"Images As Masks" - 2:17 min

[debngar Profile Private message]

Miscellaneous images can make interesting masks to help present portrait style pictures that don't cover the full screen.

But they can also sometimes present a problem. Textures may partially show through and muddy up the image.

Here is a short tutorial that shows one way to fix that.

"Images As Masks" - 2:17 - no video clips
http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewsho ... alb=127032

Debbie

[ChrissyC Profile Private message]

Debbie, this was a good tutorial especially for a beginner in Producer. The show I'm working on has nothing but old style portrait photos, this gives me another way to fill the backgound! Thank you for sharing this
Chrissy
Cute "ending" slide :)

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

You always do such clear tutorials. What you've taught here about getting rid of texture in a mask seems so simple, and yet it's only simple when it's explained. We could call your tutorials light-bulb moments.

Well done.

[jeanc Profile Private message]

Thanks again for a great tutorial. I, too, loved the ending!!

Smiles,
Jean

[mrkitzel Profile Private message]

Debbie,

Thanks for posting this simple and well explained tutorial. I don't know how people find these little tricks but it is nice they take the time to make a tutorial and share with the rest of us.

Thanks again.

Steve.

[cherub Profile Private messageWebsite]

Hi Debbie,
You always find such nice things in this program!
Thank you for the tip!
Regards,

[debngar Profile Private message]

Chrissy, Barbara, Jean, Steve and Mona,

Now I realize that a horses hide is not something typical used in your everyday slide show. But I was shooting with a slide show in mind and since I couldn't find a decent pile of hay for a background, I settled on the horse's hide. It instantly reminded me of a plasma gradient and since it had such nice contrast and that jagged edge, I thought why not try using it as a mask? I just figured the white would reveal and the darker color would conceal.

A neat challenge might be to go shoot something you might be able to use in a slide show and see if it works to turn it into a mask or frame of sorts. See if you can do it without needing Photoshop (or whatever) to cut out areas.

Don't know where that would lead people and what they might come up with but it might be fun to see the results.

Debbie

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

Along these lines, it's fun, instructive, and sometimes a happy moment when you play with the masking potential of already existing photographs. Yesterday, for instance, I was simply playing, and for no particular reason, I turned one instance of a b&w graphic into a mask, then used it to mask three identical instances of the same graphic that were slightly offset. Sliding them back into position created the effect of the picture being out of focus and then going back into focus. I wouldn't have discovered this possibility without going into the "What if...?" mode.

Barbara

[HunnyB Profile Private message]

Thanks Deb. I always appreciate all you do for all of us.

HunnyB

[debngar Profile Private message]

I was simply playing, and for no particular reason, I turned one instance of a b&w graphic into a mask, then used it to mask three identical instances of the same graphic that were slightly offset. Sliding them back into position created the effect of the picture being out of focus and then going back into focus. I wouldn't have discovered this possibility without going into the "What if...?" mode.

Wow Barbara,

Now that isn't something I would have normally thought of. But it's a neat idea considering that Producer does not give us that option (yet but it's on my want list)!

That would be a very nice challenge too. I wonder if we could figure out an easy way to blur a picture using a number of layers with specific settings then save it as a template to use in future shows by just re-selecting the images we want to use?

I hope you share a sample so we can eventually see.

Debbie

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

When I get done playing with this round of tests, I have every intention of uploading the results. It won't be a fancy production with music because I'm feeling totally lazy, but I'll try to make it as clear as possible how each effect was achieved.

Now you've challenged me. The out-of-focus effect was similar to how it might appear if the images from the left and right eyes didn't quite converge, only in this case, it would have been three, not two eyes. BUT, there was no blur. I wonder what would happen with a change in opacity or white/black points? Maybe 5 masked layers instead of three to make it a bit fuzzier. Will have to play like mad with this.

Barbara

[debngar Profile Private message]

You could also perhaps put a layer of an image of fog over the top? Just wondering what that might do to the mix of off set images.

By the time you do that, it might have been easier to just make a blur copy of an image. But if you can make a template of the slide, then perhaps not!

Debbie

[Lezlie Profile Private message]

I have watched this a few times now and what I came up with is here:

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewsho ... 6483&alb=0

My slide looks good but I don't know how to make the caption move from right to left Like Debbie has it in her tutorial. I am thinking the caption is locked into the frame I made. Can anyone help me?

lezlie

[debngar Profile Private message]

Lezlie,

I can't figure out what you're referring to as far as this particular tutorial since there is no caption moving left to right in this one.

If you are referring to another tutorial, try and find that thread and post there so to lessen confusion. Then maybe I can help.

[Lezlie Profile Private message]

this is the tutorial I watched but I could not get my caption to move from right to left like in the tutorial. i feel like a dunce because I replied to the wrong posting. i found the one below after i watched Images as Masks.


http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewsho ... alb=127032

lezlie