SAM McCARTY PHOTOGRAPHY

STILL LIFE by sammccarty.com

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I've always been here. You just haven't seen me. #carvingagiant #PNW #theserialist

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Refining Masks Using Maximum and Minimum Filter

In the filters pull down menu there are some tools besides the refine mask tools, that can help correct layer masks. Especially when there is a specific part of the mask that is particularly bothersome. The maximum and minimum filters. They work with masks similar to the shift edge tool in the refine mask dialog box, except you can target specific portions of the mask to adjust.

If there was a part of a mask that I couldn't target precisely that I wanted to adjust such as here:

The mask edge in places needs to either be feathered in or out, but isn't quite equally so all around. In this case I would use one of the selection tools, in this case the lasso tool, to select portions of the mask I want to adjust.

On the layer with the mask I'm working on, I just select the edge that I want to target. Once I've made the selection, I go to the filters pull down menu to "Other" where you'll find the minimum and maximum filters. Minimum works to shift the edge inward and maximum works to feather the edge out. One may work better that the other regardless of what you're trying to do, it seems to depend on the situation.

After I've applied the filter to the targeted portion of the mask, there is subtle, but overall impactful difference in the accuracy and realism of the mask. These filters prove to be extremely useful tools when compositing or masking unusual or highly contoured shapes.