How to Add Birds to Photos in Photoshop

I Guarantee I Can Teach You to Master Photoshop. Learn How: phlearn.com/aaronwillteachyou
Our #1 PRO Tutorial ever is now on Sale! phlearn.com/rtyoutube
How to Add Birds to Photos in Photoshop
Birds can add a bit of whimsy and movement to a photo and adding them couldn’t be easier! Learn how in today’s episode.
How to Select and Mask Birds
The first step to adding birds is finding a photo of flying birds. In this example we use an image from Adobe Stock but you can use any image that suits your needs.
First, make a rough selection around the birds you want to transfer from one image to another. Use the lasso tool to draw a selection around the birds then use the move tool to transfer them to another document.
Next it is time to cut the birds out from their background. The easiest way to do this is by going to ‘Select - Color Range’ and choosing the color of the sky behind the birds. If you need to addd to the selected area, click on the PLUS Eyedropper tool and add more areas of sky.
Keep in mind-dark areas will not be selected, light areas will be selected.
After creating a good selection of the sky, hit ok, and load it as a layer mask on the bird layer. You will need to invert the layer mask which can be done by hitting ‘CTRL/CMD + I’ or going to ‘Image - Adjustments - Invert’.
You should now see only birds on the new background!
How to Color-Correct Birds
Because the birds are surrounded by the blue of the sky, it is important to color correct the birds to fit the new sky.
Duplicate the background layer and place it over the birds and set the blending mode to ‘Hue’. This will bring the color of the sky into the birds and allow everything to blend together!
VISIT PHLEARN.COM FOR MORE FREE TUTORIALS
phlearn.com
SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR MORE FREE TIPS AND TRICKS
kzbin.info_c...
GET FREE TUTORIALS SENT TO YOUR EMAIL + DISCOUNTS ON OUR PRO TUTORIALS!
phlearn.com/mail
LET'S BE FRIENDS!
Instagram ► / phlearn
Facebook ► / phlearn
Twitter ► / phlearn
Google+ ► plus.google.com/1167910980592...
Phlearn ► phlearn.com
Did you know there is a lot more to PHLEARN than KZbin? phlearn.com/more
~-~~-~~~-~~-~
~-~~-~~~-~~-~

[@Krismap]

Man, I wish I had your skills! Nice job.

[@LayneRussell]

Exactly what I needed. Thank you!

[@arohila]

Just what I was looking for. Best site ever.

[@FotoandFun]

Hi Aaron, Love your tutorials. They are very informative and clear. Thank you!!

[@jennifergreathousewellness]

People like you make me so happy! I wanted so badly to find out how to add a bat and a skull for my photo. This is giving me so much help to figuring it all out. Thank you.

[@DaveStealsTheShow]

That was AWESOME!!

[@JeffOates]

I am on my feet!!! Well done! Standing ovation!

[@lucapace8136]

super smooth video. cheers mate.

[@rthairlines]

YES. After all these years. Finally the "birds section" !!! YAY. Seen so many photos in the FB Phlearn group that have birds in it ;)

[@hakamsoufan]

Every day we learn .. new things ... thank you

[@thajmulhussain4113]

your way of teaching so amazing dude.good works

[@priba11]

thank you man ... good video,,its help me

[@alexca2007]

Fantastic.... so simple... so productive...

[@bas2362]

I made a brush for this, looks awesome! Great tutorial tho! Has been a while man! Keep it up!!

[@review5788]

thank you so much....this are so easy steps.

[@Shotokan_Greenland]

brilliant! thank you!

[@rererhman6826]

Thank you .. nice idea

[@rodolfodelossantos6138]

Thank you, This really helped me

[@mightymuffinful]

Thank you very much for your wonderful tutorials. You definitely make learning fun. :)

[@StinkyDustyBird]

Badass! Ty

[@rubenhernandez7744]

great video one of the best

[@AnthonyJohnston1]

phanphreakingtastic. you made this so simple

[@isuruekanayake9796]

Perfectly explained

[@justwillc]

Hi Aaron. I've been away for some time but things are back on a more even keel. As ever, you have really whetted the ol' appetite matey. Good to see you keeping well 👍🏼

[@lehang1518]

So useful for me. Thank you so much :3

[@danielandrejkovics9927]

good explanation man, thank you for your videos :) bell knocked out

[@joeltjames4942]

awesome tutorial...I did that with perfection

[@anghelov]

Thanks man!

