I love the way you teach and educate in a manner that myself and I believe many others would learn from easily. Awesome video man, love your stuff. keep up the great work
Wow. Your videos have been really helpful. This one has me scratching my head though. I've followed along and everything was working as expected until I got to the step where you right click the layer mask and choose "select and mask" from the drop down menu. I have my foreground layer on top so when I follow this step it starts to erase the starry sky that I had previously brushed in instead of filling the seam between the foreground and starry sky layers. I'm not sure I explained myself well or not. I've tried it a few times and keep getting the same results.
I get what you're saying... it sounds like the program is switching your black and white around so instead of removing the remainder of the foreground sky its putting it back in. Which photoshop version are you using? There might be a button / switch that is selected when you are doing the select and mask, but I'm not exactly sure.
I got an easy 2 images to blend to together I am up to select and mask but when I brush over it, nothing happens that I can see? Its not masking anything out
hey Mike, great video! You talked about fine tuning to get rid of the glowing edge by using a smaller brush, but you did show what you were doing there. Can you explain what you meant ? I'm heading off to joshua tree in just a couple of days and really want to shoot a star trails shot
Thats awesome, its such a cool place there!! So what you want to do is really zoom in at 200 - 400% and use a really small brush to paint away the foreground sky so the background sky (star trails) looks natural. The more zoomed in and smaller the brush, the more accurate and realistic the blend will look. It can be tedious but it will be well worth it for the final product.
I love your videos and I find them very informative! I am having a problem with the select and mask step though, when I do this, it actually does the opposite of what I want done? (It brings in the old background instead of the new one) can you help me figure out what I am doing wrong? Thanks!
Thank you for watching! That sounds like it is inverting some how. In the select and mask dialogue box that opens there is a "clear selection" and "invert" button... try clicking that invert button to see what happens. It's hard for me to tell exactly whats going on without seeing whats going on so if that doesn't work you can make a video of the steps you are taking and send it to me (or post it as a response video) so I can take a look. It would be easier for me to figure out the problem. Thanks again and hopefully we can solve that issue! Take care - Mike -
That sounds like it is inverting some how. In the select and mask dialogue box that opens there is a "clear selection" and "invert" button... try clicking that invert button to see what happens. It's hard for me to tell exactly whats going on without seeing whats going on so if that doesn't work you can make a video of the steps you are taking and send it to me (or post it as a response video) so I can take a look. It would be easier for me to figure out the problem. Thanks - Mike-
It could be multiple reasons, so it’s hard for me to tell with out seeing first hand. Your best bet is to make sure you have the latest update or try to use an older version if the latest update is giving you issues. Lastly contact Adobe with the issue. Thanks
@@Milkywaymike I definitely have the latest version, as I just did an update a few days ago. Is there another method for blending the horizon smoothly?
Try locking the background pic with the lock on/off check box where the layers are located. Make sure the layer you are trying to move is the layer that is selected as well. Hopefully that helps...
I'm currently using CS6, how would I go about making the final step? (I don't seem to have the Select and mask option?) Otherwise a very useful tutorial. Thanks
Thanks for watching! CS6 has an option to edit the mask that is the same as ("Select and Mask"). CS6 is called "Refine Edge" which will bring you to the same menu as select and mask. Here is a video showing the CS6 refine edge. ruclips.net/video/LNDawv-01sU/видео.html
You can try but it won't look as good since the north star is pretty critical to achieve the effect. You can do normal star trails without the north star in the photo.
Hi Mike - were you not able to get the foreground during photos of the star trails? Great tutorial - I just am not sure why it was necessary to make a composite.
Thanks for watching and good question! Normal star trails you do not need to composite since the lens is staying still while shooting the stars. However spiral star trails are done by rotating your lens slowly or using software that mimics rotating your lens slowly. Either method you are essentially adding movement to your pictures. This movement will blur the whole image, including the foreground. So if I shot these star trails with the tree in my foreground I would get a blurry mess of that tree when I go to make the spiral star trails. To avoid this we take the picture of the foreground first then move the camera behind the tree so you do not have and large objects that will mess up your star trail. Hope this makes more sense now! Thanks again!
