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Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Photoshop Secrets Of The Pros

Discover new ways to enhance images using this classic editing program

Labels: How-To

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There’s no shortage of options when it comes to using Adobe Photoshop to improve the quality of your nature photography. Photoshop is, after all, the standard by which all other image-editing software programs are measured. The challenge is that because it’s such a dense application, exploring and mastering all of the tools and techniques it offers can take a long time. So we asked some longtime OP contributors to share their top tips. From quick fixes to more creative uses, consider the following advice the next time you open up Photoshop.

1 Emphasize Your Subject. Cameras don’t see the world the way we do. Sometimes we need to bring that camera’s image back to the emphasis we saw when we photographed a subject. The best way to do this without changing the details of the photo is to make most of the photo darker than the subject and use adjustment layers and layer masks. Follow these steps, and even if you don’t know layers and layer masks, you’ll get good results (plus, you’ll learn about layer masks).

1. Use the Elliptical Selection tool to circle your subject.
2. Invert that selection so that everything except the subject is selected (Select > Inverse).
3. Add a Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer, click OK). This automatically gives you a layer mask based on the selection.
4. Adjust brightness to -30 (this isn’t critical and can be changed at any time).
5. The edge is obvious. Go to Filter > Gaussian Blur and use at least 100 pixels for the slider. This will vary depending on your photo. (You may have to lighten the whole image with Curves or Levels at this point, too.)
6. Click the eye icon of this layer on and off to see the difference.
—Rob Sheppard

2 Simple, Editable Dodge And Burn. I do this to almost every image, whether I’m working on a small touch-up or spending hours enhancing highlights and darkening shadows, to get contrast, very selectively, into specific areas of an image.

1. Create a new layer in your Layers palette. Option-click (Alt-click on a PC) the Create a New Layer icon in the bottom of the Layers window (it’s the one right next to the Garbage Can icon). This opens up a dialog box.
2. Change the mode to Overlay, then check the Fill with Overlay-neutral color (50% gray) box. Click OK. You’ll see a gray layer.
3. Use the Brush tool (soft-edged) and set it to a very low Opacity. I prefer settings from 2 to 6 percent.
4. On the new layer, paint with white to lighten areas and black to darken. Because you’re on a new layer, it’s completely editable. Build up areas slowly for a more natural look.
—Daryl Benson

3 Creating Borders. An image begins and ends at its edges. I’ve spent years collecting tattered paper fringes, Polaroid edges and postcard borders, and adding them to my photos digitally. It’s usually just a matter of visually trying to match an image with the look and feel of an edge.

1. In this example, I converted the original image of overgrown stupas in Burma to black-and-white using Photoshop’s Channel Mixer and added a stained paper texture.
2. I copied and pasted the resulting image onto a new layer overtop the Polaroid edge.
3. There are many ways of blending the two. Here, I added a layer mask and painted black around the edges with a large soft-edged brush, allowing the background Polaroid border to show through.
4. Finally, I added a sepia hue to the overall image using Photo Filter (Image > Adjustments > Photo Filter).
—Daryl Benson

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16 Comments

eugene benson makes this comment

Tuesday 7 October, 2008

Hi, i,m confused i just sent for elements .05 did i make a mistake meaning icannot shoot raw only jepg can i enhance my photos. also are these changes you made in photoshop secrets are in the file or fakery please enlighten me and set me straight thank you.
John makes this comment

Friday 17 October, 2008

The little printer icon on the page opens a new window but there is nothing in it to print. I hope this can be fixed so I can print the article.
bob makes this comment

Friday 17 October, 2008

Hey Eugene, I'm confused by your command of the English language. What exactly are your trying to say? bob
Steve makes this comment

Monday 20 October, 2008

Same problem as John with printing. Click on the icon and get a blank window. Been that way for months.
Jerry makes this comment

Monday 20 October, 2008

Copy & paste
David makes this comment

Tuesday 21 October, 2008

I too have puzzled and frustrated by the BLANK window after pressing the 'pring icon'. Cutting and pasting into Word is very time consuming, and doesn't yield the proper results.
Tammie makes this comment

Thursday 23 October, 2008

If you select the information you want to print, then do print preview, as selected on screen, it will only print the info you have selected.
Michelle makes this comment

Saturday 8 November, 2008

Spend the money for a copy of Nuance/ScanSoft PaprPort11Pro which includes PDF Create (a lot cheaper than Adobe Acrobat). Use that in place of a mechanical printer (laser or inkjet). First time you use it, set the Properties to PDF1.5 so that AdobeReader6.0 and higher will correctly display characters. Make sure that the slider on the right side of screen is all the way up otherwise your first page might be blank. I have my setup set to display a preview of the page just to make sure that all has been captured of the page I desire to print. When printing web site pages, first try the 'print' icon on the page otherwise just click File - Print.
Duc Le makes this comment

Sunday 9 November, 2008

Does anyone know where to get stained paper texture to do trick #3? Can someone also elaborate the process step-by-step? I am still new to digital photography. Thanks Duc
make money online makes this comment

Monday 18 January, 2010

some great tips on this website although i dont understand most of it, i suppose actually sitting there and following the tips is a must.....off to practice : )
onlinescraps makes this comment

Friday 22 January, 2010

nice tricks to work on..
Norman Schwinger makes this comment

Wednesday 24 February, 2010

My camera club has had numerous discussions regarding the use of cloning of landscape pictures. Is it acceptable to remove a small piece of paper or a garbage can or a similar small object which is marring the picture? A larger issue concerns digital photography in general. Many articles in OP and other venues illustrate the extensive use of photoshop, etc. to enhance a photo. They talk about the many hours spent at the computer and the huge number of layers employed. The question is, when is a photograph no longer a photograph, but a digital image?
Mahmudur Rahman makes this comment

Friday 12 March, 2010

Really nice tutorial. Very well Explained. Thanks for sharing this nice post. :)
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Wednesday 12 May, 2010

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How-To

Photoshop Secrets Of The Pros

Discover new ways to enhance images using this classic editing program

16 Comments

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How-To

Photoshop Secrets Of The Pros

Discover new ways to enhance images using this classic editing program

16 Comments

Add Comment

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