ThePhotoshopHandbook

SimpleWaystoCreateVisuallyStunningandBreathtakingPhotos

TableofContents

Introduction

Chapter1:LightandLevels

Chapter2:AdvancedPhotoEnhancementTechniquesForPortraits

Chapter3:AdvancedPhotoEnhancingTechniquesforLandscapes

Conclusion

Previewof“DSLRPhotographyMadeEasy:SimpleTipsonHowYouCanGetVisuallyStunningImagesUsingYourDSLR”

Introduction

I want to thank you and congratulate you for downloading the book, “The PhotoshopHandbook:SimpleWaystoCreateVisuallyStunningandBreathtakingPhotos”.

Thisbookcontainsprovenstepsandstrategiesonhowtoenhanceyourphotographsusingoneofthemostpopularandmostuser-friendlysoftwareinthemarket,Photoshop.

One of the most common misconceptions about Photoshop is that it’s a way forphotographerstocheat.Itjustmightbe,butyoushouldunderstandaswellthateventhemostsophisticatedcamerahasitslimitations.Whatweseewithoureyescannotbefullycapturedbyanyman-madedevice.Theessenceofasunsetoverthesea,theserenityofasilent mountain, or the grandeur of a rushing river – these sceneries’ ambiences andemotionswillcomeoutblandandlackingwhenprinted.

It’s not that you cannot instill life on pictures. There are simply some technicalities inmachines that cannot compare to our visions. However, the good thing about moderntechnology is that it has createdways on how to replicatewhatwe see onwhatwe’vecaptured,andoneofthemanywaysisthroughPhotoshop.

Somephotographsaregoodontheirown,butmostcanbefurtherenhancedthroughtheuseofthisamazingphotoeditingsoftware.Inthefollowingpagesofthisbook,youwilllearnsimpleandfoolprooftechniquesthatwillenableyoutoadddrama,breadth,andlifeto almost any kind of picture.Also, youwill understand howPhotoshop functions andhowyoucanuseandapplyeachtoolindependently.

Goonandtakeapeekandseewhatthislittlehandbookhastooffer.Photosareourwayofpreserving a moment, so why not enhance them and make them guaranteed attentiongrabbers?

Thanksagainfordownloadingthisbook,Ihopeyouenjoyit!

© Copyright2015byDwayneBrown-Allrightsreserved.

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Chapter1:LightandLevels

Thefirstphotoenhancingtechniquethatwillbediscussedissosimple,itwon’ttakemorethan tenminutes to apply.Somephotos, after all, are best left almost untouched. If theangleisrightandthesubjectsarewellplaced,littleadjustmentsinlighting,contrast,andshadowsareenoughtotransformanyphotointoamasterpiece.Justlikewithanaturallybeautifulface,heavymakeupwillonlymakeitlooklessattractive.

Anuntrainedeyemaynotnoticethis,butmostdigitalphotossomewhathaveathingraylayeronthem.There’snothingwrongwiththecamera.Sometimes,thesettingsaresimplynot adjusted properly. Nonetheless, the objective in this chapter is to remove this graylayerandaddintensitytothephotobydarkeningshadows.

AdjustingLevels

This is themost basicway of enhancing photos of all kinds. Unlike Contrast where itautomatically adjusts the brightness and darkness of the entire photo when tweaked,Levelsgivestheoptionofallowingyoutotunethecompleteorselectedblackarea,whitearea, ormidtones. Thismeans you can just intensify the dark portions of the photo, orincreasethebrightnessofthewhiteparts,orfindthebalancebetweenthetwobyadjustingthemidtone.

Beforeproceedingtothestep-by-steptutorials,youhavetofamiliarizeyourselffirstwiththeLevelsdialogbox.

Howtoaccess:

Inthemenupanel,clickonImage.Fromthedropdownmenu,pointtoAdjustments,thenselectLevels.

Howitworks:

Oncethedialogboxappears,thefirstthingyouwillnoticeisthechart-likeimage.Belowitaretheblack(left),white(right),andmidtone(middle)sliders.Thesearetheonesyou’llneedtotoggletoredefinethe“InputLevels”ofthehistogram.

Above this is a drop down menu labeled “Channel”. Depending on your preferredhistogram (RGB or CMYK), you can select which channel you want to tweak. Forexample,ifthecoloryouonlyneedtoadjustisred,thensimplyclickonthisdropdownand select “Red”. Afterwards, toggle the black, white, or midtone sliders to get yourdesiredeffect.

Application:

Notwophotosarethesame,soyoucannotsetafixedmeasureoflevelsforall.Dependingonwherethepicturesweretaken,underdirectsunlightorbetweenmistandfog,eachwillhave different depths of darkness and intensity of brightness. This makes customizingleveladjustmentsnecessaryforall.

BlackandWhiteLevels

Mostpictureslookbestwhenfullrangelighttodarkisutilized.Whenyoumovetheblackslidertotheright,thedarkportionsofyourpicturewilldeepen,andwhenthewhitesliderisadjustedtotheleft,thebrightpartswillintensify.

Trivia!

Darkershadowsareidealevenforportraitpictures.Onereasonwhymostmodelshave preferably deep cheekbones (and why designers prefer them bone-thin) isbecause when the light hits their faces, shadows are cast, and this makes themstriking.Thisisthesamereasonwhyeyelinersareafad.Iftwoequallyprettygirlsstandsidebysideandoneiswearingeyelinerwhile theother isn’t, thefirstoneyou’llnoticeistheformer.

If you are working in front of your computer, try doing these simple adjustments.Afterwards,gotoHistory,andundoyourprogressbyclickingonthetoptab.Noticehowmuch the photo has improved. Asmentioned before, it’s like a thin layer of gray wasremoved.Gobacktoyourlatestprogressbyclickingonthelasttabandrestoreyourlatestwork.

Keep inmind, however, that not all sliders are necessarily adjusted. There are pictureswithlowlight;hence,someareasarenotfullyblackorwhite.Ifyouadjusttheblackandwhite levels, you may only ruin the ambience of the image and make the light lookunnaturallybright. In thesecases, it’sbest thatyoukeeptheadjustments toaminimum.Playwiththeslidersandseewhatbestsuityourpicture.

