Layer and mask question

"RON" wrote in message

In portrait work I like to have the eyes real sharp and the rest of the face soft. I can use unsharp mask for the eyes but how do I keep them sharp when I bluer the rest of the pic? I have tried layers but must be doing something wrong.
How should I be doing it??
Thanks
Ron.

History brush. Use a duplicate layer.

RON wrote:

In portrait work I like to have the eyes real sharp and the rest of the face soft. I can use unsharp mask for the eyes but how do I keep them sharp when I bluer the rest of the pic? I have tried layers but must be doing something wrong.
How should I be doing it??
Thanks
Ron.

Ron:

Here is what I do. Activate the top layer. Hit Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E this will copy all the layers below on a single layer. Then I name the layer "sharpened". If you sharpen to much you can lower the opacity of the "sharpened" layer later. Add a layer mask, then you can paint on the layer mask with black and white to expose or hide any areas of sharpness. It is the most flexible and non-destructive way I know. You’ll also have the ability to use different brush opacities for different parts of the image.

The above is for PC for Mac use the Mac keys for Crtl (comand) and Alt (option).

It is easy and fast.

Good Luck!

Kurtis

On Tue, 5 Dec 2006 16:21:50 -0800, "RON"
wrote:

Hi Ron, long time no see – and I still owe you a macro photo shot with the FinePix 9600, remember? But I am with another ISP, and can not post to my original homepage. And, from Friday I’ll be in Johannesburg until after the New Year. So, Best Wishes for Christmas
and for the New Year to everybody here.

In portrait work I like to have the eyes real sharp and the rest of the face soft. I can use unsharp mask for the eyes but how do I keep them sharp when I bluer the rest of the pic? I have tried layers but must be doing something wrong.
How should I be doing it??

I simply make a selection of the eyes and select/deselect according to what and how. I never sharpen a face except for the eyes which I always sharpen. So, make a selection and shift/ctrl/I if needed. This can (preferably) done on another layer.

Dave

RON wrote:

In portrait work I like to have the eyes real sharp and the rest of the face soft. I can use unsharp mask for the eyes but how do I keep them sharp when I bluer the rest of the pic? I have tried layers but must be doing something wrong.

Layers is the way to go (blur one layer, sharpen the other), but you need to use a layer mask to reveal/hide the eyes.

—
Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl

RON wrote:

In portrait work I like to have the eyes real sharp and the rest of the face soft. I can use unsharp mask for the eyes but how do I keep them sharp when I bluer the rest of the pic? I have tried layers but must be doing something wrong.
How should I be doing it??
Thanks
Ron.

Personally?

I’d copy the entire image onto a new layer and align it perfectly with the one below.
Next, I’d apply a blur to the top layer and slightly sharpen the lower one.

Now using the eraser tool set with a very soft edge and an opacity of 50 or 60%, I would slowly and carefully start wiping out the top blurred layer where I want the sharpened eyes to shine through.

Once it looks right, I’d then flatten the image and save it as required.

There’s probably hundreds of ways to acchieve the same effect. That’s what I love about photoshop. Eveyone tends to approach the same job in a different way.

—
http://www.norfolklupus.co.uk
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40919519@N00/

"RON" wrote in message

In portrait work I like to have the eyes real sharp and the rest of the face soft. I can use unsharp mask for the eyes but how do I keep them sharp when I bluer the rest of the pic? I have tried layers but must be doing something wrong.
How should I be doing it??
Thanks
Ron.

I select the skin color with select color range
smooth selection 5 px select feather 15 px
then control j
blur that layer with Gaussian filter
use opacity slider to adjust amount of softness
make a mask on that layer to paint back whatever you want to show sharp if the underlayer is not sharp make it sharper or a dupe of it

Swampy Bogtrotter wrote:

RON wrote:

In portrait work I like to have the eyes real sharp and the rest of the face soft. I can use unsharp mask for the eyes but how do I keep them sharp when I bluer the rest of the pic? I have tried layers but must be doing something wrong.
How should I be doing it??
Thanks
Ron.

Personally?

I’d copy the entire image onto a new layer and align it perfectly with the one below.
Next, I’d apply a blur to the top layer and slightly sharpen the lower one.
Now using the eraser tool set with a very soft edge and an opacity of 50 or 60%, I would slowly and carefully start wiping out the top blurred layer where I want the sharpened eyes to shine through.

Never use the eraser to let a layer shine through, use a mask. If you use the eraser, you have no way of undo what you did later. If you use a mask, you can change it anytime. That’s what masks are for!

—
Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl

On Wed, 06 Dec 2006 23:41:56 GMT, "Swampy Bogtrotter" wrote:

RON wrote:

In portrait work I like to have the eyes real sharp and the rest of the face soft. I can use unsharp mask for the eyes but how do I keep them sharp when I bluer the rest of the pic? I have tried layers but must be doing something wrong.
How should I be doing it??
Thanks
Ron.

Personally?

Personally, correct yes,

Most of the people answer here as if they have the only answer. Forget it – you received a few answers. I am one of apprentices here – (sold a ‘unframed photo’ yesterday for a price that many of the geniuses would appreciate:-)
but:
experiment… experiment… experiment!
If you love it, a great deal of your clients will love it… Try all of the ideas. and compare.

Busy packing for Christmas…

Dave

In article <1hpx59v.8lwq5db1hfhmN%>,
says…

RON wrote:

In portrait work I like to have the eyes real sharp and the rest of the

face

soft. I can use unsharp mask for the eyes but how do I keep them sharp when I bluer the rest of the pic? I have tried layers but must be doing

something

wrong.

Layers is the way to go (blur one layer, sharpen the other), but you need to use a layer mask to reveal/hide the eyes.

—
Johan W. Elzenga johan<<at>>johanfoto.nl Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl

I basically use Johan’s method. Though "people" are less often my subjects, I’ll Ctrl-J (Duplicate Layer) for however many "correction" Layers I think I’ll need. For the softening of wrinkles, etc. I’ll run the Blur (choosing which one, and how much, I want) on a Layer, add a Layer Mask, and mask out this Layer’s blurring for eyes, hair, teeth, lips (unless they require work too), then adjust the Opacity of the Blur Layer, until I’m pleased. Another Duplicate Layer will be for brightning the eyes, another for teeth, etc. with their Layer Masks to only affect the area that I want to work on. Last, I’ll often use a Duplicate Layer for some major retouching, like moles, etc. with another Layer Mask. When I love it, I Save_As namexxx.PSD, then flatten, run Neat Image, then Sharpen for release to the printer. I do run the Sharpening on the total image, including the softened skin, though gauge the amount of Sharpening for the final output. Here, I may also convert to CMYK if called for, Save_As for each iteration in TIFF, or whatever I am likely to send out.

Hunt