Photoshop Question

To all you photoshop gurus, I am trying to get a dream like/cloud effect around pics of people (example below) and I only know how using the 'Dodge Tool' which turns out pretty sloppy. Is there another way to do this and if so can someone give me explicit instructions on how ...... sorta like you were writing Photoshop for Dummies One more thing, I have PhotoShop 7. Thanks in advance.

Well there are probably a hundred ways to do that in Photoshop. I would suggest creating a second layer and make it semi transparent (erase out the area that you want to be clear), you may also want to mess around with the various filters as well for different effects. You could also probably do something with the Lighting Effects filter.

The quickest way to do what you're talking about is to use layer blending options. Here's the step by step:

1. Duplicate the Layer
Since your working with a snapshot, it probably only has one layer right now, called "Background." In the layers palette, click and drag the word background onto the New Layer button (the little icon at the bottom directly to the left of the trashcan, the one that looks like a square sticker being pulled from its backing). This will duplicate the layer so you'll now have a new one called "Background Copy" sitting on top of your Background layer. The reason you need to do this is because layer blending options only work when the image actually has two or more layers to "blend".

2. Apply Inner Glow
In the layers palette, right click on the word "Background Copy." This will bring up a popup menu. Click on "Blending Options." You should now see a new window called "Layer Style" with a lot of options for different effects to apply to your layer. Make sure the Preview button is turned on, and click on the word "Inner Glow." (Clicking on the word instead of just on the radio button will show the options for the effect. Had you clicked directly on the radio button, you would have turned on the effect, but you wouldn't be able to see the options to make adjustments.)

By default, the glow color will be yellow. Click on the yellow box to bring up the color picker, and select white. Play around with the diffferent sliders to learn what they do, and make adjustments until you're satisfied with the look.



In the attached examples, I cropped your photo to select the area that hadn't been affected by your dodging so that you could see the before and after. Obviously, the end result is not a great composition, but this was the only way to really see the effects. If you use the same technique on the whole image instead of just the piece of it I was limited to choose, I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results.

Keep in mind, by the way, that this is not necessarily the best way to do this for every image, but it is the quickest, and it should work for what you want to do with pics like the one you posted.

For a simple cloud effect you can use the brush tool and choose a soft cotton ball like tip to brush with. With that you can paint blotches of white soft spots around the edge.

You can control how the brush tool brushes with Brush Preset Dynamics/Shaping. I would try using a soft tip brush and then add Size Jitter with Shape Dynamics to get different puff ball sizes and then add Scattering to achieve displaced puffs of balls.

For added color touch up try experimenting with maybe a white foreground color and maybe a light gray or blue background color. This will give you white puffy centers but add some color to the puff edges.

Here's a online guide on using brush shapes:
http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/16943.html?origin=story

You can also try searching google for a cloud making tutorial. I looked some but they were a bit advanced. I would say just stay basic and play with the brush tool as you have a little more control over it.

My example was quick but you get the idea. You can adjust the opacity of this and all.

You guys are making this WAAAY too complicated.

Use the select tool, and before you make your selection, set "feather" to a number that will vary depending on the desired effect.

P2

Here's another way to do this, which could be done very quickly.

1. Select the marquee tool of your choice, any will do this. At the top there is a feather option. Put some value in there, like 10.

2. Draw the shape around the people. Go to the select menu, then choose inverse.

3. Press delete.

Done

I've only got 5.5 here, but I threw up a second (transparent) layer, used the airbrush to apply a rough white border, and then from the filter menu applied a radial blur followed by a gaussian blur. Some of the other techniques here may give better effects, but this method is quick and relatively painless.

A 2-step solution is too complicated?

Let's see:

duplicate layer + apply inner glow = 2 steps, approximately 5 seconds work, and results can be dynamically changed over and over and over again without having to redo anything

Set feathering + draw selection also = 2 steps (3 if you count painting or deleting the slection -- you didn't specify what to do with the selction, you know), also approximately 5 seconds of work, but the results are static. The only way to change it is to do it over again.

So, while the method you're recommending is simple, it is not any more simple than the ones recommended by anyone else here. Why does this have to be a competition? Why not simply say, "Hey, that works, but here's another option?"

If you recall, I did mention that mine was not necessarily the only solution, but it was a pretty quick & easy one for this particular task. I'm glad other people are making different suggestions, so that the original poster can learn as many ways to do things as possible, but I'm a bit disappointed that you feel the need to crticize people who use methods other than the one you prefer. There's nothing more complicated about what Jen, Kurshie, or I said, than what you said.

