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The Beginner’s Guide to Portrait Retouching Using AI & Traditional Tools

  • Review
    5.00 out of 5
    5 Reviews
  • Difficulty
    Medium
  • Length
    1.5 hours
  • Videos
    9
  • Software

Description

Master the Art of Portrait Retouching in Photoshop – fast! This bite-sized tutorial combines traditional techniques and cutting-edge AI tools for flawless skin, natural enhancements, and a polished final image. Learn how to add makeup, remove tattoos, retouch clothing, without spending hours editing.

Note:
Due to copyright restrictions, we’re only able to share preview images and a PDF with direct links of the FREE Adobe Stock images
.

THIS COURSE INCLUDES

  • 9 Sample Images
  • 9 Sample PSDs

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Table of Contents

1 | Course Preview
  • 01 - What You’ll Learn
    1:21m
2 | Learn the Basics
  • 01 - Enhance Eyes
    12:20m
  • 02 - Color Correct Like a PRO
    22:29m
  • 03 - Skin Retouching
    21:20m
  • 04 - Add Makeup with AI
    4:33m
  • 05 - Cut Out Hair
    10:25m
  • 06 - Portrait Cleanup
    4:19m
  • 07 - Remove Tattoos
    1:51m
  • 08 - Clothing Retouching
    4:35m

The Art of Retouching

AFTER

BEFORE

Professional Color Grading

Go beyond the ordinary with professional color grading! This course dives deep into our toolbox of expert techniques. Learn how to meticulously control each aspect of color, from highlights and shadows to vibrance and detail, to achieve captivating visuals.

Natural Skin Tones

Learn how to fix skin color, no fancy words needed! In this tutorial we’ll show you how to get natural-looking skin tones every time, so your photos look real and your subjects glow.

Eyes Shine On

Enhance your natural beauty! Discover a hassle-free Photoshop technique to vanquish dark circles and under-eye puffiness, leaving you looking your best and feeling confident.

AFTER

BEFORE

Embrace Real Beauty

From the delicate touch on skin to the individual strands of hair, every element requires a careful approach to avoid an unnatural, “Photoshopped” look. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to create captivating and authentic portraits that go beyond the ordinary.

Perfect Skin Textures

Learn how to remove and reduce distractions like blemishes, redness, or unwanted hair without compromising the skin texture. We’ll also focus on enhancing natural features through subtle edits that showcase and celebrate your subject’s unique characteristics.

Non-destructive Editing

Forget edit fear! Non-destructive editing lets you rewind to your original anytime and adjust edits easily, no starting over. This guide unlocks the best workflow for lightning-fast portrait retouching, worry-free!

Effortless Glam

Add Makeup with AI


From subtle enhancements to dramatic transformations, explore endless possibilities with AI tools. Discover how to apply flawless lipstick, define eyes, and achieve a natural-looking glow, all within your favorite editing software.

AFTER

BEFORE

Remove Tattoos

While we normally wouldn’t remove tattoos in most cases since they are permanent part of the subject, it’s a request we get enough that the process is worth demonstrating. This tutorial will show you how to achieve realistic results in Photoshop while preserving the skin’s natural texture.

Easy Cutouts

Cutting out hair is a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be frustrating! We’ll show you the tools that simplify the process, helping you preserve detail and create a cut-out that looks great on any background.

Flawless Hair Edits

Tame flyaway hairs and achieve a polished portrait! Our tutorial tackles these distracting strands using simple tools, preserving natural hair texture and leaving you with a flawless final image.

AFTER

BEFORE

Retouch Fabrics

Clothing is as much a part of a portrait as the person, oftentimes adding personality and detail. Learn how to work with fabric and clothing in Photoshop to reduce distractions and help the clothing look like a natural extension of the subject.

Hands-On Learning

Not only do we walk you through multiple examples, we include the completed PSD files to help you understand how complex projects like these come together and are organized. Start an image from scratch and then compare yours to the final PSD to check your work!

Portraits Learning Path

If you want to explore more tutorials on portrait retouching, we recommend exploring our Portraits Learning Path. From correcting exposure and retouching portraits efficiently to mastering advanced techniques like professional beauty retouching and compositing, we’ve got you covered! Follow this link to access the Portraits Learning Path.

Aaron Nace

PHLEARN Founder – Class Instructor

Aaron Nace is a photographer, Photoshop artist and founder of PHLEARN. He is the #1 Photoshop instructor in the world with millions of YouTube subscribers.

View More Classes by Aaron Nace

Special thanks to Ph.galtri, Prince Akachi, and Jasmin Chew. Images for this PRO course were sourced from Pexels,Unsplash, and Adobe Stock.

Reviews

  1. Aaron is the best instructor! He communicates clearly and demonstrates techniques and tools in ‘real time’ as he moves through the tutorial.

  2. Absolutely first rate in all respects.

  3. Really enjoyable as always. In another tutrial you put a full stop in the generative fill box when you wanted the tool to work it out. I notice you didn’t do that here, has the tool moved on so that you don’t need to do that?

  4. Great help with color. Still not willing to just accept what AI gives me

  5. i enjoyed that one

The Beginner’s Guide to Portrait Retouching Using AI & Traditional Tools

  • Review
    4.95 out of 5
    17 Reviews
  • Difficulty
    Medium
  • Length
    3.25 hours
  • Videos
    11
  • Software

Description

Lightroom 2024 is a powerful photo editing and organization tool that makes creating professional-looking photos incredibly easy! In this tutorial, we’ll cover the basics, including importing, organizing, and exporting files, as well as essential editing techniques. We’ll explore our favorite new tools like Color Grading, AI Masking, Lens Blur, Adaptive Presets, and more.

Follow along with the included 180 images as we show you how Lightroom can help you work faster, smarter and more efficiently!

THIS COURSE INCLUDES

  • 184 Sample Images

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 | Course Preview
  • 01 - What You'll Learn
    1:27m
Chapter 2 | Getting Started
  • 01 - Lightroom Essentials
    32:44m
  • 02 - Organize Your Files
    23:03m
  • 03 - Crafting The Picture Perfect Collection
    23:46m
Chapter 3 | Basic Photo Adjustments
  • 01 - Basic Edits
    28:59m
  • 02 - Experiment Without Risk
    16:40m
Chapter 4 | Advanced Tools
  • 01 - Transform Your Photos with AI Masking
    19:59m
  • 02 - Lightroom to Photoshop
    6:55m
  • 03 - Lens Blur Tool
    12:27m
Chapter 5 | Final Touches
  • 01 - Maximizing AI Editing
    6:53m
  • 02 - Export Your Photos
    12:51m

Course Downloads

Easy Color Grading

AFTER

BEFORE

The Art of Color Grading

The Color Grading Tool is a powerful and versatile tool that can help you to improve your photos in a variety of ways. By experimenting with the different sliders and settings, you can create stunning and unique effects in your photos.

Want to create a cozy, warm vibe? The Color Grading Tool has you covered. Feeling a little mysterious and cool? It’s got your back. And if you’re aiming for some Hollywood drama, it’s the perfect tool for the job!.

Using the Color Grading Wheels

The Color Grading Tool features three color wheels: one for shadows, one for midtones, and one for highlights. Each color wheel allows you to adjust the hue, saturation, and luminance of colors in that tonal range.

To use a color wheel, simply click and drag on the colored circle. Dragging the circle around the wheel will change the hue of the color. Dragging the circle towards the center will decrease the saturation, while dragging it towards the edge will increase the saturation.

AFTER

BEFORE

AI Masking in Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom’s new AI masking tool is a game-changer for photo editing. It allows you to automatically select people, objects, and even backgrounds with just a click. This can save you hours of time and effort, especially if you’re working with complex images.

The AI masking tool is incredibly accurate, and it can even select objects that are partially obscured or out of focus. It’s also very easy to use. Simply click on the object or area you want to select, and Lightroom will do the rest!.

AI Masking for Creative Effects

One of the most exciting things about the AI masking tool is its potential for creative effects. By selectively applying filters or effects to different parts of your photo, you can create unique and eye-catching images.

In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to use the AI masking tool to select the sky in a landscape photo and change the saturation, exposure and more in just a few click! Also, you’ll learn how to select one or more subjects of your portraits and apply tailored edits.

A Streamlined Workflow

Organize Like a Pro


Lightroom makes it easy to organize your photos by date, location, keyword, and other criteria. You can also create collections of your favorite photos or photos from specific projects.

AFTER

BEFORE

Save Time and Stress

Finding the photos you’re looking for is much easier when they’re organized. This can save you a lot of time when you’re working on a project or simply trying to find a specific photo. With Lightroom, you can create folders, collections, and albums to organize your photos. In this tutorial, we’ll teach you the best way to do it!

Virtual Copies: Endless Creativity

Virtual copies are Lightroom’s superpower! They allow you to create endless versions of your photos without taking up any extra space. With virtual copies, you can experiment with different edits, create different versions for different purposes, and collaborate with others without fear of losing your original photo.

Protect Your Work

Adding a watermark or copyright information to your photos is a great way to protect your intellectual property and to promote your work. Lightroom makes it easy to add watermarks and copyright information to your photos, and you can customize the appearance and placement of the information to suit your needs.

AFTER

BEFORE

A Seamless Transition

No PHLEARN tutorial is complete without a touch of Photoshop! In this one, you’ll learn how to send an image to Photoshop for more complex edits, and then bring it back to Lightroom for organization and sharing.

Generative Fill

Generative Fill is a new feature in Photoshop that uses artificial intelligence to help you add or remove content from your images. It’s still under development, but it’s already pretty powerful! In this tutorial we’ll show you how you can incorporate this tool to your Lightroom workflow, to get the best possible results.

Lightroom Learning Path

If you love Lightroom, we recommend exploring the other tutorials in our Lightroom Learning Path. From the fundamentals to advanced techniques, this comprehensive guide will help you make the most of this powerful software and bring your creative vision to life. Follow this link to access the Photoshop Learning Path.

Aaron Nace

PHLEARN Founder – Class Instructor

Aaron Nace is a photographer, Photoshop artist and founder of PHLEARN. He is the #1 Photoshop instructor in the world with millions of YouTube subscribers.

View More Classes by Aaron Nace

Special thanks to Cottonbro Studio, and Vlada Karpovich. Images for this PRO course were sourced from Pexels.

Reviews

  1. Although I’m not a beginner, this is a absolute great way to learn some extra details I was missing and forgot. The learning place is very easy to follow and it really helps that Aaron repeats the quick keys.

  2. Aaron – you are amazing! I am so glad I found you! I love the way you approach each topic. Direct and easy to understand. I really appreciate the reminders you give throughout the tutorial (IE: “Hit the backspace key”, “Hit the command or control key”…) The videos are truly impressive ! Your effervescent personality and great sense of humor keep me engaged in what I am learning! Looking forward to watching more tutorials. THANK YOU!

  3. Nice! I’m a longtime user of Lightroom and it was nice to see and hear the thoughts about how someone else has developed its workflow. I will take some parts and tweak my workflow a little bit. Good overview of editing tools.

  4. I thought I knew LRC but I was wrong. Lots of gold nuggets for everybody, no matter how experienced you think you are.

  5. I like it

  6. Yet another sterling example why Aaron is simply the best instructor in the business. So informative, so fluid, so comprehensive!

  7. Fantastic tutorial Aaron. Love your simple and straight forward presentation style which makes techniques so easy to follow and learn. Keep up the great work. Peter S. Qld Australia!

  8. good explanation … but why don’t you use add to catalogue when you export and you prefer to do synchronise

  9. Excellent as always .. best tutorials ever.

  10. I love your way of teaching. Great Job Aaron. I have been using Lightroom forever and can’t believe I didn’t have a clue of all you could do.

  11. Great explanations of some of the new Lightroom Tools, I personally really appreciate the personal takes Aaron does on some of the tools (what would he use it for or whether it’s useful for his workflow at all).

  12. Another great tutorial. This guy’s the best.

  13. I find the Map option great when sharing a lot of photos from a holiday or something, where you might not be sure where each photo was taken. Of course it relies on GPS being available in your camera and turned on. My sony cameras don’t have GPS but there is an option to get the GPS coordinates from your phone but the software does not always reconnect every time you turn your camera back on. I agree that I don’t find the Book, Slideshow, Print, and Web options are not very useful to me.

  14. I have been using LR since day one, and this tutorial solidified for me the way I use LR is the way others use it as well. I felt that I wasn’t using all the tools to my advantage, but Aaron showed me that some tools are not as useful as others. Aaron added incites to the new tools and brought me up to speed without the trial and error I normally would go through. He show the nuances of the selection and masking tools that really accelerate the learning curve. Less time in Photoshop and more production of great images.

  15. Just re-joined Phlearn after a year gap. It’s like seeing an old friend again!

  16. I couldn’t be with out Aron in my life. I find these tutorial clear, fun and easy to follow. Thank you. Love Cee fee

  17. Really well explained. Thank you.

  • Use Advanced Selection Tools to Add Graphics to a Photo in Photoshop

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description

In the second episode of our series on selections in Photoshop, let’s explore some of the more advanced selection tools that allow us to mask objects in front of complex backgrounds.

Follow along as we make a precise selection of a subject to integrate graphic elements into the environment behind them.

Click here to download the complete PSD file (113 MB).

Free Selection Series

Artist Credit

Image sourced from Pexels.

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advanced selections in photoshop

advanced selections in photoshop

MAKE SELECTIONS IN COMPLEX BACKGROUNDS

BEFORE

Advanced Selection Tools

Getting Started with Photoshop Selections

Selections are some of the most powerful and versatile tools in Photoshop, allowing us to cut things out from their backgrounds, make ultra-precise edits, and blend elements from multiple photos together seamlessly. Let’s explore the basics of selections using some of the simpler selections tools that Photoshop offers.

Selecting Basic Shapes

When it comes to making selections, it doesn’t get any simpler than rectangles and circles. The Marquee tools allow you to make a selection in the form of a rectangle or ellipse.

simple selections in photoshop

Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool and create a rectangle anywhere over top of the image.

simple selections in photoshop

Then, create a new Layer above the background image, select the Brush Tool, and try to paint all over the canvas. Notice that the Brush Tool only works within the bounds of the rectangular selection while its active.

simple selections in photoshop

When a selection is created, it defines an area that can then be edited or copied. Anything outside of the selection is ignored. This is great when you need to make edits to specific portions of a photo.

simple selections in photoshop

Once you’ve created a selection, you can add to it by holding the SHIFT key while creating another.

simple selections in photoshop

You can combine multiple types of selection tools, adding to the original selection with each to create more complex shapes.

Replace a Sky & Combining Selection Tools

Now that we have some of the basics down, let’s explore how to use some simple selection tools to replace the sky in this landscape photo.

simple selections in photoshop

First, let’s see what we can do with our basic Marquee selections. Creating a Rectangular Marquee selection over as much of the sky as possible without overlapping the mountains, we can take care of a large chunk of the work.

Once you’ve made the selection, select the mountain Layer (make sure the image with the new sky is underneath it in the Layers Panel), and click on the Layer Mask icon. This will hide the selected area from that Layer, revealing any Layers that are underneath it.

simple selections in photoshop

But what about the areas along the edge of the mountains? We’re going to need something a little more precise than our basic shape tools to work around such an irregular edge.

Let’s try some tools that allow us to make more freeform selections.

simple selections in photoshop

Our next simple selection tool is the Lasso Tool. Rather than using a pre-defined shape to select an area, the Lasso Tool allows us to draw any selection we want.