MidtoneLevels

ThemidtonesliderfunctionssimilarlywithBrightness.Moveittotheleftandtheentirepicturewillbrighten,andwhenyoupushittotheright,itwilldarken.

How is this best applied?Keep inmind that thegoal of basic photo enhancement is tobringoutthefullblackandfullwhiteportionsofthepicture.Sometimes,however,ifyoumovethewhiteslider toattainthefullestwhiteofyourphoto, itwill lookoverexposed.When this happens, you can adjust the midtone slider to balance the brightness, andmaintain thenatural lookofyourpicture.Thesame instancecanhappenwith theblackslider,andyoucanutilizethemidtoneslidertofixthis.

Precautions:

Becarefulwithusingthistool,becauseyoumayendupincreasingthecontrasttoomuch,andmay lead toposterization.Thismeans thatyourphotocould look likeoneof thosemass-producedposterswithlimitedinks.

Also, changing the levels of channels in your histogram can cause color imbalance. Ifdoneincorrectly,yourphotocouldturnoutreallyyellow,tooblue,ordeeplyred,unless,ofcourse,thisistheeffectyouwanttoachieve.

PhotosBestAppliedto:

Level adjustments are perfect for landscape photos. Cameras don’t often capture thebeautiful contrast of horizons and skylines because if the sun is too bright, it willautomaticallyadjustitsshutterspeedtolimittheintakeoflight.Therefore,thepictureyoutook will look like it has a transparent gray layer on it. When you apply the above

technique,however,youcanbringout theblueof theskywithoutdarkening thecloudsanddeepentheshadowsofthesubjectsforadditionaldrama.

Portraitscanalsobenefitfromthistechnique,butthiswilldependontheeffectyouwanttobringout.

FocusedLightEffect

If levels best suit landscapes, the focused light effect will best suit portraits. Thistechniquewillhelpyoufocustheattentionofviewersinaspecificsubjectorareaofthepicture. Imagine the half-body photo of a girl with normal lighting. People’s attentioncould be anywhere in the image, and you canmake them focus on her face by addingsomewhatlikeaspotlight.

Thistechnique,however,requiresfamiliarizationofmultipletoolsinPhotoshop.Tomakethistutorialmorecomprehensive,thefunctionsofeachwillbediscussedasyougoalongthestep-by-stepprocess.

Step1:

Opentheimageyouwanttoedit.UndertheLayerstabinthepanelattherightsideofthewindow,clickonNewAdjustmentLayerlocatedatthebottom,thenselectCurves.

Anewdialogboxwillpopupandyouwillseeagridwithadiagonallinerunningthroughit.Thislinehassmallsquareends,andyoucanadjustthesetochangetheimage’stonalrange. The bottom left square represents pure black areas, while the upper right onerepresents pure white areas. If you play with this function, you will notice how thelightingofyourphotochanges.

Forthistechnique,youneedtodragtheupperrightsquarestraightdownuntilitreachesanoutputlevelof70.Youwillseetheoutputnumberatthebottomofthegrid.Yourphotowill darken, and depending on the intensity of the effect youwant to achieve, you canmakeitevendarkerbyfurtherdraggingthesquaredown.ClickOKwhenyou’redone.Anew tabwill appearunderyourLayerspanel, and this shows the curvechangesyou’vemade.

Step2:

Forthenextstep,youneedtoselecttheareaofthephotowherethelightwillbefocusedon.There’snoneedtobepreciseuptothelastpixel,sotheLassotoolwilldo.YoucanpresstheLkeyorgototheToolspaletteandselectitfromthere.

IfyourightclicktheLasso,itwillshowthreeversionsofthetool.Thetopmostshowsaroundone,andthishasthemostbasicfunction.Inthemiddleisapolygonalone,anditisperfect for to-the-last-pixel selections. At the bottom is the most advanced among thethree,themagneticlasso.

Forthistechnique,themostbasicwilldojustfine.Click,hold,andencircletheportionofthe image you want to select. You don’t need to create a perfect circle for this. Forexample,ifyouareworkingonaportraitofagirl,youcanroughlytraceherfaceallthewaytotheshoulders.

Reminder!

Theaimofphotoshoppingistocreatebelievableeffects,soyouhavetoimaginewhich parts of the girl will be illuminated if you direct light on her face. Justbecauseyouwantthefocusontheface,itdoesn’tmeanit’stheonlypartyouneedto select.Observeportraitswithhighcontrast inmagazines, and learnhow lightfallsonsubjects.

Step3:

YouwillseetwolayersundertheLayerspanel.Atthebottomisyourphoto,andontopofitisthecurvemask.Ifyouclickontheeyebesidethelatter,thedarklayeronyourphotowilldisappear.Thisiswhat’samazingwithPhotoshop;insteadofapplyingthechangeonthe image itself, it createdanew layerwitha thinblack film. Ifyouchangeyourmindlater on aboutmaking that adjustment, you can simply delete the layer, and keep youroriginalphotointact.

In this step,youwillhave tocut theselectedportionoff theblack film,soyouhave tomakesurethecurvemasklayerisselected.ClickonEditfromthemenupanel,andonthedropdownmenu,selectFill.Adialogboxwillappear,andbesideContentisanotherdropdownmenu.Clickit,selectBlack,thenclickOK.

If you look at the curvemask layer thumbnail, youwill see that your selection turnedblack,whereas inyourphoto, the selectedportion seems tohavebeencutout from thethinfilm.

Step4:

Sincetheedgesofthethinfilmaresharp,youwouldneedtoaddablureffecttomakeitlook like light is shining over the subject. There aremanyways on how to do this inPhotoshop,butthemostaptforthisprocessistheGaussianBlur.YouwillfindthisunderBlur in theFilter tab,which can be found in themenu panel.Again, a dialog boxwillappear.

At the bottomof the box is a slider. Tweak it to increase the pixel radius. Look at thephotoandyou’llnoticehowtheedgesofthefilmlightened.Dependingonwhateffectyouarelookingtoachieve,youcanexpandtheblurfurther,orkeepittoaminimum.

Tip!

