Lesson 2

Making Selections, Content Aware Fill, Levels Adjustments  . . .

Content aware fill

(After copying the image folder from the flash drive to your desktop)

1. Open Photoshop (From your Start Menu > Programs > Adobe CS5)

2. Open your image by going to the File menu and selecting Open.

3. Choose File and click Open

4. Make sure the Layers Palette is visible, if not go to Window > Layers

5. Use the Quick Selection tool to select the area you want to eliminate (click and drag over the area. Hold down the ALT key + click the mouse to subtract areas, or Shift key + click the mouse to add areas).

6. Click Delete or Backspace to bring up the Fill dialog box.

7. Choose Content Aware Fill. Click OK.

8. Repeat steps 5-7 for the remaining areas.

Other Selection Tools

Magic Wand

Click on the Magic Wand (keyboard shortcut is W).

Set the Magic Wand Tolerance to 20. Click on the hot spots in the photo (the sky and other light areas) to select them.

Add additional areas with Shift + click.

Feather the selection by 5 pixels (either Right Click > Feather or Refine Edge > Feather). In Refine Edge you can also adjust Smooth and Contrast.

Loading & Saving Selections

After making a selection you can save it for future use.

Select > Save Selection

Document: the name of the current document you are using

Channel: new (then give it a new name)

Click OK

To Deselect click Select > Deselect (CNTRL + D or Command + D)

To Load Selection click Select > Load Selection

These selections will be saved for future use if you save as PSD.

Levels

Click on the Cookie and select Levels.

Drag the Black slider to the bottom left edge of the histogram.

Adjust the Gray slider as you choose.

Click CNTRL + E (Command + E) to Merge Down (Or choose Merge down from the Layers Palette Menu).

Copy and Paste Selection

Use the Lasso Tool to select an object in the image. Feather the selection 10 pixels.

Copy (CNTRL + C or Command + C) and then

Paste the selection (CNTRL + V or Command + V).

Use the Move Tool (V) to move the selection.

Flatten Image

Choose Flatten Image from the Layers Palette Menu

Save

Save your image by going to the File menu > Save As (Choose JPEG for finished images and PSD for unfinished images).

For JPEG save the image at the highest size (Size 12).