The drawback to the Lasso Tool is that the edges can look a little rough. But since we’re working with the edge of a mountain range, the Lasso Tool actually does a decent job of recreating the natural rough edges along the landscape.

simple selections in photoshop

You can also try the Polygonal Lasso Tool, which, instead of allowing you to draw a freeform selection, allows you to draw a selection using a series of straight lines.

Automated Selection Tools in Photoshop

So far we’ve covered some easy-to-use manual tools, but Photoshop has a number of ‘smart’ tools that will try to automatically select an area for you.

simple selections in photoshop

For example, there is the Object Selection Tool. The Object Selection Tool allows you to define an area using what looks like a Rectangular Marquee, and then Photoshop will try and automatically select whatever object it thinks you want selected within that area.

simple selections in photoshop

And, more commonly used, is the Magic Wand Tool. The Magic Wand couldn’t be easier, requiring you to simply click on an object or area you want to select, and Photoshop will make a selection of everything similar to that area.

simple selections in photoshop

For example, using the Magic Wand to click on the sky, makes it pretty easy to get a decent selection of the sky which is largely mostly a similar color and texture.

simple selections in photoshop

Again, the Magic Wand Tool isn’t always perfect, and the edges of the selection can be a little rough. Luckily, those rough edges work pretty well with mountain landscapes.

simple selections in photoshop

And if you do need to make some adjustments to the selection, there’s the Select and Mask dialog.

simple selections in photoshop

The Select and Mask dialog provides a number of options to refine and smooth out the edges of a selection. In our case, the Magic Wand Tool left a little bit of the sky visible along the edge of the mountain range. We can use Select and Mask to move the edge of our selection inward until the sky is no longer visible. Additionally, we can add a little bit of feathering so that the new edges matches the amount of blur that should be present in the photograph.

simple selections in photoshop

Once the sky has been fully selected and masked away, you should be left with a brand new sky that blends in seamlessly with the original photo!

  • Replace a Sky with Simple Selection Tools in Photoshop

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description

Selections are one of the most important tools in Photoshop, but what are they and how do they work? Follow along as we show you how to use some of the basic selection tools in Photoshop to replace the sky in a landscape photo.

Click here to download the complete PSD file (42 MB).

Free Selection Series

Artist Credit

Image sourced from Pexels.

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simple selections in photoshop

simple selections in photoshop

SWAP A SKY WITH SIMPLE SELECTION TOOLS

BEFORE

What Are Selections?

Getting Started with Photoshop Selections

Selections are some of the most powerful and versatile tools in Photoshop, allowing us to cut things out from their backgrounds, make ultra-precise edits, and blend elements from multiple photos together seamlessly. Let’s explore the basics of selections using some of the simpler selections tools that Photoshop offers.

Selecting Basic Shapes

When it comes to making selections, it doesn’t get any simpler than rectangles and circles. The Marquee tools allow you to make a selection in the form of a rectangle or ellipse.

simple selections in photoshop

Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool and create a rectangle anywhere over top of the image.

simple selections in photoshop

Then, create a new Layer above the background image, select the Brush Tool, and try to paint all over the canvas. Notice that the Brush Tool only works within the bounds of the rectangular selection while its active.

simple selections in photoshop

When a selection is created, it defines an area that can then be edited or copied. Anything outside of the selection is ignored. This is great when you need to make edits to specific portions of a photo.

simple selections in photoshop

Once you’ve created a selection, you can add to it by holding the SHIFT key while creating another.

simple selections in photoshop

You can combine multiple types of selection tools, adding to the original selection with each to create more complex shapes.

Replace a Sky & Combining Selection Tools

Now that we have some of the basics down, let’s explore how to use some simple selection tools to replace the sky in this landscape photo.

simple selections in photoshop

First, let’s see what we can do with our basic Marquee selections. Creating a Rectangular Marquee selection over as much of the sky as possible without overlapping the mountains, we can take care of a large chunk of the work.

Once you’ve made the selection, select the mountain Layer (make sure the image with the new sky is underneath it in the Layers Panel), and click on the Layer Mask icon. This will hide the selected area from that Layer, revealing any Layers that are underneath it.

simple selections in photoshop

But what about the areas along the edge of the mountains? We’re going to need something a little more precise than our basic shape tools to work around such an irregular edge.

Let’s try some tools that allow us to make more freeform selections.

simple selections in photoshop

Our next simple selection tool is the Lasso Tool. Rather than using a pre-defined shape to select an area, the Lasso Tool allows us to draw any selection we want.

The drawback to the Lasso Tool is that the edges can look a little rough. But since we’re working with the edge of a mountain range, the Lasso Tool actually does a decent job of recreating the natural rough edges along the landscape.

simple selections in photoshop

You can also try the Polygonal Lasso Tool, which, instead of allowing you to draw a freeform selection, allows you to draw a selection using a series of straight lines.

Automated Selection Tools in Photoshop

So far we’ve covered some easy-to-use manual tools, but Photoshop has a number of ‘smart’ tools that will try to automatically select an area for you.

simple selections in photoshop

For example, there is the Object Selection Tool. The Object Selection Tool allows you to define an area using what looks like a Rectangular Marquee, and then Photoshop will try and automatically select whatever object it thinks you want selected within that area.

simple selections in photoshop

And, more commonly used, is the Magic Wand Tool. The Magic Wand couldn’t be easier, requiring you to simply click on an object or area you want to select, and Photoshop will make a selection of everything similar to that area.

simple selections in photoshop

For example, using the Magic Wand to click on the sky, makes it pretty easy to get a decent selection of the sky which is largely mostly a similar color and texture.

simple selections in photoshop

Again, the Magic Wand Tool isn’t always perfect, and the edges of the selection can be a little rough. Luckily, those rough edges work pretty well with mountain landscapes.

simple selections in photoshop

And if you do need to make some adjustments to the selection, there’s the Select and Mask dialog.

simple selections in photoshop

The Select and Mask dialog provides a number of options to refine and smooth out the edges of a selection. In our case, the Magic Wand Tool left a little bit of the sky visible along the edge of the mountain range. We can use Select and Mask to move the edge of our selection inward until the sky is no longer visible. Additionally, we can add a little bit of feathering so that the new edges matches the amount of blur that should be present in the photograph.

simple selections in photoshop

Once the sky has been fully selected and masked away, you should be left with a brand new sky that blends in seamlessly with the original photo!

  • A Tour of the Best Object Removal Tools in Photoshop

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In this first episode of our four-part series, learn about all of the best tools in Photoshop for removing objects and distractions from your photos! See Content-Aware Fill, the Healing Brush, the Spot Healing Brush, and the Clone Stamp Tool in action as we remove a logo from a piece of clothing.

Click here to download the complete PSD file (129MB).

Free Object Removal Series

  • A Tour of the Best Object Removal Tools in Photoshop (This Episode!)
  • Clean Up Simple Backgrounds in Photoshop (Coming Soon)
  • Remove Objects Around Lines & Edges in Photoshop (Coming Soon)
  • Remove Objects From Complex Textures in Photoshop (Coming Soon)

If you’re ready to take these skills to the next level, be sure to check out our PHLEARN PRO series on object removal in Photoshop.

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Image sourced from Pexels.

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clean up photos object removal photoshop

clean up photos object removal photoshop

THE BEST TOOLS FOR OBJECT REMOVAL

ORIGINAL

Learn the Best Tools for Removing Objects

How to Clean Up Your Photos in Photoshop

Like many other tasks in Photoshop, removing objects and distractions from your photos will usually require a number of different tools to make it happen.

Let’s take a look at some of the most useful tools in Photoshop for removing unwanted things from a photo.

clean up photos object removal photoshop

Let’s try and remove this logo from the subject’s shirt. Since it’s on a relatively simple background (a plain white fabric with a bit of texture), we can use automated tools to take care of most of the work.

Content-Aware Fill

clean up photos object removal photoshop

Start by Duplicating the background image by hitting CTRL or CMD + J. This will allow us to use Content-Aware Fill to remove the logo on the duplicate image, leaving the original image unchanged.

Then, use the Lasso Tool to make a rough selection around the thing you want to remove–in this case, the logo.

clean up photos object removal photoshop

Open the Edit menu and select the Content-Aware Fill option. The Content-Aware Fill dialog will open. Content-Aware Fill will use Adobe’s AI technology to analyze the areas highlighted in green, and use information from those areas to fill in the selected object.

clean up photos object removal photoshop

Watch the preview window as you adjust the settings, and dial in a result that you think looks good. Hit OK.

clean up photos object removal photoshop

While Content-Aware Fill does a solid job of realistically removing the logo, zooming into the image reveals some strange repeating patterns and textures that make it obvious the image was edited.

The Healing Brush

After using an automated removal tool, it’s common to need to refine that area using more manual methods. This is where the Spot Healing Brush comes in.

clean up photos object removal photoshop

The Healing Brush allows you to sample an area to pull texture from (hold ALT or OPTN and click on area to Sample it), and then paint over another area to apply that texture. The Healing Brush will then blend the texture you selected with the color from where you paint.

Before you use it, make sure to create a new, blank Layer on top of the Layer you want to remove the object from. Then, set the Sample option of the Healing Brush to All Layers. This will let you work on a separate Layer without damaging the work you’ve already done.

This is great for evening out textures in an area, while getting rid of any spots that repeat the same texture or pattern.

The Spot Healing Brush

Our typical go-to tool for object removal is another automated powerhouse. The Spot Healing Brush allows you to simply paint over top of an object and Photoshop will do its best to remove it by automatically sampling color and texture from the surrounding areas.

clean up photos object removal photoshop

Again, make sure to create a new, blank Layer first, and make sure to check the Sample All Layers box in the top toolbar of the Spot Healing Brush.

Now you’re free to simply paint over any details or distractions you want to remove, and Photoshop will take care of most of the hard work.

The Clone Stamp Tool

The Spot Healing Brush did a pretty good job of removing the loose threads at the bottom of the shirt, but notice that it had a little bit of trouble around line and edge details.

clean up photos object removal photoshop

When working around lines and edges, there’s no better tool than the Clone Stamp Tool. The Clone Stamp Tool also allows you to Sample an area (ALT or OPTN) and then paint using the sampled information. But this time, it creates an exact copy of the sampled area–color and texture combined.

clean up photos object removal photoshop

This means that if you want to clean and straighten an edge, you can sample another part of the photo where the edge is in tact, and then paint that clean edge over an area where the edge is broken.

clean up photos object removal photoshop

Once you’ve made a first pass with Content-Aware Fill and the Spot Healing Brush, the Clone Stamp Tool is a great way to finish a removal edit as it allows you to clean up any rough edges and make sure all of the textures are perfect.

clean up photos object removal photoshop

And there you have it! While this is a relatively simple example, it still required us to use four different tools to get a result that looks realistic. Once you know the tools, you’ll be ready to move on to our next example where we put them to use in a slightly more complex situation!

  • The 5 Most Powerful Selection Tools in Photoshop

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Selections help us cut out people and objects from their backgrounds, combine multiple images together, and make careful edits to particular things an image. But it can be tricky to make an accurate selection without the right tools.

Learn how to use some of the most powerful selection tools in Photoshop like Select Color Range, the Pen Tool, Channels, and more!

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5 powerful selection tools photoshop

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

ACCURATE SELECTIONS IN PHOTOSHOP

BEFORE

Accurate Selections, Every Time

What are Selections?

Before we start learning about the tools, let’s quickly talk about selections, what they are, how they work, and what they allow us to do as editors. Selections are a way for us to isolate certain parts of an image. That could mean isolating a person or object from the background, isolating a certain color, or isolating an element of the environment, like the sky or clouds.

By isolating these things, we can edit them independently of other elements in the scene. We can even move a selection from one image to another, like placing a person into a brand new background and environment. But as helpful as they are, selections come in a lot of different varieties with a wide range of complexity. It’s no surprise then that Photoshop has over a dozen different tools to create them.

Basic Selection Tools

Most of you will be familiar with the basic selection tools in Photoshop. These are the tools that appear in the toolbar on the left side of the Photoshop interface. The Lasso Tool, Marquee Tools, and Magic Wand are all very commonly used and popular ways to make fast and easy selections. As easy as they are to use, they often fall short when asked to make selections of more complex things. For example, if you have a subject in front of a busy background, the Magic Wand will struggle to figure out what it is that you want selected.

For situations like this, we need some more advanced tools that can create accurate selections and deliver a clean, professional result.

Advanced Selection Tools

So what qualifies as an advanced selection tool? For starters, it doesn’t always mean that it’s a more difficult or complex tool to use. There are some automated tools that we’ll cover that are just as fast as the basic tools, using A.I. technology to make quick work of more complicated jobs.

Hair is one of the most challenging things to make clean selections of in Photoshop. It’s a highly-detailed, soft edged element that can easily get lost if we use the wrong tool. It can also be a challenge to select something that is in front of a similarly colored and lit background. Advanced selection tools help us either automatically or manually select out the things we want with great precision and accuracy.

1. Select Subject

As we said earlier, advanced tools don’t always have to be complicated. Select Subject is a relatively recent addition to Photoshop that utilizes Adobe’s A.I. technology to make quick work of otherwise troublesome selections.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

For example, if you have a person in front of a relatively plain background, you can use Select Subject to make a quick selection of that person. Just go to the Select Menu, and then to Subject. Photoshop will do the heavy lifting and create a selection of what it determines the subject of the image to be.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

Now, it is an automated tool meaning the result often won’t be perfect. In our example image, the background and the subject both include similar colors and tonal values. Photoshop might accidentally read elements of the background as being part of the subject. Keep in mind that if you use automated tools for a selection, some additional refinement with other tools will usually be required. Fortunately, even making minor adjustment to the selection means you’re still saving a ton of time over more manual processes.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

If unwanted elements are selected, just use some basic selection tools to select the bits you don’t want and remove them from the Layer Mask.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

With a little bit of fine-tuning, you should end up with a usable result and in just a matter of minutes!

2. Select Color Range

Selections don’t always involved people or objects. What if you wanted to change the color of some element in an image? You would need a way to isolate a particular color rather than a complete shape or object.

Take the follow image as an example. What if we wanted to change the blue color in the woman’s makeup and hair? Well, it’s a relatively easy work for Select Color Range!

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

Again, open the Select Menu and click on Color Range.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

This dialog provides a number of tools to help you select and isolate a range of colors in a photo. Using the eyedropper tools while making adjustments to the fuzziness allows us to make a selection of those bright blue colors in the image.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

Here you can see we’ve dialed in a pretty good selection of the eye makeup and the blue highlights in the hair.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

With the selection created, a simple Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer can make quick work of any color changes and adjustments we want to make!

3. Select and Mask

Select and Mask is a suite of tools that help us make a wide variety of detailed selections and masks. These tools are great for creating a selection from scratch, or for refining a selection you made with another tool (like Select Subject). You can find the Select and Mask dialog under the Select Menu.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

Once opened, you’ll be served a number of tools and options from brushes to paint over areas you want to select or deselect, to sliders that help you refine edges and feathering. One of the most helpful features of Select and Mask are the options that allow you to view a selection in a number of different ways.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

Better yet, Select and Mask also utilizes a combination of both manual and automated tools. You can click on area with a brush and Photoshop will attempt to figure out what it is you want selected. As you paint more, it will make more accurate determinations. And as add and remove more from a selection, you can use the adjustments on the right side of the dialog to further refine the result.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

In our example, clicking along the background gave a us a pretty good start to cutting out the subject.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

From here we can zoom in and use the various tools to work out some of the finer details and more complicated areas.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

While Select and Mask can take a little more time than a tool like Select Subject, its use of automated processes with manual selection allow you to get a much more refined final result.