Greatartistsrelysolelyontheireyestojudgeifthelightingeffectisgoodandifit’s correct. If the lighting style you want to achieve is similar to that of aspotlight’s and the subject is far from the camera, then a wider blur is moreappropriate.However,ifthesubjectisnearthecameraandifyourselectedportioncoversalmost60%ofthecanvas,thenitisbesttostickwithanarrowerblur.

Onceyou feel satisfiedwith theadjustments,clickOK.By this time,you’llalreadyseethattheFocusedLightEffecthascometolife.

If you think the black film’s darkness is too much, you can always adjust its opacity.Again,makesurethat thecurvemasklayer isselected.Intheupperrightportionof theLayerspanel,lookforOpacity.From100%,adjustittoalowerpercentageuntilyouthinkthedarknessisjustright.

PhotosBestAppliedto:

Whenyou’redone,theimprovementswill leaveyoustunned.Althoughfocusedlightingeffectsare recommendedforportraits,youcanalsoapply these in landscapeandmacrophotographs.Forexample,thistechniquecanadddramatoaseeminglypeacefulmeadow.Youcandarkensky,thenleaveabrightportionsomewherebetweenthecloudstomakeitlookthatsomeheavenlymiracleisabouttohappen.Formacroshots,ifthemainsubjectisasmallinsectonabackgroundofcolorfulleavesandflowers,youcanemphasizethelittleguybyaddingaconservativelighteffect.

Leveladjustmentsandfocused lightingdon’tneed tobedoneseparately.Youcanapplythesetwophotoenhancingeffectsononeimageifyouthinkitwillbringoutthebestinyourmasterpiece.However, if youhaveagoodeye fordesignandgraphics, then thesetwo techniqueswillbarely satiateyourneed for stun.Hence, the followingchapterwilldiscussmoreadvancedPhotoshoptricksandmagictomakeyourphotonotonlystunning,butalsobreathtaking.

Chapter2:AdvancedPhotoEnhancementTechniquesForPortraits

Somephotographswillbenefit frommore than simple shadowadjustmentsand lightingeffects. Even if the quality of the image is top notch, some details can be improved tomakethephotoevermorestriking.

This, however,will require furtherknowledgeon thebasicsofPhotoshop.Nonetheless,thisbookwillprovideafoolproofstep-by-stepofthetechniques.Additionaldescriptionswillalsobesuppliedtohelp thereaderfamiliarizewith the toolsandhowtheyfunctionbeyondtheiruseasdisplayedinthefollowingtechniques.

Most female readers are probablywaiting for the Photoshop tricks thatwillmake theirskinglowlikethoseofmodernvampiresinmoviesandTVshowsandgivetheirfacesthatnaturalblushandthickeyelashes.Goodnews,ladies!Thisportioniswhereallthesewillbediscussed.

Toallthegentlemenreadingthisrightnow,don’tthinkyouwouldn’tneedtolearnthese.Whoknows,theladyofyourdreamsmayaskthissimplerequestsometimeinthefuture.Bythattime,atleastyou’dknowafewsimpleandsubtletrickstomakeherstandout.

This tutorialwill teachyouhowtobeautify(as the titlesuggests)aportrait.Hence, thisappliesbesttosubjectswithlittleornomake-up.Understand,however,thatthisdoesnotliterallymeanyouwill add lipstick, eyeliner, and such.Thegoal is tomake the subjectstandoutwithoutsacrificinghisorherorganiclook.

Also,make-upforpartiesandthoseforpictorialsaredifferent.Gorgeousnessinapersonisn’talwayscapturedbythecamera,sosometweakingmaybenecessary.

Dependingonyourevaluation,youcanapplyallofthefollowingononephoto,orjustafewselected.Somefeaturesmaynotneedenhancingifyouthinkthey’realreadyperfect,liketheglowoftheskin,forinstance.

1. SkinTone

Unfortunately, using Photoshop to get an instant tan isn’t the essence of photoenhancement–that’salreadymanipulation,andwe’lltrytostayawayfromthatasmuch as possible. Simple and natural enhancements on the skin means givingcolor. Some subjects may appear grayish or extremely pale, and to make themstandoutorglow,youhavebringoutabitofyellowandred.

Todothis,youneedtotoggletheimage’shueandsaturation.Inthemenupanel,gotoImages,thenpointtoAdjustments,andthenclickonHue/Saturation.Therewill be three sliders in the dialog box that will pop up, and they are labeledaccordingly.Youcantrytoplayaroundwithall just toseehowitwillaffect theimage,butforthepurposeofenhancingyoursubject’sskintone,youonlyneedtotoggleSaturation.Bumpituptoaround35%andobservetheimprovement.Yoursubjectwillinstantlydisplayahealthierglow.

Take note that the background will also be saturated along with your subject.

Generally,thisisgood,becauseyou’llbeimprovingthecoloroftheentirepicture.However,ifyouwanttofocustheeffectsolelyonyoursubject,thentherearetwowaystoachieveit:

1:WiththePolygonalLasso(discussedinChapter1,FocusedLightEffect)

Thismethodisperfectformakingthesubject’sskinappearnaturallyredder.Usethis tool totracetheareawhereyouwant toapplytheeffect.Unlikeearlier,youhave tobeprecise this time,otherwiseyou’d leave inconsistencies in the image,hence,losingthe“natural”effect.Afterwards,rightclickontheimage,thenselectLayerviaCopy.Thiswillcreateanewlayeroutofthetracedportion,andyou’llsee this under the Layers panel. Select your new layer, then follow the aboveinstructionstomodifyitssaturation.

2:WiththeGaussianBlur

If you experimentedwith the Focused Light Effect in Chapter one, then you’realready familiar with this technique. The difference this time is that you’ll be

tweakingthephoto’ssaturation.

Thistime,lookfortheHue/SaturationoptionunderNewAdjustmentLayersatthebottomoftheLayersPanel.Thedialogboxwillappear,thenadjustthesaturationtoyour satisfaction.Select the roundLasso, then trace the areawhere the effectwillbeapplied.Justlikebefore,there’snoneedforprecisioninthismethod.

Oncetheoutlineappears,rightclickontheimagethenchooseSelectInverse.Theoutline will extend to the border of the photo. This step is necessary, becauseunlikewhatyoudidinthepreviouschapter(whereyouremovedthetracedportionfromthefilm),youwillapplytheeffectonthetracedportion.

