How to edit areas of a photo - not the whole photo?

[webmom24]

What's the best technique to use when you just need to change an area of a photo - i.e., make a certain area lighter, change the color, etc. How do you select just a certain area of the photo to make changes to? Once you do the edits how do you merge them back together again... or do you even need to? I have many photos where I would like to darken the sky, trees which are washed out, etc., but the main subject of the photo is correctly exposed. I would like to find a way to change a particular area of the photo without affecting the rest of the photo.

Thanks for any help.
Maureen

[ladybug]

i use the magnetic lasso tool to select the area i want to change. Then i do ctrl J to put it on its on layer so i can do what i want to it. I am sure there is a reason for not merging everything. (like you might want to change it again.) But i usually merge everything, just cause i dont know any better.:o

[Rusty]

I usually do it the way Judy explained.

Sometimes I make the enhancement by using an Adjustment Layer. Watch what you want to change (preview enabled), ignore the rest of the photo. Then, with that adjustment layer active, make your foreground color black and select a soft brush.

Make the brush opacity lower than 100% and just paint, with black, over the parts you want to be undisturbed.

Rusty

[webmom24]

Thanks for your replies. I get the magnetic lasso and tried that out with fairly good results. I'm not sure I understand what you mean Rusty... when you choose an "adjustment layer" you have to choose one of the adjustment types - levels, etc. Do you mean to duplicate the layer and paint over the parts that you want untouched then do a levels adjustment on that layer?

Thanks again,
Maureen

[webmom24]

Actually now that I think about it - I'm not sure how painting over the areas of the photo you don't want adjusted works. I'm confused...

Maureen

[tnwaltz]

I don't know if this is what you're talking about, but I have used it and it worked for making certain parts of a photo lighter while not changing other parts of the photo.

http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/pselements/ss/adjustmentlayer.htm?terms=shadows+elements

[Rusty]

Maureen, here's a screen shot to illustrate what I was saying (and what's in that cited tutorial)

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1KHhBzxIKS7feacGvDMS49NlvfY8I0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1KHhBzxIKS7feacGvDMS49NlvfY8I0)

Here I've got a picture with the background exposed OK but the main subject is way underexposed.

I do a Levels Adjustment Layer and move the right slider way to the left. I'm watching the chicken, I don't care what happens to the rest of the image. When the chicken looks the way i want him, click OK.

Any adjustment layer comes with a built-in mask. With my black paint brush I paint over the parts where I do not want that levels adjustment made in step-2 to show. You can see in the thumbnail what the painted area looks like.

Rusty

[webmom24]

Thanks Rusty! The lightbulb went off and I got it. I think this particular photo came out better with this method than using the lasso tool. One question though - if you find after the fact that you painted over an area you shouldn't have is there any easy way to take away part of the area covered with the mask? I see a few areas around the jockey that I went too far into the background which I was trying to change.

Maureen

[tootie501]

To reverse your painted out area, just change the brush color you are using from black to white. Paint back the area on the same adjustment layer mask- with the white brush - and it will re-appear. I think this mask system is great, because I am ALWAYS making corrections this way.

[Rusty]

Isn't this stuff fun, Maureen :)

Hang around here. That's how we all learned.

Rusty

[GaryK]

Layer masks are great. :)

One tip if you find your hand is not as steady as you would like while mask painting.

Set you f/g and b/g to black and white and just use the "x" key to switch back and forth as you get your "adjusment' just right". Saves moving the cursor all the way to the switch arrows.:)

[ladybug]

I appreciate learning a new way to do this also. Now to just remember where i put the directions when i need them. thanks

[webmom24]

Yes... very fun... I could spend ALL my time doing this stuff LOL. I will definitely hang out more as there is so much I can learn here and such helpful folks - this site is wonderful :)

Maureen