• Global community
    • Language:
      • Deutsch
      • English
      • Español
      • Français
      • Português
  • 日本語コミュニティ
    Dedicated community for Japanese speakers
  • 한국 커뮤니티
    Dedicated community for Korean speakers
Exit
0

How do I only replace color for one area?

Community Beginner ,
Nov 17, 2017 Nov 17, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hi everyone! I am trying to edit my jewelry photos for my etsy page and I am having difficulty.

I shot them in a savage luminous pro on a black background and I am trying to change the background by doing this:

>Image

     >Adjustments

          >Replace color

Then, I replace the color so the background is completely, perfectly white. However, all the black areas in my actual product ALSO turn white, thus making my pictures unusable.

I need to be able to replace the background color of my photograph without altering the colors on my actual product.

Is there any way I could deselect the colors in my picture so that this doesn't occur?

I am using a PC.

Views

785

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Adobe
Community Expert ,
Nov 17, 2017 Nov 17, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

One way would be choosing Select > Color Range. After selecting the black background and clicking OK, the back colors on your actual product will be selected. But since you have a selection you can use the selection tools, like the Lasso tool, to remove the black pixels you don't want in the selection.

If you post an example of one of your photos with a black background, I will give more precise directions.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Nov 17, 2017 Nov 17, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

DSC_0010.JPGThis is an example of the photographs I will be using.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Nov 17, 2017 Nov 17, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

There are many ways you could approach this. The edges of the object are kind of blurred, which makes it more difficult.  I would use the Pen tool to draw around the shapes. that would give a nice clean edges. However, it can take time to get the hang of the Pen tool.

Another option would be to look at the individual channels in the Channels panel. You would look for the one with the most contrast, which seems to be green in this case.

Duplicate the Green channel.

With the Green copy channel targeted, choose Image > Adjustments > Levels. Increase the contrast to get good black and white contrast around the objects, especially on the edges. Click OK.

Use the Brush tool, selecting a hard-edged brush (not one of the brushes with soft fuzzy edges.)

Paint with black and white to touch up the channel.

Make the RGB channel active.

Ctrl (WIndows) Command (Mac) click on the Green copy channel thumbnail. This will load a selection of the green copy channel.

In the Layers panel, click the Layer Mask icon. Then add a new layer underneath that is filled with the color you want for the background. Below I filled it with white.

Because of the fuzzy edges on the photo, a black fringe remains around the edges.

Click the layer mask. It should get a subtle double line around it when it is targeted. Choose Filter > Other > Minimum. Increase the radius until the black fringe is gone.

With the mask still active, use the Brush tool to touch up the mask: black to hide areas and white to show areas.

The job of removing the background will be easier if you take take the photo with crisper edges. Try a higher number on the F stop for more depth of field, and try getting further away from the object when you are photographing it.

If that's not possible, you could try using a darker background or gradient to try to minimize the problem edges, like this:

With a darker background it wouldn't hurt to use a Curves adjustment layer to bring out more contrast in the objects.

If you can get crisper edges on the objects in your photo, your job will be easier. Try a higher number on the F stop for more depth of field, and try getting the camera further away from the objects, and using a longer exposure. And of course use a tripod.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Nov 17, 2017 Nov 17, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hi Abigail.  If you took these photographs yourself, I wonder if you might like to take them again.  Use a white background instead of the black, but try and extend your depth of field to get the entire object in focus. 

It's not easy to give exact advice without knowing what camera you used.  I believe a lot of people use their cell phone for the bulk of their photography nowadays, and with a cell phone's small sensor, depth of field tends not to be a problem, but you can help it by increasing the light so that smaller apertures are used.  Do cell phones even use an adjustable aperture?  Or do they control exposure electronically?

Moving the camera further from the object will also help.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Nov 18, 2017 Nov 18, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I tried using a white background like with the rest of my photos, but, unfortunately, if the products have white in them, they are changed when I try to adjust exposure. Here are some examples:reindeer1.jpg

I was able to edit the background on these reindeer no problem because they have minimal amounts of white in them. However, when I try to alter the background of a white-containing photograph, like this one [unedited]:

DSC_0046.JPG

It ends up like this:

snowman.jpg

See? it makes my product look filthy and wonky.