Not everyone is going to like the music options I choose... and it was such a small part the the video in its entirety. Did you come here to learn or for a 15 second outro? lol
Milky Way Mike I came here to learn but the outro just killed the mood you know what I'm saying? besides you choose what to show others what YOU want to show if you are gonna make videos depending on what the people want then what makes you stand out? Just saying. I really admire your work share it. That's why didn't expect this silly mistake from you that's all.
I appreciate your support and opinions. I am limited with free music from youtube so I picked songs that I like. I am a photographer first and a video creator second so I still have a learning curve. Music is subjective and I'm sorry you did not enjoy my choice, but I will keep it in mind for future videos. Enjoy your day buddy!
Recently went to capture a star trail, saw your colorful star trail tutorial didn't capture like Lincoln Harrison obviously but yep it was indeed colorful thank you so much for that tutorial though
Thats awesome! Lincoln Harrison has such a great star trail technique and I need to try it one day. I think the secret is to shoot for 8-12 hours long like he does.
![How To Make Stars Smaller in Adobe Photoshop [For Beginners!]](/img/1.gif)
I love doing star trail and always having trouble with the foreground. Now that i watched your tutorial this is really a big help to me. Thanks again!
These two tutorials are amazing!!! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!! appreciate the kind words!
I love the way you teach and educate in a manner that myself and I believe many others would learn from easily. Awesome video man, love your stuff. keep up the great work
Really appreciate it!! Thanks a lot. CHEERS!
It's faster if you find and clean up the individual frames that have plane trails before you make your star trail stack.
really helpful Mike!!
Subbed. Thanks for the great content man.
No problem!! Appreciate the feedback! Have good day
I think I love you. Thank you!!
LOL...
Wow. Your videos have been really helpful. This one has me scratching my head though. I've followed along and everything was working as expected until I got to the step where you right click the layer mask and choose "select and mask" from the drop down menu. I have my foreground layer on top so when I follow this step it starts to erase the starry sky that I had previously brushed in instead of filling the seam between the foreground and starry sky layers. I'm not sure I explained myself well or not. I've tried it a few times and keep getting the same results.
I get what you're saying... it sounds like the program is switching your black and white around so instead of removing the remainder of the foreground sky its putting it back in. Which photoshop version are you using? There might be a button / switch that is selected when you are doing the select and mask, but I'm not exactly sure.
Milky Way Mike I’m using CC and it’s updated to latest version. Thank you.
@@Milkywaymike Still having the same problem he did.
I got an easy 2 images to blend to together I am up to select and mask but when I brush over it, nothing happens that I can see? Its not masking anything out
lovely
Thanks! :)
hey, your video is really great. Unfortunately, that doesn't work anymore with Photoshop 2021 or am I doing something wrong?
Unfortunately programs change recommend using sky replacement instead
hey Mike, great video! You talked about fine tuning to get rid of the glowing edge by using a smaller brush, but you did show what you were doing there. Can you explain what you meant ?
I'm heading off to joshua tree in just a couple of days and really want to shoot a star trails shot
Thats awesome, its such a cool place there!! So what you want to do is really zoom in at 200 - 400% and use a really small brush to paint away the foreground sky so the background sky (star trails) looks natural. The more zoomed in and smaller the brush, the more accurate and realistic the blend will look. It can be tedious but it will be well worth it for the final product.
I love your videos and I find them very informative! I am having a problem with the select and mask step though, when I do this, it actually does the opposite of what I want done? (It brings in the old background instead of the new one) can you help me figure out what I am doing wrong? Thanks!
Same issue here.
Thank you for watching! That sounds like it is inverting some how. In the select and mask dialogue box that opens there is a "clear selection" and "invert" button... try clicking that invert button to see what happens.