4. The Pen Tool

Some objects require us to manually trace around them to get the most accurate selection possible. And when manual tracing is required, the Pen Tool should be your go-to. We know that it can be tricky to learn, which is why we have a number of free tutorials and in-depth PRO courses on learning it, but with a little practice it will quickly become one of your most-used tools in Photoshop.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

The Pen Tool is the best way to get perfectly smooth curves and edges when making a selection. Products and hard objects are a prime example, but it can also be a great solution for cutting out people as well when accuracy is of the upmost importance.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

Because of the accuracy you’ll get, it can be one of the more time-consuming selection methods. But if you’re doing professional work, this is the tool we would recommend as it will provide the cleanest selections and give you the most flexibility while you edit.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

5. Channels

There will be plenty of things you run into that automated tools or manual tracing won’t be able to properly capture in a selection. Take hair for example. Hair is highly detailed and has soft edges. Automated tools will often cut off a lot of the natural details and manual tools (like the Pen Tool) are not practical simply due to the amount of detail and the time it would take.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

Hair might be the most common culprit, but there are other situations where selections can be extremely tricky. For example, say we wanted to place the clouds from one image into the sky in the background of a portrait.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

We know we can’t trace the clouds with the Pen Tool. A tool like Select Color Range might work, but it might yield some rough edges when we smooth, natural edges. For jobs like this, we turn to our favorite selection tool in Photoshop: Channels!

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

Channels allow us to select parts of an image by their tonal (light or dark) values. To use them, click on Channels Tab in the Layers Panel. Click through each Channel and look closely at the image. In order to get a selection with Channels, we need to find the Channel that has the most contrast–brightest whites and the darkest darks. For our example, this turned out to be the Red Channel.

With that Channel selected, you can use a Levels Adjustment to further increase the contrast. When we convert the Channel into a selection, the white areas will be selected and the dark areas will not. So we want to make sure there is clear definition between the two. Use Levels to make the darks as close to pure black as possible and the light areas as close to pure white as possible.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

Hold ALT or OPTN and click on the Channel to convert it into a selection. Load that selection as a Layer Mask and you should end up with white fluffy clouds with most of their natural shape and detail in front of a transparent background.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

Now we can integrate them into the background of the portrait. Since we only want them to appear in the background and not over the top of our subject, we can use another selection tool to select the subject and then mask that area out of our cloud Layer.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

Use Select Subject to make a quick selection of the subject and then load that selection as a Layer Mask on the cloud Layer. Unlink the mask from the Layer so that you can move the clouds around to get the perfect composition while making sure they don’t cover up any parts of the subject.

5 powerful selection tools photoshop

Using a combination of selection tools you can make precision edits, composite photos together, change out backgrounds and a whole lot more!

Learning Paths > Tools & Techniques Learning Path
  • Tools & Techniques Learning Path

  • by PHLEARN
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7 Courses
30+ Hours
Medium

Get ready for an epic adventure into the world of retouching with this flexible learning path. This awesome collection of tutorials lets you dive into specific techniques and tools that will help you bring all your creative projects to life.

Whether you want to explore a wide range of topics or prefer to zoom in on the tutorials that truly grab your attention, our learning path has got you covered! Along the way you’ll learn the most advanced retouching techniques, including Frequency Separation and Sharpening, and must-know Photoshop tools like the Pen Tool and the Brush Tool!

Photoshop Tools

 

In this tutorial, we teach you everything you need to know about the Pen Tool, from the most important keyboard shortcuts to making beautiful lines and curves. Learn to change a background color, remove an entire background, and create a simple logo.

Photoshop  |  Photo Editing  |  Medium  |  2.75 hours  |  12 videos

14 Sample Images

100 out of 5
( 31 )
 

Learn how to create rain, snow, and atmosphere from scratch and how paint in photo-realistic hair for perfect cutouts. Watch 15 in-depth examples of how to use some of the 35 custom Photoshop brushes included with this tutorial!

Photoshop  |  Photo Editing  |  Medium  |  6.25 hours  |  16 videos

26 Sample Images  |  35 Photoshop Brushes

100 out of 5
( 38 )
 

Adjustment Layers are the smartest and most powerful tools for photo editing in Photoshop. We walk you through all 19 Adjustment Layers while showing you how to fix exposure, apply professional coloring, create custom LUTs and more.

Photoshop  |  Photo Editing  |  Easy  |  4.5 hours  |  33 videos

45 Sample Images

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Photoshop Techniques

 

Create smooth, vibrant skin tones with natural texture and details with Frequency Separation in Photoshop. Learn how to separate frequencies, edit the details and color independently of one another, and use our Photoshop action to work faster.

Photoshop  |  Retouching  |  Advanced  |  6.75 hours  |  26 videos

7 Sample Images  |  2 Photoshop Actions  |  1 Photoshop Brush

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In this tutorial, we walk you through how to manually blend exposures using the power and flexibility of Luminosity Masks. You will learn to create selections based on light levels and then use those selections to paint detail back into your photos.

Photoshop  |  Photo Editing  |  Advanced  |  3.5 hours  |  10 videos

11 Sample Images  |  2 Photoshop Actions

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Dodging and burning is a staple technique for professional photographers and retouchers. Learn how to sculpt highlights and shadows to add dimension, remove blemishes, and guide the eyes of the viewer to the most important parts of a photo.

Photoshop  |  Photo Editing  |  Medium  |  5 hours  |  14 videos

16 Sample Images  |  1 Photoshop Brush

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Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.

Photoshop  |  Photo Editing  |  Medium  |  3 hours  |  14 videos

18 Sample Images  |  1 Photoshop Action

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The Beginner’s Guide to Portrait Retouching Using AI & Traditional Tools

  • Review
    4.90 out of 5
    26 Reviews
  • Difficulty
    Medium
  • Length
    7.25 hours
  • Videos
    22
  • Software

Description

Learning how to combine or composite multiple photos together will open a new world of possibilities for any photographer. Whether you are new to compositing or an experienced editor, this tutorial will change the way you create composite images. Follow along with the included RAW Photos and Custom Photoshop Brushes.

THIS COURSE INCLUDES

  • 22 Sample Images
  • 1 Photoshop Brush
  • 1 Photoshop Action

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Table of Contents

Photoshop Compositing Essential Techniques (Part 1)
  • 01 - Introduction
    2:41m
  • 02 - Matching Light
    4:04m
  • 03 - Matching Perspective
    2:33m
  • 04 - Masking
    2:28m
  • 05 - Clipping Masks
    1:35m
  • 06 - Blending Modes
    1:15m
  • 07 - Luminosity
    1:11m
  • 08 - Matching Color
    1:40m
  • 09 - Check Layers
    1:33m
Photoshop Compositing Essential Techniques (Part 2)
  • 01 - Intro to Frame Compositing
    4:00m
  • 02 - Importing & Culling in Lightroom
    14:05m
  • 03 - Frame Compositing in Photoshop (Part 1)
    58:09m
  • 04 - Frame Compositing in Photoshop (Part 2)
    54:53m
  • 05 - Create a Cinemagraph
    28:58m
  • 06 - Intro to Element Compositing
    6:37m
  • 07 - Importing & Organization in Lightroom
    9:42m
  • 08 - Element Compositing in Photoshop (Part 1)
    32:12m
  • 09 - Element Compositing in Photoshop (Part 2)
    45:53m
  • 10 - Element Compositing in Photoshop (Part 3)
    1:14h
  • 11 - Element Compositing in Photoshop (Part 4)
    1:04h
  • 12 - Exporting in Photoshop & Lightroom
    8:37m
  • 13 - Conclusion
    1:18m

Professional Techniques. Realistic Composites.

Frame Compositing

If you are new to compositing, this is the perfect place to begin. Learn to combine multiple photos from the same shoot to create stunning effects.

Combine Any Photos

A photographer has many tools at their disposal, and the more you learn how to use, the more options you have. Creativity can flow freely when you are unrestricted by gear or technique. Learn how to combine multiple types of light sources to create stunning lighting effects.

The Essential Techniques

Photoshop Compositing can be complex, that is why we start this tutorial by breaking down all the essential techniques you need to create a great composite photo. Learn the essentials, then master compositing.

Photography, Lightroom & Photoshop

Go behind the scenes into each photo shoot and learn the details of how these images are captured, then follow the images through the editing process from Lightroom into Photoshop.

Lighting. Color. Perspective.


Combining images together can be tricky. Learn the essentials for making realistic composites–from finding the right images, to matching light, color, and perspective.

Create a Cinemagraph

Give your image the magic of movement by turning it into a Cinemagraph. Learn how to animate a still photo and save it as a Cinemagraph so it displays perfectly on the web.

Learn Perfect Masking

In order to place your subject into a new background, first you have mask or cut them out of their original photo. Depending on your subject, this can be simple or complex. Learn the tools you need to create a perfect mask every time.

Element Compositing

Flex those creative muscles, it’s time to learn element compositing. Combine photos taken around the globe to bring your concepts to life.

The PHLEARN Compositing Workflow

When creating a complex composite photo, how do you know what should be done first and how do you stay organized? Learn the workflow we have developed over years of compositing.

Photoshop Composting Essential Techniques
Instructor & Featured Artist

Aaron Nace

PHLEARN Founder

Aaron Nace is a photographer, Photoshop artist and founder of PHLEARN. He is the #1 Photoshop instructor in the world with millions of YouTube subscribers.

Ian Elkins

Photographer/Retoucher/Influencer – Featured Artist

Ian Elkins’ work in modeling, retouching, and serving as a content creator for the world’s leading brands is sexy, adventurous, and influential. In our interview, we talk about finding balance in work and life, and how he stays inspired and strives to be his best self.
View Ian’s Instagram

Reviews

  1. Amazing as usual. Learned a lot from this class.

  2. This tutorial is great! It’s hard to find a good tutorial on image compositing (seriously, I found one the other day that basically just taught how to make a simple mask for a subject, and that was about it…) and this one is very thorough. I like how it’s incredibly clear in describing how Light/Shadow, Perspective, and Color all need to work together to both make an image look realistic, as well as stylized. This is all the stuff art school refused to teach me.

  3. the tutorials are good but I would like to get more to the point

  4. cute little editing with Aaron 🙂

  5. Its really great tutorial. In some areas i just get confused with matching color when you changed the blending to saturation its look so different saturation so you makes in all in one color tone, but my question is it will work in all compositions to make the composite in a realistic day light not in fantastic way ? . Other than that its great.

  6. perfect! thank you

  7. Just started pro to test out PHLEARN. I am not really new to any of the Adobe CC, but spend more of my time in Illustrator and AE. Photoshop is something I mostly use for documents like flyers and posters. I have done a few composites, but not trained to, just kind of knew the tools and figured it out. They turned out surprising fine, but it was trial and error and not a lot of knowledge of how I got there. PhLEARN compositing classes have changed all that. Many of the techniques are the same as I used, but it adds so much more and to get the way to use it is very rewarding for the low cost. I wish file sizes were not so large and we could get the PSD files to to side by side comparisons, but that is just a wish.

  8. A well thought out and perfectly paced guide to composition. Aaron does not rush through any of the content and takes the time to explain his process. The short intro video giving an overview of the tools that would be used was a great way to help understand the purpose of using each tool. The addition of Lightroom videos within this tutorial was a great way for me to know how I can use LR in my compositing process. After doing this tutorial I now feel more confident with creating even better looking composites

  9. A great tutorial and it was easy to follow along for me. But I guess sometimes, for users that don’t have a lot of experience, it might be not so easy.

  10. I don’t have Lightroom installed on my computer. When I downloaded the files there were no sample images included. I am really interested in compositing and hope you guys do a revised version without the use of Lightroom.

  11. Amazing

  12. I tried to follow this tutorial and it worked fine until the soldier part, I could follow up to level adjustment 2 for the soldier, then I could not keep up anymore. It was to many layers to remember where to darken and where to lighten, shadows and no shadows. I know that you should not copy a work but to learn I want to learn how I should think when I make own compositings. But this seems to be tough to learn.

  13. I tried this on a own composite and in the trashhold everything looked OK, but when I looked at the image in color there where no contrast at all. I can’t find where I did go wrong.

  14. Generally a really good tutorial, very knowledgeable and well thought out. I have one nitpick however, he goes way to fast through some fairly complex areas, and does not fully explain why/what he’s doing. Specifically when he’s matching lighting. There is a lot of “this is too dark, that’s too light” and it’s tough to look back and forth between his video and my screen. Otherwise it’s a great tutorial, highly recommended.

  15. Awesome as usually. Learned many new things to apply to mine. Love the check points as well

  16. Sensational tutorial, easy to follow along for any skill level. Aaron is an epic teacher, really understands the intricacies of creating art. Thank you for sharing this with us. Alldaron

    PHLEARN Staff
    Thank you!
  17. Very good, overall tutorial ! Suggestions: As is, it’s difficult to refer back to these for a particular technique. A short outline with embedded links, i.e. Apply image for color matching 12:34, would make these more useful later, rather than for one viewing. Thanks

  18. I just finished watching this tutorial it was well worth the time, I have been playing around with composites for about three years and learned a lot from this tutorial. I probably watched an hour or two over a couple of weeks. You can down load the exact same images as used in the tutorial, I just used some images of mine. You can learn a lot from the free Phlearn and other free tutorials, but if you want to take your work the the next level this tutorial is well worth the time and money.

  19. Good one! Like the thoughts about how to blend the arctic soldier’s edges with the background. The “edge glow” Aron talks about is called fresnel (“frey-nel”). Here’s a good read on the subject from the 3D rendering world: http://filmicworlds.com/blog/everything-has-fresnel/ Thanks for a great tutorial n Compositing.

  20. I wasn’t sure if i wanted to do this one, since i’ve already completed “Island of Morel” and “A dark force”, but i can say it was totally worth it. Especially the Arctic Soldier taught me a lot. Thanks you Phlearn!

  21. I finished it and my photos look just like his. And that is really awesome! So stoked! Especially going through all of the check layer/threshold stuff. He is great at explaining what light does, and how to use threshold to make sure the light levels go through your image realistically. It is so nice to go through a tutorial and have everything turn out great, without getting stuck and having to give up.

  22. very useful tut. thank you phlearn

  23. From where do you learn all these tricks??

  24. Great stuff. Good job as always!

  25. Updated and very useful compositing tutorial. The new bag of tricks as Threshold and Hue layers for checking luminosity levels and colors in composites made me aware of mistakes I really didn´t locate exactly in my previous work. Thanks Aaron for this top grade tutorial!!!

The Beginner’s Guide to Portrait Retouching Using AI & Traditional Tools

  • Review
    5.00 out of 5
    3 Reviews
  • Difficulty
    Advanced
  • Length
    5.25 hours
  • Videos
    7
  • Software

description

It’s time to experiment with design and typography, discover the awesome potential of 3D, and see how smart objects and layers can make your editing life easier.

Follow along and take the final step to Photoshop mastery!

