Tip #2255 - The 12 Minute Photoshop Makeover
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The
12 Minute Photoshop Makeover
Let’s face it,
we live in a “total makeover” society. Television is filled
with redo programs that never fail to enchant us. We want to see people’s
spaces traded, their rides “pimped” and their bodies reworked
into swans. Honestly, I’m no different. I absolutely love a transformation.
But with change, comes cost.
That’s why I’m
crazy about Adobe Photoshop. With it, you can affect
great change to your own images and do it in record time. So, in essence,
amateur digital photographers (like you and I) can use premier software
to make ourselves look great, and do it at a fraction of the cost of the
average plastic surgery overhaul.
So, let’s look
at an example of what I mean and I’ll show you how to produce amazing
results.
In any “good
news, bad news” situation, I much prefer to get the bad out of the
way first. So, the bad news is: we all have flaws. The good news is that
Adobe Photoshop (and a little practice) will help you forget them. You
see, one of the best weapons in Photoshop’s toolbox arsenal is the
Magic Patch Tool. The patch tool lets you repair any
“flawed” portion of a photograph with “cleaner”
pixels from another portion of that same photo. Better yet, the patch
tool matches the texture, lighting and shading qualities of the portion
you sample. And fear not, non technical reader, you’ll be able to
use this tool immediately!
The above photo shows
a close up shot of Adrian. Now, this is a fine shot without retouching.
But there are some “hot” spots from the camera’s flash
that could use some smoothing.
The Magic Patch Tool
is located in Photoshop’s toolbox. Click on it and move the tool
over to your image.
With the Patch Tool
selected, left click (Windows) or click (Mac OS) and hold as you freeform
draw a selection around an area that you’d like to change. Letting
go of the mouse will close the selection and create a marquee. In this
case, I’d like to minimize the sharper highlights on Adrian’s
face.
Now, here’s
the fun part! Along the top of Photoshop’s window, you will see
the words “Source” and “Destination.” Make sure
that “Source” is checked. We’ll explain “Destination”
in another lesson. Now, left click in the center of the selection, keep
holding the mouse button and drag over to a “cleaner”
portion of the image. (In this case, I’m using another
portion of Adrian’s cheek). You’ll see a mirror image in your
selection, but only until you let go of the mouse.
When you let go of
the mouse, the mirror image that you saw earlier changes to a perfectly
smooth, perfectly lit, flawless new portion of cheek! Photoshop has taken
the sampled pixels that you dragged over to and corrected the less than
perfect portions of your image that you started with.
A few more well placed
“alterations” and Adrian goes from model to “super model!”
Super easy, super cool!
Dominic Russo
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