Comments on: How to Do Masking For Sky or Window Replacement http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/ Helping Real Estate Photographers Be Successful Fri, 25 May 2012 01:11:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Larry Leuallen http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/comment-page-1/#comment-26481 Larry Leuallen Tue, 18 May 2010 21:58:24 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/#comment-26481 This may help. After copying the blue channel, select all (ctrl-a), copy (ctrl-c), then paste (ctrl-v). All on the blue channel. This places a copy of the blue channel over itself, you will not see any change. BUT THE TRICK IS - go to Edit->Fade which is now available because of the first steps. Don't do do anything in between these steps or you will loose the fade command. In the fade dialog, change the blending to multiply. Then OK. The blacks and grays will be much darker and the lights much lighter, just what you want (more contrast). This is a very quick operation and gives you a much better starting point. You could continue as you have for the rest of the video but I have a couple of more 'enhancements' that you might light to try. After the fade-multiply trick, run the levels (ctrl-l) command (not an adjustment layer, not available on channels). Move the black an white points inward slightly. This further strengthens the blacks and whites. This may be too advanced because how much to move the sliders comes from lots of experience. Move them in too much and you destroy the gray transitional edges around the trees and sky that you prize so much - not good. Play with it if you like. When making a selection, instead of painting in with white or black, use the fill command shortcuts. Make sure that black and white are selected on your color picker (ctrl-d). Alt-backspace will fill the foreground color, ctr-backspace the background color. This is quicker and you don't risk missing any areas. Finally, if you have like the edge of the roof (dark gray) against the sky (near white), paint with a brush set to Hard Mix (not available when you made the video), and set to around 50% opacity. If you paint with white, anything above mid gray will turn to white leaving anything below mid gray alone. Black works the same, makes grays black and leaves lights alone. Don't do this on your transitional edges (sky and leaves) or you will destroy the transition and good effect. Works great for cleaning up hard edges. Finally finally, when all done, the mask may be too sharp, especially around the hard edges. This gives the cut out and pasted on effect. Soften your mask by selecting it (click on the mask icon, layers pallet to make the mask selected). Then run Gaussian blur at around 1 pic +/-. Have the image at 100%, the image is visible but the mask is selected. Visually judge the edges till you get a good effect with the Gaussian blur. Hint: if the mask in not too good to start with, a larger GB may save it, good enough for government work. The large radius blurring tip usually only works when you are masking the image over a darker version of itself - not a totally new sky. I mask on almost every image somewhere along the workflow. If you learn these tips, they do not take very long to execute and give good results. Larry This may help. After copying the blue channel, select all (ctrl-a), copy (ctrl-c), then paste (ctrl-v). All on the blue channel. This places a copy of the blue channel over itself, you will not see any change. BUT THE TRICK IS – go to Edit->Fade which is now available because of the first steps. Don’t do do anything in between these steps or you will loose the fade command. In the fade dialog, change the blending to multiply. Then OK. The blacks and grays will be much darker and the lights much lighter, just what you want (more contrast). This is a very quick operation and gives you a much better starting point. You could continue as you have for the rest of the video but I have a couple of more ‘enhancements’ that you might light to try.

After the fade-multiply trick, run the levels (ctrl-l) command (not an adjustment layer, not available on channels). Move the black an white points inward slightly. This further strengthens the blacks and whites. This may be too advanced because how much to move the sliders comes from lots of experience. Move them in too much and you destroy the gray transitional edges around the trees and sky that you prize so much – not good. Play with it if you like.

When making a selection, instead of painting in with white or black, use the fill command shortcuts. Make sure that black and white are selected on your color picker (ctrl-d). Alt-backspace will fill the foreground color, ctr-backspace the background color. This is quicker and you don’t risk missing any areas.

Finally, if you have like the edge of the roof (dark gray) against the sky (near white), paint with a brush set to Hard Mix (not available when you made the video), and set to around 50% opacity. If you paint with white, anything above mid gray will turn to white leaving anything below mid gray alone. Black works the same, makes grays black and leaves lights alone. Don’t do this on your transitional edges (sky and leaves) or you will destroy the transition and good effect. Works great for cleaning up hard edges.

Finally finally, when all done, the mask may be too sharp, especially around the hard edges. This gives the cut out and pasted on effect. Soften your mask by selecting it (click on the mask icon, layers pallet to make the mask selected). Then run Gaussian blur at around 1 pic +/-. Have the image at 100%, the image is visible but the mask is selected. Visually judge the edges till you get a good effect with the Gaussian blur. Hint: if the mask in not too good to start with, a larger GB may save it, good enough for government work. The large radius blurring tip usually only works when you are masking the image over a darker version of itself – not a totally new sky.

I mask on almost every image somewhere along the workflow. If you learn these tips, they do not take very long to execute and give good results.

