Photoshop Masking & Compositing Second Edition Katrin EISMANN Seán DUGGAN James PORTO Photoshop Masking & Compositing, Second Edition Katrin Eismann, Seán Duggan, and James Porto New Riders 1249 Eighth Street Berkeley, CA 94710 510/524-2178 510/524-2221 (fax) Find us on the Web at: www.newriders.com To report errors, please send a note to errata@peachpit.com New Riders is an imprint of Peachpit, a division of Pearson Education Copyright © 2013 by Katrin Eismann, Sến Duggan, and James Porto Acquisitions Editor: Nikki Echler McDonald Development Editor: Anne Marie Walker Technical Editor: Wayne R Palmer Production Editor: Lisa Brazieal Proofers: Liz Welch, Emily K Wolman Composition: Kim Scott/Bumpy Design Cover Design: Charlene Charles-Will Interior Design: Charlene Charles-Will, Kim Scott/Bumpy Design Indexer: FireCrystal Communications Notice of Rights All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher For information on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact permissions@peachpit.com Notice of Liability The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis without warranty While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the authors nor Peachpit shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it Trademarks Adobe, Lightroom, and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks Where those designations appear in this book, and Peachpit was aware of a trademark claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark All other product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book ISBN 13: 978-0-321-70100-8 ISBN 10: 0-321-70100-3 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed and bound in the United States of America For Mark Beckelman—friend, artist, Photoshop fanatic, talented photographer, dedicated family man, and generous teacher You are valued, remembered, and missed a great deal —Katrin Eismann To all the teachers, students, and fellow artists who have taught me so much in my creative journey The path we choose to follow may not always be clear, but it is rich with wonderful discoveries —Seán Duggan For my wife, Beth, and sons, Cole and Dylan, for all their support And for all the people and opportunities that have enabled me to create a life doing what I love—making images I’m deeply grateful —James Porto Acknowledgments We’ve heard it over and over again: “Oh you can fix that in Photoshop” or “Just Photoshop it.” Anyone who has ever had that cavalier attitude of being able to quickly change this or move that in Photoshop quickly regrets it because what seems like a quick fix turns into hours of work We’ve also heard, “I have a great idea for a book” or “You should write a book.” Although the bookstores and Amazon pages may be full of books, writing a book is never a quick, easy, or painless undertaking to take a germ of an idea and turn it into a 500-plus-page book Most important, writing a book is not the romantic undertaking of a lone author toiling away to create a masterpiece Conceptualizing, planning, writing, reviewing, editing, proofing, designing, formatting, printing, and delivering a final product requires a dedicated team of talented people who may never meet face to face but have one goal in mind—to create a valuable, useful, and in this case inspiring book that will help you understand and master the finest details of masking and compositing with Adobe Photoshop Our thanks and gratitude goes out to a variety of people, including: • Our families who rolled their eyeballs and muttered, “no more books” as they brought us yet another cup of coffee or a piece of chocolate to keep us going Thank you, John McIntosh, Katrin’s smarter half; Anna and Fiona, Sến’s inspiration and support; and Beth, Cole, and Dylan, Jim’s raison d’etre • The fabulous Peachpit development staff who had their hands full with us! Katrin’s teaching obligations often pushed writing into the weekends; Sến’s workshop and travel schedules kept him