I use the Quick Selection tool for selecting stuff that’s a little complicated, and when I want Photoshop to do most of the work. Get the tool from the Toolbox (it’s nested with the Magic Wand tool; or just press W), simply paint over the object you want selected, and as you paint, it starts selecting. It may look like it’s doing a really bad job at first, but after a moment or two, it reanalyzes the edges of the object and it usually readjusts itself fairly well. It usually won’t make a perfect selection—it’s just supposed to help you make your selections quicker by sensing the edges of things you’re painting over (and the more defined the edge, the better it works). Once it gets fairly close, switch to the Lasso tool (L), press-and-hold the Shift key (to add to what it currently selected), and draw over any areas it missed to add them to your selection. Use the two of these tools together and you’ll save a lot of time.
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