Photoshop:  Cutting and Pasting

with the Pen tool   

 

Many photographers use Photoshop (and Lightroom) primarily to tweak the color, contrast, and exposure of their images.  I do that, too, but there is so much more potential in Photoshop and Elements than simply doing that.  Combining images, for example, opens up immense creative possibilities.  The sky is the limit, and you can put dinosaurs in landscapes, change a person's face entirely by replacing their eyes and mouth, use grunge textures, put silhouetted birds in front of the sun, and basically create any reality you want. Photography is, after all, art, and you do nothing to your pictures or you can do everything to them. You are the artist. 

 

For example, in the shot of the horse and rider I took at a Sikh festival in Punjab, India, below, I replaced the rider because I didn't like the clothing that the man in the original photo was wearing.  I photographed the man in  yellow while he was galloping on another horse!

 

 

 

Photoshop has many selection tools, but none of them are more intimidating to photographers than the pen tool.  I use this Photoshop tool all the time, and like everything else, once you know how to do it, it's a piece of cake. Actually, the pen tool is extremely easy to use, and after reading this you'll wonder why it ever intimidated you.

 

The reason I use the pen tool is because it's the most precise and accurate way to select a subject, hair notwithstanding.  If a subject has hair (or whiskers), the pen tool can't be used in almost all cases if your goal is to make the composite believable.   

 

All other subjects, though, can be cut out with the pen tool. Here is how you use it.

 

 

 The tools palette in Photoshop is shown at left, and I've circled the pen tool icon.  If you click and hold on it, you'll see a drop down menu with more options.

 

The pen tool simply puts down a series of dots, or anchor points as Adobe calls them, along the edge of the subject that is to be cut out.  That's it.  You click your mouse or tap a Wacom tablet with the pen, and one anchor point is placed. Once these anchor points are placed all around the subject, the last one connects to the first one and now you have a path.

 

In the image below, you can see the beginning of the selection of the model's hat.  This is as simple as clicking on the demarcation line between the hat and the background.

 

I work at 300% to make sure the line I'm creating is precise.  However, there is a 'transition zone' between the subject and the background.  It's not a sharp edge, at least not at 300%.  Just do your best in determining the best place to put the anchor point. 

 

If you make a mistake and put down one or more anchor points that are not correct, simply choose the 'delete anchor point tool' from the drop down menu you see above, click on the points you want removed, and then choose the pen tool again and -- this is important -- click on the last anchor point before  you continue laying down new ones.  

 

If you want to add an anchor point between two points already in place, click on the 'add anchor point tool'. I never use this tool, but it's available if you need it.

 

I also never use the 'convert point tool' and 'freeform pen tool'.  You don't have to use these, either, because if you work at 300% and carefully lay down every anchor point, you have achieved the most precise way of selecting a subject.  The freeform pen tool allows you to use the pen tool like the lasso tool, which won't be precise at all.  The convert point tool allows you to bend and tweak the path once it's completed.  

 

So, once the entire periphery of the subject is outlined in anchor points, the last point laid down touches the first point.  Suddenly all the points disappear and you will see a path, or a thin line, that outlines your subject.

 

Time wise, this will take anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes, depending on how complex the subject is. I know this is laborious, but if you want perfect composites, this is what you usually have to do. 

 

At this point you click on the paths palette.  If it's not open, go to Window > paths.

 

 

There is a tiny, inconspicuous icon in the top right corner of the paths palette ( circled in blue), and if you click this you'll see a drop down menu.  Choose 'make selection' (circled in red) and then a small dialog box opens and you have to choose a 'feather radius'.  Choose one pixel, and click OK. I always choose only one pixel.  In my opinion, this makes the most believable composites. 

 

The path suddenly becomes a selection, complete with crawling ants.

 

To make sure that the original background is eliminated, I then use Select > modify > contract.  In the dialog box, I choose one pixel or sometimes two pixels, and that shrinks the selection slightly, thus eliminating any telltale line around the photo from the original background.

 

So that I never have to make this selection again, I use Select > save selection.  When the dialog box opens, just click OK.  This saves the selection for future use. 

 

Now the image is ready to be copied to the clipboard (Edit > copy) and pasted into another image.