offline for days at a time; and Jim’s photography business often required complete dedication, meaning that our acquisitions editor Nikki McDonald and Development Editor Anne Marie Walker often had to resort to not-soveiled threats of wet noodle whippings to get us to make our deadlines Both Nikki and Anne Marie were always professional, dedicated, and unrelenting in their support for this project Thank you! • The Peachpit design and production staff—thank you for making these pages so elegant and well designed Specifically, über production editor Lisa Brazieal, cover designer Charlene Charles-Will, and compositor Kim Scott of Bumpy Design for all of their long hours put into these pages We very much appreciate you taking into account our nondesigner opinions • The artists, photographers, students, and image makers that allowed us to feature their images, techniques, and insights Your point of view and talent make this book richer and more inspiring • Our Technical Editor Wayne (Option-click [Alt-click]) Palmer Knowing that you read the text and tried out all of the exercises helped us avoid many errors and inconsistencies • Thank you to Julieanne Kost for a wonderful Foreword and inspirational teaching; Candace Dobro for helping Katrin with photo compositing history research; and the dedicated staff, product managers, and senior engineers at Adobe Systems: Russell Brown, Jeff Chien, Chris Cox, Cari Gushiken, John Nack, Bryan O’Neill Hughes, Jeff Tranberry, and Gregg Wilensky We don’t really understand how you do what you do, but we love what you allow us to do with Adobe Photoshop! As Winston Churchill said, “Writing a book is an adventure To begin with it is a toy and an amusement Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant.” We can honestly say we have experienced all of these stages, and we thank everyone who supported us, shared images, answered emails, and gave us a few more days to add that final polish to just one more image There is no way we could have completed this project without a large group of people who deserve a great deal of thanks, gratitude, and more thanks Best regards, Katrin Eismann, Seán Duggan, James Porto, and our neglected plants, pets, and family members Contents at a Glance Inspire: Seeing & Creating 1 The History of Compositing 2 The Creative Process Expose: Photography for Compositing 3 Planning and Preparing 4 Lighting and Backgrounds 5 Perspective, Point of View, and Scale Skills: Selections & Masking 6 Selection Fundamentals 7 The Essential Select Menu 8 Layer Essentials 9 Layer Masks 10 The Power of Channel Masking 11 Fine-Edged Selections Projects: Putting it all Together 12 Creative Compositing 13 Photorealistic Compositing Index Contents Foreword Introduction Inspire: Seeing & Creating 1 The History of Compositing A Multilayered History Nonphotographic Collages Traditional Photographic Composites The Twentieth Century: Dada The Twentieth Century: Surrealism The Twentieth Century: Darkroom Masters Artist in the First Person: Jerry Uelsmann Analog to Digital History Artist In the First Person: Glen Wexler The Twenty-first Century: Digital Masters The Next Generation Learning from Hollywood Suspension of Disbelief Visual Effects Chroma Key Animation Uncanny Valley Compositing Terminology and Categories Traditional Methods Working Subjectively or Conceptually Closing Thoughts 2 The Creative Process The Image-making Journey Inspiration Gather, Collect, and Snap Observe Brainstorming and Concept Development Doodle and Sketch Personal Projects and Series Proof of Concept Plan and Photograph Artist in the First Person: Fran Forman Digitize, Organize, and Back Up Preparing the Files Clean Up and Color Correct Select and Mask Composite and Refine Closing Thoughts Expose: Photography for Compositing 3 Planning and Preparing Planning the Image Creating the Road Map Determining Look, Feel, and Style Production Considerations Preproduction Managing the Preproduction Stage