Skip to main content

My Photoshop tips when editing cosplay photos.

Though I’ve used Photoshop in some fashion since the early 2000s, I’m always learning or re-learning things about it. To improve the speed of editing, there are a few things that make a big difference. I’ve been trying to incorporate the keyboard more into the editing process because it does speed up editing a lot.

I use Photoshop CS5, so if something doesn’t work for you then there might be a difference in how things are done for your version.

  • Holding the space bar down will allow you to drag around the photo while keeping your current tool.
  • There is an application level setting that you can change to have the scroll-wheel perform zoom and it doesn’t change your current tool selected. I always enable that whenever I need to (re)install Photoshop.
  • The clone stamp tool is my go-to tool for editing cosplay photos. It’s easy to clone out harder to manage spots and areas with this tool compared to the others I’ve used. It takes more effort to use than the other related tools, so I try to use the others when I can to speed things up.
  • The spot healing brush is good for quick removal of most moderately sized things you don’t want in the photo as long as the image around it isn’t too complex. This tool works best when editing inside something and not edges of things. The healing brush tool is a quicker alternative to the clone stamp tool as long as the surroundings are not complex.
  • The patch tool is good for changing big areas as a starting point. It’s also good for under the eye darkness.
  • To change brush size or hardness, hold alt+right mouse button and drag the mouse either up/down or left/right to change things.
  • The blur tool is good for a number of things, especially making your larger edits like changing the background look more natural by blurring the edges of what is in the foreground.
  • The sharpen tool helps fix some of the blurriness that some of the other tools like clone and heal result in.
  • Dodge and burn are just generally good and adding realism to major edits or changing things like shadows to make them less harsh.
  • If you are zoomed in and want to get a full view, use CTRL+0 to jump back out quickly. This is also helpful if you pulled in a selection that’s outside of your view but you want to see all of it.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Nikon Z5ii Announced and My Thoughts vs the Original Z5

The Nikon Z5ii was announced recently. I haven't actually used this new camera myself, so keep that in mind. This is going to be mostly me looking at the specs and comparing it to the original Nikon Z5, which I've been using for a few years now. The original Nikon Z5 camera. Overall, the original Z5 isn't a bad camera. I've gotten it to a point where it works how I want it to and it's reliable for what I do.  My main use case is often anime and comic conventions, going there and taking photos of people in cosplay. I usually use the 40mm f/2 lens on the Z5, and it works well for that.  First-person view using the Nikon Z5 at an anime convention. Nikon Z5ii vs Z5: The Spec Sheet Comparison  Nikon has a handy comparison section on their Z5ii page, so let's break down some key differences based on that and my experience with the original. Nikon's website comparing the Z5ii and the original Z5 specifications. First up, the sensor. The Z5ii gets a backside-illumi...
Read more

Xenvo Smartphone Lens Kit Overview

I recently took a look at the Xenvo "Ultimate Smartphone Lens Kit," an add-on system designed to enhance your phone's camera capabilities. I purchased this myself; it wasn't sent to me, and I wanted to share my experiences using it. The kit aims to give you both wider angle shots and detailed macro photos using a clip-on lens system. Let's see what's included and how well it works. The Xenvo "Ultimate Smartphone Lens" Kit packaging. What's in the Box? Opening the box reveals the core components: the lens system itself, which consists of a 15x macro lens and a 0.45x wide-angle lens attachment. It's important to note that the wide-angle piece needs to be screwed onto the macro lens to function correctly; using the wide-angle part alone doesn't really produce a usable image. Inside the box: the lens, case, and accessories. You also get a plastic clip mount to attach the lens assembly to your phone. Alongside the lenses, Xenvo includes severa...
Read more

Nikon D3500 Hands-On And Opinion

Today we are taking a look at the entry level standard F-mount Nikon DSLR in their line-up. This is the latest iteration in their D3000 series of cameras started in 2009.  With lower cost DSLR we can expect certain features like FP sync not being included as well as fewer direct control dials and other buttons. For this iteration it comes with a 24.2 megapixel DX (APS-C) sensor with a sensitivity range of 100 to 25600.  My video on the camera. Get the Nikon D3500 DSLR Camera through my links: Amazon.com , BHPhotoVideo.com , Used on KEH.com , Walmart.com , and eBay.com As an affiliate of these shops, I earn from qualifying purchases!  The D3500’s sensor is visible in cleaning mode. There is no shake reduction in the camera, but the kit lens does have VR. The standard optical viewfinder has 95% frame coverage with a 0.85x magnification.  The DSLR focusing system is the 11-point Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection giving you a detection ran...
Read more