* This tutorial is part of the Photoshop 101-301 Bundle

THIS COURSE INCLUDES

  • 7 Sample Images
  • 2 RAW Images
  • 2 Graphics

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Table of Contents

Photoshop 301
  • 01 - The Type Tool & Adobe TypeKit
    38:23m
  • 02 - Warp & Scale
    29:13m
  • 03 - The Pen Tool & Paths
    37:12m
  • 04 - Smart Objects & Smart Filters
    24:33m
  • 05 - 3D Text & Shapes
    59:38m
  • 06 - Children's Portrait & Creative Background (Exercise 1)
    1:04h
  • 07 - Queen of Spades (Exercise 2)
    59:37m

Course Downloads

Learn Advanced Photoshop Techniques

Learn 3D in Photoshop

3D is becoming a standard part of modern image and film production. Movies like The Jungle Book and Avatar show how far 3D animation has come. In this Phlearn Pro Tutorial, we will teach you the basics of 3D in Photoshop!

3D Printing in Photoshop

Photoshop has 3D Printing capabilities built in. Whether you have your own 3D printer or you would like to outsource your 3D model, Photoshop has you covered. Learn how to set up a 3D model to be printed and even how to order a 3D print delivered to your door.

Lights, Camera, Render

One of the benefits of working in 3D is the ability to control the 3D environment. For instance, if you want to make a 3D object look like it is in a photo, you can add lighting similar to the original image, and even cast realistic shadows!

Your Own Logo in 3D

Learn how simple it is to create a logo in 3D. Render it out to create a stunning image, or have it 3D printed for signs. The possibilities are endless!

Warping and Scaling

Transforming a layer can be done in a variety of ways. Learn the right tool for moving your image in the way you need to make it work with your vision. See how to warp and scale your images including the content-aware and liquify tool.

Puppet Warp

Ever wish you could pose a person after the photo shoot using Photoshop? The puppet warp tool can move a person in a realistic manner, you just need to know how to place points accurately. Learn the best practices for the puppet warp tool.

Content Aware

Have you ever needed to stretch an image without making it look like it has been stretched out? Save time without sacrificing image quality by using the Content-Aware Scale to give a more natural appearance to scaled images.

Pen Tool and Paths

The pen tool is one of the most powerful and complex tools in Photoshop. Learn the details of working with anchor points and how easy it can be to make adjustments to every point and curve. These paths will give you more editing power than ever before.

Make Perfect Cutouts

Follow along as we explain the correct tools and techniques to cut out any subject. Learn how to use the Pen Tool to create paths and turn the paths into selections. Create incredible selections and speed up your background cleanup.

Create Precise Selections

Pen paths can be easily turned into selections and edited over and over again. If you are not happy with the first selection, simply edit the path, and then convert it into a selection again. This process allows you to be incredibly precise when creating selections from paths.

Vector Masks

Vector masks allow you to control the visibility of a layer based on a pen path. The advantage of using a vector mask is that they automatically update when you update a path. Discover greater flexibility with your masks.

2 Practice Exercises

Take the knowledge you have learned from Photoshop 101-301 and bring it all together to create stunning images. Follow along during two start-to-finish edits in Photoshop and work with the included image files.

Create Perfect Shadows

Learn how to create shadows from scratch in Photoshop. Use what you learn to accurately composite a person from one image to another. Knowing how to properly build shadows with the right amount of color will give you more believable images.

Never Lose Image Quality

Learn how to transform an image smaller and larger without ever losing image quality. This allows you rapidly test ideas without having to go back through your history and erase what you’ve already done.

Advanced Tools


In Photoshop 301, we leave no stone unturned. See every advanced tool and technique in action as we create some amazing images.

Cut Out Curly Hair

Some objects are easier to cut out than others. Hair—and especially curly hair—tends to be one of the most difficult. Learn advanced techniques for cutting curly hair and other detailed objects out of their backgrounds.

Use Smart Objects

When it comes to editing in Photoshop, the ultimate goal is to be non-destructive. This means that anything you do can be undone and doesn’t destroy the image. Smart objects allow you to make and undo changes to your image at any time.

Change Filters at Any Time

When you convert an image to a smart object you have the ability to use smart filters. Smart filters can be changed at any time, making them much more versatile and non-destructive than regular filters.

Create a Custom Logo

Learn how to convert type into a custom logo using pen paths and custom shapes. Manipulating type is just as easy as any other layer you’re familiar working with. We’ll show you the best practices to get you started.

Create Image Variations

Linked smart objects allow you to use external files as references in your image. Simply make changes to the external file and it will automatically update in your image. This can be very helpful when trying out different logos or designs on images for marketing and advertising.

Add Fonts using Adobe Typekit

With the addition of Creative Cloud subscriptions, Adobe added thousands of fonts available for subscribers. Learn how to browse, add and use fonts from Adobe Typekit in Photoshop to create more interesting and custom images.

Advanced Type Controls

Learn how to use all the advanced type tools in Photoshop to create better type layout, design and logos. The character and paragraph palettes have a ton of options that when used properly will make your typography much better.

Reviews

  1. This is great, thanks to everybody involved in these videos.

  2. Aaron Nace A good teacher is like a candle, it consumes itself to light the way for other.THANK YOU SO MUCH 🙂

  3. (verified owner)

    This video tutorial has been of extreme value to me. I am only half way through so far, and already I’ve learned a ton! I have been photoshopping on and off for about 6 years now, even receiving certification in CS5; and still, the tricks and tips Aaron is including in these tutorials are priceless. Absolutely satisfied and excited to check out the others! Thank you so much.

Catalog > Free Tutorials > How to Use the Lasso Tools in Photoshop
  • How to Use the Lasso Tools in Photoshop

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BEFORE

AFTER

Standard Lasso Tool

The Standard Lasso Tool has it’s advantages and disadvantages.  It’s not great for areas that require a very precise, calculated selection.  The standard lasso tool is great for areas that are more of random selections.  If there is an area of your image or if you want to create an area of your image that doesn’t require a precise selection, the Standard Lasso Tool is the best Tool to use.  Selecting things like mountains or puddles are perfect examples of when the Standard Lasso Tool would come in handy.  In our example, we Color the inside of a flower with the standard lasso tool.  It’s perfect for random, unpredictable areas of your image.

Polygonal Lasso Tool

The Polygonal Lasso Tool will allow you to create polygons.  This is great for straight Lights and sharp corners.  When selection out buildings or different types of architecture, the Polygonal Lasso Tool is a great choice!  In our example, we select the Outline of the tv in our image.  Now because this is a selection, we group it with a New Layer and place an image inside our tv selection.  With a bit of transforming and perspective matching, we were able to place an image on the tv seamlessly.

Magnetic Lasso Tool

The Magnetic Lasso Tool is perfect for tracing around an object.  The Magnetic Lasso Tool basically finds the edge of the selection you are trying to make.  There are more options involved with the Magnetic Lasso Tool.  From the Width, Contrast and Frequency, the Magnetic Lasso Tool gives us enough variety to use the tool to our advantage.

Conclusion

In conclusion, all of the Tools in Photoshop can be extremely useful when used correctly.  The Lasso Tools are no exception.  They are commonly used to create selections.  Rather that selection be a spill on the carpet, which in that case you’d use the Standard Lasso Tool.  Or if that selection requires getting around corners and dealing with straight lines, which in that case you’d use the Polygonal Lasso Tool.  Or if it’s just an object in your image that you want to cut out.  In that case the Magnetic Lasso Tool might be the perfect for the job.  These three Lasso Tools are great for creating any type of selection that you desire.

Catalog > Free Tutorials > How to Use Advanced Color Tools in Photoshop
  • How to Use Advanced Color Tools in Photoshop

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Tutorial Description

In today’s episode, we show you how to use advanced color Tools in photoshop.

We’ll show you a unique set of Tools that allow you to choose complimentary colors easily. We’ll also show you how to spice up an advertisement and how to work with your color library and color swatches in Photoshop.

The Power of Color

Colors are always a huge part of an image. Sometimes it can be extremely difficult to choose the Colors for your desired output. The method we show you today should make this process a lot easier. Think of it as a Color Wheel on steroids. On the Color Wheel you’ll see each of the colors and their complimentary colors. The Photoshop version of this is a lot more precise because it calculates the exact Complimentary Color based off the color you choose.

Getting Started

The image we work on today is one of our ads from The Ultimate Guide to Retouching. We start off with white Text in our ad. The goal is to change the colors to Colors that compliment our image. In order to do this, we need all of our Color windows in an organized format.  We start off by going to Window —> Library. That pulls up our color library panel. Next we go to Window —> Color Themes.  We move our Color theme next to our library panel. Finally, we go to Window —> Color.

  • Make sure to keep your workspace as clean as possible.  It will make you more efficient in the long run.

Sampling Colors

Next we grab our Eyedropper and we click on the Skin tone of our subject in the image. Then we choose our preferred option from our Adobe Color Themes. Next we click on the “set selected Color from active color” button. From there we choose complimentary Colors. Now our Adobe Color Themes panel shows us the Complimentary Colors based off of the tone we chose with our Eyedropper.  Long story short, this enables you to sample any color in any document and find it’s Complimentary Colors based off of adobe’s precise calculations. Now we click on the “add to library” tab and all of those colors will show up in our color library.

The Beginner’s Guide to Portrait Retouching Using AI & Traditional Tools

  • Difficulty
    Easy
  • Videos
    1
  • Software

Description

Let’s get things in order!

In this tutorial, learn to use the alignment tools in Photoshop to arrange layers to themselves and to the entire canvas.

THIS COURSE INCLUDES

  • 1 Sample Image

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Table of Contents

Alignment Tools
  • 01 - Alignment Tools
    11:11m

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Align Tool

What are the Align Tools

Nearly every word processing program includes align tools. These tools let the user position the text as desired: left aligned, centered or right aligned. These handy tools are also a great feature of Photoshop. They make it easy to align any layers within a Photoshop file. Whether you have many blocks of text that all need to align with the left margin or you’re designing a logo with several graphics that need to be perfectly centered, the Align tools in Photoshop provide everything you need to finish your project.

Features of the Align Tools

Photoshop’s tools are far more sophisticated than the options you will see in word processing programs like Microsoft Word. You can:

  • Align two or more layers by left edges, right edges or horizontal centers
  • Align two or more layers by top edges, bottom edges or vertical centers
  • Equally distribute two or more layers by left edges, right edges or horizontal centers
  • Equally distribute two or more layers by top edges, bottom edges or vertical centers
  • Combine images with the auto-align option to merge photos spherically, cylindrically, collage-style, using perspective and more

You can choose to align all layers or just certain layers. You could align some layers by top edges and others by bottom edges when designing a poster or other professional graphic that includes many text elements.

Why Use Photoshop’s Align Tools?

Many designers are perfectionists, and the Align tools are made for these people. Sure, you could always eyeball the placement of elements, but using a tool like this is faster and more accurate. There are a number of circumstances where these tools would make your life much easier, such as:

  • When you want to perfectly align different elements
  • When you want to merge several pictures into one picture with a precise edge
  • When you want the flexibility to align some elements but not all
  • When you want elements spread out equally
  • When you want to center a watermark logo on top of a photograph

When Align Isn’t the Right Tool

There are many uses for the Align tools, and it’s an option many Photoshoppers use constantly. However, there are definitely circumstances where it’s not needed, such as if you like an asymmetric look or if you’re working with a flattened or merged image; you can only use the Align tools with layers. If you need to divide your flat image into layers to use the Align tools, Photoshop has options for you.

Once you master Photoshop’s Align tools, you’ll find yourself using them quite often. If you haven’t used the tools before, it’s time to learn! Check out the video to see the Align tools in action, and browse our website for more Photoshop tips, tricks and hints.

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Learning Paths > Artificial Intelligence Learning Path
  • AI Learning Path

  • by PHLEARN
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6 Courses
14+ Hours
Medium

Level up your photo editing with this AI-powered path! Master Photoshop basics, then dive into AI magic for natural-looking portraits, seamless composites, and effortless Lightroom adjustments.

This path is perfect for photographers and image editors of all levels, from beginners looking to take their skills to the next step to professionals seeking to work faster and more efficiently.

Getting Started with AI

 

Tap into the power of AI photo editing! Learn how to expand images, remove objects, replace backgrounds, create artistic effects, retouch photos and more.

Photoshop  |  Photo Editing  |  Advanced  |  2.5 hours  |  9 videos

33 Sample Images  |  33 Sample PSDs

100 out of 5
( 48 )

Combine AI & Traditional Tools

 

Unlock the secrets of portrait retouching in Photoshop! Learn classic methods and leverage AI for smooth skin, subtle enhancements, and stunning results.

Photoshop  |  Retouching  |  Medium  |  1.5 hours  |  9 videos

9 Sample Images  |  9 Sample PSDs

100 out of 5
( 5 )
 

Master image compositing! Learn to blend photos, match light & color, and create stunning composites with AI and traditional tools.

Photoshop  |  Compositing  |  Advanced  |  3.75 hours  |  9 videos

17 Sample Images  |  8 Sample PSDs

100 out of 5
( 12 )
 

Elevate your graphics with a captivating journey through Photoshop for advertising! Learn the essential skills of text, graphics, and compositing, then bring your creations to life in the real world through billboards, magazines, and more!

Photoshop  |  Graphics & Text  |  Advanced  |  4.25 hours  |  7 videos

10 Sample Image Links  |  12 Sample PSDs

100 out of 5
( 1 )

Explore Lightroom

 

Learn everything about Lightroom 2024, from importing and organizing your photos to basic and batch editing, plus master all the new tools, including the AI Masking Tool, Color Grading Tool, Lens Blur Tool, Adaptive Presets and more.

Lightroom  |  Photo Editing  |  Medium  |  3.25 hours  |  11 videos

184 Sample Images

100 out of 5
( 17 )
 

Learn powerful masking tools in Lightroom Classic to bring the most out of any photo. Edit & Sync Multiple Photos – Learn to Add, Subtract & Intersect Masks – NEW AI Powered Masks

Lightroom  |  Workflow  |  Medium  |  1.5 hours  |  6 videos

8 Sample Images

100 out of 5
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The Beginner’s Guide to Portrait Retouching Using AI & Traditional Tools

  • Review
    5.00 out of 5
    12 Reviews
  • Difficulty
    Advanced
  • Length
    3.75 hours
  • Videos
    9
  • Software

Description

This in depth tutorial is your easy entry point into the exciting world of image compositing! Learn how to understand light, angles, and color to ensure your photos blend flawlessly.

We’ll teach you how to cut, arrange, and blend objects seamlessly, making them look like they were always meant to be together. We’ll unlock the secrets of both traditional techniques and AI-powered tools to help you create composites that will amaze and inspire.

THIS COURSE INCLUDES

  • 17 Sample Images
  • 8 Sample PSDs

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Table of Contents

1 | Course Preview
  • 01 - What You'll Learn
    2:13m
2 | Getting Started
  • 01 - Match Light & Color
    39:42m
  • 02 - Master Blending Modes
    20:25m
  • 03 - AI-Powered Storytelling
    18:39m
3 | Your Skills in Action
  • 01 - Color Match Challenge
    22:55m
  • 02 - Swap Backgrounds with AI
    7:53m
  • 03 - Combining Traditional Tools with AI
    25:20m
  • 04 - Conceptual Art Made Easy
    49:44m
  • 05 - Reinvent with AI
    29:01m

Compositing Made Easy

MASTER LIGHT & COLOR

LEARN THE BASICS OF COMPOSITING

The Power of Compositing

Mastering the art of compositing unlocks a dynamic toolbox for both creative and professional endeavors. From subtly enhancing portraits to crafting evocative landscape composites, the ability to seamlessly merge multiple images will empower you to tackle creative challenges and elevate your visual storytelling.