Creating a Budget To Composite or Not to Composite Shooting on Location Shooting in the Studio Location Scouting Casting Styling Photography for Compositing Artist in the First Person: Laura Lemkowitz The Deciding Factors The Controlling Factor Shooting to Match Creative Reverse Engineering Closing Thoughts 4 Lighting and Backgrounds Light Quality Essentials Point Light Source Directional Diffuse Source Large Diffuse Source Size and Distance Relationships The Importance of Fill Light Light Quality Image Gallery freezing, 63, 113 and reflective surfaces, 365 visualizing, 20 Motion Blur filter, 467 Move tool, 249, 344 movie industry, learning from, 18–22 Multiply blending mode, 339, 358–360, 403 museums, 396 N naming/renaming alpha channels, 331, 335 layers, 228 Nash, Graham, 14 natural forms, 395–396 natural scenes, 398 negative space, 425–426 Neleman, Hans, 23 neutral backgrounds, 358 neutral layers, 224–225 Nevelson, Louise, 4 New Channel dialog, 331–332 Newton, Sir Isaac, 3 noise, 333, 439, 467–468 nondestructive editing, 30, 212, 438 nonphotographic collages, 4 non sequitur elements, 26–27 Normal blending mode, 237, 339 notebooks, idea, 31 Nova Design Cinematte, 383 numeric transformations, 253–354 O observing nature, 33 Ocean Ripple filter, 319 On Black view, Refine Edge, 205–206 one-point perspective, 119–121, 129–133 On Layers view, Refine Edge, 206, 207 online pin boards, 31, 32 On White view, Refine Edge, 206 opacity backdrop, 414 fill, 244, 268, 269 layer, 243–244 Opacity slider, 243–244, 268, 269 Oppenheim, Méret, 8 opposites selections, 151, 154 Overlay blending mode, 239, 340, 361, 406 Overlay view Refine Edge, 205 Refine Mask, 313 P PageMaker, 14 painted layer masks, 276 painting on layer/channel masks, 370 photography as liberator of, 5 use of metaphor in, 4 use of symbolism in, 4 Palmer, Wayne, 387 Panter, Gary, 14 partial layers, 223 Pass Through blending, 271, 323–324 Paste Around command, 308 Paste in Place command, 308 Paste Into command, 307–308 Paste Special menu, 307–308 paths converting to vector masks, 298 creating, 295–297 Pen tool, 40, 44, 132, 329, 432, 449 Pen Light blending mode, 240 Pen Pressure option, Magnetic Lasso, 177 Pen tool adding/subtracting selections with, 168 and atmospheric effects, 446 and hard-edge areas, 343, 344 intersecting selections with, 168 masks, 136, 446 paths, 40, 44, 132, 329, 432, 449 and shape/form selections, 151, 152, 165 and vector masks, 274, 295, 298 vs Magnetic Lasso tool, 180, 295 vs Quick Selection tool, 182 vs Shape tools, 297 web-based chapter on, 132, 154 perception, visual, 421 Performance settings, 234 Permuth, Jaime, 18 personal stories, 394, 418 perspective, 119–137 defined, 119 determining, 127–129 distortion, 253 fixing in Photoshop, 129–130 harmonizing scale and, 144–145 matching, 129–137, 215, 464, 472 one-point, 119–121 in paintings, 119 in photography, 119 in photorealistic composites, 107–108, 464–466 three-point, 125–126, 134–137 two-point, 122–124, 134–137 Perspective command, 251 perspective guides, 127–129 See also perspective Peterson, Grant, 14 photographers, 49 See also “Artist in First Person” sidebars photographic composites traditional, 5–6 types of, 25–28 photographic series, 36–38 photographs See also images blending together, 274 bringing depth to, 107 cropping, 400–401 flattening of images in, 350 spontaneous vs planned, 38–39 as visual metaphors, 418 photography for compositing, 59–71 father of fine art, 5 as liberator of painting, 5 lighting principles (See lighting) overcoming limitations of, 4, 5, 7 production considerations, 54–59 as state of mind, 138 photomontages, 7, 15 photorealistic compositing, 429–474 and atmospheric effects, 446–447 and balancing of contrast/color, 444–445 and dimensionality, 456–458 essential issues/requirements for, 28, 429–430, 444, 471–474 finessing final image, 473–474 and image textures, 467–471 and layering of light, 458–461 and lighting, 91–102 and matching of key attributes, 