Author Topic: Favourite isolation techniques - HELP! (Read 8700 times)

fintastique · « **on:** June 06, 2006, 04:30 »

This is post production question so an in camera effects with a very shallow DOF will not be much use as I have plenty of photos to rescue.

I have received a lot of rejections regarding framing from SS so i thought i would try to isolate some of them.

Does anyone want to spare any tricks and tips for isolation on photoshop, I have had some mixed sucess with isolation of both hard and soft objects (road signs and faces)

Aquilegia · « **Reply #1 on:** June 09, 2006, 14:26 »

The very best way to isolate is using the pen tool, but it takes lots and lots of practice!

mjp · « **Reply #2 on:** June 10, 2006, 03:07 »

Hi everybody, just joined this great forum. Here is some tips for isolation I have found usefull

I agree that pen(path) tool is the best way to do isolation(if you use photoshop). There is also a bonus because the clipping path is stored inside the JPEG file. Some sites (like bigstockphoto) have option to mark that clipping path is included. This may incrase your image sales.

You can also use channels try to isolate the background, but this is little bit harder to do(select high contrast channel and use channel mask). Very good book about the isolation (and other advanced concepts) is Katrin Eisman's book

Photoshop Masking & Compositing
New Riders Publishing
ISBN#: 0-7357-1279-4
October 2004

www.photoshopdiva.com

chellyar · « **Reply #3 on:** June 10, 2006, 05:24 »

Are they already on single colour backgrounds, or are we talking uneven backgrounds?

leaf · « **Reply #4 on:** June 12, 2006, 05:44 »

i have used this method with reasonable success. It works good for both easy and hard to isolated images.

zoom in 200%
use the polygon lassoo tool and go around your image. don't be TOO picky, but a little picky.. move your image when you have to by pressing the space bar and dragging the image to where you need to be
after you image is circled
select > modify > smooth > 2pixels
select > modify > contract > 2pixels
select > feather > 2 pixels
Ctrl +Shift + I (inverse selection)
create a new layer
paint bucket whatever color you want on the background.

i can't take the credit for this, as soeone on the shutterstock forum mentioned this, but it was so long ago i have no idea who it was :S. it works well though.

fintastique · « **Reply #5 on:** June 17, 2006, 03:56 »

Thanks for the suggestions been away for a week on the Isle of Skye so once I have sorted through the 1400 images or so i will try isolating again.

123 and FT accepted my last batch

StockXpert SS and DT most certinaly didn't

fintastique · « **Reply #6 on:** June 27, 2006, 02:21 »

Tried the new technique (polygon,smooth,contract,feather,inverse,duplicate) which I admit certainly looked better StockXpert accepted, Shutterstock rejected them for noise issues. Still waiting on the other sites.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help

Hallgerd · « **Reply #7 on:** June 28, 2006, 16:54 »

And what about hair, when they aren't sleek, but rather in mess? Is it possible to isolated correctly such photos too?

leaf · « **Reply #8 on:** June 29, 2006, 11:03 »

well depends on how much time you have. If you have endless time, the method i explained earlier in the post works fine, it will just take forever to select all the small parts.

Otherwise, you may be stuck, unless you shot on a white or contrasting background.

rjmiz · « **Reply #9 on:** July 13, 2006, 09:26 »

There are no tricks...no magic, no dreaming.....you really have to work hard at isolating

Freezingpictures · « **Reply #10 on:** July 24, 2006, 08:21 »

THanx Leaf, you really helped me a lot by just posting how to isolate images successful. Because of that I am working much more with PS and it is fun! That Image is one of the results

leaf · « **Reply #11 on:** July 24, 2006, 09:34 »

i'm glad it was of help.

Quevaal · « **Reply #12 on:** July 27, 2006, 15:00 »

I rarely bother to isolate, because it's often difficult to get it done properly without spending a lot of time. I'm not going to waste half an hour isolating some stupid object, only to get it rejected.

I am quite experienced in isolating as an illustrator, but my style allows a more cut and paste look, so I don't need to be so picky as I expect the approvers often will be.

Freezingpictures · « **Reply #13 on:** July 27, 2006, 16:21 »

Hi Quevaal,

you might be able to see the penguin image, which I produced through isolation, look three posts before. I uploaded that, it was first accepeted at SS out of the better earning websites and it had the most dls I ever had for an image/day. 9dls. before that 5 was my most I think. Now it is at 13 within less than three days. So it really is worth the time I spend on it.
So in future I convinced myself to work rather more on quality then on quantity.

leaf · « **Reply #14 on:** July 27, 2006, 16:23 »

what did you isolate on that penguin shot? Did you put a blue sky in?

Quevaal · « **Reply #15 on:** July 28, 2006, 11:32 »

Quote from: Freezingpictures on July 27, 2006, 16:21

Hi Quevaal,

you might be able to see the penguin image, which I produced through isolation, look three posts before. I uploaded that, it was first accepeted at SS out of the better earning websites and it had the most dls I ever had for an image/day. 9dls. before that 5 was my most I think. Now it is at 13 within less than three days. So it really is worth the time I spend on it.
So in future I convinced myself to work rather more on quality then on quantity.

Well, I agree, but it all depends on how complicated the isolation is. After all, penguins have a nice smooth silhouette, whereas isolating a camel or a lion would be much more time consuming.
(I sometimes cut out frames, though.)

Freezingpictures · « **Reply #16 on:** July 28, 2006, 16:34 »

Yes I put the blue sky in.. yes penguins are easy youre right. I wouldn`t dare to isolate a hairy dog

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Author Topic: Favourite isolation techniques - HELP! (Read 8700 times)

fintastique

Aquilegia

mjp

chellyar

leaf

fintastique

fintastique

Hallgerd

leaf

rjmiz

Freezingpictures

leaf

Quevaal

Freezingpictures

leaf

Quevaal

Freezingpictures

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