applying a mask up to the horizon line?

[Lenny Eiger]

I wouldn't suggest duplicating the background layer. Not to create a mask like this... This is a very old technique that was popular before they had layers, before CS, and its the reason they have layers to begin with. It also can be problematic when you work with large files. I would say that its much better to learn how to work with layers, they are very efficient.

I would also not suggest flattening anything unless you had to. I have heard George DeWolfe state that you should make changes right on the image, be a man, or some such nonsense, and with all due respect to George (he can print very well) I would never do this. Certainly not for a client.

I know there are people who are going to get good results by doings things differently than I do. However, for my part, I can't imagine doing this kind of work without a tablet and brush. It takes literally half the time it would to spot things, and the ability to work with the selections via painting them is tremendous...

When I first got trained I didn't have a tablet and the trainer wouldn't come back to my office until I got one... There's a lot of things in Photoshop that can be done many ways. The program is deep. However, usually 12 out of 15 of the ways to do something are cumbersome. IMO it's best to learn the tools the pros use and make them your own. For example it took me a long time to get the curves dialog down, but I knew I had to. I use curves now 85-90% of the time. I don't ever use Levels, just took it out of the toolbox... It takes long time to learn adjustment layers well enough to understand most of what they can do. Adding and subtracting them is magic. Blending modes, well that's a whole 'nother world.

Lenny

[Jim Noel]

"What's the easiest way to go about it?"
In the darkroom with lith film.

[Brian Ellis]

"What's the easiest way to go about it?"
In the darkroom with lith film.

Thanks Jim, we can always count on you to jump into a Photoshop discussion with an irrelevant and useless (not to mention incorrect in this instance) response that something can be done better, easier, faster, whatever in a darkroom.

[RichardSperry]

XRes by Macromedia allowed easy painting and editing of mask marquee, in 1993.

And Adobe bought Macromedia, so there's really no excuse that it's not on PS now.

Lightroom's mask painting is what I would use, vinny, for editing that pic. Fix the horizontal distortion first would be my plan. I would clone out the islands if they don't add to the photo, especially if they are in the way.

I don't know why you would want to spend "10 hours" just getting the mask right for such a photo. I would take that time to just go take it again the right way.

[RichardSperry]

"What's the easiest way to go about it?"
In the darkroom with lith film.

Lightroom would take much less time than the Darkroom.

The selective curves sliders(I don't know what they are called but that's what they do) would make quick work of doing just about anything that vinny wants done to this pic, without masking.

[vinny]

Fix the horizontal distortion first would be my plan. I would clone out the islands if they don't add to the photo, especially if they are in the way.

I don't know why you would want to spend "10 hours" just getting the mask right for such a photo. I would take that time to just go take it again the right way.

No. I'm not into cloning out islands. Local purchasers are smarter than that and I've got more guts than that. Hell, Why not just create the entire image in photoshop and stay home?
Lightroom? No, unless you're sending me a free copy and a bikini-clad instructor.

[RichardSperry]

Best I can do is get you the free Lightroom.

https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/i...shop_lightroom

You'll have to get the instructor yourself. LR is very intuitive, I would bet you the learning curve AND your edits are under 30 minutes, even if you know PS at third grade level.

[Peter J. De Smidt]

Vinny, you might want to add "good looking" to your requirements.

[Brian Ellis]

Lightroom would take much less time than the Darkroom.

The selective curves sliders(I don't know what they are called but that's what they do) would make quick work of doing just about anything that vinny wants done to this pic, without masking.

The reason for suggesting a mask is that as I understand the question, Vinny wants to change both the sky and foreground but presumably not making the same changes to both. Using a mask, which is automatically created when a curves, levels, etc. adjustment layer is opened, and inverting it (which takes one click) is a quick, easy way to make different changes to different areas of the image. I don't know what "selective curves sliders" are so I can't compare the two methods but if you want to explain that method maybe he'd prefer to use it.