441, 466–467 and perspective, 107–108, 464–466 putting the parts together, 430–437 and shadows, 447–455 signs of poor, 472 and Smart Objects, 437–441 and suspension of disbelief, 20, 28 and transitions, 470–471 vs creative compositing, 429–430 photo release app, 39 Photoshop 3D functionality, 249 artists who use, 16–17 as conduit for your imagination, 29 as “digital sandbox,” 397 first version of, 14 most destructive functions in, 249 system requirements, 234–235 Photoshop LAB Color (Margulis), 327 Picasso, Pablo, 4, 23 Pin Light blending mode, 240, 340 Pinterest, 31, 32 pixel-based masks combining with vector masks, 299–300 vs vector masks, 274 pixels abbreviation for, 159 adding transitions between, 158 applying layer mask to, 248, 309 deleting, 212, 249, 309 locking, 244 rogue, 174 selecting, 150, 175, 197 pixels per inch, 466 point light sources, 74–75, 454 point of view, 114–117 Polygonal Lasso tool, 159–166, 181, 182 Pop Art, 4 portfolio websites, 154 Porto, Jim, 28 positioning elements, 421 postproduction, 54, 71, 138–139 preferences Channel Shortcuts, 326 History States, 265 interpolation, 251 performance, 234 preproduction, 54, 55–59, 71 Primatte Chromakeyer, 383 production considerations, 54, 60–61, 71 projects See also images backing up, 42–43 flash vs long-term, 36–38 sources of inspiration for, 30–33 proof of concept, 38 Properties panel, 276, 309–317 Puppet Warp Transform, 472 Q Quick Mask, 184–190 adding depth with, 457–458 checking selections in, 186–187 default settings for, 184 purpose of, 184 separating image elements in, 184–185 starting without a selection in, 188–190 using in painting mode, 188 Quick Selection tool, 174–177, 373 quilting, 4 R Radius slider, Edge Detection, 207 RAM, 234, 235, 329 Range, Lisette, 33 Rasterize command, 249 Rauschenberg, Robert, 4, 40 Ray, Man, 8 rayographs, 8 Rectangular Marquee tool, 154–159, 181, 193, 196, 223, 301 reference point, transformation, 253 Refine Edge dialog, 204–213 Adjust Edge sliders, 210–211 best files to use with, 374 Edge Detection controls, 207–210 high-fidelity compositing with, 375–377 Output section, 211–212 Remember Settings check box, 212 View Mode, 205–207 Refine Mask dialog, 311–315, 336–337, 371 Refine Radius tool, 208–209, 313 reflections, 365, 398 Rejlander, Oscar Gustave, 5 Reselect command, 192, 193 resolution, 430, 466–467, 472 return on investment, 354 Reveal Layer view, Refine Edge, 207 Revert command, 265 RGB color mode, 327 Robinson, Henry Peach, 5–6 ROI, 354 Rotate command, 251 rotating selections, 215 Rothko, Mark, 40 rough composites, 430–437 creating, 431–433 experimenting with, 437 finalizing, 436–437 purpose of, 430–431, 434 redirecting, 434–436 resizing elements in, 435 resolution for, 430 S Sample Size setting, Eyedropper tool, 174 saturation, 427 Saturation blending mode, 242, 350–351, 407 Save Selection command, 216–217 scale, 137–145 exaggerated, 142–143 harmonizing perspective and, 144–145 matching, 140–142, 472 in photorealistic composites, 464 realistic, 137–142 Scale command, 251 scaling selections, 215 scanning images, 42 scanography, 25 Scatter brush, 378, 380 Schewe, Jeff, 14 Schwitters, Kurt, 7 scouting locations, 57 scrapbooking, 4 scratch disks, 234 Screen blending mode, 238, 291, 339, 368–369, 388, 459–461 Select All command, 192 Select All Layers command, 194 selection-based layer masks, 274–276 selections, 149–190 See also Select menu adding to, 163–164, 167 border, 213 and brush size, 175 checking in Quick Mask mode, 186–187 color, 151, 152, 169, 177 Color Range, 194–204 with color/tonal presets, 200–201 combining, 165–166 contracting, 214 defined, 150 deselecting, 193 distorting, 215 expanding, 214 feathering, 177, 183, 204 fine-edged, 357–358 (See also Refine Edge dialog) freeform, 159 how Photoshop “sees,” 150 importance of making good, 190 intersecting with, 168 inversing, 192, 194 loading, 217–218 refining, 212–213 reselecting, 193 rotating, 215 saving, 44, 216–217 scaling, 215 skewing, 