How to Cut Out Tricky Selections in Photoshop

In this video, I’ll show you how to cut out or extract a difficult object using Adobe Photoshop CC.  In this case it its an ornamental grass, but this technique can also be used on hair or similar objects.  

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Sleeklens Presets and Brushes Review

Recently I received an opportunity from Sleeklens to try out some of their presets and then provide my experience using them.  I was happy to accept the opportunity! 

Who is Sleeklens?

Sleeklens is a company that provides workflows for both Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop.  Included in the Lightroom workflow are various presets and brushes.  The Photoshop workflow provides various actions, overlays and textures.  Sleeklens also provides various templates for photographers to use.  For example, invites, albums, cards, etc.  

On to the review!

On to the review!  The workflow I received was called the ‘Through The Woods Workflow’.  The presets arrived to my inbox by way of a .zip file.  I extracted the files contained in the .zip to my desktop.  Within the folder, there were several items.  Included were PDF guides on how to install the brushes, the presets, terms of service, the brushes and presets themselves, and a recipe list with examples using the workflow.  

Clearly Labeled Presets

Clearly Labeled Presets

Although I knew how and where to install the brushes and presets, I found the instructions easy to follow.  Since I’m working on a MacBook Pro, I followed the Mac installation instructions.  Installation of the files went smoothly with no problems.  After installing the brushes and presets, I was excited to give them a try.

When I first started looking at the presets, I liked how they were set up.  As you can see in the partial screenshot, the presets were clearly labeled in a logical order in which they could be applied.  Similarly, the brushes were named in a manner that logically made sense as to what the brush does.  

Now it was time to start looking at some images.  First, I selected a few images to try the presets and brushes on.  These are images that I had previously processed using Lightroom without any special presets or brushes.  I simply processed them until I liked what I saw.  I wanted to compare the original unedited image to my Lightroom edit, then compare both to my edit using the Sleeklens presets and brushes.   For the Sleeklens edits, I tried to use only their presets and brushes.  

Below are some comparisons of various images.  I was impressed with how the Sleeklens presets and brushes worked.  They made it very easy to have a good starting point on an image.  I liked how some of the presets were ‘add ons’ to the previous presets you may have used.  I found myself being drawn to the same several presets fairly often.  I think that just speaks to the style that I like.  However, each person would have their own preference as to what they like.   I thought that each of the presets did a great job of providing the desired effect.  Additional manual adjustments may still be necessary but, that is true of any preset.  I don’t feel that presets are supposed to be a one click solution for developing an image.  

Lightroom Brushes

Lightroom Brushes

As with any presets or plugins, etc. I think I would eventually settle on a few that I prefer.  Then I would be able to quickly select my presets and move forward with more specific edits if the image needed it.  

I really liked the brushes as well.  I found myself not only using the brushes in the ‘brush’ panel, but I also used the brush presets in the radial and graduated filter panels.  I think it is great that Lightroom allows you to use select your brush presets in multiple places and it comes in very handy.  

Overall I found the Sleeklens presets/brushes intuitive, easy and fun to use.  With a few clicks, it is easy to see an image come to life in the way you envisioned it.  This is a great product that has the potential to help speed up your workflow.  A big thank you to Sleeklens for reaching out to me and letting me try their product!  If you are interested in any of the Sleeklens products, visit their website Sleeklens.com and see what they have to offer!

 

