Expert: LizaL - 7/18/2005

Question
Hi,

I have only started taking digital video with my digital camera. When I shoot a still photo, I use Photoshop to edit.

Say I have a 5 second video... can I slow down or stop the video and be able to use a portion of it as a still photo?

Thanks for your help. Appreciate it. I will be working with Photoshop ver.5.5 on a PC.

Sharon

Answer
Hi Sharon,

I'd be happy to help you, but this is a Photoshop forum, not a digital video forum, which is where I think you need to post your question.

The answer to your question is yes, if you're able to input your digital video to your computer, you should be able to isolate a frame to use as a still. In fact, you can import small video files to ImageReady (the companion, Web- and bitmap graphic editor to Photoshop) to use as animated GIF files, and knowing this, I'm sure you could isolate a frame.  But this capability in ImageReady is only for versions 7 and higher.

If there's another way to do it in early versions of Photoshop, I'm not aware of it.

So what you might have to wind up doing is inputting your digital video from your camera, and using a different software package in order to capture a still. Just what package that would be, I don't know -- which is why I would suggest you post this question to a video forum. I don't work with video.


Sorry I couldn't help, but try these places:
1.     http://webdesign.templatemonster.com/web/photoshop/tutorials/how-to-import-video...

I'm not sure if that long link will work, since I found it on a search -- if not, go to
http://webdesign.templatemonster.com/

and search under Photoshop > Tutorials.


2.     This Video University place has a lot of what look like helpful links.
http://videouniversity.com/

In fact, they have an area for Photoshop and video, but just skimming over it, it looks like they're talking about going from computer to camera, and not vice-versa. But it might be worth checking out.


Lisa