Need Help Making Selection

[Rich54]

I’m trying to practice difficult selections. I viewed several tutorials that IamSam posted a week ago on this subject, but I’m not happy with my final result. Need some advice on what my next step should be.

Using the Path tool and a Calculation adjustment on the red channel, I created the alpha channel mask shown in the second attachment. I manually painted black outside of the hair but was left with the cloudy area immediately surrounding the hair. Using many separate Levels adjustments, I got rid of the cloudy area and created the final mask (third attachment).

The problem is that the edges are too sharp and the hair strands have a black outline around them. I also seem to have lost the very fine, individual hairs that you can clearly see in the original. I’ve tried feathering and smoothing, and I’ve tried the Refine Edge tool, but I can’t get this mask where I want it. Where did I go wrong?

 

[Rich54]

I said "using the Path tool". Meant to say Pen tool.

 

[Steve]

IMHO this is one of the toughest things to do in Photoshop at least for me.
It looks really easy in the video tutorials but it isn't.

You probably already saw these but if not check them out,

https://www.photoshopgurus.com/foru...advanced-channel-masking-technique-1080p.html
https://www.photoshopgurus.com/foru...5-tutorial-new-refine-edge-command-masks.html
https://www.photoshopgurus.com/foru...hotoshop-pen-tool-video-tutorial-tutcast.html

Sam will be along sooner or later, hopefully he can give you more pointers.

 

[Rich54]

Thanks Steve. I had seen these tutorials before, but watching them again gave me some new ideas for how to improve my selection. I'm going to keep plugging away at this. The hairs in the original are cleanly defined and nicely in focus, so this should be do-able.

 

[IamSam]

Hey Rich, I don't know if this vid was in the group of links you viewed in the other thread. I use this Dodge & Burn technique on the alpha channel after I have refined them using calculations and some level adjustments.

The idea is that you need to have the AC as black and white as you can possibly get it.



After that, I usually use Refine edge and the Decontaminate colors with a setting of about 85.
Set the output to a new layer with Layer mask.



I will do some touch up work on the layer mask using the Dodge & Burn tools.

I then will make a copy and apply the layer mask on the copy.
Then I will defringe about 1 pixel.



The image you came up with is a very hard isolation.
You get fairly decent results using the above techniques.



You can always add in whispy hairs with the Brush Tool.

 

[Rich54]

Sam, thanks for the tips. I'll give it a try. Were you going to attach a video for dodge & burn? It sounds like you were, but it's not there.

 

[agentmoeller]

Sam,

That is one of the best selections jobs I've ever seen.

Well done.


Agent

 

[IamSam]

Sam, thanks for the tips. I'll give it a try. Were you going to attach a video for dodge & burn? It sounds like you were, but it's not there.

Yes..........I thought I had attached it. It's there now, sorry for the wait.