Most of you old timers probably already know this, but for the benefit of those a little newer to PhotoShop, I have discovered what I consider a better way of boosting contrast on most photos. When I first started working with PS, I simply used the Brightness/contrast control to adjust contrast. Then I read an article somewhere that described how to use the Curves adjustment to get better results.
A few months ago, Rick suggested to me that I should adjust my colors using the Selective Color control. I soon came to really like this control for adjusting colors, and recently discovered that MOST of the time (not always) I can also get much nicer results using this control to boost contrast, and to repair washed out highlights.
Adjusting black levels on Whites, Neutrals, and Blacks gives me blacker blacks, whiter whites, and deeper neutrals.
This is now one of my fundamental tools and I use it with nearly every images.
My current workflow is to convert the file to LAB, work it a bit there in a curve layer, maybe a Highlight & Shadow layer and a sharpen layer. I then go back to RGB and hit it with a Selective Color layer. After that I'm done.
Ever since I got the LAB book my photos have gone from six or seven layers to three or four.
Well I'm always happy to share my meager knowledge!
I have a somewhat different approach to image processing these days. In my RAW converter of choice (Pixmantec RAW Shooter Premium 2006) I adjust my image to insure that niether the whites are blown out nor the shadows totally blacked out. What I really want is a rather flat looking image coming out of the RAW converter. This gives me room to work the image with curves in the LAB color space. To understand how to adjust using LAB I STRONGLY advise buying "Photoshop LAB Color" by Dan Margulis (ISBN #0-321-35678-0).
Once I have things relatively close via adjustments in the LAB color space I go back to the RGB color space and I fine tune my colors using a Selective Color adjustment layer. Remember always use adjustment layers!! That way you always have the option of going back to that adjustment and fine tuning it.
Now do understand that no two images are the same and as such the above will always vary but this is my typical going in workflow. It always pleases me when I get an image that was spot on "in-camera" and requires nothing more than sizing and sharpening. This for a multitude of reasons doesn't always happen eh??
For those of you out there who are just getting going on adjusting digital images in Photoshop here is a GREAT primer on how to do so:
The above tutorial covers the basics VERY well and will provide an excellent starting point that gets one past the "overwhelmingness" that is Photoshop.
Discussion
3 repliesA few months ago, Rick suggested to me that I should adjust my colors using the Selective Color control. I soon came to really like this control for adjusting colors, and recently discovered that MOST of the time (not always) I can also get much nicer results using this control to boost contrast, and to repair washed out highlights.
Adjusting black levels on Whites, Neutrals, and Blacks gives me blacker blacks, whiter whites, and deeper neutrals.
This is now one of my fundamental tools and I use it with nearly every images.
Ever since I got the LAB book my photos have gone from six or seven layers to three or four.
I have a somewhat different approach to image processing these days. In my RAW converter of choice (Pixmantec RAW Shooter Premium 2006) I adjust my image to insure that niether the whites are blown out nor the shadows totally blacked out. What I really want is a rather flat looking image coming out of the RAW converter. This gives me room to work the image with curves in the LAB color space. To understand how to adjust using LAB I STRONGLY advise buying "Photoshop LAB Color" by Dan Margulis (ISBN #0-321-35678-0).
Once I have things relatively close via adjustments in the LAB color space I go back to the RGB color space and I fine tune my colors using a Selective Color adjustment layer. Remember always use adjustment layers!! That way you always have the option of going back to that adjustment and fine tuning it.
Now do understand that no two images are the same and as such the above will always vary but this is my typical going in workflow. It always pleases me when I get an image that was spot on "in-camera" and requires nothing more than sizing and sharpening. This for a multitude of reasons doesn't always happen eh??
For those of you out there who are just getting going on adjusting digital images in Photoshop here is a GREAT primer on how to do so:
Instant Photoshop
The above tutorial covers the basics VERY well and will provide an excellent starting point that gets one past the "overwhelmingness" that is Photoshop.