U S E F U L T O O L S
- I learned how to use the stamp tool.
- This tool is very helpful for smoothing things over. For example, I used it quite a bit on the background in the collage.
- I learned how to use the free transform tool more effectively
- Apparently you can press control + T to access more options for free transform, which is useful given how finicky the right click button is in photoshop
- I learned how to use the quick select tool
- I didn't know how to use this tool before as it was never discussed in any tutorials, but it takes a whole lot less effort versus other such tools such as the lasso (and its magnetic variant)
One of my favorite skills to learn was how to touch things up with tools such as the clone stamp and the spot-healing brush. While it does have practical applications, I especially like all the fun that can be had using it. A few of the goofier examples below were made using the clone stamp tool.
S T R E N G T H S A N D W E A K N E S S E S
While I understand how to use most of the tools, I still have trouble understanding the context in which the right click works and I don't know most of the hotkeys. I also have issues with knowing when to use different tools. If I could do anything different, I definitely would have redone the challenge photo, the face has awful contrast with the rest of the piece. As far as what I would keep the same, I really liked the photos I messed around with, especially the clone stamp + spot healing brush tool pictures with the father and daughter.
E X A M P L E S
CONTENT AWARE FILL
In this image, along with several other exercises, I moved or removed logos or blemishes in backdrop, and in the images shown, a surfboard.
This one's a bit hideous. You wouldn't notice because of the missing face, but there was actually a tag hanging off of one of the pockets of the coat. While I did mess around with a few of the other images like this, this particular image is the only one where I forgot to keep the un-cronenburged layer.
I had a ton of fun with this one. As I mentioned earlier, I made separate cuts of a few of the files for the sake of messing around. This one actually had two other cuts.
BLEMISH REMOVAL
In this image, I removed the blemishes from the face of a child. I also did a second cut in which I removed the face altogether and replaced it with a doodled on face.
In this picture, the man on the right had an "unflattering" t-shirt, and using this tool the image was removed. While it isn't quite perfect, it's probably convincing at a glance.
The collage was a bit weird. The point was to make one consistent image out of several, and I think I got that part down pretty well, but I used a little bit too much clone stamp tool and if you look real close it really shows.
SOLAR JUJU / SOLAR INFUSION
This project was a tutorial about smart objects, files that could be modified in a different file to change it in every other file where it's used. Pretty cool, but I struggled a bit with this one.
With this one, what I ended up doing is making each distinct part of the photo quasi-transparent and add the photos of nature in under, though there were a few complications doing so. All in all, I think I did alright. The hair's throwing me off now, though.
I N C O N C L U S I O N
While I didn't like some of the tutorials, such as the Sol Infusion picture, I enjoyed most of it. I think these tools will definitely help me out in my future endeavors.