Flawless Color Match

Create stunningly realistic composites by mastering color matching. Fine-tune shadows, mid-tones, and highlights individually for a vibrant and authentic blend. This meticulous approach not only enhances the photo’s realism but also seamlessly integrates elements, resulting in a cohesive and believable final image.

Master Cutouts & Selections

Forget tricky backgrounds! We’ll show you the easiest ways to cut out any object, simple or complex. Discover how automatic tools like “Select Subject” make it a breeze, and learn the secrets of traditional tools like the Lasso Tool and Magic Wand.

CREATE SEAMLESS COMPOSITES

BLENDING MODES EXPLAINED

From Beginner to PRO

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to polish your technique, this tutorial will cover everything you need to know. We’ll start with the building blocks, making sure you have a solid foundation, then we’ll dive into some cool tools, tips, and tricks to unlock your compositing superpowers!

Blending Modes Magic

Take your photos to the next level by exploring the power of Blending Modes! This tutorial unlocks a world of possibilities, from subtle enhancements to eye-catching compositions.

Easy Background Change

If you’re tired of bland backgrounds stealing the spotlight, this tutorial will show you how to easily transform them into vibrant scenes using Photoshop’s AI tool. Say goodbye to tedious selections, Generative Fill paints your vision with just a few clicks!

Imagine. Fill. Create.

Bring Your Vision to Life


Imagine adding anything you can dream of to your photos! AI Generative Fill lets you seamlessly fill in missing areas with realistic textures and patterns, opening up endless possibilities for creative expression.

AFTER

BEFORE

Words Into Pictures

Ready to paint with words? This tutorial shows you how to transform ordinary text into stunning visuals, adding or removing anything from your photos with the power of AI.

Reinvent Your Images

Learn how to turn ordinary photos into Wow-worthy scenes. Forget awkward cutting and pasting! We’ll break down the secrets of light, color, and perspective, showing you how to blend multiple pictures seamlessly for stunning results.

Create Seamless Shadows

Craving shadows that perfectly complement your scene? In this tutorial we’ll show you how to use Ai to create realistic, dynamic shadows that adapt to any light, making your composites shine.

AFTER

BEFORE

Expand & Explore

Photoshop’s Generative Expand tool opens whole new worlds of creative possibilities. Expand your images in any direction, add depth and dimension to scenes, and explore endless storytelling avenues. Let your imagination take flight and craft visuals that truly captivate and inspire!

Hands-On Learning

Master the art of compositing with our comprehensive toolkit! 17 sample images and 8 detailed PSDs let you deconstruct and rebuild, step by step, to create your unique masterpiece.

Magical Compositing Learning Path

If you love compositing, we recommend exploring our Magical Compositing Learning Path. From mastering light and color with stock images to exploring mind-bending creations by guest artists, this learning path empowers you to bring your wildest visions to life. Follow this link to access the Magical Compositing Learning Path.

Aaron Nace

PHLEARN Founder – Class Instructor

Aaron Nace is a photographer, Photoshop artist and founder of PHLEARN. He is the #1 Photoshop instructor in the world with millions of YouTube subscribers.

View More Classes by Aaron Nace

Special thanks to 7Inchs, Khantushig Khosbayar, Ozan Çulha, Kássia Melo, Alex Sever, Alina Levkovich, Ahmad Basem, Edvin Richardson, The Earthy Jay, Willian Justen de Vasconcellos, Duy Le, Alexander Ant, Erik Schereder, Mathilde Langevin, Yemi Wallington, Leah Kelley, and Michael Kucharski. Images for this PRO course were sourced from Pexels.

Reviews

  1. Awesome! Great techniques. You opened new doors for me. Thanks!

  2. Awesome tutorial!! Thank you so much!

  3. Another great, easy to follow, tutorial. I was sceptical of Generative AI to begin with but to see how much it can be used in compositing is changing my mind.

  4. YOU NEVER DISSAPOINT!!! BEST TUTORIALS EVER! THANK YOU!!! Greetings from Greece!

  5. Fantastic as always Aaron! I enjoy doing composites so this was very helpful advice for in incorporating AI to assist with color and sizing. You never disappoint!

  6. I have been following Aaron for years through all his hair changes and absolutely love his style of teaching!! Even though I don’t do much compositing, this lesson has taught me lots of new techniques while using AI. I’m looking forward to Aaron’s next fun tutorial!!

  7. Fantastic and fun tutorial combining AI with some advanced Photoshop compositing steps. Aaron is a great instructor. He shows outstanding technical skill and teaches with warmth and humor. This course is worth the whole yearly cost of the the PHLEARN subscription. I highly recommend it.

  8. Great series of tutorials, the power of AI is incredible, as usual Aarons teaching style is the best. The content and the presenter are key to learning, this has both. Who doesn’t like when Aaron says ” we go a great section for you, lets jump into photoshop” you know you are going to learn something new.

  9. You must be extactic over the new AI that has been released. And I thought your last 8years of tutorials were fantastic. Looking forward to what new and exciting tutorials you come up with….

  10. I just watched the first section. Itˋ s really good and some great knowledge provided in this tutorial! Please add/ do some more examples, edits with animals!!! This is so inspiring!!! Merry Christmas and all the best to you Aaron for 2024! Thank you for the tutorial!

  11. The best Photoshop tutorials anywhere on the web.

  12. No one better than Aaron to learn AI with!

  • How to Adjust Perspective in Photoshop

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Master perspective in Photoshop and create perfectly balanced images with this easy-to-follow tutorial!

Learn how to merge layers seamlessly and use powerful tools like the Transform and Perspective Warp tools to straighten vertical lines and fix any perspective issues in your photos.

Plus, discover Photoshop’s Generative Fill tool, which can automatically recreate backgrounds without the subject, saving you time and effort and helping you create cleaner, undistorted images.

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AFTER

BEFORE

Picture-Perfect Perspective

The Power of Perspective Correction

Correcting perspective in photos is essential for creating visually appealing and balanced images. When backgrounds are distorted and lines converge, it can make photos look unprofessional and cluttered. By correcting perspective, you can ensure that your subjects appear natural within their environment, which will improve the overall appeal of your images.

Cutting Out and Duplicating Layers

One of the easiest ways to correct perspective involves selecting and duplicating layers in Photoshop. This separates the subject and background for independent editing, simplifying the perspective correction process.

Generative Fill

Photoshop’s Generative Fill tool can automatically recreate backgrounds without the subject, removing the need for manual editing. This can save you time and effort, and it can also help you create cleaner, undistorted backgrounds.

Transform Tool

Want to fix those perspective issues in your photos? The transform tool can help! Just carefully adjust the background layer to straighten vertical lines and align objects for a balanced composition. You can use guides to help you get it just right.

Perspective Warp

For complex adjustments, Photoshop’s Perspective Warp tool is invaluable! It lets you create and manipulate perspective grids to correct multiple issues in one image. While more advanced, it offers the flexibility needed for intricate corrections, delivering professional results.

As you get better at Photoshop, remember that practice makes perfect. Try different scenarios and images to improve your skills in correcting perspective. Don’t be afraid to experiment with advanced features like Perspective Warp for more precise adjustments.

The ability to fix perspective distortions in your photos is a valuable skill that can take your photography to the next level!.

The Beginner’s Guide to Portrait Retouching Using AI & Traditional Tools

  • Review
    5.00 out of 5
    4 Reviews
  • Difficulty
    Advanced
  • Length
    3.25 hours
  • Videos
    8
  • Software

Description

Get ready to dive into the fascinating world of compositing! Discover the art of seamlessly blending a person into a brand new background. Unveil some awesome techniques such as shadow blending and color matching that will take your final creation to a whole new level of realism.

THIS COURSE INCLUDES

  • 7 Sample Images
  • 1 Sample PSD
  • 1 Photoshop Brush

Share

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 | Course Preview
  • 01 - What You'll Learn
    1:22m
Chapter 2 | Creating the Composite
  • 01 - Compositing Essentials Unveiled
    17:15m
  • 02 - Mastering Subject Integration
    24:21m
  • 03 - Crafting the Perfect Reflection
    29:16m
  • 04 - Refining Layers
    20:12m
  • 05 - Captivating Light Effects
    39:49m
  • 06 - Magical Northern Lights
    22:52m
  • 07 - Adding the Final Touches
    32:10m

Compositing Magic Unleashed

INTO ONE BEAUTIFUL SCENE

COMBINE SEVEN IMAGES

Advanced Compositing in Photoshop

Compositing is what we do best, and we’re here to help you unlock the full potential of this technique to create extraordinary visuals. Discover the art of seamlessly blending multiple images into a surreal and captivating composition using Photoshop.

Expand your Skillset

Master essential tools like Levels, Clipping Masks, Smart Objects, and Custom Photoshop Brushes to develop a seamless workflow for combining multiple images. Gain precise control over the elements you’re compositing and elevate your images to the next level.

Use Stock Images

Don’t let the complexity of compositing hinder your progress, especially when it comes to finding the right images for your creation. Our tutorial includes all the necessary images, saving you valuable time and effort.

FINAL COMPOSITE

ORIGINAL BACKGROUND

Complete PSD File

We don’t just show you how to create this stunning image, we include our own completed PSD file for you to explore and reverse-engineer. See how a pro organizes and structures a project to be able to work quickly and non-destructively.

Photoshop Brush

Using brushes in Photoshop is essential for adding artistic touches, creating unique effects, and enhancing your digital artwork. This course includes our custom Photoshop Brush for you to use and keep forever!

Compositing Learning Path

To comfortably navigate through this course, it’s necessary to have some familiarity with Photoshop and experience in compositing. If you’re new to compositing, we recommend exploring our Compositing Learning Path—a curated selection of our top-notch compositing courses that will guide you from beginner to expert. Follow this link to access the Compositing Learning Path.

Put Your Imagination to Work

Seven Photos, One Masterpiece


Join us in creating an awe-inspiring scene by blending seven stunning free stock images into a seamless and visually striking composite!

AFTER

BEFORE

Perfect Color Match

Craft a convincing composite image by flawlessly matching colors. Dive into the world of adjusting colors separately for shadows, mid-tones, and highlights to achieve an authentic and vibrant color blend that brings your composition to life.

The Power of Artificial Intelligence

With AI-powered tools, you can now achieve precise and accurate selections with just a few clicks, saving you valuable time and effort. Say goodbye to tedious manual selection techniques and embrace the convenience of AI for seamless subject extraction in Photoshop.

Sky Replacement

Learn how to easily swap out the sky in your images with a different sky from another photograph. Discover techniques and tools that enable you to smoothly integrate a new sky, effortlessly transforming the mood and atmosphere of your photos.

CREATE TEXTURES LIKE A PRO

BLEND IMAGES SEAMLESSLY

Texture Integration

Creating textures plays a vital role when blending multiple images in Photoshop. Textures add depth, realism, and cohesion to the final composite, helping to seamlessly integrate various elements.

Efficient Workflow

With almost 15 years of experience under his belt, Aaron Nace has mastered a smooth and efficient compositing workflow. Get ready to learn how to work smart, solve creative challenges, and make the most of various tools to nail your compositing projects.

Mastering Photo Compositing

Once you finish this course, try one of our other advanced compositing courses like Advanced Compositing with Stock Photos and Advanced Compositing with Stock Photos 2!

Aaron Nace

PHLEARN Founder – Class Instructor

Aaron Nace is a photographer, Photoshop artist and founder of PHLEARN. He is the #1 Photoshop instructor in the world with millions of YouTube subscribers.

View More Classes by Aaron Nace

Special thanks to Eberhard Grossgasteiger, Joshimer Biñas, Stephan Seeber, Tobias Bjørkli, and Zayceva Tatiana. Images for this PRO course were sourced from Pexels.

Reviews

  1. Yet another tremendous and detailed tutorial Aaron and a beautiful piece of art! I love the attention to detail in your compositing tutorials and how fairly random images come together to make something unique and special. The only thing that I wonder about is the reflection. It’s really well done but to my eyes it’s not totally believable because it appears too bright relative to the subject. What do you think? Thanks again!

  2. I really enjoyed this tutorial, and I got a tremendous amount out of it. I don’t do much in the way of compositing yet, but in this tutorial I was introduced to numerous Photoshop techniques that I can use in all my photo work.

  3. As always you have given us some wonderful techniques Aaron. Having gone over the individual tools many times, I find these composite exercises a very satisfying way of putting it all together.

  4. .. Love learning new things on photoshop with phlearn .Aaron make the class so fun and the project so inspiring. Really enjoying this one .thank you Aaron .Bx

  • AI Super Scaling: A Game-Changer for Graphic Integration in Portraits

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Discover how to seamlessly blend graphics with portraiture using simple techniques in Photoshop. Learn how to upscale graphics without losing resolution with Super Zoom, apply Gradient Maps for color matching, and use the Select Subject and Select and Mask tools for precise subject isolation.

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AFTER

BEFORE

Next-Level Graphics with AI Scaling

In this video tutorial, we explore the process of combining graphics with portraiture, making an exact color match, and using artificial intelligence to scale up graphics to match the size of an image using Adobe Photoshop. This technique is beneficial for creating visually appealing and harmonious compositions in photography and design projects.

First, we start by taking a small graphic that we want to place behind the subject’s head in our main image. However, as the graphic is too small, scaling it up using traditional methods would result in a significant loss of resolution, causing the image to appear pixelated and of low quality. To overcome this challenge, we use Adobe’s innovative new tool called Super Zoom, which can be found under the Neural Filters menu in Photoshop. This advanced tool utilizes artificial intelligence to intelligently upscale the image without losing much resolution. After processing the image, it is output as a new, larger document.

Next, we drag the upscaled graphic into the subject’s document and change the blending mode to Screen. This allows us to see both the subject and the graphic simultaneously, making it easier to adjust the size and position of the graphic as needed. To place the graphic behind the subject, we first cut the subject out of the background using the Select Subject tool. This powerful tool creates an initial selection of the subject, which we can then refine using the Select and Mask feature. By using the various brushes and tools available in the Select and Mask workspace, we can fine-tune the selection to achieve a more accurate and natural-looking result. Once the selection is satisfactory, we apply a layer mask to remove the background, and then we place the graphic layer below the subject layer in the Layers panel.

To match the colors of the graphic with those of the subject, we use a Gradient Map adjustment layer. Gradient Maps are an effective way to recolor an image based on the luminance values of the original image. We create a custom gradient by selecting colors from the subject’s image and adjusting the sliders in the Gradient Editor. By carefully placing the color stops on the slider and choosing appropriate colors, we can control the appearance of the graphic and make it match the subject’s colors seamlessly.

Finally, we can move the graphic around to find the perfect position within the composition. If needed, we can use the brush tool to paint away any unwanted areas or blend the graphic more seamlessly with the subject. We then crop the image to the desired size and aspect ratio, and the final result is a beautifully integrated graphic with the subject’s image, with the colors matching perfectly.

These techniques will help you create stunning and cohesive compositions that will captivate your audiences. So, don’t hesitate to give it a try and see the amazing results for yourself!

The Beginner’s Guide to Portrait Retouching Using AI & Traditional Tools

  • Review
    5.00 out of 5
    23 Reviews
  • Difficulty
    Medium
  • Length
    1.5 hours
  • Videos
    6
  • Software

Description

The new artificial intelligence masks in Lightroom are the most powerful update to come to Lightroom classic ever. Learn to get the most out of these fantastic new tools to help create stunning images.

