Help with this selection please. Refine Edge?

[woty87]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to create a really good selection of the cheetah in the photo below. I've tried the refine edge tool in cs5 and am having a couple of problems. When I use the refine edge and radius tool, it seems like I pick up more detail than my starting selection, but when I hit ok and go back to the original image, the selection it shows reverts back to what I originally had. None of the additional detail found by the tool shows up. ????

Second, as you can see, there are some detailed strands of fur at the edge which are black and a different color from most of the rest of the selection. I can't get refine edge to pick these up. Is this just impossible or is there something I can do??

Any advice would be very welcome. Am I doing something wrong with refine edge?I'm also up for alternative methods, basically anything that might do a better than what I get now. Thanks so much.

[Stric9]

This would be best as a channels based selection imo. Looking I think the green channel would probably be good.

[ibclare]

Interesting Stric9. I wondered how to isolate those mid tones. Anyway, I did this using the blue channel but it required a lot of hand work anyway. Had to clean up the mask then do some fine tuning on the whiskers with back and forth white/black painting on the mask. The short whiskers on the right are still not very good. It's a tough image to work with. Finally, after applying the mask, I used the best technqique for fur -- cheating. The smudge tool works wonders!

It's very difficult to extract hair/fur when the tones are so close. The easiest is dark on white or very light. I have to go try this with the green channel now! Here's what I did so far:



If you need some tutprial links, let me know. Hope this helps.

[Stric9]

I haven't seen the actual channels yet Clare, as I'm still viewing this on my phone. Blue channel very well could be the best bet. Will have a look after I get home. It looks like you have done a fine job already though.

[ibclare]

Tx Stric9, this is not an easy one for someone to start with when it comes to extractions like this.

[woty87]

Thanks guys for looking at this. I'm familiar with channels but I've never used one for a selection. Can any of you suggest a tutorial link? Thanks again.

[Paul]

Here you go mate HAIR SELECTION USING CHANNELS

[agentmoeller]

Selections with hair are always a pain. Someone inevitably posts a tutorial link, and I sometimes try them, but they always seem to miss some detail!!!!

At the end of the day, the one thing that works for me is quick mask mode - just paint your selection.

Anyone else?