[@faresgraphicdesigner4452]

Really you 're good man

[@amateurphotographer1096]

Brilliant tutorial

[@baryafe]

Really nice tutorial, clear and amazing as always! Thank you #Phlearn

[@marcelofonte]

Excelente aula, parabéns!

[@user-op3bp7tl5r]

Thank you. It is a good lesson. For me it is a new skill

[@notman05]

Good tip, on the opacity, for distant objects

[@user-ok4de6ei6s]

thank u sir.nice way of teaching sir.

[@teddypapastirling7914]

You save my career life Every. Single. Day xx

[@shadzscape]

thank you so much, very helpful. I used to use brush tool to add birds! this technique much easier and looks more legit 👌😊

[@kellychintali5849]

THIS IS AMAZING TRICK

[@BuntyBS]

Thanks very very much

[@westonerdmann2375]

SO COOL.😃🌆

[@paul_neff]

I love this guy

[@HEREONOUTBAILEY]

Excellent tutorial, Aaron - Thank you. I would love to see you post a tutorial on how to turn on window lights in Photoshop. For example, shooting a building at night then somehow illuminating the rooms in back in Photoshop. Many thanks :)

[@FatehMuhammadRaja]

awesome sir g

[@UniverseNewsToday]

Thank so much

[@gustinefm]

Thanks for the tutorial. Definitely useful. Btw, enjoyed the joke of the siren. lol

[@akashadearg-due1435]

Fantastic

[@shiearco]

very good 😊

[@3CDesigner]

i like, thks

[@elian3084]

Great tutorial! I would've pushed things even further by adding some subtle blurry shadows on the surface of the water under those birds, but that's just me and my OCD...

[@VerzoProductions]

I just wanted to say that this format of tutorials is perfect, thank you

[@ilost2037]

8th view. nice video aaron

[@Arcane36]

Great video. I just could not stop looking at the blue line that was over the tree, which you forgot to erase :D

[@101jumpit]

Nice 1 Aaron.(Y)

[@FourHimphotography]

Hey Aron! Phlearn has been such an amazing learning tool. I do have one question. I've been watching some of your camera raw episodes. Every time you upload a photo into photoshop, do you always upload it first in camera raw? Also do you always choose 16 bit?

[@nikoszisidisgrmstudio]

hey!! you are my favorite! you make it look so easy...!! by the way what kind of camera you use to film this tutorial?

[@SankarDas-tg4bz]

thanku so muh

[@YesThatJoeyBurton]

Thought of Portlandia's "put a bird a bird on it" the second I saw my Phlearn subscriber email. Didn't think Aaron could get cooler, but...

[@prashantkumarparmanu]

thanks

[@Mung1983]

Hi Aaron, I love your videos. One question. Can we use the paint bucket tool to fill according to a brush? Does that question make sense. Suppose I made a brush with a texture I really like but I want to fill the space I have with that exact same texture easily. Does the paint bucket tool allow is to do this? Cheers mate and please check my other comments about other suggestions.

[@art8601]

Thank you for sharing this video. I follow your instructions and could manage it. one thing couldn't do it , at the end you showed us if we don't need birds can delete it i can not make it.

[@elpidiogallardo4502]

You are pretty good young boy, You are the best

[@MarcyUnlimited]

Good Job.... Do U guys Photoshop videos as well.

[@almaenismnfh9124]

hi aaron, i love to play with curves, but you know i don't really understand that much, i mean when i should decrese or increase the curve or what the difference between RED GREEN BLUE and also the affect when i make a 'dot' thing along the line. please explain this one, cz i use curves tool often. \ thx

[@nekulai1]

thks..

[@CivilizedMenKilledMe]

change blending mode to hue... Why I didnt think this before?

[@terrahappy2558]

Hi Aaron! This may be a silly question but can you make a video for beginner level using digital background? If you have one already great! please let me know. I have a picture of my kids that I would like to place in a autumn digital background. My issues is I can't get it to look real. I dont know enough of PS to do so. I wanted to reach out and see if you could help me out. Thanks

[@Kitbb77]

I have photoshop elements 15, so it doesn’t have the color range option. Is their an alternative option to use?