Sample Images

Image #1

Original Image Straight out of camera

Lightroom Edit

Edit using Sleek Lens Presets and Brushes

Image #2

Original Image Straight out of camera

Lightroom Edit

Edit using Sleek Lens Presets and Brushes

Edit using Sleek Lens Presets and Brushes

Image #3

Original Image Straight out of camera

Lightroom Edit

Edit using Sleek Lens Presets and Brushes

Image #4

Original Image Straight out of camera

Lightroom Edit

Edit using Sleek Lens Presets and Brushes

Image #5

Original Image Straight out of camera

Lightroom Edit

Edit using Sleek Lens Presets and Brushes

Image #6

Original Image Straight out of camera

Original Image Straight out of camera

Lightroom Edit

Edit using Sleek Lens Presets and Brushes

Image #7

Original Image Straight out of camera

Lightroom Edit

Edit using Sleek Lens Presets and Brushes

Before/After using only Sleeklens 'Through the Woods' Presets and Brushes

Original Image Straight out of camera

Edit using Sleek Lens Presets and Brushes

Original Image Straight out of camera

Edit using Sleek Lens Presets and Brushes

To see more before/after photos using Sleeklens presets and brushes, jump over to their website  Sleeklens.com!  You can also find tutorials on how to use any of the Sleeklens products here:  https://sleeklens.com/lightroom-tutorials/

What Kind of External Storage Do You Use?

I’ve been using a 2nd Generation 4-bay Drobo for a number of years now and I’m looking to upgrade to a newer, faster and larger storage system.  What do you use for external storage and do you like it?

I am leaning towards going with another Drobo since I’ve got all the hard drives already and I’ve never had a problem with my current Drobo.  I’m currently using a mid 2015 Macbook Pro as my primary machine.

I'm intersted to hear some input from others.  Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment below if you do!

How to bring an image from Lightroom to Photoshop and back to Lightroom

There are times when Adobe Lightroom may not have the tools you need to retouch or process your image the way you would like to.  Have you ever wanted to bring your image from Lightroom into Photoshop to make edits and then bring it back into Lightroom again?  It is very easy to do just that and in this quick tutorial, I’ll show you how. 

Be sure to check out the rest of my YouTube channel along with my website:  http://www.jasonyadlovski.com 

Please subscribe if you enjoy the videos and are learning something!

Thanks for watching!

Enlarging an Image to Print as a Poster

Over the last few months, I’ve had many people reaching out to me asking for help enlarging their images.  I thought it might be helpful to create another video to show how I enlarged this particular image.  Keep in mind that every image is different so this technique may not work for your image.  

In this case I received a Photoshop PDF file that had all of the original layers in it.  This made the process of enlarging it much easier.  Since I had a smart object, I was able to scale the image and not loose quality from the original.  After scaling the image to the size I needed, I exported it as a JPG.  The JPG file was used for the print.  

If you have any questions about enlarging your images, please leave a comment below.

Be sure to check out the rest of my YouTube channel along with my website:  http://www.jasonyadlovski.com  

How To Enlarge a Low Resolution Image for Print, Another Way!

Has there ever been a time when you had a low resolution image you want to print?  Maybe it is a screenshot of something or an image where the quality just wasn't there?  In this tutorial I'll show you one way you can modify an image and enlarge it to be printed as an 8x12.  It only takes a few minutes and a couple of steps.

Video Summary

This particular image was at a resolution of 72 ppi and approximately 5.5" x  8.3".  The goal was to modify this image so it could be printed as an 8x10.   When preparing images for print, it’s important to keep in mind that your file resolution should be a minimum of 240 ppi to get a high quality print.  In this case I wanted to use 300 ppi.  I’ll show you how you can easily upscale an image using Photoshop. 

Step 1

Open your image, then go to the ‘Image’ menu and select Image Size.

Step 2

In the ‘Width’ and ‘Height’ boxes, input the size you would like your image to be.  In this case, I used 8” x 12”. 

Step 3

Look at the resolution box next.  It’s likely you will see something around 72 Pixels/Inch.  Change that to be 300 Pixels/Inch.

Step 4

Next, make sure the box next to ‘Resample’ is checked.  Select ‘Preserve Details (enlargement)’ from the pull down menu.

Step 5

Use the ‘Reduce Noise’ slider if you feel your image needs noise reduction.

Step 6

Click ‘OK’.

Your Finished!  Print it out and see how it looks!

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below!  Be sure to check out the rest of my YouTube Channel and website!  

Thanks!

