Photo Shop Elements 7 Help

[fisherchick]

Hey there photo friends! I finally purchased some editing software, as Steve, Dan and a few others suggested I do last year. I am trying to play with it, Photo Shop Elements 7, and am struggeling. I am sure everyone else has had to go through what I am experiencing, but was hoping to come here and be able to ask a few questions. Also, I am sure these questions have been asked already...if so sorry for their redundency!

When editing a photo does anyone know how to (for lack of knowing terminology) select one subject in the photo, keep its color and black/white the rest? I have been searching for this tool and with the lack of time spent, haven't found out how.

I appreciate anyone's help with this! Thanks in advance everyone! Hope to share some images soon!

fisherchick

[fishinchicks]

I was having issues with figuring out Elements 7 as well, so I picked up a copy of Photoshop Elements 7 for Dummies. It has been very helpful. There are two versions, one is a basic book that does a great job of explaining everything, and the other is a 9 in 1 book that goes into the extras. I got the basic book, and love it.

Since I cannot have Steve or Dan sitting next to me all the time, I figured this was the next best option.

[Steve Foss]

fisherchick, I don't know an automatic feature to do what you'd like. I typically use the lasso tool in the toolbar to carefully lasso the subject, and then select "inverse" and then desaturate the background.

There are other ways, too, but that's the one I generally use. Fishinchick's advice on the books is right on, and I've heard excellent things about the Scott Kelby Photoshop Elements book.

[Dbl]

You definitely want the Scott Kelby Photoshop Elements book. It is a very step by step choose this tool type of book. For selective color I like to desaturate the photo, create another layer with a layer mask and paint the color back in. If you do a search for selective color and photoshop elements 7 I bet you will find some step by step tutorials.

[fisherchick]

All three of you have been helpful. Thank you! I will be purchasing that book and getting going. In the meantime I have been playing around with it and found SOME things that resemble the tool I was looking for. You are right, there are a lot of different ways to do what I was talking about. Now, for some reason, my photobucket isn't working or I would show you what I did and was looking for.

Hope to figure it out! I am excited to share a rookie's work!

Thanks AGAIN to all of you!!

fc

[fisherchick]

Okay, here is a start...This pic was from the back end of my friend's horse drawn cart. She has a cross attached to the frame. I wanted to have the color of JUST the cross, but ran across "this other tool" and was playing with it. I am still figuring this out, but thought I would share! Any comments are welcome. Thanks!

[Steve Foss]

Fisherchick, this one is especially easy for the lasso method I outlined because the edges are fairly straight.

Using the lasso tool along straight edges, you can click to engage the lasso tool on an edge, then hold down the option key (on my Mac, not sure on a PC), and move the mouse where you want it, click the mouse again while continuing to hold down the option key and move along the outline of the subject until it's completely lassoed.

That's what I did here. Then I pulled down from the "select" option on the top toolbar, choosing "inverse," and then I went to "image" on the pulldown and selected "hue/saturation" and desaturated the background.

It was made even easier in this case by the fact that almost all the edges of the cross are black or white, which have no color to begin with, so in the areas that are black and white you can lasso just inside the border of the cross, ensuring that when you select inverse all the background will be selected, and the tiny edges of the cross that get selected with the background already are black and white so when you desaturate they are unaffected.

Took about 3 minutes.

Subjects that have lots of serrations, for example, or fuzzy edges require different techniques to best do what you want.

[Dbl]

Looks like you used the gradient tool. I did the same thing as Steve, just a different method. Duplicate the background (Ctrl J), in that layer desaturate it to turn it black and white. Create a layer mask and with a brush and with black selected for a color began to paint in the cross. Same results, different method, same amount of time, something you will find with editing programs.

[Birdsong]

I have the Kelby book and like it. And I like the direction you are going, fisherchick--especially the black and white/colored cross the guys did. It's kind of fun to play. Keep posting them. I've always wanted to ask, Steve, if you use the magnetic lasso or the plain lasso?

[finnbay]

There is always more than one way to skin a cat in Photoshop and the methods shown are probably the easiest. I have a number of Kelby's books, and they are wonderful. I like them better now after I understand Photoshop better. Early on I could follow step by step and make some things happen, but didn't know what I was really doing. Starting with a " For Dummies" might give you some basics that will take you farther with Kelby.

[Steve Foss]

Sarah, I just use the plain lasso. Is the magnetic lasso available in CS2 and, if so, how is it different?

[fisherchick]

I DID IT!! Thanks so much everyone! I have a long way to go, but this "task" was huge for me!! Thank you so much!!

[Dbl]

Looks great, nice job!

[fisherchick]

Thanks, Dan! I practiced on a few others from the weekend. Thanks again for the advice and comments!

[Birdsong]

I missed a few things in this forum somehow. No bold highlighting on the thread topics. Nice job fishinchicks! I love the horse with the blue eye. Congratulations.

Steve I have Elements 6. The magnetic lasso stays with the outline of the subject easily rather than hand drawing, but you do lose some control as it wants to jump to a branch or something you did not intend to include at times. It does not take a steady hand the way plain lasso does.