To see how this image was created, download this file and open in Adobe Photoshop

People pay good money for images of various items – some common and a lot uncommon, that can be used in presentations, slapped onto a photograph, used as a visual decoration, etc. This is actually a very typical application when it comes to product placement in many advertisements. A photographer takes a generic shot of a group of people sitting around a table. And, in the foreground resides an overly large, proudly displayed bag of Doritos, an icy cold can of Pepsi, some sort of tool, a smart phone, etc. Some objects can be found on the Internet and people will grab them and use them at will. But, sometimes, we need an object (our favorite coffee cup is a good example) to be at a certain angle, a certain color, a certain style, and the Internet doesn’t have everything we need. In that situation, we turn to our trusty camera, grab our favorite coffee cup, some good lighting, and go to work. We now have the object we want. But, we also have unwanted things too…like the background. We really like the cup. We really don’t’ like the background.

Here’s the plan: Object Extrapolation. This is the process where we use Adobe Photoshop’s Pen Tool to keep what we want and ditch the rest.

I took a photograph of my favorite coffee in the whole wide world - Krispy Kreme Bold

I want to eliminate the background from this image. So, I use Photoshop's Pen Tool to draw/carve around it (be sure that Path - not Shape - is selected on the Properties Bar)

Now, using the Pen Tool, I create a path around the object I want to keep.

When I have finished drawing around the object with the Pen Tool, I right click on the Path and select "Make Selection." This will cause the object to be "Selected."

On the Layers panel, select "Add a Mask" at the bottom of the panel. 

This is what I got for my trouble.

I like the outcome. But, there is a lot of extra, dead-space around the Krispy Kreme cup. So, I need to crop it. On my Tool Bar, I selected the "Crop Tool" and then closed up the area around the cup.

When I get the cup area to the place I like it, I hit "Enter" and all that extra space is trimmed out.

I ended up saving this item as "krispy_kreme_coffee.PSD" (PSD = PhotoShop Document) and "krispy_kreme_coffe.PNG" (PNG = "Portable Network Graphic").

Create a new folder in your Digital Photography folder and call it "Product Placement"

Download this file into your "Product Placement" folder

Now, repeat the same process that was presented to you in the "Example" tab.

If you need help working the Pen Tool in Photoshop, watch this video (I made it myself)

• Create a new folder in your Digital Photography folder and title it "Product Placement"
• Shoot sixteen images of items of your choice
  • Twelve (12) of your images will be straight-on shots (like the Krispy Kreme practice example) - These images will need to be "extrapolated," using the Pen Tool and Masking.
  • Four of your shots will be "action" shots (where the product is being used in some way)
  • Use the best lighting, focus, etc.
  • All of your objects have to be a product of some sort (it could be a box of Mac n Cheese, a container of Morton Salt, a bag of Doritos, a can of Pepsi, a six-pack of A&W Root Beer, etc - or, whatever. We will be using these in a future assignment). 
• Upload your photos to your Product Placement folder.
• Open your photos in PhotoShop (in Bridge, you can right-click on any of them and select "Open With..." and then select Photoshop) and perform the Extrapolation method (like what you read about above)
• Save your images in two different formats (PSD and PNG) with an appropriate name to reflect the image. For example, I named my Krispy Kreme Coffee as "krispy_kreme_coffee.PSD" and then resaved it as "krispy_kreme_coffe.PNG"

Create an advertisement for each and every product/item that you have extrapolated/masked. 

1. Use six of the extrapolated/masked image as the centerpiece for your advertisement (one image per advertisement - so, you will have a total of six different ads created when you are finished)
2. Use layers to create a sense of dimension (foreground vs background)
3. Add text as part of the advertisement
4. Use Layer FX and Adjustment layers to create a new Ad
5. All ads must be school appropriate (clean)

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