Afterwards,gotoEdit,thenselectFill.Inthedialogbox,clickonthedropdownmenubesideContent, then selectBlack, andclickOK.You’ve seen thishappenbefore,onlywithdifferenteffects,andyoualreadyknowwhat’scomingnext—theGaussianBlur.Fromthemenupanel,clickonFilter, thenpointonBlur,andthenselectGaussianBlur.Adjusttheslideratthebottomofthedialogboxtoblurtheedgesofthelayer.

You may think the only difference between the first and second options is themethod,butthereisalsoadifferenceineffect.TheGaussianBlurtechniquewon’tsimplybrightentheskin,itwillmakeitglow.

2. Lips

If you can’t get a tan on that skin, then perhaps rose red lipswill do. Just likebefore, thereare twowaysonhowtoget thisdone.Theeffect,however,willbedifferent.Inthefirstmethod,thesubjectwillappeartohavelipstickon.Whereasinthesecondmethod,itwillseemthatthesubjecthasnaturalredlips.

1:LipstickEffect

Ifyoupaidattentionearlier,thenthismethodwillbeapieceofcake.TheprocessdoneunderthePolygonalLassotechniqueinmodifyingtheskinwillbereplicatedhere. However, there will be additional functions to toggle at the end of theprocess.

Using the Polygonal Lasso, precisely trace the lips of the subject. Completeaccuracyishighlyimportant inthismethod,otherwisetheeffectwill looklikeitwasPhotoshopped(Webothknowitis,butseamlessworkwillhavenaturalresults

nomatterhoworwhereyoulookatit.).

Tip!

To-the-last-pixel tracingwillbea loteasier ifyouzoominonthe image.Look forZoom in theToolspalette, then select it.Rightunder themenupanelarethebuttonsfortheZoomInandZoomOutfunctions.Ifyouarefondofshortcutkeys,thenpressCtrland+tozoomin,Ctrland-tozoomout,andCtrland0(zero)toreturntotheimage’soriginalsize.

Rightclickontheimageafterwards,thenclickonLayerviaCopy.Selectthenewlayer(thelipscutout)intheLayerspanel,thenaccesstheHue/Saturationdialogbox through themenupanel andadjust accordingly.Youcanplaywith all threesliderstogettherightmix.Ifyouwanttochangethecolorofthe“lipstick”,thenopentheColorBalancedialogboxandtweakitfromthere.ItislocatedneartheHue/Saturationfunction.

2:NaturalRedLips

Thedifferencebetweenroseredlipsfromonewithlipstickonisgradience.Edgesand corners arewell definedwhen you havemake-up. If you rely on blood forcolor,however,theinnerportionsofthelipswillhaveadifferentshadefromtheouter.Therefore,thegoalofthismethodistobringouttheredintheinnerparts,andletitgraduallytonedowntothelips’naturalcolor.

Again, Gaussian Blur will be utilized to achieve this effect. Through the NewAdjustmentLayer,selecttheHue/Saturationfunction,thenadjustthesliderstogetyourdesiredeffect.Sincethelipareaissmall,itisadvisabletousethePolygonalLassoinsteadoftheroundone.Keeptheoutlineinsidethelips,becausewhenyoublur this, the effect will spread. You don’t want the subject to look like shesmudgedlipstick(andfailedtoremoveitcompletely)alloverhermouth.

RightclickontheimagethenclickSelectInverse.GotoEditonthemenupanel,select Fill, then choose Black in the drop down menu. Afterwards, apply theGaussianBlur.It’suptoyoutojudgeonhowblurredthelayershouldbe.Ifyouneedtore-adjustthesaturation,thensimplydoubleclickthelayer’sthumbnailintheLayerspanel.Thedialogboxwillre-appear,andyouarefreetotoggleanyofthethreesliders.

3. Eyes

Followingthetriviahighlightedinthefirstchapter,addingdeptharoundtheeyeswillmakethepersonappearmorestriking.Thistechnique,however,willnotaddeyelinerstothesubject.Naturalbeautyremainsthebest,hencetheenhancementstobedonewillsolelyfocusonaddingsmallandsubtlechangesandhighlights.

Mildshadowsontheoutercorneroftheeyeswillmakeahugedifferenceonyourportrait.Forthefirsttimeinthishandbook,youwillmakeuseoftheBrushtool.Beforeyouclickonit,however,presstheLkeyfirsttousetheLassoandtracethegeneraleyearea—fromundertheeyebrowstoabovethecheekbones.

Astheoutlineflashes,gototheLayerspanelandclickontheNewLayerbuttonat

thebottom.KeepyournewlayerselectedthenpresstheBkeytoselecttheBrush.Rightunderthemenupanel,youwillseeadditionaloptionsthatcancustomizethesize,type,opacity,andsuchofthetool.

Alter the size of the brush depending on the size of the eyes. Simply imagineyou’re adding eyeliner to it to giveyou an ideaofmeasure. If your settings areright,yourmousepointerwillshowtheringsizeofyourbrush.Youcanadjustthisthroughtheadditionalbrushoptionsunderthemenupanel,orbypressingthe]keytoenlargeorthe[keytoreduce.

ChangingMouseTips

Yourcursorwillnotalwaysdisplaytheselectedbrushsizeortype,andthismakes itmoredifficult foryou toestimatehowbigyourbrush isagainstyour canvass. To change this, from the menu panel, click on Edit, thenPreferences,andthenselectCursors.Anewdialogboxwillappearanditwillshowyoudifferentpaintingcursortypesandhowitappears.Therearefouroptions,butthemostadvisableforbeginnersistheNormalBrushTip.Click OK when you are done, and you are free to continue yourmasterpiece.

Setting a fixedbrush sizewon’t help eitherbecausephotosvary inpixelsize.Thismeans that if thepixel sizeof an image is small,brusheswithnarrowdiameterswill appear averageorbig. If your canvasshas a largepixelsize,however,thesamebrushsizewillappeartiny.Hence,ifyouarenotfamiliarwiththeseyet,it’sbestifyourcursorsaresetthisway.

Tip!

Doingeffectsandchangesonnewlayersmakesawisechoice,becauseifever you change your mind later on, you can easily hide or delete thechangesyou’vemade,insteadofgoingtotheHistorypaneltoundoallofyourprogress—andpossiblyundothechangesyoulike.