215 smoothing edges of, 214 subtracting from, 163–164, 167–168 tools for making, 154–190 (See also selection tools) transforming, 215 turning layer masks into, 304 types of, 150–154 (See also specific types) viewing/editing, 184 warping, 215 selection tools, 154–190 combining, 181–183 Elliptical Marquee, 154–159, 181–182, 193 Magic Wand, 169–174 Magnetic Lasso, 159, 177–180 Polygonal Lasso, 159–166, 181, 182 Quick Selection, 174–177 Rectangular Marquee, 154–159, 181, 193, 196, 223, 301 Select menu, 191–218 Color Range command, 194–204 importance of, 218 introduction to, 192–194 Load Selection command, 217–218 Modify options, 213–214 Refine Edge command, 204–213 Save Selection command, 216–217 shortcuts, 192 Transform Selection command, 215 sensor dust spots, 43 serendipity, 8 series, photographic, 36–38 shading, 280–281, 350–354 shadows adding to alpha masks, 346–347 characteristics of, 455 controlling color in, 451 creating/modifying, 447–448, 451, 472 darkening, 353 feathering, 260 in photorealistic composites, 447–455 using specific types contact, 455 directional diffuse source, 79 drop, 302 hard, 446–451 large diffuse source, 79–80 point light source, 75–77, 454 soft, 454 Shallow option, 270 shape selections, 151–152 Shape tools, 295, 297 sharpening in Adobe Camera Raw, 385 in Adobe Lightroom, 385 and color modes, 327 eyes, 150 with layers/layer masks, 421 and neutral layers, 225 shadows, 75 sharpness, 466 Shift Edge slider, 211 shooting glass objects, 463–464 on greenscreen background, 385 on location, 56–58 to match, 64–65 in the studio, 58 shortcuts blending mode, 242–243 channel, 326 Color Range eyedroppers, 196 for filling selections, 334 for inverting layer masks, 276 layer positioning, 246 Layers panel, 247–248 Quick Selection tool, 175 Refine Edge dialog, 205–206 Select menu, 192 for speeding up masking workflow, 334 transformation, 251 Show Radius check box, 207 Show Transform Controls option, 249 shutter speed, 113 Silvy, Camille, 5 Similar command, 214 sizing elements, 423 sketching, 34, 50 Skew control, 251, 252, 254 skewing selections, 215 skies, 5, 39, 89, 260, 350, 445 See also clouds skin tones, 200–201 Smart Filters, 437, 439–441 Smart Objects, 437–441 applying Smart Filters to, 437, 439–441 creating, 226, 437–438 defined, 437 editing, 437 and file size, 234, 438 and Liquify filter, 415 pros and cons of, 438 purpose of, 226, 227 and transformations, 438–439 Smart Radius option, 207, 374 smoke images, 388, 446–447 Smooth command, 214 Smooth slider, 210 Soft Light blending mode, 239, 340, 406 soft shadows, 454 Solid Color layer, 371, 451 Sony, 12 special effects, 14, 327, 340, 365, 381 See also effects spirit photographs, 6, 7 spot colors, 331 spotlights, 75 spread & choke technique, 370 SSD, 234 stacking order, 244 Steuer, Sharon, 14 still-life photography, 96–97 stock images, 39 stories as inspiration for images, 394, 418 using composites to tell, 418 studio expenses, 57 lighting in, 82 shooting in, 58 styling, 58–59 subjective-creative approach, 25 Subtract blending mode, 340 superimposing, 25 SuperPaint, 14 surrealism, 8, 24, 26–27, 40 suspension of disbelief, 20, 28 symbolism, 4, 321 system requirements, 234–235 T Tabard, Maurice, 8 Taylor, Maggie, 10, 11, 16, 21, 25, 418–419 telephoto lenses, 109–110 textures concealing differences in, 365 experimenting with, 408–411 matching, 365 modifying to fit image contours, 412–415 photographing, 408 and photorealistic compositing, 467–471 sources of, 408 using filters to apply, 319 three-point perspective, 125–126, 134–137 TIFFs, 249, 385 “Time Flies” composite, 258–265 Tolerance setting, Magic Wand, 169–172, 214 tonal adjustments, 294 tone selections, 151, 152, 169, 177 transformations duplicating, 253 interpolation methods for, 251 numeric, 253–254 and Smart Objects, 438–439 Transform commands, 251–257 Transform menu, 251 Transform Selection command, 215 transitions, 470–471 translucency, 151, 153 transparency layer, 243, 244 masking, 