Picture editing question, help wanted please

Hi,

I recently bought a new camera (a nikon coolpix 3200) to take some pictures
of my pocket watch collection to post on the internet.
What I would like to do is take a picture of the pocket watch and somehow
seperate it from the background so im just left with the watch. I've
searched round the internet and found that the suggested best way to do this
would be to use an editing program and trim the photo. I've tried that but
I'm hopeless and the end result is terrible. I was wondering if anyone knew
a better way to do it.
I am trying to make a picture so that I have 6 or 7 pocket watches all on
the one picture and thought that trimming the pocket watch picture would be
the best way. I stumbled across some posts which suggested a good way to
achieve this would be to use Photoshop and the photomerge feature ( I may
have named this wrong, I cant remember what its called). I tried to use the
photomerge but my backgrounds were all different colours and the end result
was not good either.

Thanks to those who reply,
Andy

You can do this in Photoshop. Maybe also in Photoshop Elemets, or if
you are in the mood The Gimp

On Fri, 8 Oct 2004 18:45:36 +0100, "Andy" wrote:

Hi,

I recently bought a new camera (a nikon coolpix 3200) to take some pictures
of my pocket watch collection to post on the internet.
What I would like to do is take a picture of the pocket watch and somehow
seperate it from the background so im just left with the watch. I've
searched round the internet and found that the suggested best way to do this
would be to use an editing program and trim the photo. I've tried that but
I'm hopeless and the end result is terrible. I was wondering if anyone knew
a better way to do it.
I am trying to make a picture so that I have 6 or 7 pocket watches all on
the one picture and thought that trimming the pocket watch picture would be
the best way. I stumbled across some posts which suggested a good way to
achieve this would be to use Photoshop and the photomerge feature ( I may
have named this wrong, I cant remember what its called). I tried to use the
photomerge but my backgrounds were all different colours and the end result
was not good either.

Thanks to those who reply,
Andy

On Fri, 8 Oct 2004 18:45:36 +0100, "Andy" wrote:

Hi,

I recently bought a new camera (a nikon coolpix 3200) to take some pictures
of my pocket watch collection to post on the internet.
What I would like to do is take a picture of the pocket watch and somehow
seperate it from the background so im just left with the watch. I've
searched round the internet and found that the suggested best way to do this
would be to use an editing program and trim the photo. I've tried that but
I'm hopeless and the end result is terrible. I was wondering if anyone knew
a better way to do it.
I am trying to make a picture so that I have 6 or 7 pocket watches all on
the one picture and thought that trimming the pocket watch picture would be
the best way. I stumbled across some posts which suggested a good way to
achieve this would be to use Photoshop and the photomerge feature ( I may
have named this wrong, I cant remember what its called). I tried to use the
photomerge but my backgrounds were all different colours and the end result
was not good either.

Thanks to those who reply,
Andy


perhaps comp.graphics.apps.photoshop may be a better place to query.

I have done this a few ways...first will say the quick and dirty ways and
last I will discribe the way I do it now.

If you have shot everything allready....using Photoshop or a program that
has masking....mask the object and reverse the mask...make a new image and
put guides to devide up the area. Cut from the old image and Paste to the
new one. Tranform/Scale to the size you want. Do the same to all of them.

To make it easier...put up a white sweep...a curved piece of stiff paper
behind and under the watch. Put some lights around it. Build a tent of a
white sheet or a shower curtain and light from outside of the tent.

Buy a LightBox...a cloth box that does the above. Very easy and what I use
now....with a couple of strobes. Do a white ballance to be sure the color is
right...makes it easier to blend the backgrounds.

A black sweep might be usefull too.

Let me know if you have further questions after you have tried a few shots.