THIS COURSE INCLUDES

  • 8 Sample Images

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Table of Contents

Course Preview
  • 01 - LR Masking Trailer
    1:36m
Master Masking LR Classic
  • 01 - Intro to Masking in LR Classic
    17:59m
  • 02 - Learn to Combine Masks for More Control
    20:49m
  • 03 - Edit Multiple Photos Seamlessly
    15:25m
  • 04 - Draw More Attention to the Subject
    21:50m
  • 05 - Correct Exposure & Color with Masking
    12:06m

Course Downloads

More Power than Ever

IMPROVE SUBJECT & BACKGROUND

ORIGINAL

Create Enhanced Selections

The new artificial intelligence masks in Adobe Lightroom Classic allow you to select people easier than ever. You can even select certain parts of a person such as their eyes, skin, or hair for more advanced masking and editing capabilities.

Edit All Images in a Series

Oftentimes photographers will shoot a series of images with the same subject and when it comes time to edit those photos it can be a pain to edit each one of them individually. With Lightroom Classic’s new artificial intelligence masks you can make selections to your subject and enhance your photo and then instantly apply those changes across the entire series of photos saving a ton of time and creating better results.

Edit the Subject and Background Separately

Learn to edit your subject and the background independently of one another which will add a ton of control to the editing process. oftentimes the subject will be just a little bit too dark but the background will be properly disposed, use the new artificial intelligence masking tools to select just your subject and enhance their exposure bringing overall corrections to your photo.

FREQUENCY SEPARATION RETOUCHING

ORIGINAL

Color and Exposure Correction

Learn to color correct exposure correct and even color tone your photos. using a combination of masking your subject or background as well as luminance ranges oh, you can Target either highlights or shadows and correct those individually. then bring everything together in terms of color and light with color toning to create stunning artistic looks.

Follow Along from Start to Finish

Follow along as we go through different examples showing you how to get the most out of Lightroom masks and create stunning images in the process. You’ll learn an introduction to how masking works in Lightroom, how to add subtract and intersect masks for more control, and how to apply these changes to multiple images into a series.

Learn Advanced Masking

DRAW MORE ATTENTION TO YOUR SUBJECT

ORIGINAL

IMPROVE SUBJECT & BACKGROUND

ORIGINAL

Create Beautiful Color Toning

With the ability to isolate your background from your subject you can apply stunning color transformations to your images while choosing just the areas you would like to select. You learn how to create a background with cool science and the foreground with nice warm colors for stunning color combinations that will give your image an artistic feel.

Add, Subtract and Intersect Masks for More Control

The new masking Tools in Lightroom Classic allow you to add subtract or intersect different masks together – this will let you create more advanced selection than ever before. For instance if you want to create a vignette on your background but not include your subject you can simply start by creating a radial gradient and then subtract out your subject with just a couple of clicks.

IMPROVE SUBJECT & BACKGROUND

ORIGINAL

Create Better Edits – Faster

The new masking Tools in Lightroom Classic allow you to create better edits faster by selecting out your subject or background in making individual edits on them. The more powerful Lightroom becomes, the less you have to move into other programs like Photoshop to create stunning versions of your photos.

Follow Along with the Included Sample Images

Download and follow along with every tutorial step by step so you can get the most out of Lightroom classic and then apply these fantastic skills to your photos with ease.

Aaron Nace

PHLEARN Founder – Class Instructor

Aaron Nace is a photographer, Photoshop artist and founder of PHLEARN. He is the #1 Photoshop instructor in the world with millions of YouTube subscribers.

View More Classes by Aaron Nace

Reviews

  1. Your tutorials are just the next level, clear, informative, to the point, great examples! I like the way you take the viewer through your thinking, showing your working flow and the different possible ways to get there.

  2. I´ve been playing with masks for a while in LR and for years in Photoshop so I thougt I pretty much know it all but oh boy was I wrong:). This takes my editing in LR to a different level. Thank you sir!

  3. So awesome. Learned new techniques that will be helpfull! Would be great if you would do one on face retouching in lightroom too and on using ai presets in lightroom.

  4. Great course, I thought I knew a reasonable amount about masking but this took it to an entirely different level, so easy to follow too.

  5. Soooo good, learned a lot 🙂

  6. Thank you. Excellent attention to details and technique . Makes me feel maybe I can get there with a lot effort.

  7. Really good tutorial. Thank you!

  8. Been having a blast going through all kinds of old images and tinkering with masking. I’ve found sometimes that in instances with tree branches and sky masks (might work with hair as well, I don’t work a lot with models) where I subtract a luminance or color mask while zoomed in I can get it to refine some of the finer edges and details nicely as well.

  9. I just signed up for the pro tutorials for the year and this was the first one that open and it was great. I was working on some photos and decided to use some of what I learned and it helped a lot. The trick now is to continue using what was learned before I forget what was learned. Great start.

  10. This AI masking is just crazy, can’t even imaging where it’ll be in the future, but with your video, I just want to go back to my old pics and AI mask them all from scratch, great one, thank you.

  11. Fantastic lessons highlighting the potential of the latest updates of Lightroom Classic.

  12. Another great course! Thanks Aaron. You always explain things so clearly.

  13. An absolutely great review of all the new masking features since the last update! Thank you!!

  14. I learned a lot I am rather new to lightroom and now I know much more of masking!

  15. Thank you once more Aaron. These on-going tutorials keep us up-to-date and provide the very best references to return to from time to time.

  16. Very good Course, not only about masking techniques but also a lot of background info on how to edit ‘person’ photos and let your subject stand out.

  17. Really, really good…. Aaron took the new masking tools and gave us real world examples on how to use them. Thanks Aaron!!

  18. I do not know why you will not let me subscribe but I thank you for the years you gave me

  19. thank you so much I really learned a lot as always you are a fantastic instructor

  20. A great and short introduction to the new ai masking tools. After this tutorial, I was able to use the tools confidently

  21. No one on Youtube has explained the masking functionality of ACR as comprehensively as Aaron. Now I have full knowledge of its possibilities, which are truly remarkable.

  22. Great tutorial Aaron. These new masking features are a real game changer. Before watching this I thought that I had already mastered masking but as always I picked up lots of useful techniques that I hadn’t considered before now. Thanks and keep up the great work

  23. Brilliant .. as always 🙂

  • How to Adjust Colors in Lightroom Desktop

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description

Learn to use Lightroom’s new powerful AI Selection tools like Select Subject to select and isolate colors for more power and control. In this tutorial, we start by selecting the subject and then isolating only her dress – so we can change the color from green to purple and create contrasting colors with the environment.

We also add blue to the sky and bring more attention to the subject with a natural vignette. All of these tips are easy to do and can make a big difference in your images!

Artist Credit

Special Thanks to the following artist for uploading their images and making them available for free for everyone to use.

Megan Ruth on Pexels

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AFTER

BEFORE

  • Lightroom Controls in Photoshop! Adobe Camera Raw Explained!

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Lightroom is such a popular program because it is easy to use and all the tools are in one place, but did you know you can get the same tools and workflow in Photohsop?

In this tutorial you will learn the best workflow for Adobe Camera RAW (which is like Lightroom inside of Photoshop).

Learn non-destructive workflow so you can make changes at any time!

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Photo by Serkan on Pexels

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AFTER

BEFORE

The Beginner’s Guide to Portrait Retouching Using AI & Traditional Tools

  • Review
    4.85 out of 5
    22 Reviews
  • Difficulty
    Medium
  • Length
    2 hours
  • Videos
    3
  • Software

Description

Follow along as we cover a variety of editing techniques that are sure to make any image better!

Learn skin retouching, object removal, sky replacement, noise reduction and more!

THIS COURSE INCLUDES

  • 2 Sample Images
  • 2 Sample PSDs
  • 1 Photoshop Action

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Table of Contents

Course Preview
  • 01 - Total Image Makeover Trailer
    55s
Total Image Makeover
  • 01 - Total Image Makeover 01
    1:04h
  • 02 - Total Image Makeover 02
    52:35m

More Power than Ever

SKY REPLACEMENT, OBJECT REMOVAL & MORE

ORIGINAL

Advanced Object Removal

Learn to remove unwanted objects from your photos using a suite of tools and features in Photoshop. You will learn the fastest and most advanced methods that will work in any image.

Frequency Separation

Download the included Photoshop Action and learn to retouch images and remove distractions. Our exclusive action allows you to separate the color and texture of your images, giving you more editing flexibility and greater accuracy when retouching.

Sky Replacement

Adding a new sky can make a huge difference to your images, and Photoshop’s new tools make it easier than ever. Learn to use these tools and add your own adjustments to make seamless sky replacements on any image.

FREQUENCY SEPARATION RETOUCHING

ORIGINAL

Noise & Spot Removal

Use the most up-to-date methods for removing noise from your image as a part of a completely non-destructive workflow.

Draw Attention to the Subject

Some of the time images can appear as a bit flat and boring. Learn to add color and light to make photos more dynamic and make your subject POP!

Follow Along

Use the included sample images and .PSD files to follow step-by-step instruction so you don’t miss a thing!

Improve any Image!

DRAW MORE ATTENTION TO YOUR SUBJECT

ORIGINAL

Aaron Nace

PHLEARN Founder – Class Instructor

Aaron Nace is a photographer, Photoshop artist and founder of PHLEARN. He is the #1 Photoshop instructor in the world with millions of YouTube subscribers.

View More Classes by Aaron Nace

Reviews

  1. Very Nice , I wish we can get more tutorials like this , as i struggle when i look at a new photo and my mid goes blavk as i dont know what to look for from the strat please can you help me with that ,,,,,, what to do as soon as you bring in a phptp into photoshop

  2. You can never have too many start-to-finish examples, as it is a great format to see so many of the tools used. And it’s a plus when Aaron can explain the tools and demonstrate the applications so easily. I gave the first video 4 stars, only because I wish there were teaching notes on a PDF to accompany the video. It would make it so easy to add your own notes on top of the video’s script. Thank you !

  3. Have watched your tutorials for years now and I go back or to techniques I think I’ve mastered and you always come up with new ways off editing which I haven’t tried. Like the new format. Keep up the good work Aaron…always look forward to ” Phlearning” more.

  4. I really like this style of tutorial. Seeing multiple techniques and tools applied to a practical problem has a lot of value in my mode of learning. I had acquired the freq separation action in the context of some other tutorial but was never able to get much out of it but I’d say I really get it now. (And I’m glad, in having read the comments here to know the non-difference between stamped visible and apply image. 😉 )

  5. I found both of the videos helpful. I encourage Aaron to regularly add images from a variety of subjects (nature, wildlife, landscapes, architecture–even macro) to this tutorial.

  6. Just finished watching “Total Image Makeover – 1” – what a GREAT tutorial. I have been using Photoshop since it first came out… and over the years I have taken thousands o f hours of Photoshop training. But your tutorials always catch me up with the new editing features. Thanks for a great lesson!

  7. This tutorial wins my “Worthy of My Precious Time” award. In particular, the Frequency Separation technique finally makes sense to me, and the Apply Image trick to fill a blank layer for Content Aware Fill and Sky Replacement was an aha! moment. Image makeover for everyday editing was a great topic for a video. Much appreciated!

  8. I love this typo of new pro tutorial format, I hope we can have more of these. Especially after the awesome masking, selection and object removal series this is something I truly would like to se more and more. Also, you might want to include some references into the description about the tutorials that are prerequisite/recommended before taking this tutorial. This way you could also perhaps in future do a more compact pro tutorials for those that do have the required skills.

  9. Fantastic as alwaysThe way you present it keeps me coming back for more. And the new format is great!!!!

  10. I enjoyed the new format. Your explanations about tool use and retouching steps were excellent. I can’t judge color correction needed when you used curves and I’d appreciate how you know what combinations of the three colors to use. I’d also like to know why you felt a need to decrease the noise at the end.

  11. Always learning something new. Speaking of, like my ante-reviewer, I am also wondering about the difference between Apply Image and Stamp Visible Layers in this particular context. The only time I use Apply Image is when manually Freq-Sep-ing layers, and now I am wondering what new layers of uses can this tool hide 🙂

    Aaron Nace – Class Instructor
    Thanks for your question, Apply Image and Stamp Visible (SHFT+OPTN+CMD+E) do the same thing in this case. Stamp visible isn’t available in the menus – you have to know the keyboard shortcut, so I like to tell people about “Image > Apply Image” so they can find it in the menu. Hope this helps!
  12. Wonderful as always. Even when I think I’m out.. you pull me back in x

  13. I always like the nature and presentation of all your tutorials. I have been a devotee for years and always see what I can improve in my skills with your expertise. Even the basics I go back to and find something that helps my work.

  14. Part two completely lost me which was a shame after part one. A lot of jumping around and there are so many times that I can stop /pause and I still missed steps. Is there another video similar but perhaps simpler as a start?

    Aaron Nace – Class Instructor
    I recommend starting with 30 days of Photoshop, it is a great place to begin!
    https://phlearn.com/playlist/30-days-of-photoshop/
  15. I love the new format. It’s makes easy concentration, no fast-forwarding or hitting the “next”-button impatiently. But I also like the “old” format. Especially for searching or revisiting a specific technique. Either way, thanks so much for your fabulous tutorials! (and I like the new video-production; different lighting, different camera, and a touch of LUT perhaps?)

  16. Great tutorials! A strong takeaway is to keep making layers.

  17. A really great tutorial. Learned some great new techniques here but I need to work on my layer and group management so it was a good nudge for me to put some extra work in there.

  18. Awesome tutorial as always. The build up to the finished image is what amazed me the most. I sometimes thought during this tutorial “this isn’t working at all” and would have deleted the layer. How wrong I was! Aaron shows exactly where to start, how and what to do next even though in the moment it might not look right. I have now a lot more “how to” in my arsenal to get to the result I want. Thank you Aaron

  19. The tutorial was great I enjoyed the format

  20. Awesome tutorial, I loved it. I like when it comes down to real live scenarios. I enjoyed this format. thank you !

  21. Great video. I went into it thinking I wouldn’t see anything new. Boy was I wrong! Already thinking of a photo that was given to me taken on a poor resolution smart phone. I had given up on it, but maybe I can rescue it yet. That would be a great video – working from a bad smart phone photo.

  22. Fantastic tutorial as always Aaron! Thanks for sharing your amazing Photoshop skills with us. I do wonder why your using apply image while it seems easier to use a stamp visible layer with short cut “control alt shift E”. Pretty much the same and it saves time.

The Beginner’s Guide to Portrait Retouching Using AI & Traditional Tools

  • Review
    4.95 out of 5
    28 Reviews
  • Difficulty
    Advanced
  • Length
    1.25 hours
  • Videos
    6
  • Software

Description

Learn to use the new advanced masking tools in Lightroom Classic to bring your photos to life! Select your subject, sky, light range and color range to edit specific parts of your images.

Is your subject too dark? Now you can target a person a lighten them, while leaving the background alone. Is the sky overexposed? Edit just the sky to bring back color and detail. The possibilities are endless.

THIS COURSE INCLUDES

  • 5 Sample Images

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Table of Contents

Course Preview
  • 01 - Advanced Masking Trailer
    44s
Advanced Masking in LR Classic
  • 01 - Intro to Masking Tools
    21:34m
  • 02 - How to Edit the Subject & Background
    13:33m
  • 03 - Editing the Subject & Environment
    10:36m
  • 04 - Correcting Highlights & Shadows
    10:26m
  • 05 - Color Correction & Review
    11:59m

Course Downloads

One Subscription. All of PHLEARN

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Lightroom Classic Advanced Masking PHLEARN

Lightroom Classic Advanced Masking PHLEARN

LEARN COLOR CORRECTION

ORIGINAL

Color Correction

Learn to target specific colors and adjust them to better suit your images. This can be used to correct skin tones, color casts or even to completely change the color of objects.

