Make a Mat in Photoshop

This brown bear mom and cub were taking a break from feeding on the lush early summer grass in Alaska. She was out in the fields with her 3 cubs, but the other two were off munching nearby. When they struck this pose, I knew I had a great mother-baby portrait.

When photographing wildlife, it is safety first, respect and care for the animals second, and getting the shot third. The shot is never more important than your safety, and the well-being of the animals.

I have found the absolute BEST location in Alaska for getting brown bear images up close and personal, and in safety AND comfort. And without tons of other photographers around. We stay in a lovely lodge along the shores of the Cook Inlet in Lake Clark National Park. The 2018 trip has been filled for quite awhile, but the July 2019 trip is now open for registration. It is not listed on the website yet, so if you are interested please email me and I can send you details.

I prepared this image for an upcoming competition, and felt it needed a mat to enhance the portrait feel. It is quick and easy to make a mat in Photoshop. Once the image is optimized and sized, make a new file in Photoshop that measures 3 to 4 inches larger than your image. For example, an 11x14 image would need a new file measuring about 15x18. That will provide space for a 2-inch mat all around. If that is too much mat for your particular image, you can make it smaller.

Copy and paste the image onto the new file, and center it. Use the Eyedropper tool to choose a mat color that goes well with the predominant tone in your image - in this case it was the dark brown of the fur. Just click the eyedropper on the color in the image you want. Then make a new layer and name it "mat." Go to Edit > Fill, Foreground Color, Normal, 100%, and click OK.

Then choose another color from the image that will serve as a thin border (called a keyline) around the image itself. I chose the green of the grass. Use the Marquis tool to trace around the image. The "marching ants" should be visible along the outside edge of the image. Then go to Edit > Stroke. When the dialog box opens, choose a pixel width that is narrow and not obtrusive. Then click inside the color box to add the color you have chosen. For location, choose "center." Blend mode should be "normal" at 100%.

You can always go back and modify your choices if the colors do not look good to you, or if the keyline is too thin or too wide.

TECH SPECS
1/1250 sec., f/8, ISO 400. Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens on Canon 7D Mark II body. Handheld.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "No matter how carefully you plan your goals, they will never be more than pipe dreams unless you pursue them with gusto."  --W. Clement Stone