Photoshop Masking & Compositing (2nd Edition) (Voices That Matter) [Paperback]

Katrin Eismann (Author), Sean Duggan (Author), James Porto (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 3, 2012 | ISBN-10: 0321701003 | ISBN-13: 978-0321701008 | Edition: 2

Designers, photographers, and artists use Photoshop to create fantastic and realistic images for illustrations, fine art, and editorial content. Whether they're landscape or portrait photographers, illustrators or fine artists, masking and compositing are essential skills to master for combining images to the extent that it is impossible to tell where one image stops and the other one begins.

 

In this completely revised edition of her best-selling guide to masking and compositing, Photoshop artist and educator Katrin Eismann--along with compositing experts Sean Duggan and James Porto--takes readers through numerous step-by-step examples, highlighting the tools and techniques used for masking and combining images. Featuring work by leading artists and photographers, this book focuses on the techniques used to create compelling compositions, including making fast and accurate selections, mastering Photoshop's masking tools, and implementing the concept and photography from start to finish.

 

The book addresses working with Photoshop's selection tools; selecting and maintaining fine details and edges; and working with difficult image elements, such as cloth, hair, or translucent objects. All-new photographic examples, updated instruction to cover the latest version of Adobe Photoshop, and an expanded section on shooting photographs for composite work make this a must-have guide for anyone interested in photographing and creating professional composite images.

 

Visit www.peachpit.com/pmc2e to download dozens of the images featured in this book and practice the illustrated techniques with the same files used in the book. Also, download a full, free chapter on how to use the Pen Tool, one of the best selection tools in Photoshop.

 

Product Details

• Paperback: 504 pages
• Publisher: New Riders; 2 edition (September 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321701003
• ISBN-13: 978-0321701008
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 0.8 x 9.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > Computers & Technology > Digital Media Management > Photo Editing > Adobe Photoshop
  • #30 in Books > Computers & Technology > Graphic Design > Adobe Creative Suite
  • #88 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Graphics & Multimedia

More About the Author

Katrin Eismann is an internationally respected artist, teacher, and author specializing in creative digital photography and the impact of emerging technologies upon professional photographers, artists, and educators. She received her BFA degree in Photographic Illustration from the Rochester Institute of Technology and her MFA degree in Design at the School of Visual Arts. Katrin is the author of Photoshop Restoration & Retouching and Photoshop Masking & Compositing and co-author of The Creative Digital Darkroom and Real World Digital Photography. She is a featured columnist in Photoshop User magazine and is a popular speaker at the PMA, ASMP, PPA, PhotoPlusExpo, and Photoshop User conferences. In 2005, Katrin was inducted into the Photoshop Hall of Fame and her images have been featured in numerous books, magazines, and group exhibits. Katrin is the co-founder and chair of the Masters of Professional Studies in Digital Photography at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Please visit www.katrineismann.com and for the latest updates, thoughts, and interest please follow me at twitter.com/katrineismann

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The only book you'll need to become a Photoshop masking and compositing expert September 5, 2012

By Jerry Saperstein HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Back in February, 2012 when I pre-ordered this book, I was a bit concerned. Except for talking about a few new features added since the first edition was published, what more could be said - and the idea of co-authors worried me. Would they be taking over the writing and replacing Katrin Eismann who both knows Photoshop intimately and writes extremely well?

Well, all is well.

In its second edition, this is a great book made even better. In some ways, far better.

With this book, faithful attention (which means weeks of study), practicing with the examples and the willingness to persevere, you will become an expert in the techniques of Photoshop masking and compositing. No guaranty that you'll become artistically competent, but you will most certainly become technically proficient.

Brought up to date for Photoshop CS6, the book covers every aspect of using the program's tools for masking and compositing. The pen tool chapter is now a downloadable PDF item, a production decision I don't agree with, but no real harm done. The chapter on the pen tool has been revised and is more informative than its predecessor.

The chapter on using the Refine Edge tool is beyond outstanding. It is the best I've seen in a Photoshop book (and I've collected a lot of them) or online article. Eismann leaves no stone unturned in her exposition.

More material has been added on planning composites, which is nice, but the book would survive without it. The gallery section on masters of compositing has been expanded, which is also another of those things that is basically eye-candy. It adds in a way, but I could live without it.

Just as I did with the first edition, I have promised myself that I will read every page and do every exercise over and over again until I am, like Katrin Eismann, a total master. Of course, you know what they say about roads paved with good intentions.

