Following last week's video teasing the release of a new feature coming to Photoshop CC, Adobe has made the update official. In addition to the 'Focus Masks' feature that we already knew about, today's official announcement brings a host of mostly minor new features including new blur effects, updates to content aware fill, and improvements to tools like smart guides.
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They include:
A new blur filter gallery offering motion effects like spin and path blur
More sophisticated color and texture blending adjustments for content aware fill
'Smarter' smart guides that provide more information about layer positioning
A redesigned color panel
Access to recently used brushes
Experimental feature manager (an opt-in option for trying out pre-release features).
In the video teaser released last week, Zorana Gee, senior Photoshop product manager explains that with the new focus masks feature, Adobe is 'adding a new way to make an automatic selection based [on] pixels that are in focus versus out of focus'. Judging by the very quick walkthrough provided in the video, this feature should be a powerful addition to Photoshop CC's suite of editing tools, especially for fans of shallow depth of field work.
I don't think so about Focus Area. Because, If I make a mask directly from RE function, it would be more faster then it. Yes, we can take it, as an option or need a specific way to use it, properly.
I'd rather they fix, or return the crop tool to previous versions. I don't mind an option for new crop tool, but forcing me to use it is unacceptable. Adobe has killed my workflow, treating me like a pony in their circus.
Canceling my CC subscription soon, now that I'm spending more time back in CS6. Will consider returning when Adobe respects the way I want to work.
Yes I know many of you like the new crop tool. Good for you. Please don't try and convince me that it's good for me. I think it's broken, and affects my bottom line for business hours spent on image editing. Anything that does that gets the boot.
I just downloaded a 30-day trial to try out this selective focused mask. After trying on two photos on a subject with very distinct out of focused background, I was not impressed. Although I did like the new feature of refine mask where I can visually see the smart radius, it is not enough. I will stick to CS6. Looks a lot like the motion blur fix, they cherry pick images that will work in demo.
For me, it works amazing. I was able to isolate a guy with white hair in a near blown out background. You have to use Refine Edge option. Just one slider.
I did do a refine edge, I tried it on two different photos of a subject with different locations. Both had a ton of bokeh with the subject in complete focus. I purposely chose these photos because the subject had wild curly hair, these are photos that give the “Quick Select” tool trouble, and this new focus mask did no better.
One good thing I discovered while trying to get the focus mask to work, CS6 has the same “Show Radius” option and I never noticed it before. +1 more reason to stick with CS6.
Maybe one day Adobe will convince me to get CC, but that day is not here yet. Heck the only reason I have CS6 is because they forced me by not upgrading ACR to support newer cameras. A BS move on their part, as I did not want to add an unnecessary step (DNG Converter) into my workflow.
What a joke, the demise of paid pro photography continues. Not one new feature for the desktop version of Lightroom. Now, all the soccer moms will be sitting on the sidelines, editing their crappy photos on tablets at the expense of them not admitting that they should have hired a real photographer for their daughters wedding. How sad. RIP paid pro photography.
I would sincerely like to think that there is a great deal more separating a professional photographer's product from do-it-yourself efforts than simply access to processing software. If soccer moms are happy with their own snaps manipulated on a tablet then that is fine for them, whether or not you believe they are mistaken. Technology progresses and paradigms shift. Occupations change with those shifts. What happened to the profession of portrait painters when photography became available to the masses?
Adapt to the changing environment or become extinct. It is simply evolution. I'm not sure it is particularly sad, although we may feel loss associated with the changing landscape. It is an unavoidable reality though.
WOW.... 5 from you last 7 comments are copy paste of this one. Are you out of trolling ideas, or is this just your nightmarish thought that doesn't let you sleep? :))
P.S. those who are happy with the photos that take themselves will never hire anybody anyway. 100 years ago you had to hire someone to take you a photo because there were no other means. Now, for a memory a snapshot with the phone is enough. For a family album, a point and shoot is enough (and a lot of fun too).
From a guy that have been working with software most my life: If software can replace what a Pro photographers brings to the table, then they didn't bring much. - But I think they do.
I have been thinking PS needed something like this since I first learned about layer masks. I'm glad adobe has finally done it. It looks like it will be very useful.
Indeed, it is too good to be true, like many other "intelligent" tools that supposedly let you select the hair in a person with a couple of clicks. Those of us who have tried know they don't work despite all the adverts from Adobe and the parroting from reviews and tutorials.
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