Selection Examples

Selection Example 1:

• Open the file R:\CLASSES\CTA2041\Course files\Lawn_chair.jpg in Photoshop.
• Select the beach umbrella using the following method
  • First use the Magic Wand tool to select the umbrella in parts. After the first selection, push the addition button or hold down the shift key to keep adding to the selection. You may want to adjust the Tolerance value as you use the Magic Wand. If you select too much, choose Undo from the edit menu to undo the last selection.
  • Now, use the Lasso tool to select any remaining areas in the umbrella.
• Copy the umbrella and paste it into a new image (File -> New).

Selection Example 2:

• Open the file R:\CLASSES\CTA2041\Course files\Aster.jpg in Photoshop.
• Use the Eliptical Marquee tool to select a circle around the red cluster of flowers.
  • You should hold down the Alt key while selecting to expand by the center.
  • You should hold down the Shift key while selecting to limit the selection to a circle.
• Once you have selected the correct region, change the selection to what is not selected by choosing Select -> Inverse from the menu.
• Then feather the selection by 10 pixels by choosing Select -> Feather.
• Make the background more opaque by changing the brightness and contrast.
  • Choose Image->Adjust->Brightness/Contrast from the menu.
  • Set the Brightness to +80 and the Contrast to -80.
• Finally, use the Crop tool to select a square centered around the red flowers. Remember to hold down Alt (square) and Shift (expand from center).

Selection Example 3:

• Open the following three files in Photoshop.
  • R:\CLASSES\CTA2041\Course files\Goodyear.jpg
  • R:\CLASSES\CTA2041\Course files\F117.jpg
  • R:\CLASSES\CTA2041\Course files\Hot_air_ballon2.jpg
• Try to use the Lasso, Polygon Lasso, and Magnetic Lasso to select the plane and the balloon (not the Goodyear blimp). Which tool do you find easier to select the plane? the balloon?
• Copy and paste the plane and the balloon into the picture of the Goodyear blimp. Each time you copy and paste, a new layer will be created. Repeat this a couple times to get multiple copies of the plane and the balloon into the image. You may want to feather some of your selections by 2 pixels.
• Use the Edit --> Transform and Edit --> Free Transform menu options to rotate and re-size the different copies of the images. Remember that you must select the correct layer before transforming and to hit the Enter Key after making a transform.
• Use the Move Tool to position the balloons a planes around the blimp.

Selection Example 4:

• Open the following files in Photoshop.
  • R:\CLASSES\CTA2041\Course files\Red_peppers.jpg
  • R:\CLASSES\CTA2041\Course files\Easter_candy.jpg
• Compare using the Magic Wand tool and the Select --> Color Range menu to select the two peppers. Which tools works best? Make sure you try adjusting the Tolerance and Fuzziness.
• Once you have selected the two peppers, open up the Hue/Saturation window by choosing Image --> Adjust --> Hue/Saturation. Move the Hue slider to change the color of the peppers to green.
• Repeat this process with the easter candy. Select all the pink eggs and turn them purple.
• You might want to experiment with the Select --> Grow menu option.
• Did you feather your selections?
• Go back to the Peppers. Try using the magic wand on the white background and then choosing Select --> Inverse from the menu. Does this select the peppers well?