Furthermore,inamoreadvancedsettinginPhotoshop,thereareinstanceswhereyouwillhavetoeraseorclipunconventionalportions.Forexample,when you did the Focused Light Effect, you had tomake sure the leveladjustmentsaredoneonanewlayer.Otherwise,ifyouapplieditdirectly

ontheBackgroundimage,youwon’tbeabletocutthefaceofthesubjectwithout damaging the original image. In other words, do not apply anychangesontheBackgroundlayer.

Onceyoufeelthebrushsizeisjustright,addasoftshadeattheoutercorneroftheeyes.You can adjust theopacityof the effect on theLayers panel, or adjust theopacity of thebrushbefore applying it onyour canvass. If your default color isblack, however, and you want to make the shade look natural and close to thecomplexionofthesubject’sskin,clickonthecolorboxesnearthebottomofthetoolspanel.Adialogboxwillappearwhereyoucanselectthespecificcoloryouwant your brush to have. Once you are done, click OK and proceed with thecoloring.

4. Cheeks

Adding a soft blush is the easiest Photoshop trick in this handbook. Take note,however,thatthistechniqueisjustasimplewayofaddingcolortotheface,andnotawaytomakethesubjectlooklikeshe’swearingfoundationandconcealers.Theonlytoolyouwillneedhereisthebrush.

Beforeyouproceedwithapplyingthevirtualblush-on,makesuretocreateanewlayerastippedearlier.Afterwards,presstheIkey,orselectthecolorpickerfromthe tools panel, and click on the lips of the subject. Unlike the first methoddescribedearlier,whereyouselectthecolorbyclickingonthecolorboxes,usingthecolorpickerwillhelpyougettheexactsamepigmentofthechosenarea.

Afterwards,selectthebrushtool,thentweakitssettingstoimitatetheeffectsofamakeupbrush.Optforalargediameter–onealmostaswideasthecheeks–andmake sure you select the gradient type of brush, and not the one with a well-definedring.Youwillfindthebrushtypesrightunderthemenupanel.Lastly,setthebrushopacity low–30%or lowerwilldo,dependingonyourpreferences–thenapply.

Note!

Ifyouadjusttheopacityofthebrushitself,makesuretoapplytheblushinonestroke.Otherwise,overlappingportionswillhavedarkershades.

Ifyoudon’tgettoapplyitproperly(forinstance,youaccidentallybrushedontheeye), you can always use theErase tool to remove parts you don’t like. This ishighlysimilarwiththeBrushtool,becausetheyalmosthavethesameoptionsandselections,butinsteadofaddingcolortoyourcanvass,youerasethem.Sinceyourblush-oneffectisonanewlayer,whenyouerasepartsofit,thebackgroundlayerwon’tbeaffected.Forconsistency,itisrecommendedthatyouusethesametypeofbrushandsizefortheErasetool.

5. Skin

Of all the beautifying Photoshop techniques in this handbook, learning how toremovewrinkleswillprobablybe themostsoughtafter.Afterall, this isusuallytheveryfirstthingpeoplewouldrequestyoutoremoveorimprove.

Understand, however, that this technique will require intermediate Photoshopskills,unlike theonesdiscussedpreviously. Ifyouareabeginner, thenyoumayfind the instructions a little confusing. Therefore, it is best to follow the stepsbelowwhileinfrontofthecomputer.

One common problem in removing wrinkles is that people remove the skin’stexture completely, and this iswhat youwant to avoid.Again, your imagewillappearasifithasbeenPhotoshoppedifyoudothat.Toaddresstheproblem,youwillhavetousetwolayersoftheimageandapplydifferenteffectsonthem.Thefirstonewillhavethedetailsandtextureoftheskin,whilethesecondwillholdthetoneandcolor.

Step1:

Onthebackgroundlayer(oraduplicateofitifyoupreferapplyingallchangesinnew layers), clean the bumps, spots, and other skin imperfections using theHealingBrushtool.YoucanpresstheJkeytoinstantlyactivateit,orlocateitinthetoolspanel.Nosettingsshouldbenecessarilytweakedtogetthingsright.Youonlyneedtouseitlikeyouwouldthebrushtool.

Afterfreeingyoursubject’sfacefromtheimperfections,you’dbesurprisedwiththemassivechange.This,however, ismerely thefirststageof this technique. Inthefollowingstages,youwilltransformtheskintothatofasoftvelvetypetal.

Step2:

Createthetwolayersdiscussedearlierbyduplicatingthebackgroundlayertwice.In the Layers panel, right click on the said layer, then select Duplicate Layer.Repeattheprocesstocreatethesecondcopy.

For easier reference, you can change your new layers’ names to Texture andRetouching. Simply double-click on the “Background Layer Copy” text on thelayer tab, then rename. This way, it will be easier for you to discern whatadjustments shouldbe applied towhich.Keep theTexture layer above theTonelayer.

SelectbothtabsthenclickontheGroupbuttonatthebottomoftheLayerspanel.KeeptheselectionontheGrouptab,thengotoLayer,LayerMask,thenclickonRevealAll.ThiswillproduceaMaskoveryourlayers.

Masks are used to avoid affecting parts of the image that should not be appliedwiththeeffects.Ifyouareworkingonanimageofaperson,andyouareremovingwrinkles,theseuntouchablepartswouldbetheeyes,hair,mouth,andsuch.Keepthemaskasisforthemeantime.Youwilluseitinthelatterpartsofthistutorial.

Step3:

HidetheTexturelayernextbecausethefollowingadjustmentswillbeappliedonthe Retouch layer. Simply click on the eye icon beside the tab. Hiding it willenableyoutoseethechangesyou’vemadeintheRetouchlayer.Otherwise,itwillappearthatyouarenotmakinganyprogressbykeepingtheTexturelayervisible.

Asutilizedbefore,youneedtomakeuseoftheGaussianBlurtosoftentheimage.

Unlike in other techniques, however, you have to be careful not to spread thepixels too much. For the more advanced users of Photoshop, you can use theSurfaceBlurfunctioninstead.Thiswillgiveyouadditionaloptionstotweakandplayaroundwith,thusgivingamoreappropriateblurringeffect.Bynow,youwillnotice how the subject’s skin has glowed and softened. The edges, however,becamelessdefined,butthat’swhyyou’rekeepingtheTexturelayer.