[@rferstahl]

I have a doubt In a non-related matter: which file format is better for exporting from Lightroom to finish retouching in Photoshop? TIFF, PSD or any other?

[@thinman1934]

I need a "Photoshop correct siren". Thanks for a great tutorial.

[@orihanstudio]

Hi, can you make one episode how to make panorama around the circle, known as tiny planets? Thank you and all the best!

[@TomWindeknecht]

I like how you duplicated the main image and switched the layer style to Hue, to color match the birds, to the colors in the scene.

[@DrStoCazzo]

can you show us a disintegration effect?

[@jokester11]

does anyone know what to do when you black on the brush tool, but it is white on black? and it wont go black on white, new to photoshop. Thanks!

[@abdullahazzamakram1439]

Mr.. can you make a video for HOW TO MAKE FACIAL FEATURES POP OUT WITH RETOUCHING

[@ArunVishnuFilms]

can someone please tell me the name of that iphone app to add birds to background.

[@jimbobaroobud]

As you mentioned, the birds were flying in the blue sky, so there was blue reflected on them. When you selected out the sky using Color Range, you also selected out some of the bird parts that were blue. Shouldn't you paint over the birds in the Layer Mask with white to show the whole bird before you place the Hue Layer over the bird layer?

[@MPhoto04742]

Since summer is over and fall is here I am having issues with clients with tan lines, how about a video to show how to get rid of them

[@sarahorbiso504]

how you made that there are two pictures on the same page? 😊😊

[@DavidThomasScorbal]

Aaron watches Portlandia. If I wasn't already subbed, I'd sub just for that comment.

[@Noobiebro]

Can you put the links of the photos you use? Bird Photo and the couple?

[@faruqueabdullah6053]

Hi PHLEARN. It's a great tutorial indeed. Can you make a tutorial on how to add Fog in photoshop? Regards Faruque (India)

[@JimBCameron]

Bit pedantic, but shouldn't you also slightly blur the birds if you're reducing them to look like they're in the background to imply the camera focus?

[@marlz99]

yep

[@niels6090]

Depends on the photo you want to blend. In the exaple he used, with the sea in the background, there can be a bit of a hazy atmosphere. So reducing their opacity and thus saturation & contrast values makes them blend in quite well. Feel free to use a bit of a blur though, the more subtle touches you use the better things come together.

[@buraksavas2722]

is't more correct if ı make clipping mask to mask which is hue blending mode

[@mohammedessam3698]

how i can get the picture of birds

[@dovu3199]

Please help, I do not know the calibration parameters in Table Hue / how this stauration Hue/saturation Preset kind: Custom without colorize adjustment: Hue/saturation adjustment list hue/saturation adjustment local range: 5 Begin ramp: 195 begin sustain: 225 end sustain: 225 end ramp: 285 hue:0 saturation:-100 lightness:0

[@KrizSykx]

that bird joke xD hahahaha

[@kyouninja]

The second your siren went off, mine did too. I'm in Moscow. o_o

[@melpomenathemuse]

But what in case birds contain same color as background? How to solve that?

[@ThoMaster]

The line from the lasso tool still shows pls help

[@CommeDesDoni]

Thomas Holthe please help! Haven’t found a fix for this

[@adamwarrenmedia7954]

I had the same problem!

[@Dewlissa1]

I'm not sure if you've already gotten an answer but you will need to increase your feather to about 30 or so

[@simoreslabbert4641]

mine does not have it :(

[@bkamau909]

Phearn for prez. maestro. I'll see you at max

[@art8601]

Enjoy this video and learn....

[@aditvw]

can you send me the photo? I couldn't find hd birds pic:(

[@paflagonian]

Your Joke, can you repeat please LOL!

[@khalidhassani6173]

i would have the same result with only a brush.

[@willy2511]

Aaron seems totally not okay with those sirens.

[@Ivan-pi6ur]

A

[@FredHuider]

+phlearn getting back to basic (low level) tutorials? It's good that you wanna help new photoshop users...but, don't forget to post some more advance stuff, once and a while...keep it interesting for all your viewers, please.

[@GrzyFF]

instagram.com/p/BKqmfsFgDfe/ How to do that soft look on photos? :

[@muhammadnazrul9371]

The last bird is flying with one wing lol