Olympus-OM
[Top] [All Lists]

[OM] Re: Software for photo editing

Subject: [OM] Re: Software for photo editing
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 08:48:20 -0500
Winsor said:
That may be, but the healing brush, an additional PS tool, goes a step
beyond. Click on your source and drag the brush across an area and it
takes out all dust motes, hairs, facial lines etc, and then
automatically merges the repair into the target area matching color,
brightness, texture to the surroundings.
-------------------------------------------------
Perhaps I should spend some more time with the healing brush since maybe 
I haven't learned to use it effectively.  My experience so far was that 
for minor defects like dust spots and fine scratches in low detail areas 
I could fix things faster in PWP with the clone tool.

For more serious problems (like a film scratch crossing through detail 
in a straw hat, for example) the healing brush wasn't really up to the 
task.  My recollection is that, like the patch tool (which I do like and 
use) the merging of surroundings may reach too far and draw undesired 
elements into the repair and muddy the color or texture instead of 
repairing it.  But I shall have to try again.  I initially avoided the 
patch tool but now that I'm better attuned to its limitations I tend to 
use it more.  When it doesn't work well I use the clone tool and a mask.
---------------------

Walt said:
I don't have PS and have no experience with it, and to me the term 
"layers" conjures up such things as onions, sedimentary rock formations, 
chickens, or cake, so this may be a totally stupid question.  (I'm good 
with those.)  Can't you accomplish pretty much the same thing in PWP 
using masks and composites?  Or am I just not understanding the concept 
of something on a whole 'nother level of photo editing sophistication?
-------------------------------------------------

Yes, I do believe that PWP can accomplish anything that you can do in PS 
but PS layers may make it easier or quicker.  For many things that one 
does with layers, masks and composites are the answers in PWP.  I will 
also readily admit that I don't fully understand all that can be done 
with PWP masks and composites just as I don't fully understand all the 
ways to use layers in PS.  My simplistic view of PS layers is that it is 
similar to having an unlimited number of composites stacked on top of 
each other with optional masking and each of the layers can be turned on 
or off and independently edited at any time.  For extensive editing 
tasks (say a large group photo) If you independently edit parts of the 
image on different layers it makes changing your mind about something 
and re-editing a snap.  You don't lose all of the other edits you may 
have done.

Simple example:  Last week I was editing a large group photo where there 
were 6 people who had horrible reflections from their glasses such that 
  none of them had any more than 1/3 of the eye visible.  Fixing the 
problem required extensive rework for all 6 people which included 
copying eyes from other people in the group.  There was a lot of other 
minor editing done (like cloning out one of the light stands and power 
cords) but for each person with glasses I created a separate layer for 
each because I knew it would be complex and prone to error.  When I got 
done I had the image reviewed by somebody else who noticed that the eyes 
on the third person I had worked on simply didn't look quite right.  By 
rapidly turning the edited layer on and off like a blink comparator I 
was able to see that the the newly created iris and pupils didn't quite 
line up with the tiny bit of iris that was visible on the original.  The 
placement was only off by a couple of pixels but it made all the 
difference in the world.  I simply deleted that layer and recreated it 
with the eyes shifted very slightly.  That fixed it and all of the other 
editing was preserved.  Could you do this same editing job in PWP?  Yes, 
but not as easily if it was necessary to backtrack as I did in this case.

Once again, I don't pretend to be expert with the use of either tool and 
I'll be very happy for anybody to point out how I can use either one of 
them better than I am.



==============================================
List usage info:     http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies:        olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Sponsored by Tako
Impressum | Datenschutz