PHOTOSHOP - Applying Selections

A selection is either an area of an image you define, or the entire image. This is achieved via specific selection tools such as LASSO TOOLS (L), MAGIC WAND (W), MARQUEE (M). A selection is made in order to make a change on your opened (Background) image, or to make a new layer that is separate from the background. This means you can make unlimited changes to any part of an image. When you make a selection it will show you via what looks like a line of ‘marching ants’. You can add to or detract from any selection to refine it, as well as expanding or contracting any selection (5 - 8) for instance a part of the violin bow in this image. Whist doing this you can soften or ‘Feather’ a selection to make it visually more seamless.

1. The Lasso Tools (L) right click to view

2. The Pen Tools (P). Right click to view

3. The Marquee Tools (M).Right click to view

4. A selection and the 'marching ants'

5. Selection of part of the Violin bow

6. Contracting the selection

7. Contracted by 2 pixels

8. Selection contracted

ADJUSTING SELECTIONS

Following from the examples above, you can see the very rough ‘jaggies’ or artefacts left over from a Magic Wand selection that need to be removed. This will give a cleaner finish to your cut out selection. This is a ‘hard line cut’ that suits the camera, but with softer subjects like the human face or animals, you can ‘Feather’ or soften the selection so that it looks more life like.

1. Artefacts extending beyond camera

2. Selection jumps 2 pixels towards camera and are cut away

3. Final image with no artefacts

4. Choose SELECT - MODIFY -

5. Then EXPAND or SUBTRACT

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