# WANTED:  Photo Software that Will Do The Following



## desertjim123 (Oct 14, 2016)

1.  Change backgrounds........................even in a collage

2.  Change the colors of simple foreground objects

Not sure how to ask this any more clear.  I can do a lot with the applications I have, but have never learned to do this.

Any suggestions?  Need more specific information?

Many Thanks,

Jim


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## 480sparky (Oct 14, 2016)

A few sample images (*ones you have the rights to post!*) would be of tremendous help.


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## astroNikon (Oct 15, 2016)

desertjim123 said:


> ....I can do a lot with the applications I have, but have never learned to do this....



With any software, you'll have to learn how to do that.
So why not spend the time and learn how to do it with the software you are currently using?

Otherwise we'll just blurt out "PhotoShop". But then you'll have to learn how to use that. Software.


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## weepete (Oct 15, 2016)

Photoshop!


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## Overread (Oct 15, 2016)

Photoshop or Gimp will do that; in fact most photo editing software can do it.
However you'll have to select the areas you want to change yourself; photoshop has some smart selection tools that can make that process a little quicker, but you will still have to manually select (draw) the areas where you want to change what is present.


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## desertjim123 (Oct 15, 2016)

480sparky said:


> A few sample images (*ones you have the rights to post!*) would be of tremendous help.



Thanks, Sparky..........here you go.............it's really a very simple sample, but the photos I am talking about will be just as simple, if not more so.

  The next reply is probably very definitive (RTM) .  I guess I should have asked "Will the ones I have do that" and then listed them .

I have really never done any serious editing, but do have an older version of Photoshop, PSP and Photoscape.

Anyway, here's a simple sample of what I'm talking about.  Should I go "fall off a log" .


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## 480sparky (Oct 15, 2016)

Yep... pretty much any editing software will do what you want.  You'll just need to learn how to select the area(s) you want to change.

But I'd learn how to focus first.


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## Peeb (Oct 15, 2016)

desertjim123 said:


> 480sparky said:
> 
> 
> > A few sample images (*ones you have the rights to post!*) would be of tremendous help.
> ...


Since your profile says that it is NOT ok to edit your posted images, I can't take what you posted and show you what Photoshop Elements can do, but I think it's what you need....


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## desertjim123 (Oct 15, 2016)

Overread said:


> However you'll have to select the areas you want to change yourself;



Do you mean (looking at the sample I just uploaded) that if I want to the background of the collage to be WHITE
I'm gonna have to DRAW around all the objects?  If I want the penny to be RED, I'm gonna have to draw a perfect circle around it?  I was thinking that it would be much more simple than that .  Regards, Jim


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## 480sparky (Oct 15, 2016)

Sorry, but software don't have "Just Do What I Want You To Do" or "Your Wish is My Command, Sire" buttons.

Selecting a given area isn't as hard as it sounds. You'll just need to learn which Select tool (rectangle, circle, free, color, fuzzy etc.) will work best for a given image, as well as what parameters (opacity, anti-aliasing, feather edges etc.) to use.


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## astroNikon (Oct 15, 2016)

Are you talking about just the background of the collage and hot the background of each photo (the background of the nail clipper as an example)?  to do the background of the collage you could just use the Fill feature (usually a tipped bucket in many software) to fill the background around each image border.

I think we're still unclear what you are asking.

fyi, as mentioned, you need to learn how to focus on an object first.


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## desertjim123 (Oct 15, 2016)

Peeb said:


> Since your profile says that it is NOT ok to edit your posted images, I can't take what you posted and show you what Photoshop Elements can do, but I think it's what you need..



You can now .

I want it to have a SOLID (no lines around each object) WHITE  background and make some of the objects yellow and some black.  Thanks a bunch................then tell me HOW you did it (only kidding) .


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## astroNikon (Oct 15, 2016)

desertjim123 said:


> I have really never done any serious editing, but do have an older version of Photoshop, PSP and Photoscape.


Which *exact* versions do you have ?    
It makes a difference as an older version may not do something.


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## desertjim123 (Oct 15, 2016)

astroNikon said:


> Are you talking about just the background of the collage and hot the background of each photo (the background of the nail clipper as an example)?  to do the background of the collage you could just use the Fill feature (usually a tipped bucket in many software) to fill the background around each image border.
> 
> I think we're still unclear what you are asking.
> 
> fyi, as mentioned, you need to learn how to focus on an object first.



If my last message didn't clarify it................I want it to look as if I took ONE SINGLE PHOTO OF ALL THE OBJECTS shown.  So all the cut and past hacks will need to be removed.

As for focus:  Do you mean the CAMERA FOCUS?  I was just trying to get it together as quickly as possible.  Or do you mean MY FOCUS/CONCENTRATION?


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## john.margetts (Oct 15, 2016)

The camera focus! The photos are out of focus.


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## Peeb (Oct 15, 2016)

desertjim123 said:


> Peeb said:
> 
> 
> > Since your profile says that it is NOT ok to edit your posted images, I can't take what you posted and show you what Photoshop Elements can do, but I think it's what you need..
> ...


