adjustments affecting more than selection

[ncJohn]

It seems I don't really understand selections (or how to make them). In this photo, I wanted to eliminate the red inside the nostrils so I wanted to select just that red-ish area and then use adjustments such as HSL to lighten or eliminate the red. It seemed to work okay except that after I had only the desired areas selected, my adjustment layers were affecting other parts of the image. For this screenshot, I used an extreme amount of levels adjustment so the effect is easy to see. My intent was for the levels adjustment to effect only the selected area in the nostrils but it darkened virtually everything except the area immediately around the lips. This is how I did this:

 

1. Layer> "merge visible" to create a clean top layer.

2. Use color picker to select a tiny spot of red in the nostril.

3. Select>Select Sampled Color...

This resulted in most of the image being selected since it's practically all some sort of red.

4. Adjusted the selection tolerance until the desired part of the nostrils was selected. At this point the lips and hair were also selected.

5. At this point I tried to use the Selection Brush to subtract the lips and hair, but I found that, in fact, actually everything was selected except the nostrils, lips, and hair. So I used Select>Invert Pixel Selection. Then I used the brush to subtract the lips and hair.

 

So now I had only the red part of the nostrils selected and I used HSL and Levels to change the extreme red, but I found the adjustment affects extending way beyond the selected part of the nostrils. The weirdest thing, to me, is that even when I used the Selection Brush to subtract virtually the whole image except the nostrils, the adjustment layer effect still extended way past the selections.

 

I guess this is a long-winded way to ask, "Why are my adjustments affecting more than my selections?"

 

[toltec]

I can't really tell what you have done because I can't see the layers panel. But, here is how to do it,

 

Select the areas you want, then apply an adjustment layer (HSL in this case). It will only apply to the selected area. The rest is masked.

 

 

 

 

To be honest though, to reduce the red. You would be much better off with the sponge tool set to Desaturate and an opacity of about 10%. Do a bit of painting to suit, maybe a little bit of subtle healing afterwards.

 

You could even use the dodge brush to lighten up a touch, if you feel the need but you don't want to overdo that.

 

This only took a few seconds.

 

[ncJohn]

1 hour ago, toltec said:

 

 

Select the areas you want, then apply an adjustment layer (HSL in this case). It will only apply to the selected area.

 

 

 

 

I tried very hard to explain that this is exactly what I did. My steps 1-5 were making the selection, after which I used the adjustment layers. The adjustments affect most of the image, not just the selections.

 

There's not much to see in the layers panel. Here it is.

Again: "Merge visible" so I'm working on only one layer, followed by selections on the merged layer, then adjustment layers.

[ncJohn]

Thanks for the suggestion of the sponge tool. I'll take a look at that.

 

[toltec]

 

I was interested in seeing why your adjustment layer went so badly wrong so I could answer your question, but I can't figure that out from the images you posted or your description. Sorry. I would not have followed the same route as you and you're right, seeing the layers doesn't help,

 

I was also wondering how you got the weird light halo around the lips?

 

As you found out though, select sampled colour is totally the wrong approach because you will always get colour from all over the image. There are several ways of doing the job that do work, including the two I just described.

 

 

[carl123]

4 hours ago, ncJohn said:

1. Layer> "merge visible" to create a clean top layer.

2. Use color picker to select a tiny spot of red in the nostril.

3. Select>Select Sampled Color...

This resulted in most of the image being selected since it's practically all some sort of red.

4. Adjusted the selection tolerance until the desired part of the nostrils was selected. At this point the lips and hair were also selected.

5. At this point I tried to use the Selection Brush to subtract the lips and hair, but I found that, in fact, actually everything was selected except the nostrils, lips, and hair. So I used Select>Invert Pixel Selection. Then I used the brush to subtract the lips and hair.

 

After step 5 do..

Edit > Copy

File > New from Clipboard

I think you will find you have more of your document selected than you think you have

Using Select Sampled Colour was not the best way to approach this problem, just use the Selection Brush on the Nostrils area you want to change then make your adjustments by whatever method gives the best results for you

[ncJohn]

9 hours ago, toltec said:

 

I was also wondering how you got the weird light halo around the lips?

 

 

That's the really weird part! That "halo" is what the skin color is supposed to be; it's where I used the Selection Brush to subtract the lips. (Because the selection I ended up with was actually nostrils, lips, and hair and I only wanted nostrils.) So the halo is where the adjustment layers didn't affect the image. That's why I say the adjustments affected more than the selected areas.

[ncJohn]

9 hours ago, carl123 said:

 

I think you will find you have more of your document selected than you think you have

Using Select Sampled Colour was not the best way to approach this problem, just use the Selection Brush on the Nostrils area you want to change then make your adjustments by whatever method gives the best results for you

I think the fact that the adjustment layers affected virtually the entire image shows that more was selected than just the nostrils; but the dashed selection line was only around the nostrils.

I tried several times using the Selection Brush on only the nostrils but I wasn't happy with my selections. (I wanted only the red, but all of the red.) So I decided to let the program make the selection for me.

 

I'm going to try your suggestion of making a new image from the selections.

Thanks

 

[toltec]

The selection (ants) only appear when the selection opacity is over 50%, so a gradual selection has a Marching Ants cut off point. 

 

Try viewing in Quick Mask mode, (press Q) and you will see a more accurate view of what is selected. It is worth setting the mask colour (little down arrow) to black or something else. It will help to see what you have actually selected.

 

 

[carl123]

46 minutes ago, ncJohn said:

I tried several times using the Selection Brush on only the nostrils but I wasn't happy with my selections. (I wanted only the red, but all of the red.)

If you cant get the Selection Brush to work for you then try zooming in and using the Free hand Selection Tool

[ncJohn]

1 hour ago, toltec said:

The selection (ants) only appear when the selection opacity is over 50%, so a gradual selection has a Marching Ants cut off point. 

 

Try viewing in Quick Mask mode, (press Q) and you will see a more accurate view of what is selected. It is worth setting the mask colour (little down arrow) to black or something else. It will help to see what you have actually selected.

 

 

OOOOOOhhhhhhhh!!!!! That explains so much! Okay, thanks a lot.

[ncJohn]

40 minutes ago, carl123 said:

If you cant get the Selection Brush to work for you then try zooming in and using the Free hand Selection Tool

Yeah, I tried that but it still comes down to personal judgement about where the line is between "red and not red." I wasn't happy with where I was putting it so I tried to let the program decide for me.  Wasn't exactly the perfect decision.