"Andy" writes:

I recently bought a new camera (a nikon coolpix 3200) to take some pictures
of my pocket watch collection to post on the internet.
What I would like to do is take a picture of the pocket watch and somehow
seperate it from the background so im just left with the watch. I've
searched round the internet and found that the suggested best way to do this
would be to use an editing program and trim the photo. I've tried that but
I'm hopeless and the end result is terrible. I was wondering if anyone knew
a better way to do it.
I am trying to make a picture so that I have 6 or 7 pocket watches all on
the one picture and thought that trimming the pocket watch picture would be
the best way. I stumbled across some posts which suggested a good way to
achieve this would be to use Photoshop and the photomerge feature ( I may
have named this wrong, I cant remember what its called). I tried to use the
photomerge but my backgrounds were all different colours and the end result
was not good either.

You're talking about using masking to eliminate the background.
Pocket watches are a *lot* easier than some subjects -- imagine tree
leaves against the horizon, or a person's hair. On the other hand,
pocket watches probably have reflective surfaces, which will
complicate things no end.

It's a basic skill for digital image manipulation. There are lots of
tricks and shortcuts to learn. And after that it's still a fair
amount of work. All I can say is, keep practicing.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, , http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/
RKBA: http://noguns-nomoney.com/ http://www.dd-b.net/carry/
Pics: http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/ http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/
Dragaera/Steven Brust: http://dragaera.info/

Hi,

I recently bought a new camera (a nikon coolpix 3200) to take some pictures
of my pocket watch collection to post on the internet.
What I would like to do is take a picture of the pocket watch and somehow
seperate it from the background so im just left with the watch. I've
searched round the internet and found that the suggested best way to do this
would be to use an editing program and trim the photo. I've tried that but
I'm hopeless and the end result is terrible. I was wondering if anyone knew
a better way to do it.
I am trying to make a picture so that I have 6 or 7 pocket watches all on
the one picture and thought that trimming the pocket watch picture would be
the best way. I stumbled across some posts which suggested a good way to
achieve this would be to use Photoshop and the photomerge feature ( I may
have named this wrong, I cant remember what its called). I tried to use the
photomerge but my backgrounds were all different colours and the end result
was not good either.

Thanks to those who reply,
Andy

Andy-
Here's what I suggest- make a lightbox using something perhaps the size of a
paper carton lined with a couple of layers of aluminum foil. Cut holes in the
lined foil box to let the heat escape; put a simple clamp lamp with a bare 60
watt bulb in the box & cover it with a piece of glass; put some white tissue
paper on top of the glass & put your watch on top of that. The back lighting
will eliminate (or at least minimize) any shadow from the watch. Set your
camera on manual & if necessary use a tripod then adjust your aperture &
shutter speed to get a pleasing exposure for the watch. Once you've found the
settings that give you the image you desire, take all your watch shots with the
same settings for consistency.
Be careful to make sure your lamp doesn't overheat the box or any of the other
materials!

IMHO taking the time to figure out how to get a pleasing & consistent result
out of your camera beats trying to fix problem images with software.
If you start with consistently exposed images you should have little trouble
combining them all into the single image file of all your watches.




Karl Cook

-Every day it's the same thing -- variety. I want something different!

"Gene Palmiter" wrote in message
news:ijD9d.91$wV4.24@trndny03...
I have done this a few ways...first will say the quick and dirty ways and
last I will discribe the way I do it now.

If you have shot everything allready....using Photoshop or a program that
has masking....mask the object and reverse the mask...make a new image and
put guides to devide up the area. Cut from the old image and Paste to the
new one. Tranform/Scale to the size you want. Do the same to all of them.

To make it easier...put up a white sweep...a curved piece of stiff paper
behind and under the watch. Put some lights around it. Build a tent of a
white sheet or a shower curtain and light from outside of the tent.

Buy a LightBox...a cloth box that does the above. Very easy and what I use
now....with a couple of strobes. Do a white ballance to be sure the color
is
right...makes it easier to blend the backgrounds.

A black sweep might be usefull too.

Let me know if you have further questions after you have tried a few
shots.


Hi,

Thanks for the suggestions. I have looked around the internet and found some
info about light boxes. I'll buy one and see how I get on.
I'll also have a look at masking.

Thanks to all those who replied
Andy