Cropping for DVD TV

Inventing background where there is none?

James from wonder lake,il, using Photoshop 6.0 after effects 6.5 with xp home sp2, writes in with:

[Quote:] Here's my problem....I have many photos that are 2" wide buy 4" tall (wallet size) that I'm burning to a dvd for a slide show. Because of the size of the pictures not being close to a T.V. 4:3 aspect ratio the pictures have black side bars when viewing them. I was wondering if anyone knows a way to resize the background wider to match the 4:3 ratio? My idea was to remove the subject from the picture then split the picture in 1/2 vertical and then resize the background horizontal on both sides. When I do this Photoshop also resizes the outline where the subject will be placed back in. Is there anyway to have Photoshop retain the subjects outline when resizeing or scaling?? Thanks

Reply:

James, you've got the right idea, but as with so many Photoshop users, you've been spoiled into thinking there is a single-click silver bullet. Sad to say, you will have to do some work.

Your idea is fine up to the point of putting the subject back in. Yes, you'll have to INVENT background image to fill the void left by the subject. No, you can't use the "stretched" subject.

Use the cloning tool, or the patch tool to build-back in some background image that is convincing. By changing that ratio, you've "stretched" the background image, and you will want to pull your patch material from matching areas of pixels. You'll probably also want to sharpen the stretched image a bit too since stretching it has caused some blurring of the image itself.

Perhaps in situations like this the designer may want to develop a different design strategy to utilize the out-of-aspect image so that it doesn't have to be stretched. IMHO.

Comments

[watch friends online]

i did not know you could do this. i will have to try it.

[psytrance_mp3]

Whow, I didn't know anyhow that this'd work.
Thx