Lessons
Lesson Info
Class Introduction
Alright, so what we're gonna talk about is kinda basic retouching, retouching techniques but in an advanced way. So what I mean by basic is kinda the fundamentals of things that you have to take care of, not the skillset you're using okay? So we're gonna talk about advanced Content-Aware and cloning, and we're gonna talk about Vanishing Point, and what I really wanna do is perhaps kinda set this on its ear a little bit about (chuckles) - I know you're surprised, I always do this to you guys. I'd like to give you a different way of looking at how you perhaps approach your retouching, and your spotting, and your cloning, and use some advanced tips and this is absolutely a guide. Have you guys noticed for example with Content-Aware, there's a gazillion different ways of doing it? It's crop, it's scale, it's the Patch tool, and I really, really wanna do a compare and contrast today because I don't think you guys or me in general, give ourselves that luxury of really taking apart tools, so ...
that as my theory for the week goes, I want you to know how to drive the car. So I wanna get under the hood and say why would you use Content-Aware Patch versus Move, versus Extend, or Crop, or Scale? Why? Why, why, why? What is it, how is it different? So we're gonna talk about comparing and contrasting for this particular class. For the few of you who might not know me out there I'm an entertainment ad retoucher. I do a lot of movie posters, T.V. posters, advertising work that kinda thing, and speed is definitely an issue, timing is definitely an issue so that's one of the reasons I'm talking about some of these techniques. You could find me on Facebook, I'm on LinkedIn, I'm on Behance. I'm at Lisa at lisacarney.com and seriously if you guys have questions, I know I talk about some kind of deep stuff and a bit of esoteric Photoshop treatments, don't stay at home and be miserable and go my goodness I got lost; ask, send out an email, ask a question, I'm here, definitely here and I love this stuff. And I really love I love when you guys ask questions because you guys are doing these projects that I couldn't even imagine, and it's like oh well I don't know, let me try, let me see if I can figure it out, and then I learn something about Photoshop as well so sharing is good. Per usual with most of my classes, my classes are good for retouchers, they're good for photographers who hire retouchers because you need to know what to ask for, I'm pretty decent for photographers who have to do their own retouching especially in this. This particular category I think is pretty good for the client direct photographer. So you're the photographer, there aren't big budgets, you need to do the work, and it hand it off to somebody else. Designers and production people who have to do what I would call less heavy lifting, but man there's a bulk of work here that has to get done so it's not invalid, it's still a lot of work, it's just not considered like master, masking or compositing but it's equally as important. Cool? And also for designers. Alright let's talk about what we're gonna, what we're gonna go over and as you can see immediately off the bat it's all about Content-Aware. Half the class is Content-Aware but I think this is a supremely important for a couple reasons. There is so much to this and is one of the most powerful tools in Photoshop, hands down, and I know because I'm in the know - Adobe is 100% supporting this product. You're gonna see things coming out that make this even better than it already is, so you wanna get this into your workflow; do you understand what I'm saying? I don't want you to be afraid of Content-Aware, I want you to be using it on most of your jobs and I want you to be investigating it. Adobe is investigating - pardon me - investing in it, you should too, I promise, promise, promise promise. And what do I wanna say about that Content-Aware uses Adobe intelligence, it uses the sensai as they call it to actually figure out with algorithms what to put there and they're improving it all the time. So if you use Content-Aware six months ago, it's not the same. Okay? So come back. Do you guys, little side note, little shiny squirrel, but like the Refine Edge Brush for selecting Mask and for... It got a little burly for a while there and then they made changes? I know a bunch of folks what happens is you start, and then it's squirelly, and you never come back to it, and you say oh it's just a crap tool, but it's not. So Content-Aware Fill for me, this is absolutely where I was at. When it first came out I was like wow this is crap, and then I realized it wasn't crap. So we're gonna talk about that. We're gonna talk a little tiny bit about Camera Raw perspective correction, and why we're gonna talk about that in a Content-Aware cloning class is you would be amazed how much easier it is to fix something if it's straight. Could you just straighten it in the beginning please? Can we just go there instead of