How To Add A Faded Effect To An Image

Have you ever wanted to apply a faded look to an image?  It’s easier than you might think!  In this quick tutorial, I’ll show you how to quickly and easily add a faded effect to your images in Adobe Lightroom.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below!  Be sure to check out the rest of my YouTube channel  and subscribe if you enjoy the videos and are learning something!

Thanks for watching!

 

How to Prepare a Scanned Image for Print

Have you ever scanned in an image you wanted to reproduce only to find that the scan does not look as good as you had hoped?  In this tutorial I’ll show you the process I used to scan in an image that was in an old calendar, then retouch and repair the image before sending it off to be printed.  One of the challenges with this image in particular was that after I scanned it in and brought it into Adobe Photoshop, I was able to see the small colored dots of ink that were used to print the image.  I’ll show you how I was able to remove the ink dots using smart filters in Photoshop 2014.  After adjusting the image in Photoshop, I will show you the final printed result. 

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below!  Be sure to check out the rest of my YouTube channel along with my website:  http://www.jasonyadlovski.com 

Please subscribe if you enjoy the videos and are learning something!

Thanks for watching!

pdn Photoplus Expo comes to NYC - Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, 2014

The annual Photoplus International Conference and Expo is coming to the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City from October 29th to November 1st!  If you are in the New York City area, I would recommend stopping by to check it out.  Access to the Expo is free as long as you register before October 28, 2014.  Here is a link to the Photoplus website:

pdn Photoplus International Conference + Expo

There are also a variety of other paid options where you can attend:  seminars, classes, keynote presentations, networking events, etc.  At the link below, you will find the various pricing options:

2014 Registration Pricing

I have been attending the expo for the past few years and have always really enjoyed it.  It is a great place to see all kinds of new gear, software, products, etc. as well as talk with others who are in the industry.  You can tryout equipment, listen to free talks on the expo floor, check out printers, paper types, lighting setups, bags, tripods, and much more.  So if you are in the area while the expo is in NYC, stop by and check it out! 

Lightroom Quick Tip - Adding Keywords

Adding keywords to your photographs is easy and allows you to search for specific photographs within your Lightroom catalog.  The more keywords you use that are specific to that image, the better the chance you have of finding that image in the future if you need it.  Everyone has great images, but if you can’t find them, it doesn’t do you any good. 

In this quick tutorial, I’ll show you how to add keywords to your images that are already in your Lightroom catalog.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below!  Be sure to check out the rest of my YouTube channel.  If there is anything you would like to learn in a future tutorial, please leave it in a comment below.

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Thanks for watching!

Lightroom Quick Tip - Star Ratings & Pick Flags

We all face the challenge of sorting through our images to find the keepers, the throwaways, and the best of the best.  Personally I use both star ratings and ‘pick’ flags to sort my images.  This tutorial is a quick tip on how to speed up your workflow when rating and picking images.  You might only save a small amount of time for each image you review, but over several hundred or several thousand images, the time will add up. 

Whenever possible, it helps to have Lightroom do the work for you.  In this case, we will make Lightroom auto advance to the next image after we apply the star rating or flag the image as a pick.  The first thing I do is to place all of my unrated images into one collection or folder.  While in the Library module, I make the first image full screen within Lightroom (or complete full screen by pressing the ‘F’ key in Lightroom 5).  This will allow you to see the image at a large size so you can make a good decision as to how you want to rate the image.  Next, make sure the caps lock is turned on.  By turning on the caps lock, Lightroom knows that it should automatically advance to the next image any time a rating is applied to the current image.  Once caps lock is on, use the number keys 1 through 5 to rate the images or press ‘P’ to flag the image as a pick. 

I rate all of my images with stars to help keep track of the quality of my images.  There is no right or wrong way to do it here, you need to find out what works for you.  Here is my rating system:

1 star = picture is no good, trash

2 stars = not usable other than for some kind of abstract background, image not in focus

3 stars = image in focus, but nothing special, more of a snapshot, sometimes deliverable depending on client and intent of photographs

4 stars = image in focus, good composition, interesting etc., deliverable image

5 stars = fantastic image, one of my favorites, deliverable image

I use a ‘Pick’ flag for all images that I want to deliver to a client, print, post on my website or blog, etc. 

