The following is a simple and effective way to create a logo from a photograph. It works best with a photo that has a solid background but can be done with nearly any photo.
Step One: Choose a Photo and Open it in Photoshop CS3
Here we have a Hooded Warbler photo.
While the photo has a bit of an “active” background, it still works well for our purposes.
Step Two: Make Your Selection
Choose the Quick Selection (W) tool and click on the area you want for your logo. This tool works exceptionally well and before long, you will have the entire object selected. Create a new layer from this selection (command J on the Mac). You can delete the background layer as long as you are happy with your selection.
Step Three: Apply Artistic Filters
Choose Filter > Artistic > any one you wish. This opens up the various filters in a new window. Each filter has several options so this step will take quite awhile. Choose one that fits your look. You can add other adjustments later as well.
Tip: Always create a copy of the layer you are altering so you can quickly switch between before and after and also revert back to the original.
Step Four: Add Layer Style
Photoshop has various layer styles you can choose from (the little fx in the layers palette) such as drop shadows and bevel/emboss. These can add an extra flare to the logo.
Step Five: Add Text
If you want text with your logo chances are the original image is not sized right for much text. Choose Image > Canvas Size and enlarge the canvas. Making it bigger than necessary is fine because you can crop it after everything is sized right. Choose the Text Tool (T) and pick the size/font/color you want. You can add a layer style to the text as well.
Step Six: Crop and Save
Crop the image tightly around the logo and choose File > Save For Web & Devices. Choose to save as a PNG-24 file and make sure the Transparency box is checked. This will make the logo usable on nearly any background color.
This is the finished logo we created for Birdfreak.com
Items Used for this Process
- Canon Rebel EOS XTi Digital SLR with 100-400mm lens (for the photo)
- Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended
- Macbook Pro
Thesis is the world's best 
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