Photoshop's Different Selection Tools and When to Use Each One to Select Anything

One of the most fundamental skills almost any photographer needs to have in Photoshop is the ability to accurately and efficiently select parts of an image. This helpful video will introduce you to Photoshop's various selection tools and explain which to use in different situations.

Coming to you from Nemanja Sekulic, this helpful tutorial will introduce you to the various methods of creating selections in Photoshop and when and how to use each of them. Half the battle of creating precise selections is knowing which tool is going to work best in a given situation, as there's no option that works every time, and each tool is designed to specifically address a certain quality or parameter. In other words, it's important to think about the properties of what you'd like to select, as this will guide you in choosing the correct option. And of course, being able to make good selections is pivotal to editing, not just for things like compositing, but also for selectively applying adjustments to an image (masking). Of all the tools, the Pen tool seems to give people the most trouble, so if you'd like a little extra practice, be sure to read this article as well.

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Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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2 Comments

If I hadn't had experimented with each of these techniques before I would be completely overwhelmed right now. But for the semi advanced PS user this is a great reminder of all the tools you have at your disposal.

This tutorial reminded me of how incredibly sophisticated and thorough Photoshop is. Unfortunately, it also reminded me that as an older photographer, it takes more focus (catch the pun) than I can expend in one session. Great job, Nemanja. Really appreciated.