The only way to separate this remarkable car -- a 1930 Bentley 'Blue Train' -- from the original background of the car show in Amelia Island, where hordes of people and other cars were terrible distractions, was to use the pen tool in Photoshop. This is the most precise way of making a selection. I work at 400% magnification and lay down a series of anchor points along the periphery of the top portion car. I then include the entire background in the selection. I don't separate the wheels because that would be almost impossible to make it look perfect. Besides, the car was already parked on grass which is why I only go to Concourse d'Elegance shows in which the cars are displayed on grass (most of them are). Once all the anchor points are placed (and the last point touches the first point), that's a path. To convert the path into a selection, go to the paths palette (if that palette isn't open, go to Window > paths), click the tiny icon in the upper right corner which opens a submenu, and choose 'make selection'. My selection includes the background, not the car. I then paste into that selection the new background.
6 Comments
Mar 16, 2016, 10:50:39 AM
Jim - You're very welcome, Frederic. The pen tool is my secret weapon for making precise and believable composites.
Mar 16, 2016, 7:47:32 AM
Frederic Hore - Some superb PS tip techniques Jim! Though I have used the pen tool for tracing out my travel route on digitized maps, never thought of using it on photos to select backgrounds for removal. Your additional suggestion to enlarge to 400% for greater selection accuracy is much appreciated!
Cheers,
Frederic in Montréal.
Mar 16, 2016, 2:37:48 AM
Jim - Hi Bob, Yes, I use a Wacom tablet. I prefer the small one -- 4 x 6 inches -- because it takes up less space on the desk and the hand movements as you use the pen are less. It's also less costly.
Mar 16, 2016, 12:41:12 AM
Bob Vestal - This appears to be a super technique, Jim, with a superb result. My PS skills are pretty basic, so I look forward to trying this. Some people like to use a Wacom tablet for precise editing in PS. As you know they come in 2-3 sizes (and price is linked to size). Do you use one? If so, what size do you recommend?
Mar 16, 2016, 12:00:32 AM
Rohinton Mehta - Awesome!
Mar 15, 2016, 9:37:48 AM
Jim - Hi Bob, Yes, I use a Wacom tablet. I prefer the small one -- 4 x 6 inches -- because it takes up less space on the desk and the hand movements as you use the pen are less. It's also less costly.