Review Digital Camera World 07-28-2014

Digital Camera World

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How to cut out people like a professional using the Refine Edge tool Jul 27th 2014, 23:01, by jpaterson Knowing how to cut out people can be one of the most challenging photo editing techniques you can learn. In this tutorial we show you how to cut out people in just six easy steps using the Refine Edge tool. One of the great things about digital imaging is the ability it gives you to combine several images. Master a few simple compositing skills and you can transport subjects to distant destinations or build a group photo from several people who've never met. But to make a composite look convincing you need accurate cutouts. When cutting out people, the most problematic part is usually the hair, where the background often shows through the gaps. Luckily, there are a couple of Photoshop tools that can do much of the work for you. Introduced in Elements 11, Refine Edge is the most powerful tool for making cutouts that Adobe has ever produced. It's not a selection tool, but a command that enables you to improve an existing selection by, as the name suggests, refining its edge. If you're new to Refine Edge, the controls can seem complex, but master a few fundamentals and it quickly becomes the go-to tool when you need make a precise cutout. SEE MORE: How to process raw files the right way in Photoshop Elements How to cut out people using Refine Edge: steps 1-3 01 Select the background Download our start files and follow along! Open cut_out_before.jpg. Grab the Magic Wand tool, make sure Contiguous is checked and set Tolerance to about 21 in the Tool Options. Click on the grey background to begin a selection. Hold Shift and click around the background to select it all. Include the gaps in the hair and hands.   02 Open Refine Edge Go to Select>Inverse to select the model istead of the background, then go to Select>Refine Edge. Hit F to toggle different view options within Refine Edge until you find one that gives the best view of the selection edge. Check Smart Radius and increase Radius to 1px.  SEE MORE: How to use Refine Edge to add a new background 03 Adjust the radius Check Show Radius, and experiment by dragging the Radius slider up and down, changing the size of the edge. The refinement occurs in this area; anywhere outside it is left untouched. Grab the Refine Radius tool and paint over the edge of the hair to increase the area of refinement. SEE MORE: Layer mask techniques anyone can understand – master this vital Photoshop effect! Quick Tip! When painting on a Layer Mask, hit X to quickly toggle between black (which hides parts) and white (which reveals) How to cut out people using Refine Edge: steps 1-3 How to cut out people using Refine Edge: steps 4-6 READ MORE How to mimic studio lighting for stylish portraits Orton Effect: try this quick, soft-focus Photoshop trick Recreate the look of a medium format portrait Abuse your raw files for a striking high-key portrait This Week in Photography – news from 21-27 June Jul 27th 2014, 10:00, by jmeyer Welcome to our weekly photography news section, with the stories that matter to serious photographers. Light, camera, action! While conventional cameras have good quarter sales and bad quarter sales, shipments of action cameras are buoyant. According to Futuresource Consulting, worldwide demand for action cameras reached almost five million units in 2013 – an annual growth of 47% – and is on track to reach nine million units in 2018. GoPro remains market leader in the action camera sector, though other makers are snapping at its heels.   Image via Fujifilm.co.uk. Click to see the larger version. X marks the spot in Fujifilm road map Fuji has carved out a profitable niche for itself as a maker of quality compacts and compact system cameras, and the company has now given some insight into its X-mount lens plans for the next year or so. An interesting sounding XF 90mm f/2 R lens, described as a medium telephoto, is scheduled for release in mid-2015, as is an XF 16mm f/14 R. A super telephoto is also scheduled for the end of next year. See Dreamstime stock library reaches out to mobile users A new app called Dreamstime Companion allows mobile users to quickly upload and sell images taken with a smartphone. Dreamstime currently claims to have more than 8 million users of its stock library. Photographers can earn up to $12 per license, and keep the copyright. The Dreamstime Companion App is avaiable for iOS and Android, and is free. Prestige version of Pentax K3 A prestige version of the Pentax K-3 SLR in gun-metal gray has been announced, but only 2000 are going to be available worldwide. The smart-looking camera will come in a special presentation box with a bonus battery grip, and have the same suggested retail price as the original K-3. Read TechRadar’s definitive review of the original model here. Sony set ups world’s first floating gallery To mark the release of two superzoom cameras, the HX60V and the HX400V, Sony has set up the world’s first offshore gallery on the Southwark Lake in London. Visitors are encouraged to use the 50x optical zoom of the HX400V to find Wally, as in Where’s Wally, in some carefully placed artwork. The cameras are located 20 metres away on the shore, so nobody needs to get their feet wet. "We wanted to bring a bit of fun to the park experience this summer so we have partnered up with 'Where 's Wally' creators to make the ultimate family treasure hunt,” says Sony UK’s Claire Beard. READ MORE How to focus your camera for any subject or scene: free photography cheat sheet Getting sharp images: every photo technique you need to know starting out Annoying problems at common aperture settings (and how to solve them) 77 photography techniques, tips and tricks for taking pictures of anything

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