388 Transparency Shapes Layer option, 272 transversals, 127 trick photography, 6 tripods, 134, 463 two-point perspective, 122–124, 134–137 Type layers, 225–226, 248, 274 U Uelsmann, Jerry, 8–9, 10–11, 40, 45 uncanny valley, 22 Undo command, 345 Unsharp Mask dialog, 354 Use All Layers option, 173 V vanishing point, 119–120, 122–125 Varis, Lee, 17, 327 Vector Mask Hides Effects option, 272 vector masks, 295–303 combining with pixel masks, 299–300 creating, 295–297 editing, 298–299 fine-tuning with layer styles, 301–302 vs pixel-based masks, 274 when to use, 274, 295 Vedros, Nick, 17, 26, 28 video layers, 227 visual effects, 20–21, 22, 28 visual metaphors, 4, 418 visual perception, 421 visual tension, 421 Vivid Light blending mode, 240, 340 W Walstrom, Rick, 28 Warp command, 251, 254–257, 258 warping selections, 215 Wave filter, 439–440 weather forecasters, 381 website(s) portfolio, 154 this book’s companion, 152, 154 Weinman, Lynda, 14 Westcott backdrop/lighting kits, 383 Weta Digital, 381 Wexler, Glen, 15, 17 white backgrounds, 102–103, 358–360, 375–377 wide-angle lenses, 108–109, 112, 441–442 willing suspension of disbelief, 20, 28 Windows systems, 234 X Xerox PARC, 12 Z Z dimension, 59, 108 zippernecking, 20 Zomb, Ilya, 40 Where are the Lesson Files? Thank you for purchasing this digital version of: Photoshop Masking & Compositing The print version of this title comes with downloadable files As an eBook reader, you have access to these files by following the steps below: On your PC or Mac, open a web browser and go to this URL: http://www.peachpit.com/pmc2e Download the ZIP file (or files) from the web site to your hard drive Unzip the files and follow the directions for use in the Read Me included in the download Please note that many of our lesson materials can be very large, especially image and video files You will be able to see the size of any file for download once you reach the URL listed above If you are unable to locate the files for this title by following the steps above, please email ask@peachpit.com and supply the URL from step one Our customer service representatives will assist you as soon as possible Legal Notice: Peachpit Press makes no warranty or representation, either express or implied, with respect to this software, its quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose In no event will Peachpit Press, its distributors, or dealers be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use the software The exclusion of implied warranties is not permitted in some states Therefore, the above exclusion may not apply to you This warranty provides you with specific legal rights There may be other rights that you may have that vary from state to state The software and media files are copyrighted by the authors and Peachpit Press You have the non-exclusive right to use these programs and files You may use them on one computer at a time You may not distribute the URL to third parties or redistribute the files over a network You may transfer the files onto a single hard disk so long as you can prove ownership of this eBook You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the software or media files You may not modify or translate the software or media, or distribute copies of the software or media without the written consent of Peachpit Press .. .Photoshop Masking & Compositing Second Edition Katrin EISMANN Seán DUGGAN James PORTO Photoshop Masking & Compositing, Second Edition Katrin Eismann, Seán Duggan, and James Porto... Working with White, Black, and Gray Backdrops Masking on White with Multiply Masking on Gray with Overlay or Hardlight Masking on Black with Screen Working with Refine Edge High-fidelity Compositing with Refine Edge Masking Fine Detail with Brushes... Artist in the First Person: David Julian Masking with Layer Groups Pass Through Blending Closing Thoughts 10 The Power of Channel Masking Types of Image Channels Types of Photoshop Masks The Masking Decoder Ring