Plugin Filters

The Fractalius plugin filter for Photoshop or Photoshop Elements can be found at http://www.redfieldplugins.com/.

Color Efex Pro 3.0 filter set can be found at Nik Software.

Layer Masks in Elements

Using a Pattern Adjustment Layer to Blend Two Images Together

1. Have 2 images that you want to blend together into a single photo. They must be the same size, same pixel dimensions.
2. In the SIG I used lion 1 and lion 2
3. Add a Levels Adjustment Layer on Lion 1. Notice Adjustment layers have a Mask. Make a levels adjustment and click OK. If you make any adjustment with Levels you can paint with black to hide the adjustment or white to show the adjustment. Flatten to apply your adjustment.
4. Select your other image, in my case Lion 2.jpg
5. Select > All or the shortcut Ctrl+A
6. Edit menu > Define Pattern
7. In the first image, in my case Lion 1.jpg, add a Pattern Adjustment Layer. The last created pattern, Lion 2, will appear as the current pattern to be applied.
8. With Black as the Foreground color and white as the background Select the Gradient tool and drag on the Mask to blend the two images together. Start the drag where you want to stop hiding what is on this layer and stop when you want the layer fully revealed.
   

Layer Mask using an Adjustment Layer as a Clipping Group.

I used two images, one with a bald sky, Space Adventure and another with the sky I wanted to use to replace the bald sky, clouds.psd. The following are the steps taken to replace the bald sky.

1. Open Space Adventure.jpg
2. I used the Magnetic Lasso to select the foreground. You can use whatever selection tool that gives you the selection that fits your subject. You want the sky to be eventually selected. I selected the foregroud because it suited the Magnetic Lasso tool.
3. I added the trees with the Magic Wand with the Add button selected on the Options bar.
4. In the Select Menu click Add Similar to get trees that weren't selected.
5. Select Menu > Refine Edge to adjust the selection.
6. In the Select menu > Inverse to now make the sky selected
7. Select > Save selection.
8. Double click the Background to change the Background to a Layer
9. Open clouds and move with the Move tool to the space adventure image
10. Drag the clouds under the space adventure layer.
11. On Space layer add a Levels (could be any) Adjustment Layer
12. Drag the Adjustment Layer under the Space layer
13. With the Space layer active select Group with Previous to create a clipping group with the Adjustment Layer.
14. Click on Mask in the Adjustment layer and in the Select Menu load the sky selection.
15. The new sky should now replace the bald sky. If the sky replaced the foreground instead, click on the Mask and Ctrl+I key to Invert the selection.
16. You can paint on the mask with black or white to touch up your mask.
    8. Load selection in Mask

VisiSketchPro

A new program called VisiSketchPro was demostrated at the Photoshop SIG. This program is designed to build animations of just about any image one can imagine. VisiSketchPro is now available from http://www.visisketchpro.com/. It will be demostrated again at the Photoshop Elements SIG on 1-16.

Creating Starburst glints of light in Photoshop

Here is a nice effect that looks like the sun glinting off a metallic or shiny surface. This starburst effect even includes a little lens flare. A tasteful replacement for the sometimes over used lens flare filter.

1. First thing we need to do is create a new document, 600 X 600 pixels.
a. Set my background to black to that you can see the white glint that you will prepare.
2. Create a new layer and choose the line tool (Hidden under the rectangle shape tool in the toolbox)
a. Choose 2 pixels and the draw pixel option from the options bar
3. Set white as your foreground color
4. Draw a short dash (A) (About 170 pixels). Hold the Shift key to constrain the rotation to a horizontal line
5. Choose Filter>Blur>Motion Blur
6. Add enough distance to get a nice tapered look.
a. Make sure the angle matches the angle of the line.
7. Duplicate the Layer with the dash on it
8. Press Ctrl (Windows+T) for free transform
9. Rotate the dash while holding down shift to constrain the rotation
10. Choose both dash Layers and press Ctrl/Cmd+E to merge them (On version CS and earlier, choose the top layer and press Ctrl/Cmd+E to merge with the layer beneath) Careful not to merge with background
11. Duplicate the merged dash layer (Ctrl +J)
12. Press Ctrl/Cmd+T for free transform
13. Rotate 45 deg, grab a corner point and scale toward the center to make the new star smaller (hold down alt+shift to scale from center and constrain)
14. You now have your starburst and you may be happy right here.
15. Create a new Layer
16. Grab the elliptical marquee tool (circular selection tool)
17. Create a selection over the starburst
18. Choose Edit>Stroke Choose a 1 pixel white stroke
19. Deselect
20. Filter>Blue>Gaussian Blur to soften the effect
21. Merge the 3 layers together by selecting them and Ctrl+E to merge.

virtualPhotographer by OptikVerve Labs

virtualPhotographer is a free plugin for both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. It can be downloaded FREE from the OptikVerve Labs web site, http://www.optikvervelabs.com/default.asp.

Notes for Elements SIG

Using the RAW File Converter in Elements 6

1. Work top down - adjust white balance
2. Arrow at top right corner of histogram turns off and on the blown out hightlights and shadows indicator. Red shows blown out highlights
3. Adjust Exposure so there is no red.
4. Recovery can also reduce blown out highlights by moving slider to the right.
5. Fill Light will open some shadows
6. Clarity is improving mid-tone contrast. Move to the right until the image shows sharper midtones.
7. Vibrance increases the saturation in non-saturated colors.
8. Open in 16-bit mode for prints larger than 8X10

Dodge and Burn using Soft Light Blending Mode

1. With an image 0pen
2. Add a new layer and change blending mode to Soft Light
3. Dodge Eyes or lighten by painting with white. Burn by painting with black

Creating a Pencil Sketch in Photoshop Elements 6

1. Dupe your image to a new layer by dragging the background to the new layer icon
2. Enhance >Adjust Color > Remove Color
3. Dupe the desaturated layer
4. Invert that layer – Filter > Adjustments > Invert
5. Set the inverted layer blend mode to Color Dodge
6. Under Filter go to Other->Minimum and play with the radius value
a. usually somewhere between 1 and 3
7. Optional > Flatten the layer stack and save
8. To maintain layers with top layer active press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E to copy the visible layers to a new layer.
9. Copy the new copied layer to a new layer and change Blend mode to Multiply.
10. Add sharpening if it needs it.

SmugMug

Stan's Gallery

Picnik - free online image editing

Using the Pen Tool

Remember that you use the:

1. Path Selection tool to select an entire path -

2. The Direct Selection tool selects and moves anchor points and direction arrows. With the Pen tool selected pressing the Ctrl tool changes the Pen tool to the Direction tool.

3. The Convert tool will convert an anchor point from a straight to a curved point or vice versa. It can also be used to change the direction of a direction arrow. With the Pen tool selected pressing the Alt key changes the Pen tool to the Convert tool.

Points to remember: