Magic Wand Selection Problem

[snelsoninthemtns]

I'm trying to lighten the color  of the cabin only using the magic wand selection tool.

I must have some setting wrong as it chooses much more than just the brown.  My current settings are

Sample Size: Point Sample

Tolerance: 32

Anti-alis (checked)

Contiguous (checked)

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Could you please post a screenshot taken at View > 100% with the pertinent Panels (Layers, Channels, Options Bar, …) visible?

Is »Sample All Layers« checked?

Try reducing the Tolerance setting, some of the trees in the background might be very close to the wood luminance-wise.

[snelsoninthemtns]

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Hitting enter should highlight the Tolerance field immediately, please try a lower setting.

[Terri Stevens · Accepted solution]

what you could do here is make a quick selection with the lasso tool around the cabin then go into Color Range. This is a trick that doesn't seem to be widely known but the Color Range tool will just work on the selected parts of the cabin only and so contamination from the trees and other very dark areas cannot happen. As an example I tried it on your image and it works reasonably well. Off course when you lighten the timbers of the cabin you will highlight noise in the shadows.

[snelsoninthemtns]

Great.  This all was helpful.  I learned a lot.

[Terri Stevens]

my pleasure, come back if you need further help

Terri