After you initially review your images and rate them, it’s a good idea to revisit the images after a few days to see if you have changed your mind on any of the ratings you choose.  This can be a quick look through all of the images again.  You may see the hidden potential in an image that you did not notice the first time you reviewed the image.

Turning on the caps lock allows Lightroom to auto advance to the next image which will save you time and energy when reviewing your photographs.  By using a streamlined review process for your images, you will become more efficient in post processing as well as be able to spend more time working on the best images from your photoshoot.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below!  Be sure to check out the rest of my YouTube channel.  

Please subscribe if you enjoy the videos and are learning something!

Thanks for watching!

How to Make a Bad Image Look Awesome

How many times have you looked at an image you took and thought it was no good?  By capturing your photos in RAW format, it is possible to recover your photo using Adobe Lightroom and turn it into something awesome. 

At first glance, I figured this file was no good.  I started playing with it just to see what I could get out of it.  It’s not as hard as you might think to bring back images that appear to be no good.  I think the results that came out of this photo are great. 

Remember that your camera can’t always capture what you envision in your mind when you take the photograph.  The post processing you can do to an image plays a big part in the creative process and helps your image to reach the potential you have pictured in your mind. 

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below!  Be sure to check out the rest of my YouTube channel

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Photoshop: How to use Layer Masks

Confused about layer masks in Adobe Photoshop?  When I first got started in Photoshop, I didn’t understand layer masks, how they worked, and how to use them.  In this tutorial, I’ll explain what a layer mask is, what it does and how it works.  With a little practice, you can become an expert in using layer masks. 

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below!  Be sure to check out the rest of my YouTube Channel and subscribe if you enjoy the videos and are learning something!

Thanks for watching!

 

Photoshop: How to Clean Up Selections

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to remove the white, black, or colored edge that may appear around elements that you extract from images.  In this case, I’m using an ornamental grass that was extracted from an image.  The grass has a dark edge around the cutout of the grass.  Using this quick tip, it is easy to remove the dark edge.  By removing the dark edge, the image of this grass will blend into your composite image much better.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.  Be sure to check out my YouTube Channel and  Blog for more tutorials!

How To Create Object Shadows in Photoshop

Creating shadows for objects in Adobe Photoshop is an easy technique that helps elements of a composite look more realistic and blend into your scene.  In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a shadow for a tree, but you can use this technique for any object.  The shadow will mimic the exact shape of the original object.  Below is a text description of each step.  Lets get started!

Step 1

Open the image you want to create a shadow for.

Step 2

Duplicate layer using the shortcut CMD + J

Step 3

Envoke the Transform tool using CMD +T

Step 4

Bend the object to the correct orientation for the shadow.  Try to match the shadow direction of other elements in your composite.  Use CMD + Click  to select just one of the Transform handles to ‘bend’ the shadow around.

Step 5

Once the shadow is going the direction you want, press enter to accept the transformation.  Next, select the layer by holding CMD while selecting the Layer Preview in the Layer stack.  This will select all of the contents on that layer. 

Step 6

Once the layer is selected, fill it with black using Shift + Delete.  Then Deselect the layer using CMD + D.

Step 7

Make sure the shadow layer is behind the object layer.  Change the layer blend mode to Multiply.  Adjust opacity so it matches other shadows in your image.  Rarely will shadows ever be 100% opacity. 

Your shadow is now complete!

If this tutorial was helpful please take a look at my other tutorials on my blog HERE!

How to Blend Composite Images

Here is a great tip that helps blend images together when making a composite.  Many times when you are combining different images into one composite, it is obvious that the images were not originally together.  There are many different techniques to help blend images together and this is just one of the final additions I like to make to composites. 

If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe and check out the rest of my videos on YouTube HERE .