PS Elements 2022

[Andrea B.]

I've used Photoshop Elements for years whenever I need some simple layer work, text on photos, frames, drop-shadow cut-outs, dust bunny removal, color analysis and other stuff. I just added the latest Adobe Photoshop Elements 2022 to my new (sorta) Macbook.

 

This latest 2022 version has some good improvements in selecting and refining edges for cut-outs. I make occasionally make cut-outs of UV/IR floral signatures either to remove cluttered backgrounds or for design purposes, so I was very happy that cut-outs are now easier.

 

Here is an electric-pink hollyhock which I cut-out and drop-shadowed while practicing with my new PSE 2022. A bit of detail was subsequently added in Luminar. Adobe RGB is used. I hope that is nicely viewable in all browsers.

 

 

You have to be careful when resizing drop-shadowed cut-out file because sometimes a halo artifact appears between the cut-out and the drop shadow after resizing. I used Photo Mechanic's resizer and it did well. 

 

Anybody who has ever tried a cut-out with earlier incarnations of PSE probably had the same troubles I did in getting a smooth, yet realistic cleaned-up edge. In PSE 2022 it was SO easy. I selected the pink flowers using an auto-selector. (First time that ever worked really well!)  Then made 3 little tweaks with the Refine Edge tool to smooth a bit and remove edge color artifacts.

 

Here are two unresized details from the edges of the flower before the photo was resized.

 

From the right side of the flower. The drop-shadow shows no gaps because the Refine Tool cleaned up the edge so nicely. 

 

 

From the left side of the flower. There are a couple of very very minor bumps here, so perhaps I could have gone one or two more pixels in smoothing. But after resizing it didn't matter.

 

 

 

BTW, those Luminar detail sliders are very useful. You can brush in the desired detail enhancement exactly where you want it. Here is a before and after, unresized crop. 

 

Note in the green areas that detail sliders can bring out a noise effect. I'll brush that out in the final version and just keep the enhancement for the white filaments and anthers.

 

[Doug A]

Great tips and photos. Appreciate your post. My editing software and skills need improvement. Have 3 versions of PSE and the newest is 2011. Wow, that's old.

 

Tried Luminar 4, decided to buy it, and It was replaced by Neo. Skylum states it isn't an exact replacement. So I'm stuck, like Robby the robot. 

 

Thanks for the helpful tutorial,

Doug A

[photoni]

Great job Andrea with the contour and the shadow.
I have to give you two tips for the last two photos: they are in .png format so they have lost the color profile (and colors) Never use this format always use .Jpg.
In the last photo there is too much "micro" unsharp mask the radius is too small (I guess 1 or 2 pixels) to not let the grain come out you have to use a much much larger one.
Antonio

 

P.S. I want to update the Apple soft ... but I'm stuck at MacOS 10.13 because it's the last one that works with PS CS6 and Capture One21
Neither works with the new Apple chips :S

 

 

[Andrea B.]

I have to give you two tips for the last two photos: they are in .png format so they have lost the color profile (and colors). Never use this format always use .Jpg.

 

Thanks, Toni !!

I will try to repost the photos later as JPGs so that the color profiles are maintained.