I use a nikon d3300 with a macro lens.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Nov 18, 2017 Nov 18, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hi

That last image can be done with a curve. Add a curves adjustment layer, click on the lower of the three eyedroppers and click on the white area of the image

Dave

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Nov 18, 2017 Nov 18, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Thank you so much.

Do you have any way of going into more detail? I'm only a beginner, so I don't know what a curve is or how to make one, etc.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Nov 18, 2017 Nov 18, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Sure the steps were very simple.

1. Open your image

2. In the adjustments panel click on the curves symbol. This will add a curves adjustment layer

3. In the layers panel, click on the curves layer and go to the properties panel

4. In the properties panel click on the third eyedropper down

5 Click on your image in the white area of the background

Dave

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Nov 18, 2017 Nov 18, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Thank you thank you thank you!!! My project is saved!! ❤️

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Nov 18, 2017 Nov 18, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

In the future, if you want your images to stand out, you could try backlighting in combination with a soft/diffused main light. It's not as complicated as it sounds and is fairly easy to set up:

backlight.jpg

This does not produce the same effect as masking out the object, because the backlight is reflected in the object itself. So you get a "floating" effect where it almost looks like it's hovering in mid-air.

Here I used a large soft box as the main light, because I wanted a sharp and defined reflection. You can see it in the red surface. In other cases a light-tent, producing fully diffused "white-out" light will give a better result.

Yeah, it's a weird looking red blob, but this is out of context

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Nov 18, 2017 Nov 18, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

The heat from the lights has melted your ketchup container Dag

Dave

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Nov 18, 2017 Nov 18, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Nov 18, 2017 Nov 18, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

is there any way to ensure that my background is pure white? After going through some of these images, I've realized that the backgrounds look whitER, but not perfect white.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Nov 19, 2017 Nov 19, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

abigailm58031400  wrote

is there any way to ensure that my background is pure white? After going through some of these images, I've realized that the backgrounds look whitER, but not perfect white.

Hi

You could follow the actions in the previous post with careful masking and a further curves layer, but I would just do the following:

1. Add a white color fill layer above the curves layer

2. Click on the mask

3. Take a soft black brush and paint over the image (you are actually painting on the mask).

That method gives you a soft transition between the white immediately round the objects and the white at the edges of the image frame

Dave

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Nov 19, 2017 Nov 19, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I don't mean to bother you so much, but would you mind posting pictures of the steps?

Thank you for being so incredibly helpful to me!

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Nov 19, 2017 Nov 19, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

never mind, I figured it out myself

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Nov 19, 2017 Nov 19, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

LATEST

Hi

I've just returned from Sunday afternoon out with the family, so just read your post. Glad you got sorted - shout out if you get stuck again

Dave

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Nov 18, 2017 Nov 18, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

No problem.

If you get an image where the automatic click with the white eyedropper overdoes the adjustment then you can drag the white triangle to the left manually.

Then click with the middle eyedropper to white balance the image

Dave

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Nov 18, 2017 Nov 18, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I'm with Trevor. This will never look good - because the black background is reflected in the object itself. You cannot "remove" that without extensive manual labor. I guarantee you, reshooting will be orders of magnitude quicker!

Also, a sharp outline is an absolute no-no here. That looks really ugly and unattractive.

Just recently, a book designer attempted something like this with a couple of my images. I went so far as to demand that they hold the presses for reasons of copyright violation. It's just unacceptable.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Nov 18, 2017 Nov 18, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Just adding to what Dave said.

Always try to get as far as possible with global adjustments first. If the subject appears too dark, dirty or muddy, try to lighten the whole image up with a Curves adjustment, before doing anything else. Surprisingly often, that gets you what you want, or at least very close.

Only then, and only if absolutely necessary, use selections, masks or other targeted tools to go after specific parts.

A very common beginner's mistake is to start with a poorly exposed image, and then go right at selecting and masking. This will always, no exceptions, end up looking unnatural and artificial, or plain bad.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines