Damien Symonds

If you don't use spin blur, you'll need to use regular blur. It's simply not realistic to be sharp, you know?

How did you check this?

Oh Quintin, I'm SO sorry to hear about this. The only consolation I can offer is that LOTS of people have made the same mistake as you, so you're not alone. https://www.damiensymonds.net/white-balance-sheet

So, for example, if I was going to fill this frame with my son's basketball team photos, my progress would look like this:

Once you've done that, you're ready to go. Just lower the opacity of the scan layer to about half. Then return to the Background layer, and start File>Placing the photos you want. Use the scan layer as your guide of where to position them. Remember, you DON'T NEED TO MASK THEM, except very loosely to make sure they're not overlapping each other, is all.

Excellent. Now go to the Canvas Size dialog, and increase the dimensions to 8 inches by 10 inches. That'll be the most logical print size, won't it?

I belatedly realised that you had the ball coming from the wrong place. He wouldn't tee off between his feet. This is still pretty cheesy, but does some spin blur help?

Excellent. So make a new blank document at those dimensions - 18.9x24.6cm at 300ppi. Then File>Place the PSD of your scan into it. Then resize it so that (as accurately as possible) the edges that you measured (head, leg, ear, ear) touch the sides of the document. Make sure you maintain proportions as you resize, don't let it distort. https://www.damiensymonds.net/2013/02/resizing-photos-in-templates-ps-pse.html Let me know when you've done that.

Well, I found a few, and the ball is just blurry. Which would be realistic, I guess. Can you post the ball file separately, so I can have a play?

Yeah, maybe you're right. I don't know, to be honest.

Oh darn, I'm SO sorry, I didn't even think to check. It's ok, there's an Elements method as well. But for this, I'll also need you to take a horizontal measurement as well. I suggest maybe ear to ear?

Make sure you run CleanMyMac once a month. However, everything there looks good. Have you noticed Bridge doing this funny business with older sets of photos too, or only the one set?

Hi Heather, have you googled "ball flying towards camera" or something like that, to find some inspiration about how it should look?

Ok, that's good news at least. Can you do this for me?

Good, we'll use the PSD of course. So here's what to do: First, select both the layers of the PSD (the two scanned sections) and go to Layer>Smart Object>Convert to Smart Object. This will combine the two layers into one smart layer. Then choose your Crop Tool. Enter the two values you gave me - 24.6cm for the height, and 300 for the resolution. Leave the Width blank: Then draw a tall thin crop marquee, that goes EXACTLY where you took the measurement before - that is, from the top of the top head to the bottom of the bottom leg. Crop it: Then go to Image>Reveal All. The whole of the image will be back again, and now the measurement will be exactly correct. Let me know when you've done that.

Excellent. One more question, do you still have the two scanned parts of the image as two separate layers? Or have you flattened them together? (It doesn't matter either way, I just need to know).

Great. What is your print resolution for your lab? 300ppi?

Told ya Well done. If you want to discuss your Levels work, please post in the class.

Excellent. Next comes the important step of making it exactly the right size. I need you to get a ruler or tape measure, and measure the exact distance here to here (top of top head to bottom of bottom leg):

You must watch this video again. Your culling process is so vital. If you're careless with it, and unworthy photos make it through to your editing process, it's a huge waste of time.

You're doing it perfectly, I promise. You need to be more patient. Keep painting the mask with that 20% brush, and the sprinkles will come.

Jpeg is fine. It doesn't even need to be particularly high quality.

Scan it in two pieces, then? And put them together? It's easy enough to do. If you can get this right, the rest will be SO easy.

Oh heck yes!!!!!!! There's a paper included in the frame? Does it have sample photos printed on it?

First of all, I'd say you'll need to repair the camera-left eye. This will be a whole tricky combination of: Handyman method for the wire mesh pattern on the outside Copying (but not flipping) the pupil and catchlight from the other eye Copying and flipping the lashes (or maybe just cloning) and also the inside area near the nose Cloning the skin under the eye THEN, once that eye is completely repaired, copy and flip the whole thing and try to use it to replace the big glare area on the camera-right side. It's extra tricky because the glasses aren't sitting evenly on his eyes, of course. So there will be plenty of cloning involved too. In short, it's a time-consuming nightmare. After doing the repair on the camera-right side, if you feel it's a bit dodgy (and heck, it probably will be) don't be afraid to lower the opacity of your work to allow some of the original glare to remain. It's natural, after all.