The EASY way to cut out trees in photoshop

In this video you'll learn an easy way to cut out trees in photoshop so you can adjust them separately from their background. This is really useful when you want to change the sky behind the trees, or add contrast or colour to the tree without touching the sky and vice versa.
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Video Originally Published Here:

[@JohnHight3270]

Great tip, Steve, as I watched, I thought you would use a level adjustment to increase the contrast between the tree and sky, but using the burn to was a great alternative to get more control over where the mask is darkened.

[@SteveArnoldPhoto]

Cheers John! If I really think about it, I probably use the D&B tools here (in a layer mask) more than anywhere else. It's super powerful for this purpose.

[@LauraFerguson-j5i]

Good Tutorial.

[@davidrobertson4934]

Maybe you should have discussed refining the colour mask with the use of the Fuzziness and Colour Range sliders. I also think using the brush tool in Overlay mode is better and quicker for refining masks as it will not change pure whites or blacks and it is quicker to toggle between white/black 'paint'. As usually there are many ways in Ps! 🙂

[@shlomoeshet8525]

Looks interesting, this combination of color range and dodge & burn tool. I think I'll give it a try. Thanks.

[@SteveArnoldPhoto]

Awesome, glad to know it may come in useful for you! :D

[@arnoldsee8474]

Thank you for this

[@letsplay8947]

Really great tutorial . Well done man !

[@dbj1113]

hi steve,found this tutorial a bit confusing.when you had the colour range selection open,and you were clicking on the sky,the selections went black.I noticed you had the invert box ticked too.i use this tool in the opposite way as I click with the tools on the area I want to select,which would turn to white in the selection/mask.

[@SteveArnoldPhoto]

Hey Derek, thanks for your comment. You're right, I probably did unintentionally skip over some of the finer details in this one. The invert checkbox being one of those details (along with the fuzziness slider)! If I was thinking more clearly I would have explained how doing it this way around was easier because I didn't have to zoom in and click all the fiddly little branches to create the selection. The sky being mainly just blue and white made it easier and quicker to create the selection because less clicks of the mouse were required. Having the invert box checked can be thought of as "removing colours from the selection". So essentially I "removed" the sky rather than selected the tree.

[@dbj1113]

@@SteveArnoldPhotoI steve,as with most things in photoshop,"many ways to skin a cat".whatever works best.really enjoying and learning from these shorter precise tutorials,cheers mate.

[@AlyseAnna]

I tried this and I get a white outline around the tree and all of its leaves. Any idea how to correct this?

[@carbonarrow7]

How about creating a video on how to single out a tree in other trees to cut out??????????

[@SteveArnoldPhoto]

I may have to channel my inner Penn & Teller for that trick!

[@JM-hc1pf]

Could have at least finished the tutorial for us beginners lol. I'm left with the cut out tree that is not a normal layer image, i need to know how to get my finished, coloured, cut out tree as a normal layer.