A Couple of Problems - Help

[mikemeister_admin]

I cannot find any documentation on using the masking feature in CM.  If I search for mask in the documentation, it gives tool bars and commands, but no clear explanation that I can find on how it works and what to do.  Am I being dense?

Also, on the example with the meekats, fat and sassy color, I have tried 4 or 5 times to duplicate the results.  I can never duplicate or find the color values referenced in the example, particularly the green in the fur.

Jerry

[imported_Tanja]

Hi Jerry,

mabe a little help for finding the masks...

Greetings, Tanja

[ggroess]

Jerry,
Masks in Curvemeister are created from the channels in the image. 

Some things to remember....
Here are all the color channels possible in CM:

RGB
CMYK
HSB
LAB

Now, there is a Skin channel as well like we talked about in the video. 

So why do you not see all the masks?  Color opposites.  No need to duplicate a color channel when you can invert another.
For instance, R is the opposite of Cyan. 
So an inverted Red channel is a Cyan mask. 
Same for Green and Magenta and Yellow and Blue. 

The K channel is a representation of Black ink on Paper.  You have a GCR (gray component replacement) slider to adjust the density of the black channel which is another "feature" of CM over Photoshop and other tools that use the K channel.

the HSB color space also can create some unique masks to solve specific problems.

Now on to how do we choose...
Remember that masking is about allowing the adjustment to pass through the mask. White areas allow the adjustment to pass through and change the image.  Black areas prevent the adjustments from making changes.

So when you look at an image for masking you need to think about what you want to protect or what you want to change.  If the main object is something very bright then a K or L channel mask can make a real difference.  If it is something very yellow then you want to look at the Blue channel since yellow is the color opposite of blue.  There are always going to be exceptions and you do not need to use a mask to fix the problem...they are very powerful and very tempting but many times the image does not need a mask...

For the Lemurs, ask yourself what color are the eyes?  Then ask where that color lives in the channels.  Remember that a and b of LAB hold the colors for LAB so they can make great masks based on color alone. This is especially true if the rest of the image is a similar tone and may not be separated by brightness.  (hint here...)

Keep asking I'll keep trying to give you what you need.

Greg

[mikemeister_admin]

Hi Greg,

Part of my confusion may be my lack of Phostoshop skills.  I figured out how to create the mask the way I wanted, but then what do I do with it.  Is it automatically applied to my layer.  It did not seem to be.  Do I have to copy it to the Photoshop layer mask?  I seem to have missed something somewhere.

Also, I will not make the Fri conference call.  This is the peak of the spring bird migration on the Gulf Coast of Texas and I have a 5 days of bird photography planned.  I will hopefully catch up next week, even though I feel like I am allready behind.   

Thanks,
Jerry

[ggroess]

As far what to do you can either use the mask inside of cm to make the adjustment needed or you can click on the Copy Channel Icon and then close CM and paste the mask into a layer mask in Photoshop.  I think we did this in the weekly video and I am uploading it righ tnow so look for a link later tonight to the video.

You do not need to use a mask unless you feel it is the best way out of the problem.  I know that the image does not really require one...

Greg

[imported_artmar]

Greg,

Once I've selected a mask from the mask carte, how do I apply it to the image?
I see it in the curve window, but nothing happens.

Thanks,
Art

[ggroess]

The mask is already applied.  If you curve the mask you change the effect.  IT you invert a lightness mask on an image in CM and then adjust the L channel of lab you will see what I mean.

As soon as you select, it is applied.

Greg

[imported_artmar]

When I select a mask from the mask carte and adjust it nothing changes in the image.

I think there's something here I'm not understanding unfortunately.

Art

[mikemeister_admin]

I seem to have had the same problem.  That is what prompted my initial inquiry.  I selkected a mask that was black in one area and thought that area would be protected, but further changes to the image were reflected in the area.  I am sure it is me and not the program.

Jerry

[imported_artmar]

Yes, Greg will tell us what we're not doing correctly.  I know it's just a bit frustrating in the meantime.

Art