Step4:

StillontheRetouchlayer,usethebrushtooltopaintonpartsofthesubject’sskinyoudon’tlike(e.g.deepwrinkleslikelaughlines,shadows,oreyebags).Keepitsopacity low (preferably at 20%), and opt for the soft type of brush to avoiddefining edges. Before applying anything, hold the Alt key and click over thesurface of the skin’s color you want to adapt — the color that will lightenunwanteddetailsontheskin.Astippedinapplyingblushesonthecheeks,makesureyouaccomplishthelighteninginonestroke,otherwisetheopaquecolorwilloverlap.

Atthisstage,youmaybethinkingthattheskinisgoodasitis.Thewrinkleshavebeenremovedandthesubjectwouldhave lookedlikeamodelofamoisturizinglotion. Keep in mind, however, that the skin’s texture needs to remain to keepeverythingnatural.

Step5:

Inthisstep,youwilltweakafewthingsonthetexturelayer,soyouneedtounhideit.Simplyclickonwhere theeye iconwas tomake itappear.Don’tpanic if thechangesyou’vemadehavedisappeared.TheTexturelayerisaboveRetouchingintheLayerspanel,soit’sjustnormalthatifyouunhidethelatter,itwillcovertheformer.

Thenextthingyouneedtodoisadjustthenoiseoftheimage.Insomecases,thisfunction heightens the details by playingwith the smallest bits of color. Ideally,youwouldneedtodownloadaNoiseNinjaPlugintogettheperfecttexture,butitsfunctionsarehighlyadvancedandyoumayencounterproblemsintheinstallationprocess.Therefore,youwillhavetomakedooftheAddNoisefunction.YouwillfindthisunderFilter,andthenunderNoise.

Oncethedialogboxappears,feelfreetotoggleandtweakeverysliderandcheckboxjusttoseehowitwouldaffecttheimage.Thiswillgiveyouabetterideaonhow to set and get the ideal noise. Basically, what you want to is minimumenhancementonthedetails.Don’tgooverboardintweakingtheslider;otherwise,yourimagewillenduplookinglikeacolorednewspaperprint.What’simportantistomake the texturevisible enough. If theNoise tool cannotpull thebest effect,you can try increasing the contrast of the image. Simply go to themenu panel,clickonImage,pointtoAdjustments,andthenselectBrightness/Contrast.

Step6:

Inthisstep,youneedtomergetheTextureandRetouchinglayers.Thefastestwaytodo this isbychanging theblendingmodefromnormal.However,your image

will appear burnt if you do this. Therefore, you need to adjust the High Passsettingsfirst.

Make sure theTexture layer is selected.Thengo toFilter, point toOthers, thenselectHighPass.Youcan tryexperimentingwithothermeasures,but ifyouarebeginner, then the safest setting for the radius is 8.0. Afterwards, adjust thesaturationto-100.Again,youwillfindthistoolfromthemenupanelunderImage,thenunderadjustments.

Onceyouaredonewiththesetwo,changetheblendingoptiontoOverlay.Youwillfind this at the upper portion of the Layers panel. When this effect has beenapplied,youwillseethatwrinkle-freeskinyou’vebeenworkingfor.If,however,you feel that the glowwas a little toomuch, you can strengthen the texture byfurtheradjustingthecontrastviatheBrightness/Contrasttool.

Step7:

Forthefinishingtouches,youwillhavetoutilizethemaskyoucreatedinStep2.Select it, then use the brush to paint black on the surfaces where the changesshould not have been applied.Keep the settings in the soft type brush to avoidsharpedges.

Whenyouthinkalldetailsaregood,youaredone!

Manypeopleareconvinced thatPhotoshopping individuals is awayofcheating reality.You should understand, however, that onlywhen this amazing software is used to altercertain featuresof theperson should it be consideredas such.For example, trimmingafew pounds or enlarging the buttocks or breasts cannot already be considered photoenhancements. As you may have noticed, every technique discussed above are simpleways of bringing out color, adding depth, and improving texture. In other words, noalterationsweremade.

Therefore,wheneveryoufeelyouarecheatingbyPhotoshoppingaperson’sportrait,don’tfeel thatway.As longasyouare limited to theseandyour intention is to simplymakeyoursubjectstunning,thenthere’snoharmdone.

Chapter3:AdvancedPhotoEnhancingTechniquesforLandscapes

ThisisahandbookofsimplePhotoshoptechniques,butasmuchasitwantstokeepeverytutorialeasyandlimitedtoonlyafewsimplesteps,someawesomeeffectssincerelyneedsintermediateskills.Inthelaterpartofthischapter,youwillencounterfunctions,tools,andsettingsthatwerenotmentionedbefore.Thismaysoundintimidating,butthisbookwillprovidedetailedexplanationsandstepstohelpyougetthebestoutofPhotoshopandyourphotos.

Also, tohelpyou furtherwidenyourknowledgeof the software, this bookwill discusswhat effects are to be encounteredwhenever youmake changes. Unlike other tutorialswhere they outline the instructions, but do not expound onwhat differences should beobserved.Somefilters,afterall,showverylittleeffectontheimage.

Thethingabout landscapephotographyis thatnomatterhowexpensiveyourcamerais,therawbeautyofnaturecannotbefullycapturedallthetime.Althoughsomepicturesarebreathtakingon their own,most canbe enhancedby tweaking a fewaspects.There arealsosomeeffectsthatcanbeappliedtomakeyourphotomoreinteresting,likemakingacityscapelooklikearealistictoytown.

1. DiffuseGlowEffect

One of the easiest ways to make an ordinary photo an attention-grabber is byadding the diffuse glow effect. This will make your picture look as if it waspainted with light – as if it was captured from a beautifully vivid dream. Thedefiningfeatureofthiseffectistheglowitaddsontheobjects.Iftheblurisnottoohigh,thedetailsofthephotowillmerelyappearsoft.

Step1:

AfteropeningyourimageofchoiceinPhotoshop,youcanadjustthelevelsfirsttohaveagoodbalanceofblack,whiteandmidtonecolorsbeforeapplyingtheeffect.