Combine & Conqueror

Add, subtract and intersect the new masking tool in Lightroom Classic to enhance selections and edit specific areas of your images. For instance, you can select your subject, then just the skin of the person and then color correct their skin without effecting any other areas of your image.

Follow Along

Use the included sample images to follow along with the tutorial and then practice on your own images once you have mastered the techniques.

Lightroom Classic Advanced Masking PHLEARN

Lightroom Classic Advanced Masking PHLEARN

ADD DETAIL TO SKIES

ORIGINAL

Fix Blown Out Skies

Use “Select Sky” to get an accurate mask of just the sky in your images and then add more detail by adjusting the color and the exposure. For more control, bring it into Photoshop and replace the sky!

Edit the Subject & Background Separately

One of the advantages of the new masking tools is that you can target either your subject or your background and work on them individually. This allows you to create stunning images and draw more attention to your subject.

Non Destructive Editing

Did you know that any changes you make in Lightroom Classic can be undone at any time? Feel free to try new things and make creative edits without worrying about messing up your original image.

Add Interest & Drama

Lightroom Classic Advanced Masking PHLEARN

Add Color and Style


In this image, we show you how to add more color to the background, and then color-correct the subject to match!

Lightroom Classic Advanced Masking PHLEARN

Lightroom Classic Advanced Masking PHLEARN

EDIT SUBJECT AND BACKGROUND SEPARATELY

ORIGINAL

Correct Exposure & Color

It can be difficult to expose an image perfectly for both the subject and the background, but now that is an issue of the past. Learn to target just your subject and expose them perfectly while retaining detail in the background.

Small Details Come to Life

Use the brush selection tool to paint over specific areas of your images and adjust exposure and color. In this example, we lighten the exposure of the eyes using natural selections.

Layer Masks

You can think of these new masking features in Lightroom as you would Layer Masks in Photoshop. Create as many as you want and alter them at any time for an unlimited array of photo editing power.

Lightroom Classic Advanced Masking PHLEARN

Lightroom Classic Advanced Masking PHLEARN

CORRECT EXPOSURE

ORIGINAL

Correct Distortion

Learn to correct distortion that can result from shooting with a wide-angle lens. The will make your subjects look more natural and flattering.

Add Detail to Highlights & Shadows

Don’t let your shadows get too dark or the highlights too light. Learn to target light ranges and adjust them to bring back exposure and create a more balanced image.

Easier than Ever

These new tools make editing your photos faster and easier, and in a lot of cases you won’t have to take them into Photoshop at all. Lightroom Classic is more powerful than ever!

Aaron Nace

PHLEARN Founder – Class Instructor

Aaron Nace is a photographer, Photoshop artist and founder of PHLEARN. He is the #1 Photoshop instructor in the world with millions of YouTube subscribers.

View More Classes by Aaron Nace

Reviews

  1. Really useful, time saving techniques and great instructions! Thank you!

  2. Super clear and useful as always!!

  3. I learned so much what a good teacher you are thank you so much I feel so much more comfortable with lightroom

  4. Very good tutorial! I wish you would do more tutorials related to new features in LRC and photoshop. I had actually decided to not renew my subscription, because I found more interesting tutorials on YouTube and other subscription offers, but with this tutorial I think and hope you might start catching up a bit. Let’s wait and see.

  5. Great videos. Aaron simplified the masking process. Will have to watch again. Would have been nice to see a landscape photo worked on. Good job!

  6. Outstanding! I had already played with some of the new masking techniques but was not aware how well the masking works with other masks. Also, I had been wondering how to add when in subtract mode. It was so easy that I missed it. I had always used the [alt] key to subtract but never to add. I had been trying to use the [shift] key unsuccessfully. Thank you.

  7. This tutorial was excellent and the techniques are very useful to all photographers. Well done, as usual!

  8. Could it be that you missed “Auto Mask”, because this helps a lot?

  9. Love the new masking options! As always perfectly explained!!!

  10. Great video series. I had used the masking tool in Lightroom, but only understood and used the basics. This coarse really helped me get a better understanding of all the tools available.

  11. This explained everything so well. I’m so happy I took the time to watch and follow along with the sample images.

  12. Superb course – exactly what I needed. I found the new masking in LR a bit confusing and after watching this and following along that is no more!

  13. This is a fantastic course and a great way to start learning how to use LR masks. These masks are a game-changer, as far as I am concerned and Aaron’s come through with another fantastic course about a very relevant subject!!

  14. Not able to watch the 5th one in the series. Keeps taking you back to the 2nd lesson.

  15. To understand ” The New Lightroom “. For those who have used Lightroom earlier, this is the tutorials to do ! Thumbs up

  16. This course is exactly what I want at this moment.

  17. Thanks for a great tutorial. I was struggling a bit before watching the episodes but your examples and easy to follow instruction made these LR tools much more understandable

  18. Thanks for the tutorial on this fairly new feature in Lightroom. I had been using the old style luminosity masking quite a lot but these new masks are so much more powerful, so much so that I can do most of my editing in Lightroom for many images. As always a super tutorial.

  19. Great job as always!

  20. Great stuff the images were a bit low quality though. But learn alot everyday from you

  21. awesome as always, thank you for the to the point precise and perfectly explained mask tutorial.

  22. Even though I’ve been using the masking features of LR I learned several new tricks from Aaron’s great tutorials which are always so easy to follow. He packs so much into every one of his amazing tutorials. I just love them.

  23. Great tutorial! I really learned a tremendous amount about how to use the new LR masking.

  24. Awesome stuff, helped me maneuver the subtract and intersect options into a new realm of possibilities!

  25. Very interesting indeed. As always your courses are clear and helpful. Looking forward to see more videos.

  26. Loved it 🙂 too bad the images’s quality are too low sometimes though.

  27. Excellent job. It’s always interesting to learn new ways of doing things.

  28. Really enjoyed this, thanks!

  • Refine Selections with Select & Mask in Photoshop

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Unlock the secrets of advanced selection tools in Photoshop and learn how to cut people out of tricky backgrounds.

Free Selection Series

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Image sourced from Pexels.

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select and mask photoshop

MAKE DETAILED SELECTIONS OF HAIR

BEFORE

Perfect Selections with Select & Mask

What is the Select and Mask?

There is no shortage of tools for cutting things out of a photo in Photoshop. But even the best tools need a little help to dial in the perfect cutout.

Select and Mask is a workspace designed to help you get the most out of automated selection tools, allowing you to make an initial rough selection, and then refine that selection until you’re happy with the end product.

Let’s explore how Select and Mask can help us make clean and accurate cutouts—even when working with a person in front of a bust background!

Getting Started with Select and Mask

You’ll find the Select and Mask option within the Select menu at the top of the screen.

If you’re following along, make sure that you’re using the latest version of Photoshop as we’ll be exploring some of the newer tools and features.

Once you click on Select and Mask, the Select and Mask workspace will open. This dialog provides a wide variety of tools and options that are designed to help you quickly select something in a photo, and then refine that selection so that it’s clean and accurate.

To begin, we’ll need a way to make a rough selection of the subject in the image. Fortunately, the Select and Mask dialog offers just that.

Click on the Select Subject button at the top of the panel.

This will use Photoshop’s AI technology to try and identify the subject and remove the background—all in a single click!

But we’re far from done. Notice that, when you zoom in, there are some obvious areas that Select Subject had trouble with.

You can use the Transparency slider located in the panel on the right to increase or decrease the visibility of any areas that were removed from the photo.

This can be helpful as you refine a selection, allowing you to more easily determine what’s part of the background and what’s part of the subject.

Now that we’ve made our initial selection, let’s start cleaning it up!

Refining Selection with Select and Mask

Locate the toolbar near the top left of the Select and Mask dialog. Here you’ll find a variety of tools that can help you add or remove areas from a selection.

Here’s a list of the available tools:

Quick Selection Tool
Refine Edge Brush Tool
Brush Tool
Object Selection Tool
Lasso Tool
Polygonal Lasso Tool
Hand Tool
Zoom Tool

Since our goal is still to work quickly, let’s start with the Quick Selection Tool.

This tool works very simply. Just paint over an area to either add or remove it from the selection. You can use the + and – buttons in the top toolbar to toggle between adding elements and subtracting elements.

For example, if we want to remove that problem area we looked at earlier, we can use the Quick Selection Tool, with the – option toggled, to simply paint over it.

Don’t forget that you can use that Transparency slider to make it easier to see what you’re removing!

Scan around the image and see what other areas the Quick Selection Tool can help clean up. Try using it in any gaps in the subject’s hair where the original background is still visible.

You might also discover that Select Subject also removed parts of the subject. For example, it missed a couple of the subject’s fingers.

To fix this, just hit the + icon within the Quick Selection Tool toolbar, and paint over the fingers.

It might take a couple of passes, but this should allow you to restore any areas that you don’t want to be cut off.

Some Additional Tools to Try

We’re not going to cover every tool in-depth, but there are a select few that we find ourselves using often within this workspace.

Select and Mask has its own regular Brush Tool that provides the manual control you might need to restore or remove the trickiest of areas.

There’s also the Polygonal Lasso Tool, which is great for adding or removing areas that have hard edges.

Simply trace around an object.

And you can quickly add it back into the selection!

This is also extremely helpful for larger areas and gaps in between limbs and appendages. Select Subject had a difficult time in the area between the subject’s hand and their body.

But the Polygonal Lasso Tool allows us to very quickly define the edges of their skin and clothing, creating a much cleaner result.

Working with Hair in Select and Mask

Hair continues to be one of the most challenging areas to select in Photoshop. We even have countless PRO courses that demonstrate all of the advanced methods for capturing and recreating hair detail in your selections.

But Select and Mask has come a long way, and there are some new tools that make selecting hair less of a hassle.

And what could be more hassle-free than a single button? Try clicking on the Refine Hair button at the top of the Select and Mask Workspace.

Wow! Pretty impressive for a single click. We’ll explore a little bit more with hair in a bit. But let’s first take a look at some of the other tools available to apply more general changes to our selections.

Shift Edge, Radius, and More

The panel on the right side of the Select and Mask Workspace is packed with sliders that can help you instantly apply more general changes to your selections.

You can increase the amount of feathering along the edges of the selection, increase the amount of contrast for a sharper look, and even shift the entire edge in or extend it outward if you notice fringing.

But be careful! Remember, that these sliders will affect the entire selection. Notice how our changes, mainly the Shift Edge adjustments, affected the subjects hair. Because the hair detail is so thin, shifting the edge of the selection in will completely remove that detail.

Back to Photoshop

Once you’ve completed most of your selection work within the Select and Mask dialog, you can output your work in a variety of ways.

In general, we prefer to output to either a Layer Mask, or a New Layer with Layer Mask. These options provide the most flexibility while allowing us to continue working non-destructively.

Once you hit OK, Photoshop will apply your selection using the method you chose. In our case, it applied our work as a Layer Mask on our existing background image.

We’re Not Done Yet!

From a distance, it may look like we’re done. But there are still several unwanted areas of background still visible around our subject.

This is pretty common! Layer Masks are something that you’ll constantly be tweaking and fixing throughout an edit. And Select and Mask is always available, allowing you to go back in and pick up right where you left off.

Don’t get discouraged if you’re constantly finding spots you missed. Just hop back into Select and Mask and use your preferred tools to fix and refine the mask until it’s as close to perfect as it can get.

You also may notice some of the original background colors sticking around along the edge of whatever you’re cutting out. Depending on what you’ll be using for a new background, this may or may not be a problem.

In any case, there’s a tool specifically designed to fix this issue. Simply check the Decontaminate Color box near the bottom of the right panel, and Photoshop will extend the colors inside the selection out towards the edges, covering up any linger background color.

Additional Cleanup with the Brush Tool

We’re just about finished, but there are some still some spots that could use a little extra care and attention.

Notice the dark, foggy areas in between the subject’s hair. Sometimes these spots might be a little too tricky to tackle in Select and Mask. But fortunately, it’s relatively quick and easy work with the regular old Brush Tool.

To fix these areas, first switch to a view of the Layer Mask by holding ALT or OPTN and clicking on the Layer Mask.

Select the Brush Tool and set the color to black. Then, set the Blending Mode of the brush to Overlay.

Paint over any spots where there you see those foggy details and watch them disappear!

And just like that we have a nearly perfect cutout of our subject, complete with fine details in the hair!

  • Essential Keyboard Shortcuts for Retouching in Photoshop

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Speed up your Photoshop retouching workflow with these keyboard shortcuts that will help you switch tools and move around your images with ease!

Ready to learn more Photoshop? Check out The Beginner’s Guide to Photoshop and our comprehensive series of courses in our Photoshop Learning Path.

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Images sourced from Pexels.

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retouching keyboard shortcuts photoshop

HELPFUL RETOUCHING SHORTCUTS

  • Clean Up Simple Backgrounds in Photoshop

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description

In episode two of our four-part series, let’s put some of the tools we learned about to work to clean up a relatively simple background in Photoshop.

Click here to download the complete PSD file (139MB).

Free Object Removal Series

If you’re ready to take these skills to the next level, be sure to check out our PHLEARN PRO series on object removal in Photoshop.

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Image sourced from Pexels.

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object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

Clean Up Simple Backgrounds

Removing Distractions from Simple Backgrounds

Removing objects and distractions from a photo is an easy way to help your subjects stand out and to help the image feel more focused. Better yet, cleaning up the background in a photo can be easy as long as the background is relatively simple.

What do we mean by simple backgrounds? Well, it could be a solid-colored studio background or even a solid-colored wall if you’re shooing out on a location. Or it could be a busier background, but one that’s out-of-focus, eliminating the need to work around sharp, complicated details.

object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

This image has what we would call a relatively simple background. It’s mostly out-of-focus, making it easy to remove any distracting elements without having to work too hard to recreate the details in the photo.

object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

Before we start the process of covering up distractions, let’s first make a plan of what elements to remove. This can be done by creating a new Layer, and then using the Brush Tool to circle (in a bright, noticeable color) all of the things we want to cover up. This is a great way to make sure we hit everything we want since we can always reference it later as we’re working.

Content-Aware Fill

We recommend always starting with quick, automated tools first. These will handle the majority of the heavy lifting that we can later clean up using more manual tools.

Start by Duplicating the background image by hitting CTRL or CMD + J. This will allow us to use Content-Aware Fill to remove the logo on the duplicate image, leaving the original image unchanged.

object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

Then, use the Lasso Tool to make a rough selection around the thing you want to remove–in this case, the power lines in the background..

object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

Open the Edit menu and select the Content-Aware Fill option. The Content-Aware Fill dialog will open. Content-Aware Fill will use Adobe’s AI technology to analyze the areas highlighted in green, and use information from those areas to fill in the selected object.

Watch the preview window as you adjust the settings, and dial in a result that you think looks good. Hit OK.

object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

Repeat this process until you’ve taken care of all the unwanted elements in the sky of the image. Notice that there might be some imperfections in the final result though, especially in areas near the subject. Let’s switch over to a more manual method to refine these areas so that they look more realistic and unedited.

