How to create a gradation of a selective mask in PScs5?

[BertWaife]

I just starting to print to canvas on an Epson 9900.  I'm using LR3 and processing raw images then editing in PS.  Upon examining the printed canvases I see that there are areas in the work that I want to selectively enhance.  Either change the exposure or saturation, etc.  I had tried Nik Viveza 2 in PS4 a while ago, and thought the control was limited to the radius that you could draw with the upoint control.  I want to use a PS tool like lasso and change the selection but want to have more graduation in the change upon the edge of the selection.  I guess some kind of blend, almost what the healing brush does?  I just tried a fix on a tight oval shape in the center of a large image.  Used the lasso and changed the brightness and contrast of the selection using curves, worked great.  But how could I do a fade of say 40and greater pixels to the edge of the selection? 
I guess I want to do what Viveza does but with my own selection and not there upoint tool.

[Jeremy Roussak]

I just starting to print to canvas on an Epson 9900.  I'm using LR3 and processing raw images then editing in PS.  Upon examining the printed canvases I see that there are areas in the work that I want to selectively enhance.  Either change the exposure or saturation, etc.  I had tried Nik Viveza 2 in PS4 a while ago, and thought the control was limited to the radius that you could draw with the upoint control.  I want to use a PS tool like lasso and change the selection but want to have more graduation in the change upon the edge of the selection.  I guess some kind of blend, almost what the healing brush does?  I just tried a fix on a tight oval shape in the center of a large image.  Used the lasso and changed the brightness and contrast of the selection using curves, worked great.  But how could I do a fade of say 40and greater pixels to the edge of the selection? 
I guess I want to do what Viveza does but with my own selection and not there upoint tool.

Feather? Or have I misunderstood?

Jeremy

[BertWaife]

I looked at feathering, but that didn't seem to do it.  More to the point would be how does NIK software with there coordinate u point system get the graduated changes? Maybe I am looking at this wrong in that they are moving lab space color adjustments?
So to ask a fresh, How do I selectively add contrast to a fore ground without affecting the background?  And have the transition graduated and smooth?

[jdemott]

There are lots of ways to selectively enhance.  Here are a few:

1. Using the lasso as you describe, make a selection and then use Select > Refine Mask to soften (fade) the edges.  Change brightness, contrast etc. as desired.

2. Create an Adjustment Layer with Curves or whatever adjustment you desire.  Fill the layer mask with black.  Take a large, soft-edged brush with white as the color and "paint" your adjustment into the layer mask.  It is easy to see the effect you are getting and you can easily vary the opacity of the brush and/or erase portions to get the effect you desire.

3.  Using Viveza, make an adjustment similar to what you ultimately want to see.  (Note that the Viveza adjustments are not circular even though the screen shows a radius for the effect.  The adjustments typically have very soft edges and tend to be applied to areas of similar color and contrast to the area where you place the control point.)  You can place multiple points for more complex effects.  Then, instead of clicking Apply, you can click Brush and "paint" the adjustment only in the places you want it.

[jdemott]

You were typing your second posting while I was replying.  Here is a little more clarification (hopefully) on the points in your second post.

1. The Nik Viveza software has a fairly complicated, proprietary method of applying adjustments.  It creates a mask so that the adjustment is applied most strongly within the radius you see on screen to areas of similar color, brightness and texture.  In the Control Point List of Viveza, you can use the Show Selection feature to see the area affected by any control point.  I find that it is usually pretty easy to select the area I want by using the Show Selection feature and moving the control point around and adjusting the radius.

2.  In Photoshop, any layer can have a layer mask associated with it.  Viveza uses the layer mask for the "Brush" feature.  An adjustment layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer) by default will have a layer mask filled with white, meaning the adjustment will be applied to the entire layer.  If you create an Adjustment Layer, you can apply the desired adjustment (e.g., Curves) and see what it looks like.  Then, use any painting tool to apply the effect where you want it (white is apply, black is erase, and shades of gray are partial opacity).  For background/foreground adjustments, the easiest way is often to use the gradient tool, set to go from white to black.  Click on the layer mask icon and then click and drag in the image to create a mask that will fade the adjustment.

Hope this answers your question.

[RFPhotography]

Using a mask in PS then either painting in or out the amount of adjustment you want - depending on whether it's a hide all or reveal all mask - would be a good way in Photoshop.  Using the Refine Edge on a selection in PS wouldn't, I don't think, give you the type of feathering you want.

You could also use the Quick Mask, start at a low brush opacity, brush in a larger area then gradually brush in a smaller area building up the mask.  You can then apply your adjustment layer to the graduated quick mask selection.

The other option, since you're familiar with LR would be to use the Adjustment Brush in Lightroom.  It's a terrific tool for this kind of work.  You can adjust the brush size, opacity, density, strength of the adjustment (Saturation, Brightness, Sharpness, etc.).  ACR in PS (CS5, maybe CS4) has the same type of Adjustment Brush, so you can re-open your image in ACR (simple if you use Smart Objects) and do it that way.