The reality is that despite my good intentions, I will probably pick at the contents, learning what I need to know when I nweed to know it and blunder my way through to passable results.

Either way, as a text to be studied page by page or a go-to reference on Photoshop masking and compositing, this is the one and only book on the subject you'll need. (Its complement would be "How To Cheat With Photoshop" by Steve Caplin, which deals more with the methodology of creating photomontages. There is some overlap in that both teach technique, but they really are different books in terms of scope.)

Simply put: a classic on Photoshop masking and compositing.

Jerry

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Full spectrum of compositing techniques and history October 29, 2012

By Scott Valentine

Format:Paperback

I have both this edition and the 2004 release, but have not made a detailed comparison between the two. Having said that, this new edition is a hands-down winner. The material covers realism and collage, but also gives a good history lesson in how compositing has evolved for photographers. There are several references for exploration of different styles and philosophies in the front section, as well as some discussion about how technology and art have developed hand-in-hand.

If this does not interest you, skip to the techniques sections, where you'll find everything you need from start to finish. The level of detail allows for moderately deep dives, but is structured so advanced users can skim to get the important elements quickly. Not every possible variation is covered, but there is sufficient breadth to cover fine art, commercial, industrial, and even technical works.

While I enjoy seeing the techniques laid out, the biggest benefit for me is reading various discussions on choices in selection techniques, obtaining source materials, composition, etc. I'm pretty familiar with lots of the "how" in Photoshop, so I really enjoy being able to read about "why" from other users.

This is a fantastic book from start to finish. I believe intermediate to advanced users will get the most from this book, but beginners should be able to work through with some determination and patience.

Put this one on your desk.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a must buy September 10, 2012

By Lewis LaRue

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

What I like most about the book is that the techniques are put into a context, so that the technical information is given a solid grounding in art.

The book is in four parts. It starts with a chapter on the history of "compositing" by artists as well as by photographers. If you believe, as I do, that learning from what other artists have done is essential, then you will think that this chapter is crucial. The chapter on history is followed by a chapter on creativity, which I also think is valuable. I suppose that everyone knows that thinking creatively about portraits is different from thinking creatively about landscapes, and so no one should be surprised that there are creative issues in compositing that are worth thought and discussion. Consequently, I praise the authors for starting with these two chapters and thus making the book much more than a "how-to" compendium of technique. By doing so, they show that they are thoughtful artists.

The second part is about camera work for composites. While one can composite images drawn randomly from an archive, at times one needs to take photos for the specific purpose of making a particular composite. When this is true, there are particular issues that one must think about, and so the authors set aside three chapters to these topics. For example, they suggest that the sequence of taking the photos can matter, and thus they have a discussion of how to think about planning a photo project. Furthermore, putting together a top lit photo with a side lit photo is likely to create problems, so they have an intelligent discussion of light. (In fact, this chapter has one of the best short tutorials on light and lighting that I have ever read.) And of course, if one has a photo of a vase that was taken from below and tries to composite it on a table shot from above, a composite of the two is likely to look really weird, so they teach how to use perspective, point of view, and scale to plan ones photography. (And the bonus here is the most lucid discussion of one-point versus two-point versus three-point perspective that I have ever read.)

The third part of the book is six chapters (240 pages) on techniques for using Photoshop to make selections, that can be turned into masks, and that in turn can be used to make the composite look seamless. These sections contain the nitty-gritty. I, for one, need this sort of technical information, and I look forward to studying it closely. (One reviewer thought that Katrin Eismann did not need the help of Sean Duggan or James Porto in writing these chapters. I can't image why a reviewer would believe that he or she knows better than Katrin herself what others can bring to the table.) But even this technical detail, as one might expect, is set into an overall context. The authors ask one to understand that there is no all purpose selection technique, and thus, to understand that selecting by way of edges versus selecting by way of color versus selecting by luminance are different processes. So they advise one to sit back and think before jumping into the technical swimming pool, which is, of course, excellent advice.

The fourth and final part of the book is two chapters on "putting it all together." One of the chapters deals with creative composites that have a close affinity to what multi-media artists are doing, and thus connects back to the beginning of the book. The other chapter deals with the photorealistic composites that have a close affinity to the special effects techniques that come out of Hollywood. Both are fascinating, and combine both creative and technical thoughts that have the potential to fascinate and inspire anyone who is interested in what can be done in these incredible times of the twenty-first century.

My recommendation: buy the book.