The Clone Stamp Tool

The Clone Stamp Tool The Clone Stamp Tool also allows you to Sample an area (ALT or OPTN) and then paint using the sampled information. This is especially useful because it creates an exact copy of the sampled area – both the color and texture combined.

object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

We can use it to clean up unwanted spots and textures where the Content-Aware Fill Tool might have not done exactly what we wanted.

object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

And we can also use to clean up the edges of the subject that overlap distractions we want to remove. If you want to clean and straighten an edge, you can sample another part of the photo where the edge is in tact, and then paint that clean edge over an area where the edge is broken.

object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

The Clone Stamp Tool can also be used for more general clean-up as well. Since it creates an exact copy of color and texture from the sampled area, it makes it easy to cover up elements on surface that has subtle textures and variations.

object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

Try using the Clone Stamp Tool to cover up some of the writing on the wall behind the subject. And don’t worry about it being perfect. If you accidentally paint over top of the subject, add a Layer Mask to the Layer where you used the Clone Stamp Tool, and then paint with black using the Brush Tool over any areas you don’t want the sampled textures to appear.

object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

It might take a little time to refine the edges, but once you do, you should have a clean background and clean edge between it and the subject.

The Brush Tool

The Brush Tool is the most versatile tools in Photoshop, and that holds true for object removal techniques as well. Let’s learn how to use it to clean up the other half of the wall behind the subject.

object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

Like the Clone Stamp Tool, hold ALT or OPTN to Sample a color from the wall where there isn’t any writing. Then, on a new Layer, use that color to paint over the writing to cover it up. Make sure to use a soft, round Brush set to a relatively low Flow. You’ll also want to continually Sample new areas to make sure the color, highlights, and shadows all match.

object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

And again, if you accidentally paint over the subject, use a Layer Mask to refine the effect.

The Spot Healing Brush

We haven’t talked about our favorite removal tool yet, the Spot Healing Brush Tool. This tool allows you to simply paint over an object, and Photoshop will do the rest to try and cover it up.

object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

As always, be sure to create a new Layer first, and don’t forget to set the Sample option of the Spot Healing Brush to Current & Below. Then, just start painting over any small spots or distractions that you don’t want to be visible.

object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

Work your way around the painted concrete block that the subject is sitting on. If you run into any areas that are troublesome, like areas along the edge of the subject, just switch over to the Clone Stamp Tool so that you can get the textures and edges just right.

object removal simple backgrounds photoshop

Practice using all of these tools until you’ve cleaned up the background of the image. Now that you’ve mastered the basics, in the next episode we’ll tackle an example that includes more complex details in the background like patterns, lines, and edges.

The Beginner’s Guide to Portrait Retouching Using AI & Traditional Tools

  • Review
    5.00 out of 5
    13 Reviews
  • Difficulty
    Advanced
  • Length
    3.5 hours
  • Videos
    6
  • Software

Description

This is the most advanced guide to removing objects and distractions from your photos in Photoshop! Follow along through multiple examples where we show you how to remove large objects and people, reconstruct entire backgrounds, manually paint in lost details, and much more.

OBJECT REMOVAL SERIES

THIS COURSE INCLUDES

  • 7 Sample Images
  • 5 Sample PSDs
  • 2 Photoshop Brushes
  • 1 PDF Companion Guide

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Table of Contents

Course Preview
  • 01 - What You'll Learn
    1:12m
Advanced Object Removal
  • 01 - Basic Tools for Advanced Results
    29:57m
  • 02 - Removing Tattoos & Preserving Skin Texture
    54:04m
  • 03 - Removing People from Complex Backgrounds
    52:33m
  • 04 - Compositing New Backgrounds
    23:49m
  • 05 - Recreating a City Street Scene
    35:49m

Remove Anything from a Photo!

advanced object removal in photoshop

advanced object removal in photoshop

Now You See It, Now You Don’t


Object removal doesn’t get more advanced than this. Learn how to remove groups of people, large objects like cars, tattoos, and even entire backgrounds from any photograph. This is Photoshop magic.

advanced object removal in photoshop

advanced object removal in photoshop

COMPLETELY CHANGE BACKGROUNDS

ORIGINAL

Remove Anything from a Photo

When we say anything, we mean anything. This is our most focused, advanced course on removing objects and distractions in Photoshop. Whether you want to develop new professional skills, or tackle a new fun and challenging project, this is the perfect course for you.

Advanced Tools & Techniques

In Simple and Intermediate Object Removal, we showed you the ropes of cleaning up your images. In this course, we combine all of those skills with some new and advanced techniques, giving you all the skills you need to clean up any photograph.

Photo Compositing

Learn how to use multiple images to remove large objects and even entire backgrounds from an image. And if you want to learn even more compositing skills, be sure to check out Intro to Photoshop Compositing for Beginners.

advanced object removal in photoshop

advanced object removal in photoshop

PRESERVE SKIN TEXTURE

ORIGINAL

Preserve & Recreate Natural Details

It’s one thing to remove something from in front of a background or landscape, it’s another thing entirely to remove something from a subject’s skin. While we cover advanced retouching and blemish removal in other PRO courses like How to Master Frequency Separation Retouching, we take some time in this course to show you how to remove complex elements from a subject’s skin while preserving all of the natural texture and details.

Advanced Brush Techniques

Sometimes object removal is quick and easy, perfect for tools like Content-Aware Fill or the Spot Healing Brush. But for those tricky jobs with complex backgrounds, you need a more manual touch. Learn advanced techniques for the Brush Tool to literally paint in background elements and detail for an unbelievable final result.

Professional Skills

No matter what sort of photos you work with, object removal is a key skill for any editor. Need to remove studio lights and equipment from a studio shoot? No problem. Small blemishes or distractions from a subject’s skin? We’ve got you covered. Entire groups of people from an urban landscape? You’ll be able to do all this and more!

Advanced Photoshop Skills

advanced object removal in photoshop

advanced object removal in photoshop

REMOVE PEOPLE FROM PHOTOS

ORIGINAL

Seamless Results

Whether you just want to clean up some family photos, or you need a subject or product to stand out for a client, we show you how to achieve seamless, professional results in your images.

Work Non-Destructively

The most important part of a professional workflow is making sure you can get back to your original, unedited photos at any time. We show you how to use Layers, Groups, Layer Masks, Smart Objects, and more to make sure you can undo or change your work at any time.

Complete Control

We show you how to use every object removal tool and technique out there, giving you complete control over your photos. If you, or your clients, don’t want something to be in frame, you’ll be able to hide it so that only the most important elements of a photo take center stage.

advanced object removal in photoshop

advanced object removal in photoshop

REMOVE GROUPS OF PEOPLE

ORIGINAL

Skills for Any Photographer

These skills are universal for any photographer. Whether you capture products, weddings, headshots, fashion, or landscapes, you’ll be able to identify and remove any distractions using the power of Photoshop and your editing savvy.

Reconstruct Backgrounds

It’s pretty common and pretty easy to remove small distractions in front of relatively simple backgrounds. But what about when you have a background full of complex details like buildings, trees, signs, and other small details?

Sample PSDs Included

We don’t just provide the sample images for you to follow along with, we also set you up with the completed PSD files so you can reverse-engineer the process and experiment with the effects.

Class Instructor

Aaron Nace

PHLEARN Founder – Class Instructor

Aaron Nace is a photographer, Photoshop artist and founder of PHLEARN. He is the #1 Photoshop instructor in the world with millions of YouTube subscribers.

View More Classes by Aaron Nace

Reviews

  1. Honestly the best tutorial/lesson I’ve watched for Photoshop ever. Complicated stuff that is broken down into simple steps which you can take that skill and use it in different situations. I especially use the techniques from Removing Tattoos and Removing People from a Background pretty much everyday in my work. I don’t know what I would have done without it! It’s definitely taken my PS skills to the next level. Keep smashing it out of the park Aaron and the whole Phlearn team!

  2. Absolutely fantastic. I learned SO much. I would pause the videos and write notes in a separate window document. Thank you so much for sharing your skills. Bravo!

  3. Another fantastic tutorial for advanced users. Easy to follow. Aaron keeps me entertained with his wacky jokes and voices. More like this one, please.

  4. Sweet tutorial! I always love learning the little things that I either didn’t know or relearning what I had forgotten. I believe it is possible to get the “color” results you are looking for with the Healing Brush tool if you instead use Frequency Separation, which you noted in your course summary. As you always mention, however, there are many ways of doing things. Gotta love that brush tool! Thanks for the tutorial.

  5. super good toturials not least for the instructor. i have been through all 3 torturials and it has been super good learning

  6. Great course. Lots of stuff to learn and practice all the various ways of getting rid of stuff. I love your courses and adore your sense of humor!! Great job and keep up the fantastic work!! Thanks!!

  7. Just Amazing….!!

  8. And you did it again… Thank god I made it a habit to not skip video parts, because I would have missed a simple trick at the very end of video 1 when you removed the last distracting object. Me trying to clone stamp curved stuff like that perfectly and going crazy over it, then seeing “just clone stamp what you need and warp” was worth a face palm 😀 Using layers, layers aaand layers that overlap cloning and then overlay brushed stuff with matching noise will be in my repertoire too from now on too. Sometimes it is like “I know all that”, but I tend to forget. But hearing it over and over in your tutorials will hopefully cement that into my autopilot. PS: I would totally have forgot to clone out the legs of the dude in the back *lmao*

  9. Thank you so much, Aaron and the Phlearn team, for this incredible series!

  10. Another wonderful tutorial. Sometimes I learn something brand new, and other times I’m reminded of something I had forgotten. But, I always come away more proficient in Photoshop. Thank you, Aaron.

  11. Always great stuff!! You da man!!

  12. I bought three lessons from PHLEARN, the lessons were good but there were parts that impossible to follow – if the purpose of the lesson is to teach people how/what to do then, please try to make sure the lesson is clear enough for people to learn how to do it!

  13. Nice photoshop tutorial. As always , I love to have Aaron Nace as an Instructor. I really enjoy his tutorial.

  • The Best Noise Reduction Software in 2021?

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In the age of phone photography, noise and grain reduction has become a popular feature in many photo editing programs. But which program handles it best?

Let’s find out! Join us as we explore some of the most popular noise reduction tools to see which one provides the cleanest, most realistic result.

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best way to reduce noise in photos

best way to reduce noise in photos

AFTER NOISE REDUCTION IN LIGHTROOM

BEFORE

Reduce Noise in Your Photos

What is Noise Reduction?

Noise often appears in images that are underexposed or were captured at a high ISO to compensate for environmental lighting conditions. It’s even more common with portable digital cameras, like those found in mobile phones, since those devices have a limited dynamic range and a limited range of options for shutter speed and aperture settings.

best way to reduce noise in photos

With more devices out there capturing noisier photos, it’s no surprise then that noise reduction editing technology is on the rise. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular programs out there, from our usual suspects like Photoshop and Lightroom Classic, to newer tools like Luminar AI, DxO PhotoLab, Topaz DeNoise, and Vance AI.

We’ll be looking for the program that can remove the most noise while sacrificing as little of the original definition and detail in the photo as possible.

How to Reduce Noise in Photoshop

Photoshop is our home base when it comes to photo editing, so there’s no better place to start.

best way to reduce noise in photos

Since the noise reduction option in Photoshop comes as a filter, it’s a good idea to first right-click on the image layer and select Convert to Smart Object. This will convert all Filters to Smart Filters, which allows them to be disabled, removed, or adjusted at any time.

best way to reduce noise in photos

You can find the noise options under the Filter menu. Hover over the Noise option and select Reduce Noise.

best way to reduce noise in photos

Throughout these tests we’re going to be dialing up the noise reduction settings of each program to max. This will help us see the results better, exaggerated as they may be.

Within the Reduce Noise dialog, set the Strength of the effect to 10. Notice that, while some noise was removed, there’s still quite a bit remaining in the image.

best way to reduce noise in photos

There are additional options, like being able to target noise by color channel.

best way to reduce noise in photos

And there are additional settings that will help try to recover any details that might have been lost with the noise reduction effect, but we found that, with this particular image, they just tended to reintroduce grain back into the image.

How to Reduce Noise in Lightroom Classic

Our other go-to editing software is Lightroom Classic. And, like Photoshop, it has some stock noise reduction tools available.

best way to reduce noise in photos

Navigate to the Develop tab and scroll down to the Detail options. Here you’ll see some options and sliders for Noise Reduction.

best way to reduce noise in photos

Setting the Luminance slider to max yield a much smoother and softer image than Photoshop, but at the cost of some detail and definition from the original photo.

Reduce Noise with Luminar AI

We’ve explored Luminar and their AI tools in the past, so we’re somewhat familiar with what they can do and how easy they can be to use.

best way to reduce noise in photos

The best part about Luminar is how flexible their tools are. Not only do they offer standalone programs, they also offer plug-ins for Lightroom Photoshop, allowing you to take advantage of their AI technology within your software of choice.

best way to reduce noise in photos

Here’s the results of our Luminar AI test after pushing all of the relevant settings to their max.

Reduce Noise in Topaz DeNoise

Topaz DeNoise is another standalone software powered by AI technology.

best way to reduce noise in photos

Not only does it offer some of the same settings we’ve seen in other program, but it also includes AI models based around particular lighting/photo issues.

best way to reduce noise in photos

And since this is a standalone program based entirely around noise removal, there are a ton of other options and settings to explore.

best way to reduce noise in photos

The results were pretty impressive, but let’s take a look at a couple other programs before we decide on a winner.

Reduce Noise in DxO PhotoLabs

DxO PhotoLab 4 is a full-feature photo editor, much like Lightroom Classic.

best way to reduce noise in photos

And like Lightroom, it includes some relatively easy-to-use tools to reduce noise, grain, and other issues like chromatic aberration.

best way to reduce noise in photos

We found the results to be more similar to Photoshop, reducing some of the noise but not all of it. There were also some issues with additional artifacts appearing in the image.

Reduce Noise with Vance AI

The most unique tool we’ll be checking out is a browser-based AI tool by Vance AI. This tool could be particularly handy for anyone that’s not happy with the result from their current software, but also don’t want to have to download any additional programs.

best way to reduce noise in photos

Vance AI can be accessed entirely through your internet browser.

best way to reduce noise in photos

After making a basic account, you can upload and process a limited number of images.

best way to reduce noise in photos

We found their AI noise reduction to be impressive, especially since it didn’t require us to download anything to our computers.

Now that we’ve explored some of the tools, let’s take a look at all of the final images!

Noise Reduction Comparison

We applied similar noise reduction settings to the same image using each of the programs and tools listed above. Now let’s take a look at the results!

best way to reduce noise in photos

The original, unedited image.

best way to reduce noise in photos

After noise reduction in Adobe Photoshop.

best way to reduce noise in photos

After noise reduction in Adobe Lightroom Classic.

best way to reduce noise in photos

After noise reduction in Luminar AI.

best way to reduce noise in photos

After noise reduction in Topaz Labs DeNoise AI.

best way to reduce noise in photos

After noise reduction in DxO PhotoLab 4.

best way to reduce noise in photos

After noise reduction with Vance AI.

The Winner

After taking a close look at each of the results, we found Topaz Labs DeNoise produced the most balanced result with Vance AI as a close second. However, this is a very rough test and our subjective opinion. Each of the tools certainly have their advantages, so it all comes down to your own taste and how you prefer to work.

Which program do you think did the best job of reducing noise? Try them for yourself and experiment with your own photos!