I'm sorry if you took my post as being critical. I didn't intend it as such. But look at the original post... the poster requested a "Photoshop For Dummies" approach. I suggested something that would do what they wanted in a single step, as simply as possible. Quit being so *^$!ing sensitive.

P2

Chosen's method is endorsed by me. It may not be as simple as taking a large brush tool and painting the perimeter of the image with white, or selecting the perimeter and feathering, but it is the most elegant method.

Here is why:

1. The effect can be tuned on and off.
2. It can be adjusted from one single dialogue.
3. It can be copied to other layers using the dropdown menu on the Layers tab.
4. This method allows access to gradient effects, as an adjustment alternative.
5. Inner Shadow is also available to composite with this effect (just change it to Screen, Color Dodge, or any other additive layering mode) and choose a light color.

I could list more about why this method is superior, but I think I have made the point.

in my opinion feather is the way to go...well feather alone well add the softened look

personally just look for some brushes on deviantart.com

i was bored at work so i did my own thing to your picture(hope you don't mind)...i'm lazy so i slopply isolated you guys from the background..then i set my feather up to 30..and selected around the models(you guys)...then went to the toolbar "layer" and went down to "add layer mask" then chose "reveal selection"

its pretty easy..took me about 5 minutes to adjust yours



http://www.good-tutorials.com

they have decent stuff to teach you.

You can also do the feather approach without deleting. Make a second layer, draw a circle/oval around the vignette area, set up your feather, do Select -> Inverse, and fill with white. You can then control the transparency and it's not destructive (i.e. you can turn it off and get the original pic back).

If you have lots of pictures that are the same size, you can save the file to use later as a template file, and paste each picture into the bottom layer and do a Save As.

BTW, nice work Devlin!

You had me right up until the last sentence. Had you left that out, I would have believed your assertion that perhaps the message received was not the one you had intended to send, and that the perceived criticism was a simple misunderstanding. However, since you chose to end the post with a direct insult, it's obvious your initial apology was farce, and that your intention really was to criticize.

The purpose here is to help eachother and learn from eachother. It should never be that a person willingly volunteers his or her time to help someone, and then gets criticized for suggesting one method over another. The more people learn to use tools like Photoshop in as many ways as possible, the better SL will look, and the more you will enjoy going into it. The more people stay silent because they don't want to risk evoking an insulting response, the worse the whole world will look, and the less you will enjoy looking at it. Is that really what you want? It's so easy to just say "I don't prefer that method. Here's how I do it and why," without throwing insults around. Give it a try.

As for the "Photoshop for Dummies" request, I don't think the original poster meant, "give me the shortest possible answer you can." His exact words were, "can someone give me explicit instructions?" I took that to mean he was eager to learn, and that he wanted specific step-by-step instructions for exactly how to do whatever techniques were to be suggested, just as would happen in any For Dummies book that's ever been written. You still haven't told him what to do with the feathered selction you told him to make. Sure, making a selection is "a single step," as you put it, but what do you do with it after it's made? I can think of about a hundred things off hand that could produce the effect he's going for, some simple, some extremely complicated. What did you have in mind?

I am sure those in need of assistance our thankful for our help and tips whether it helps or not. Any bit helps. ^^

Thanks so much for all your helpful tips. I will try a few of them to see which I'm most comfortable with. You're all awesome to take the time you have to answer my question.

lol or the simplist way look in the actions pallet load all the default actions and press a button...lol i teach my students this first its done for you there auto lol.....

I think you're over reacting Chosen Few.

"You guys are making this way too complicated" is hardly an insult or a criticism. I thought it was really clear it was just a lighthearted segue not a harsh scrutiny.

His follow up also seemed pretty innocent. Why would you take exception to him saying you're sensetive? Thats not an insult, and you do seem to be acting really really sensetive here. and its not like he came out of left feild with that, it was in response to you acting super-sensetive.

Its like if he said "break a leg" and you answered with a 2 page essay on how wishing physical harm on another forum member is inapropriate.

Totally over-the-top.

You explain to him like a parent the "purpose of this forum" but he was just giving his answer, you're the one making a big huge deal/fight out of this thread.

Lighten up.
No offense either, I've over reacted before, we all have. No crime, just FYI: you are.

P.S. tried to send this privately but you have that turned off in your profile.

(Edit: I think this isn't the cloud effect you wanted but I'll leave it posted )

Eos... here's the details quick and dirty.

Make a new layer (transparent) over the picture.

Go to the filter "render>clouds" choose the two colors you want them to be made of first

Create a layer mask for the could layer and paint in trasparency to reveal the pic below.

Use dodge and burn on the cloud layers to give some shading to keep it from looking so flat.

-Blueman Steele