trying? Have you guys ever tried to fill and clone up an angle? It's rather hard but if it's straight across, you hold that Shift key and woo, Bob's your uncle. So we're gonna talk about that and we're gonna talk about the Vanishing Point Filter. Now, it's a little controversial because it's a destructive method - I don't care. I think it's really easy and just because it's a destructive method it doesn't mean you can't do it on a separate layer, and mask it in. So once again I'm gonna be a little controversial; this is the way it goes. Alright, so let's talk about some basic conversation here, and I know I'm gonna say the word basic a lot but we're in an advanced class, and people might be like I don't want a basic class, I want an advanced class. Well part of being advanced is knowing what your tool is doing. Do you understand? Part of being advance is knowing what the tools, you're not blindly cloning or healing, or content and we're filling, you're doing it educated, you're knowing and you're looking. So in that spirit, basically we're eliminating stuff or we're adding stuff. That's it. You're eliminating or adding and I believe sometimes the mysteriousness of the machine, folks forget that. You're either adding or subtracting in this stuff; you're spotting. If you're spotting, you're eliminating. You're eliminating spots or if you're adding something means you have to extend a texture, or extend tone. You're just, that's all it is, eliminating or adding, and if you can simplify it in your mind, I think it gets a little less hairy. Photoshop can be a little hairy, let's call it, it is; it can be a little hairy. Alright and this sentence is a little weird but because sometimes one method won't cut it, that's why you have a bag of tricks. So well, perhaps the one function of Content-Aware Fill is all you need, but why not on downtime, why don't you try all six? Why don't you? Why don't you see and then the next time you have a job you can actually take a look and go, mmm you know method number one, method number seven, three, six, whatever it is will be better for your job and I'm telling you in my experience of being out there in the work world, it's a rare person, it's a rare person will actually go ahead and try each one of these out, and see so that they're educated. And then when the fire is on for a job, they already know this stuff so that they know what to pull out of the holster, and get going with. Cool? So, Content-Aware, know what option is best for your image, they do not work the same. So when the Content-Aware Spot Heal might not work for the Content-Aware, where the Content-Aware Heal will and we're gonna talk about, I'm gonna show you some samples and we're gonna talk about that. The other crazy thing, sometimes you use it in combination, and folks I'd say folks don't do this at all. What I mean by that perhaps you start with Content-Aware Crop and then you patch it, you fix some areas with the Content-Aware Fill. That's okay, use it multiple times, and do you know what I'm talking about? Some folks are like oh I tried the one thing, it didn't work, I'm walking away. No, no, no, keep going. So we're gonna start with Fill, we're gonna go to Scale, Content-Aware Crop, Content-Aware Spot Heal, Content Aware Patch Heal - what - and then Content-Aware Heal, wait no, what about Content-Aware Extend? Geez, there are so many so we're gonna talk about all these.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
Audrey Agin
Her Action for Content aware fill is the Bomb- great for photo restoration. I learned something in each lesson. I Will have to re-watch a few. She is good at what she knows. Her teaching style, she jumps around a lot, but I felt like she slowed down and explained things better in this course, than in other courses I have watched. I happened to watch Jesus Ramirez “Power tips and Tricks” – great course- it also had Content-aware scale and crop. So by watching both instructors, I now have a better understanding of this tool. Thank you both.
Amy Vaughn
Content aware was one of the best things to happen to Photoshop and this is a great comparison of the different tools that use it. I've been using the content aware fill action regularly since taking this class and now I want to go find a project that uses the vanishing point tool. Thanks Lisa!
Mary Villanueva
I thought the workflow tips were invaluable especially for someone as picky as I am. I would have preferred more demonstration over describing a process which I may or not be able to visualize. I realize, however, that time was of the essence which necessitated the need to rush through so I would probably skip the PowerPoint presentation to save a bit of time and just get to it. The technical details which are necessary to understand can be explained along the way. That said, I thought the class was good. It gave me quite a few tips that I can use. I'm a long-time Photoshop user who is always looking to improve my skill set and understanding of the program.