Posted by Mel Ladewig on August 7, 2007 at 10:18 AM
I found an interesting solution to the lack of a channel mixer in PS Elements 2-4 and thought I'd share it here. I found the idea on a PSE forum while looking for something else. In the past when I'd tried to do B&W conversions, I'd often had posterization issues. I'd also tried the earthbound light solution for PSE3, but you couldn't make any changes once the channel mixer layer was applied. This method allows you to go back and make changes as needed.
How its done (with two channels). One of the interesting features is that you make the "channel" any color you want.
Create a fill layer - solid color, Red (255,0,0) - multiply mode - opacity 60%.
Create a fill layer - solid color, Green (0,255,0) - multiply mode - opacity 15%.
Create an adjustment layer - levels - overlay mode - adjust to taste
Create an adjustment layer - saturation - normal mode - saturation to -100
The shot was taken Saturday morning overlooking Lost Man lake. Canon XT, 17-40L @17mm, f11, 1/125, ISO 200, tripod, hot shoe level, 3 stop HE GND.
Cool, Mel, more than one way to skin the cat. those are some seriously difficult exposures, the gradND is borderline problematic. I prefer the color shot of the lake.
Mel, I like it! Feel free to post all of the Elements tips you want (although I'm seriously considering finally updating to full-blown Photoshop).
Posted by Lance Warley on August 7, 2007 at 12:23 PM
Thanks, Mel. I'm an Elements user too.
To be honest, I haven't felt a driving need to utilize Channels. Perhaps it's a lack of expertise. I found a very straightforward article on Channels that certainly gives the "Why," but I guess I haven't gotten there yet.
Posted by Mel Ladewig on August 7, 2007 at 12:33 PM
I'm thinking the same about an upgrade, but I think the idea that with the multiply mask you can actually set an orange or purple or yellow "channel" is interesting and applicable in CS3. I can't do an IR effect like I can do with channel mixer in CS though. The main reason I want to upgrade is the ability to use 16 bit. I'd probably also have to get Lightroom as I've come to like the Elements Organizer (which is like the framework for Lightroom). I've found a way around most Adobe imposed limitations in Elements with regards to masks a layers, but 16 bit support is very limited and there is no way around this.
I could have dodged out the mountain areas affected by the GND, but this was more for demonstration of the method than anything else. I probably would have liked a 2 stop hard edge GND better, but I don't have one and I didn't want to use a soft GND. Without using a GND, I had to do split processing from RAW to get detail in the clouds, and I'd rather not do that.
Mel-
Posted by Mel Ladewig on August 7, 2007 at 12:36 PM
Lance,
Channels are a big help in processing black and white images from color digital files. They give you much more control in the conversion over a simple discard color data command.
Discussion
5 repliesHow its done (with two channels). One of the interesting features is that you make the "channel" any color you want.
Create a fill layer - solid color, Red (255,0,0) - multiply mode - opacity 60%.
Create a fill layer - solid color, Green (0,255,0) - multiply mode - opacity 15%.
Create an adjustment layer - levels - overlay mode - adjust to taste
Create an adjustment layer - saturation - normal mode - saturation to -100
The shot was taken Saturday morning overlooking Lost Man lake. Canon XT, 17-40L @17mm, f11, 1/125, ISO 200, tripod, hot shoe level, 3 stop HE GND.
Color version of a similar shot.
flowers along the trail
Some of the nice elephantheads beside Independence lake.
Mel-
Mel, I like it! Feel free to post all of the Elements tips you want (although I'm seriously considering finally updating to full-blown Photoshop).
To be honest, I haven't felt a driving need to utilize Channels. Perhaps it's a lack of expertise. I found a very straightforward article on Channels that certainly gives the "Why," but I guess I haven't gotten there yet.
I could have dodged out the mountain areas affected by the GND, but this was more for demonstration of the method than anything else. I probably would have liked a 2 stop hard edge GND better, but I don't have one and I didn't want to use a soft GND. Without using a GND, I had to do split processing from RAW to get detail in the clouds, and I'd rather not do that.
Mel-
Channels are a big help in processing black and white images from color digital files. They give you much more control in the conversion over a simple discard color data command.
Mel-