Tip!

Portraitphotographyisentirelydifferentfromlandscape.Ifintheformer,depth and shadows are key in making subjects stunning, what makeslandscapes breathtaking are 1) balance between light and dark, and 2)sharpness of details. Of course, the photographer has a giant role inincorporating these as they capture sceneries. However, as explainedbefore, some aspects can be further enhanced through Photoshop.Therefore,ifyouthinkthecloudsofthephotoistoodark,orifthehorizonneedsabitmorebrightness,thenfeelfreetoadjustthembyadjustingthelevels.

Step2:

Duplicate the background layer. Go to the Layers panel, then right click theBackgroundLayertab,andselectDuplicateLayer.Adialogboxwillpopup,andyousimplyneedtoclickOK.Youcanalsopressthekeysalt+ctrl+shift+n+eifyouprefershortcuts.

Step3:

Makesuretheduplicatelayerisselected.Afterwards,usetheGaussianBluroncemore, andadjust theblurof the entire image. It is up toyouhowsoft it shouldcome out, because it will depend on how deep you prefer the effect should be.Understandthattheglowwillcomefromthislayer,hence,thewiderthespreadoftheblur,thebiggertheglowoftheoutcome.Asageneralrule,however,itshouldnotbesoftenoughtoblurthedetailsoftheimage.

Step4:

This is where things get tricky. You need to blend the first layer with theBackgroundlayer,andthereisnofixedoptionforallyourpictures.Therefore,youneedtotryandseewhichwillbringout thebest intheeffectandinyourphoto.Basically,thisfunctionwillmergetwoormorelayers,thusthecolorswilloverlapeach other. Depending on the option you will select, it can darken, lighten,saturate,etc.theimagewhenapplied.

YouwillseetheblendingoptionsattheupperportionoftheLayerspanel.Therearegeneralrulestothisaswell,anditcanserveasaguideifyouarenotsureonwhichtouse.

● Darken andMultiplyBlend. The overall feel youwill get from thisoption is drama. These two will intensify the shadows and define thedetailswithdarkerlines,andatthesametime,addahalo-likeeffectontheobjects.

● LightenandScreenBlend.These two is theoppositeof thepreviousblending options because they lighten and brighten the image. Ifhighlighting glows and addinghigh keys are your target, then this is theblendingyouwant.

● SoftLightandOverlayBlend.Landscapeandstilllifephotosarebestcomplementedbythesetwo,becausetheyimproveyourphoto’ssaturationandcontrast.

If you’ve followed the above guidelines and the output still doesn’t satisfy you,thenyouarefreetoexperimentandseewhichblendwillfityourneeds.

2. TiltShiftEffect

Capturing cityscapes, crowds, and streets is common for photographers.Intensifying shadows or balancing the black and white tones for enhancementpurposes will bring improvement, but will barely make the image stand out.Therefore, you need to apply a more interesting effect to capture the crowd’sattention.

Tiltshiftisaneffectthatcreatestheillusionthataphotoisofaminiaturescenery.By blurring the background and focusing on a single part, the picture of a realbaseball stadiumwould look like thatofahighlydetailedsportsdiorama.Therearerealtiltshiftcamerasinthemarket,butareremarkablyexpensiveconsideringthatitcanonlyproducethesaideffect.Thankfully,there’sPhotoshoptogiveyouthesamestunningappearance,andinonlyafeweasysteps.

Step1:

Open the image you want to apply the effect on, and just like before, you canadjusttheimage’slevelsbeforeproceedingwiththemaininstructions.Also,youcanduplicatethebackgroundlayertoavoidapplyingthechangesdirectlyontheoriginalimage.

Step2:

Atthebottomofthetoolspanel,youwillseeaboxwithacircleonit;thatistheQuickMaskMode.ClickonitandthenselecttheGradientTool.YoucanpresstheGkeyforquickaccess,butitmaygiveyoutheFilltoolinsteadofGradient.Ifthishappens,locateFill,thenrightclickonitandselectGradient.

Therearedifferenttypesofgradients,andyou’llseetheselectionrightunderthemenupanel.ChooseReflectedGradientandproceedtothenextstep.

Step3:

Identify the area youwant to remain sharp. If you areworkingwith images ofbuildings in angled bird’s eye view, then keeping the streets and entrances thecentermakesagoodchoice.Ontheotherhand,ifthepicturehasafocalpoint(e.g.a car, a group of people, a bench, etc.),maintain it as the center of interest bykeepingitsharp.

Clickthemouseontheselectedarea,thendragitverticallyupwards.Keepinmindthatthelongeryoustretchthegradient,thelongertheareathatwillbekeptsharp.So if youwant a deeply blurred background, drag the gradient tool just a littleaboveyourfocalpoint.

Onceyoureleasethemouse,athinredlayerwillappearonyourimage.Clickthe

QuickMaskModeagainandaselectionlinewilloutlinewheretheredareaswere.

Step4:

Applyingtheblurwillbethenextstep.YoumayhavegottenusedtotheGaussianBlur, and you can actually use that if you’re comfortablewith it, but it ismoreidealtousetheLensBlur.ThistoolislocatedrightundertheGaussianBlur.

Abigdialogboxwillappear,anditwillshowapreviewofyourwork.Attherightaredifferentslidersthatyoucantoggleandplaywithtogetyouridealblur.Justlikeallthepreviouslymentionedadjustments,therearenofixedsetofnumbersforallpictures.Therefore,youneedtorelyonyourgraphicskillstoseeifthedesiredeffectisachieved.

ClickOKonceyouaredone.

Step5:

Yourphotowon’tlooktoy-likejustyet.Tocompletetheeffect,youneedtoadjustthe saturation and contrast of the image. This step is optional, but highlyrecommended. The objects will appear as if they are made from plastic if youincrease the saturation, deepen the shades and raise the contrast, making the“miniaturescalemodel”effectmoreplausible.

