Everyone has their share of rejections when they first get into stock photography until they figure out, both visually and technically, what the evaluators are looking for. Even after you become established, rejections can be a good thing. They keep yo [Read more...] posted in Dealing with Rejection

Everyone has their share of rejections when they first get into stock photography until they figure out, both visually and technically, what the evaluators are looking for. Even after you become established, rejections can be a good thing. They keep you on your toes so you don't become "lazy" in what you submit. It is a learning process and just keep at it. posted in Dealing with Rejection

This may be an area that we often tend to overlook as we go about our creative photographic endevors. Thanks for reminding us. Maybe that is one reason there are so many nature photographers.... you don't need a release form for a tree, a mountain, or a [Read more...] posted in Image misuse can be a very expensive mistake

This may be an area that we often tend to overlook as we go about our creative photographic endevors. Thanks for reminding us. Maybe that is one reason there are so many nature photographers.... you don't need a release form for a tree, a mountain, or a woodpecker. posted in Image misuse can be a very expensive mistake

Hi Everyone Isolating subject matter on to white (or black) is a mainstay of stock photography. Below is another method in Photoshop that will allow you to isolate any subject no matter what the background, and to cut out the inside parts that have the [Read more...] posted in How to isolate a picture in 5 minutes! (Including hair)

Hi Everyone Isolating subject matter on to white (or black) is a mainstay of stock photography. Below is another method in Photoshop that will allow you to isolate any subject no matter what the background, and to cut out the inside parts that have the background showing through. Isolating on white 1) Zoom the image to 200% 2) Select the pen tool, and create an accurate clipping path outline on the outside of the object. 3) Activate the clipping path (in the paths workbox click on the third circle from the left at the bottom. Then click on the gray area in the box. The Clipping path will now start to look like a moving dashed line.) 4) Select Feather under the Select drop-down box (or Alt + Ctrl + D) and set the value to 1.2 5) Duplicate the selected area (Ctrl + J) (or do “copy” and then “paste”. Sets it down on top of itself) 6) Delete the background layer (in the layers box, highlight the background layer and click on the “eye” of the background layer. The background will disappear.) 7) In the layers box select layer 1. 8) Go to the Select drop-down box and select “load selection” 9) In the path workbox click on “make work path” (symbol looks like a circle with pigtails) 10) Under the File drop down box, click “New” 11) Make a new white frame larger than you need to hold your subject and with the same resolution. 12) Drag your clipped subject over to the white frame. 13) You can smooth out any parts on the edges that you don’t like with the eraser tool. 14) If you have inside parts to cut out, create a clipping path as above, select feather with the same value as above, and then click “cut” in the Edit drop down box. 15) After making any adjustments or enhancements to the image, be sure to flatten the image (layers drop down box) to compress it all together. 16) Crop the finished image leaving enough white around it for fill-in copy or text if necessary. 17) Save To save an image with partial path done to complete later -Drag the words “Work Path” (blue highlighted) down to “create new path” (square symbol at bottom of path box. -save file -When opening file again, go the path box and click on path box, turning it blue. This brings back the work path. Cutting out inside parts -create a path with pen tool, activate as in step 3 above, select Feather (Alt+Ctrl+D) as in step 4. -Cut out section enclosed in path. (Edit drop down box and “cut”) To create a new white background to drag the object to: -Under the File drop-down box select “New” -For image size use inches and give it the same dimensions as the image you cut the object from, or smaller if necessary. -Make the resolution the same as the image you cut the object from. -Mode RGB -Under contents, click “white” and okay. -Drag the cut out object to the new white background. It is here that is best to cut out any inside parts that have background showing through, do any tidy up and other enhancement. For resizing, tilting, etc. go to the Edit dropdown box, transform, and you will see a number of options. Note: hold down the shift key when using “scale” to keep the proportions. posted in How to isolate a picture in 5 minutes! (Including hair)