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photodonna
photodonna
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Are there features in PSE 10 that would be helpful for...

Apr 8, 2012 3:49 PM

I want to be able to more easily edit newborn images, specifically softening their skin and making their ruddy skin more creamy. Are there features in PSE10 which would make this easier, or does PSE 7 have the features I need? Also, are there seminars/classes/tutorials which would help my learning curve?  I so appreciate all the helpful people on this forum!

625 Views   9 Replies   Latest reply: photodrawken, Apr 8, 2012 9:35 PM
 
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  • Barbara B.
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    1. Barbara B.,
    Apr 8, 2012 3:57 PM   in reply to photodonna
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    Either one would work. There are many online tutorials for this sort of thing, if you do a search. Most of them are for PS, but they're usually adaptable to PSE. One thing I would suggest is that if you wish to use PSE 7 you download one of the many free layer masking add-ons, like this one:

     

    http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/pselements/qt/layermasktool.htm

     

    Layer masks are built into PSE 10, so no need to add one there.

     
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  • photodonna
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    2. photodonna,
    Apr 8, 2012 4:36 PM   in reply to Barbara B.
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    Barbara, can you explain what a "layer masking add-on" is, and why it is helpful. Thanks.

     
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  • Barbara B.
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    3. Barbara B.,
    Apr 8, 2012 5:09 PM   in reply to photodonna
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    A layer mask lets you hide part of a layer. So for instance, if you want to apply a gaussian blur to a layer for skin smoothing, with a layer mask you can easily edit out the eyes and mouth from the blur layer so that you see those in focus. You'll find that almost all tutorials written for photoshop use masking as an important basic technique, so it helps to have it available in PSE as well.

     
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  • photodonna
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    4. photodonna,
    Apr 8, 2012 5:51 PM   in reply to Barbara B.
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    Thanks!

     
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  • photodrawken
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    5. photodrawken,
    Apr 8, 2012 8:03 PM   in reply to photodonna
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    The short answer is "Yes", PSE10 will make it easier to do the retouching you want to do for newborn photos:

    1. It has an "Adjust Color for Skin Tone" function which will help reduce the reddish colour.
    2. It has a Guided Edit for portraits which might give you a nice starting point for further retouching.
    3. Most importantly (as Barbara alluded to), it allows you to instantly create a mask for a layer; which will speed up the retouching procedure.

     

     

    Don't get me wrong, you'll still need to do a lot of work, but PSE10 will make that work easier.

     

    Ken

     
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  • Barbara B.
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    6. Barbara B.,
    Apr 8, 2012 8:52 PM   in reply to photodrawken
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    Adjust color for skin tone is in PSE 7, too.

     
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  • photodrawken
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    7. photodrawken,
    Apr 8, 2012 8:57 PM   in reply to Barbara B.
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    Thanks, I'm getting a bit gun shy about which features are available in which versions....

     

    Ken

     
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  • Barbara B.
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    8. Barbara B.,
    Apr 8, 2012 9:17 PM   in reply to photodrawken
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    Me too, but I have a whole stack of reference books to check.

     
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  • photodrawken
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    9. photodrawken,
    Apr 8, 2012 9:35 PM   in reply to Barbara B.
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    Hee, hee!  Good one....

     

    Ken

     
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