Larry

]]> By: David Lenhert http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/comment-page-1/#comment-20864 David Lenhert Sun, 27 Sep 2009 05:37:42 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/#comment-20864 Hi Larry, I've used your technique and some other variations with pretty good success; some more than others. Good masking results can sometimes be a challenge, especially if you are pressed for time. I just received notification of a new Photoshop plugin tool from Topaz Labs that I wanted to make you aware of; which may prove quite useful to our community of real estate photographers... Product details can be viewed at: http://www.topazlabs.com/remask/ You can get a free 30 day trial of any of their products. I have yet to test this one thoroughly, however, I have used several of their other products and can recommend them very highly. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Regards, David Hi Larry,
I’ve used your technique and some other variations with pretty good success; some more than others. Good masking results can sometimes be a challenge, especially if you are pressed for time.

I just received notification of a new Photoshop plugin tool from Topaz Labs that I wanted to make you aware of; which may prove quite useful to our community of real estate photographers…

Product details can be viewed at: http://www.topazlabs.com/remask/

You can get a free 30 day trial of any of their products. I have yet to test this one thoroughly, however, I have used several of their other products and can recommend them very highly.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Regards,
David

]]> By: Peter http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/comment-page-1/#comment-20199 Peter Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:59:54 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/#comment-20199 Hi Larry-- I would love to see a multi-strobe/ambient blending tutorial. I know the basics but I'd like to learn the finer steps. Cheers. Hi Larry–

I would love to see a multi-strobe/ambient blending tutorial. I know the basics but I’d like to learn the finer steps.

Cheers.

]]> By: larry http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/comment-page-1/#comment-15183 larry Sun, 22 Mar 2009 18:30:24 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/#comment-15183 Sylvia- Yes, for complicated selections like trees on a skyline this approach is hard to beat! Sylvia- Yes, for complicated selections like trees on a skyline this approach is hard to beat!

]]> By: sylvia http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/comment-page-1/#comment-15182 sylvia Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:39:45 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/#comment-15182 hi larry! i was in a tight situation just now editing some pics. the light was very contrasted and i couldn't get good detail on both sky and house, so i started looking for this tutorial and quickly found it! it's amazing, in just minutes i got the result i wanted. a very quick and effective solution to my problem! the selection was perfectly done, it looks very natural. thanks!! hi larry! i was in a tight situation just now editing some pics. the light was very contrasted and i couldn’t get good detail on both sky and house, so i started looking for this tutorial and quickly found it!

it’s amazing, in just minutes i got the result i wanted. a very quick and effective solution to my problem! the selection was perfectly done, it looks very natural.
thanks!!

]]> By: larry http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/comment-page-1/#comment-6269 larry Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:46:51 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/#comment-6269 @David - Viveza could darken, lighten the sky or make it a color but in this situation I had a nicely exposed sky with clouds that I wanted to put in over the poorly exposed sky. So Viveza wouldn't help with that. Also, after you practice this technique a few times it is ridiculously fast. When the skyline is sharp and high contrast the mask doesn't require refining like this lacy one did. @David – Viveza could darken, lighten the sky or make it a color but in this situation I had a nicely exposed sky with clouds that I wanted to put in over the poorly exposed sky. So Viveza wouldn’t help with that. Also, after you practice this technique a few times it is ridiculously fast. When the skyline is sharp and high contrast the mask doesn’t require refining like this lacy one did.

]]> By: David Lenhert http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/comment-page-1/#comment-6265 David Lenhert Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:27:14 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/#comment-6265 Great tutorial Larry! I'll be able to use that in lots of situations including sky replacement. I'm curious however, in this particular example would you have found using Viveza faster and just as effective? Great tutorial Larry! I’ll be able to use that in lots of situations including sky replacement. I’m curious however, in this particular example would you have found using Viveza faster and just as effective?

]]> By: larry http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/comment-page-1/#comment-6221 larry Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:05:49 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/#comment-6221 @Con - I'm not sure what the problem might be. Yours is the only report I gotten with troubles viewing the video. Have you tried different browsers? Can you view other youtube videos? I just tried it a it works OK for me with Firefox and Safari. @Con – I’m not sure what the problem might be. Yours is the only report I gotten with troubles viewing the video. Have you tried different browsers? Can you view other youtube videos? I just tried it a it works OK for me with Firefox and Safari.

]]> By: Anonymous http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/comment-page-1/#comment-6205 Anonymous Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:51:51 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/#comment-6205 I learned stuff! Thanks Larry. I learned stuff! Thanks Larry.

]]> By: Dale Charles http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/comment-page-1/#comment-6201 Dale Charles Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:36:31 +0000 http://photographyforrealestate.net/2008/06/10/how-to-do-masking-for-sky-or-window-replacement/#comment-6201 Great tut, thanks for that! You might add your Feather Radius settings and that you can "create a selection" after using the pen tool (around roof of house) and then chose Select > Modify > Contract to size it down by Pixel size if alignment is a little big, great lesson though I learned a few new tricks thanks! Great tut, thanks for that! You might add your Feather Radius settings and that you can “create a selection” after using the pen tool (around roof of house) and then chose Select > Modify > Contract to size it down by Pixel size if alignment is a little big, great lesson though I learned a few new tricks thanks!

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