By Amanda Glisson on | No Comments
Today I'm going to show you some handy tips for using the Change Blanket Color Action that's included in the Pretty Actions Luxe Newborn Complete Workflow Collection for Photoshop - and how to make a perfect selection using the Refine Edge and Smart Radius tools in Photoshop.
Watch our video tutorial or read our step-by-step written guide below:
The first thing you will want to do is make a quick selection of the baby using the Quick Selection Tool in your Tools Panel.
Once you've done that, right click somewhere on your image and select Refine Edge from the pop-up menu. You will see that you have a nice rough outline of your subject.
Click on the Smart Radius Tool, then using your brush, trace around the baby's outline and make sure to get all the fine hairs in your selection. Okay let's talk about how to refine the edge for a perfect selection of the baby.
Using the Refine Edge Tool, you can adjust your selection by using the Smooth slider which will smooth out that transition. The Feather slider will soften the edges. Also, you can actually create a little bit more detail using the contrast slider. Last but not least, you can shift the edge of your selection both in or out to make the perfect selection.
Make sure your Output is set to selection and click OK.
At this point the baby is selected, but you will want to invert the selection, so only the blanket is selected and nothing else - basically, the opposite of what is currently selected. To do this, simply right click on your image and click on Select Inverse. You will know that you've selected the inverse when you see marching ants all the way around the image.
Now go ahead and play the Change Blanket Color Action from the Luxe Newborn Complete Workflow and follow the prompts to choose the color you want the blanket changed to and let the action run.
Once the action is finished running, open up your group. You will see the selection you had created earlier of the baby there. Everything in white is what will show up so you will want to add this mask to the Change Blanket Color group. To do that, use your Alt key (on a PC) or your Option key (on a Mac). Hold that key while clicking on the layer and drag it up and drop it onto the Change Blanket Color group Layer Mask.
You have now replaced the entire blanket with the new color that YOU selected. Congratulations!!
You may have some areas that still need to be touched up. To do this stay on the same mask (Change Blanket Color), select a brush and make sure it's pretty small so you can get all of the little details. Also, be sure to lower your brush opacity a little bit and you can start to do some touch up.
Well Newborn Photographers, I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and thanks for visiting Pretty Photoshop Actions.
P.S - If you prefer to edit in Lightroom, we recently released our fabulous Baby Bella Newborn Workflow which includes tons of presets and brushes - everything you need to edit newborns in Lightroom!
Do you have any questions or comments about Using the Blanket Color Change Action? Leave us a comment below - we would LOVE to hear from you! And PLEASE SHARE this post using the social sharing buttons (we really appreciate it)!
I'm a momma of four who, like a lot of other moms, found my love of photography through photographing my own beautiful children. Since first picking up a camera over 9 years ago and having professionally photographed all sorts of subjects and venues, I have come to learn that I am most passionate in newborn and child photography and I am lucky enough to be able to specialize in this area!
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