YouTube photo editing videos

[Xhris]

I've made a few YouTube videos recently discussing how to perform some common editing tasks on photos that pixel editing software such as Photoshop is often suggested to be used for (often as an unimaginative, automatic reflex in the use of the buzz term: "just photoshop it"). It is often simpler and quicker to do such tasks in Xara.

These videos show how, in principle, you re-colour eyes or hair, how you crop out regions of photos, how you remove red eye, and how you 'heal' photos in Xara.

[steve.ledger]

Very nice Xhris.. Now all you need to devise is a Xara method for 'seam carving'
You have a good clear voice.. Good clear instructions with only one very minor criticism (and one that I am also very guilty of when instructing customers on basic computer operation) which is the 'speed' you try get your message across... It's easy to run over things as fast as your brain works, but the listener can miss points because they are still comprehending the presvious one
I have to always try and remember to work and speak a little s l o w e r, else I end up with customers having a glazed over look in their eyes and support calls for then next week!
The advantage of YouTube of course is that the listener can repeat the video's as often as they like without tiring the instructor.

With your vid titled: Cropping or extracting regions of bitmaps in Xara.
I felt it came to an abrupt end without a conclusion?
I expected to see the dog placed on an alternative background?

[Xhris]

With your vid titled: Cropping or extracting regions of bitmaps in Xara.
I felt it came to an abrupt end without a conclusion?
I expected to see the dog placed on an alternative background?

Yeah, I was going to load it into another bitmap but I couldn't think of a good bitmap to put it on at that moment, so I stopped recording. Anyway, it made the point well enough hopefully. Oh, and the sound stopped suddenly because I said something at the end which sounded stupid and was repetative, so I silenced it during editing. Does sound a bit odd...might re-record it when I get a minute...

[Albacore]

Hi Xhris,
Had a look at all the vids, really liked the "Open filled Shapes". That's a easier way of doing it than I have used in the past. Thanks for your hard work & info, good work. Also thank you for shortening your sig,
Cheers
Peter

[handrawn]

Thanks for all the work Xhris - appreciated

Interesting accent you have there - always nice to hear someones voice.

[ss-kalm]

Thanks Xhris, I just watched the "Open Filled Shapes" video, and have learn't quite a bit in a short piece of time. Of course, I can forget them just as quickly, and will have to watch the video again a few times.

[Xhris]

With your vid titled: Cropping or extracting regions of bitmaps in Xara.
I felt it came to an abrupt end without a conclusion?
I expected to see the dog placed on an alternative background?

I've redone it now.

What did you mean by 'seam carving'?

[steve.ledger]

Seam Carving, also known as 'Re Targetting' is a fairly new and still under development method of image resizing which remain aware of the content.

Here's a YouTube Vid to explain it better

PS: Love the "Honey I shrunk the pups" conclusion to the vid

[Xhris]

Oh yeah, I remember this. There's no way of doing this in Xara 3.2! It needs to be programmed in (as I'm sure you were aware).

[steve.ledger]

Of course - hence the 'wink' in post#2

PS: There is a free demo Photoshop plugin available here. Unfortunately it doesn't load in XaraXtreme becuase it runs from Photoshops 'Automate' option under the 'File' menu rather than 'Filters'.
The plugin is restricted to images no wider than 640x*. However it works very well