Took a shot but the focus is so soft that the computer had real trouble selecting the foreground objects.  Gotta have at least marginally better focus.


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## Peeb (Oct 15, 2016)

Like this?  (literally 45 seconds effort- not going to try more without knowing where this is going....


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## desertjim123 (Oct 15, 2016)

Peeb said:


> Like this?  (literally 45 seconds effort- not going to try more without knowing where this is going....View attachment 128733



That's it!!

What did you use?

I almost had it with Photoshop (7.0) earlier, but had to leave and just now got back.

What steps did you use?

Once when I was doing something my wife told me (something about layering) I ended up having two +  when I went into the photo.  One was doing the work and the second was messing everything up.  So I just went with an eraser to get rid of the lines.  I did have the background working.....changed to yellow, black and green, but then I couldn't do it later.  I'll get it sooner or later .


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## Piccell (Oct 15, 2016)

Photoshop or photopaint are excellent choices. GIMP is excellent software, arguably more powerful than the other 2, but also more user demanding and if you are having trouble with this type of manipulation in those, GIMP will confound you no end. Also google what you want to do and the name of the software. For example, "change image background in photopaint x6" etc.
There are a lot of youtube videos and even free plugins that can help you do more.


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## table1349 (Oct 15, 2016)

Piccell said:


> Photoshop or photopaint are excellent choices. GIMP is excellent software, *more powerful than the other 2,*




 

OP pay no attention to the above quoted poster.  They have proven themselves in several threads to by not only give wrong information but they have proven themselves clueless about many subjects they reply to.   Photoshop is the industry choice because it is the most complex, most complete editing software on the market these days.  If you are a MAC user Affinity Photo is an excellent substitute that will fulfill most peoples needs.

Gimp is a decent piece of software, especially for freeware, it however is in no way the equal to Photoshop.   You might want to give the programs you are interested in a try.  Most have free trials before you buy.  This is Adobe's offerings. Download a free trial or buy Adobe products | Adobe downloads


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## Piccell (Oct 15, 2016)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Piccell said:
> 
> 
> > Photoshop or photopaint are excellent choices. GIMP is excellent software, *more powerful than the other 2,*
> ...


LOL pay no attention to the above poster.  Do your own research, it will bear out what I have said. Good luck.
Photoshop is a leader because it is heavily marketed and has a lot of free copies given out to well know editors.

reasons to use GIMP over Photoshop


So why doesn't everyone use GIMP and not photoshop?

And if you read the comments, you start to notice the people that say GIMP is bad software, don't understand the software and another comment below it will tell them how to do what they say it can't do. 
As I said, it's more powerful, but more complex to use.
The best thing is that it is a photo editor, not a photo editor bloated with a lot of graphic design junk you will never use in photo editing.
Good luck. Remember to use a search engine to find tutorials for any software you want to learn.


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## The_Traveler (Oct 15, 2016)

This is trivially simple if the images are at all in focus. It requires only a small knowledge of selecting that can easily be acquired online.
I suggest that if you do actually want to learn the most important skills in editing, making selections, you buy Photoshop-Masking-Compositing-Katrin-Eismann 
This is a superb book, I have both editions and actually like the earlier one better.

In regards to Gimp being more powerful than Photoshop, that is a statement that I have never heard from any knowledgeable photographer.  Yes, Gimp is cheaper (free) but considerably more difficult to master. 

The photographer's bundle of LR and PS is $10/month on subscription and is the best bargain in photography, not only because of the power and range of the two programs but because, as the leading programs in the field, there are innumerable videos on any subject you might need, not to mention add-ons, plugins and actions.


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## Peeb (Oct 15, 2016)

desertjim123 said:


> Peeb said:
> 
> 
> > Like this?  (literally 45 seconds effort- not going to try more without knowing where this is going....View attachment 128733
> ...


Use PSE 14 in expert mode.  Just:
1. used the quick select tool and grabbed a super rough outline of each item, then
2. 'select' and 'invert' and
3. 'enhance' and 'adjust color', then I desaturated and lightened everything to white
4. Control+D to de-select and I'm done.


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## 480sparky (Oct 15, 2016)

Piccell said:


> Photoshop or photopaint are excellent choices. GIMP is excellent software, more powerful than the other 2, ............


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## Piccell (Oct 15, 2016)

480sparky said:


> Piccell said:
> 
> 
> > Photoshop or photopaint are excellent choices. GIMP is excellent software, more powerful than the other 2, ............


LOL, yeah, there are those folks too. In the name of fairness to alll, I edited the post.


Piccell said:


> Photoshop or photopaint are excellent choices. GIMP is excellent software, arguably more powerful than the other 2, but also more user demanding and if you are having trouble with this type of manipulation in those, GIMP will confound you no end. Also google what you want to do and the name of the software. For example, "change image background in photopaint x6" etc.
> There are a lot of youtube videos and even free plugins that can help you do more.


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## astroNikon (Oct 16, 2016)




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