dale_Cotton]

Select->Color Range, use the eye droppers to refine, and pray.

... But on second thought - why does this matter? Just buy Lightroom at the current introductory price (and of course QImage for printing).

Photoshop is passé.

= Obsolete.

= Out-moded.

If your image file can't be corrected using only global edits, either throw yourself in front of a freight train or sell your nubile offspring, then use the proceeds to upgrade to a more expensive capture system. And by all means always, always, always use a tripod, cable release, ND grads, handheld light meter, and of course carry prime lenses covering every focal length known to mankind with you at all times!

[Tim Gray]

Copy the background layer, adjust to taste, create a mask and using a relatively large soft brush, paint out the foreground.  As a variation, use the gradient tool to create the mask, then white/black to adjust to suit.

[marcmccalmont]

Copy the background layer, adjust to taste, create a mask and using a relatively large soft brush, paint out the foreground.  As a variation, use the gradient tool to create the mask, then white/black to adjust to suit.
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Thanks
Ill give that a try
Marc

[brianchapman]

Hi Marc,

The best way to make a precise selection is to look at the channels palate, locate the channel with the most contrast between the area you want to select (the sky in your case) and the other areas, duplicate that channel, use levels/curves/paint brush in normal and overlay modes, etc, to make the area you want to isolate white and everything else black.  Then click on the RGB channel in the channels palate and go back to the layers palate.  There you can choose Selection->Load Selection and choose the duplicated channel you were just working on.  Then use that selection to create your mask.  If you do a good job with the duplicate channel this should create a very precise selection.  You can then use the blur tool to clean up any "crunchy" edges (select the mask and run a small blur brush along the edge).  

Also, here's the first google result that looks good...
http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshop...lrbps_2fwks.htm

Alternatively, this book would really be helpful for you!

Hope this helps...

Brian  
http://www.brianchapmanphotography.com

I often find I need to adjust the sky different from the landscape, so I have tried using the magnetic lasso to select the sky, added levels and curves adjustment layers then inverted the selection and added levels and curves to the land. Magnetic lasso settings; feather 3px, anti alias on, width 10px, edge contrast 10%, frequency 57. I usually end up with an annoying white line on the horizon. Do you have a technique that works? Better settings?
Thanks
Marc
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[thompsonkirk]

Thew white line is there because your feathering & width are set way too wide.  

Folks are shy about using the Magic Wand because it's supposed to be an unsophisticated beginner's tool, but 90% of the time it works as well or better for skies than Select Color Range.  Just set to 22 or 33 & click it on a few spots - blue sky & clouds - & they'll fill in.  

If you're using Non-Contiguous to fill in places where you can see sky through trees, you may need to do a quick Lasso job to eliminate the non-sky blues in the image.  

Then just make a Curves Adjustment Layer of the selection, to work on the sky.

(And, of course, re-load the Selection & select Inverse to deal with the rest of the landscape, minus the sky.)

Kirk

[JulesJules]

I don't think buying Lightroom and Qimage is a sensible reply. The problem that you have is an old one. The area between a selected part and an unselected part often creates problems as we all know and there are lots of remedies, some or all of which have benn mentioned by other posters here. Sky/Landscape is a common problem as is background /Hair in portraits. One idea that has not been mentions is the use of Modify/Expand coupled with Select/Feather use AND maybe working in Quick Mask. Things are not always easy, sometimes hard work is part of the game.
Jules

Select->Color Range, use the eye droppers to refine, and pray.

... But on second thought - why does this matter? Just buy Lightroom at the current introductory price (and of course QImage for printing).

Photoshop is passé.

= Obsolete.

= Out-moded.

If your image file can't be corrected using only global edits, either throw yourself in front of a freight train or sell your nubile offspring, then use the proceeds to upgrade to a more expensive capture system. And by all means always, always, always use a tripod, cable release, ND grads, handheld light meter, and of course carry prime lenses covering every focal length known to mankind with you at all times!
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