It's hard for me to tell exactly whats going on without seeing whats going on so if that doesn't work you can make a video of the steps you are taking and send it to me (or post it as a response video) so I can take a look. It would be easier for me to figure out the problem. Thanks again and hopefully we can solve that issue! Take care - Mike -
That sounds like it is inverting some how. In the select and mask dialogue box that opens there is a "clear selection" and "invert" button... try clicking that invert button to see what happens.
It's hard for me to tell exactly whats going on without seeing whats going on so if that doesn't work you can make a video of the steps you are taking and send it to me (or post it as a response video) so I can take a look. It would be easier for me to figure out the problem. Thanks - Mike-
I have the same problem, and i have CC, and the clear selection and invert button is not there?
solved it. I pressed "invert" in the mask properties, then painted, then inverted again,
When I right click on the layer mask, select and mask, it doesn't let me paint in the blend. Why is that?
It could be multiple reasons, so it’s hard for me to tell with out seeing first hand. Your best bet is to make sure you have the latest update or try to use an older version if the latest update is giving you issues. Lastly contact Adobe with the issue. Thanks
@@Milkywaymike I definitely have the latest version, as I just did an update a few days ago. Is there another method for blending the horizon smoothly?
When I click on the Star Trails pic to move on the bottom, PS keeps clicking back to the background pic at the top to move. What am I doing wrong??
Try locking the background pic with the lock on/off check box where the layers are located. Make sure the layer you are trying to move is the layer that is selected as well. Hopefully that helps...
I'm currently using CS6, how would I go about making the final step? (I don't seem to have the Select and mask option?) Otherwise a very useful tutorial. Thanks
Thanks for watching! CS6 has an option to edit the mask that is the same as ("Select and Mask"). CS6 is called "Refine Edge" which will bring you to the same menu as select and mask. Here is a video showing the CS6 refine edge. ruclips.net/video/LNDawv-01sU/видео.html
Thanks for the quick reply. I will give this a try now. cheers
Can you do it even in not northern star??
You can try but it won't look as good since the north star is pretty critical to achieve the effect. You can do normal star trails without the north star in the photo.
Hi Mike - were you not able to get the foreground during photos of the star trails? Great tutorial - I just am not sure why it was necessary to make a composite.
Thanks for watching and good question! Normal star trails you do not need to composite since the lens is staying still while shooting the stars. However spiral star trails are done by rotating your lens slowly or using software that mimics rotating your lens slowly. Either method you are essentially adding movement to your pictures. This movement will blur the whole image, including the foreground. So if I shot these star trails with the tree in my foreground I would get a blurry mess of that tree when I go to make the spiral star trails. To avoid this we take the picture of the foreground first then move the camera behind the tree so you do not have and large objects that will mess up your star trail. Hope this makes more sense now! Thanks again!
Ah, right. Silly question now that I think about it. Thanks again!
Adam Feigs No worries, ask away anytime! Hopefully you get to try out this technique soon! Good Luck
That outro could have been better. I mean its such a soothing timelapse why Bang EDM on that?
Not everyone is going to like the music options I choose... and it was such a small part the the video in its entirety. Did you come here to learn or for a 15 second outro? lol
Milky Way Mike I came here to learn but the outro just killed the mood you know what I'm saying? besides you choose what to show others what YOU want to show if you are gonna make videos depending on what the people want then what makes you stand out? Just saying. I really admire your work share it. That's why didn't expect this silly mistake from you that's all.
I appreciate your support and opinions. I am limited with free music from youtube so I picked songs that I like. I am a photographer first and a video creator second so I still have a learning curve. Music is subjective and I'm sorry you did not enjoy my choice, but I will keep it in mind for future videos. Enjoy your day buddy!
Recently went to capture a star trail, saw your colorful star trail tutorial didn't capture like Lincoln Harrison obviously but yep it was indeed colorful thank you so much for that tutorial though
Thats awesome! Lincoln Harrison has such a great star trail technique and I need to try it one day. I think the secret is to shoot for 8-12 hours long like he does.