Focus Effect - Image Selection Part 1
Software : Photoshop CS3
Level : Advance

Concept: The lesson is designed using Adobe Photoshop. We have used selections, different combination of image editing tools and filters for most of the effects. Photoshop comes up with lots of the options and scope for experiment is much more than you can imagine. We wish to encourage you to use different options and tools to get better output. The lessons and techniques described need to be followed as a guideline to achieve the effect.

1. Open Photoshop. Open desired image.

2. We will use Quick Mask Mode (Click the link for basic lesson of Quick Mask Mode) to select the fish. Photoshop CS3 version has made slight change in Quick Mask Mode button. You need to click the same button to switch between the mode and selection.

3. Click on the above button marked by the green circle located at the bottom of the tool box. Select Brush tool and make sure that black is selected for foreground. Please select the Hard Round brush for precise selection.

4. Start painting on the fish. You will get red color by default. Whatever area you will pain will be selected.

5. Use zoom tool and properly paint the desired areas. Try to reduce and increase the brush size if require.

6. If by mistake you paint on the undesired area, switch the color to white as foreground and paint on the same area again, the red color will get erased. Once painted properly, click on the same Quick Mask Mode button to get the selection.

7. The fish get selected.

8. Press CTRL + J to copy the selection and paste as a new layer.

9. Save the image as .Psd if you want to work later else you can continue. We will work on the background layer in the next lesson.