3. MontageTechnique

What brings impact in some landscape shots is the sky. Having well definedclouds, good light, and vivid skies can bring life into your photo. In fact, somecommercialphotographerskeepstashesofskyphotosintheirflashdrivesincasetheyneed toeditandadddramaticskies in their landscapeorcityscapepictures.Theycannotcontrol theweatherafterall,andnotallof themhavethe luxuryoftimeandpatiencetowaitfortheheavenstoshifttoamorephoto-friendlyscene.What’simportantforthemistodeliverbreathtakingandseamlessmasterpieces.

Before you proceedwith the tutorial, you first need to determinewhether a skyshotwill complement the landscapewell.Forexample, thepictureofameadowwilllookevenbetterwithablueskyandfluffyclouds.Ontheotherhand,imagesof ruins or old buildings are better suited with overcast clouds and patches ofgoldensunlight.Youcandownloadfromthe internet ifyouwant topractice thistechnique,butlateron,ifyouwillusethisforprofessionalpurposes,thenbuyingorshootingyourownwillbenecessary.Thebestplacestocapturegreatskyshotsareonmountaintops,beaches,anddeserts.

Step1:

Firstly,openyourlandscapephoto,andthenyourskyphoto.Intheformer,beginbyselectingtheWandtoolfromtheToolspalette,orbypressingtheWkey.Rightunder themenu panel are additional options for thewand tool.At the far right,changethe tool’s tolerancesettingto20, thenclickontheAddtoSelectioniconlocatedontheleftsideoftheoptionsbar.

Youwillusethistooltoselecttheentiresky.Sinceitnaturallyhasdifferentshadesandcolors,whenyouclickonthegrayishareaswiththewandtool,onlyoneshade

ofgraywillbeselected.However,ifyouactivateAddtoSelection,itmeansthatwhereverandwheneveryouclickthewandtoolonyourcanvas,itwillcombinealltheselectionsyou’vemade.AmoreexpertapproachofdoingthisisbyholdingtheShiftkeywhilecontinuouslyclickingontheimage.

Pressctrl+0,orclickonActualPixelswhenyouchange toZoom.Afterwards,selecttheQuickMaskModeatthebottomoftheLayerspanel(nottheoneonthetoolspaletteorelseyouwon’tperformthefollowingstepscorrectly).

Step2:

Define thedetailsof thegroundorbuildingsbyusing thePolygonalLasso tool.Tracetheiredgesandmakesureyougot thelastpixelofskyseparatedfromtheforeground.Itmayseemthatthewanddidagoodjobonselectingthesky,andyoucancontinueworkingwiththat.However,onceyouseeyourworkcomingtolife,youwillnoticeawhiteoutlineonyourforegroundobjects.Intheend,you’dstillhavetotracethisoutandrepeattheprocessallover.

Once you are done tracing, click on the Fill tool or press theG key for instantaccess,thenapplyblackcoloronyourselection.Makesurethattheselectionisonthe foregroundandnot the skyportions.Afterwards, exitQuickMaskMode,orpresstheQkeytodoso.

Step3:

Gobacktoyourskyimage,thenonthemenupanel,enterSelect,thenchooseAll.Afterwards,gotoEdit,thenselectCopy.Returntoyourlandscapephoto,thengotoEditoncemore,andthenchoosePasteInto.Youskyimagewillpositionitselfbehindyourforegroundobjects,anditwilllookbadasofthemoment,butdon’tfret. The tutorial has more secrets to share with you. In fact, this is just thebeginningofrealPhotoshopmagic.

Tip!

Montagetechniquesworkbestwhenthelightofthetwopicturesisonthesameside,oriftheyaretakeninthesameday.Imagineifyouhaveaphotoofalandscapetakenatnoontime.Thesunwouldhavebeenbrightandtheshadowsareataminimum.Iftheskyphotoyouhaveonhandwastakenatnear sunset, and orange is scattered all over low hanging clouds, then itwouldn’t match your landscape. Furthermore, there will be shadows onyourclouds,andalthoughnoteveryonecanpinpointtheminutedifferenceswhenyouput them together, theywill feel that there’s somethingwrongwithyourphoto.UnderstandaswellthatnoamountofPhotoshoppingcanfixthis,andstillcomeoutlookingnatural.

The bottom line here is whenever you’re going to put images together,make sure they are taken at the same time of day and that the light iscomingfromthesameside.

GobacktoSelectonthemenupanelandDeselectthephoto.

Step4:

The following adjustments will bemade on the image, somake sure you havetransferredtheselectionfromthemask.Transformtheimagetofityourlandscape.Youcaneitherpressctrl+Torgo toEdit, thenselectTransform.The imagewillhavesquares in themiddleofallsidesandcorners.Drag thesesquares tofit theskyimageonyourlandscape.Ifyoudon’twanttolosetheproportionofthephoto,holdtheshiftkeyasyoumaketheadjustments.

Withthetransformfunction,youcanenlargethephotoandshowonlyaspecificportionof thesky–only if therearepartsof ityoudon’twant to include in themontage.Makesure,however,thatitwon’tpixelizeorelseitwouldruintheentireimage.Zoominonthepartswherethetwoimagesmeet(edgesofthelandscapephoto)tocheckiftheystillcarrythesamequality.Iftheydon’t,thenyouhavetoreduce the size of the sky layer until their pixels appear equal.However, if thequalityofonelayerstillseemsbad,youmaywanttoconsiderchangingthephotoentirely.

Once you are satisfied with the position of the sky, press Enter to commit thetransformation.

Step5:

GobacktothelayermaskandapplyabitofGaussianBlurtogivetheedgesofthetwoimagesalittleblend.Inmostinstances,aradiusof1.0willdo,butit’suptoyour judgmentonmuchyourwork shouldhave.Afterwards, in themenupanel,clickonFilter, thenOthers,and thenselectMaximum.Set the radius to2.0,butagain,ifyouthinkyourworkneedsabitmoreorless,thenfeelfreetoexperimentwiththistool.

Thepointofapplyingthesechangesinyourworkistoremovethelighthaloontheedgesofthesubjects.Dependingonhowstrongorweakthebrightnessisonyourphoto,youcanopttonottogglethesesettings.

Step6:

LookforCurvesintheCreateNewFillorAdjustmentLayerbuttonatthebottomoftheLayerspanel.Anewdialogboxwillappeartogetherwithanewlayer.RightclickonthenewlayerandselecttheCreateClippingMaskoption.OntheCurvesdialogbox,movethelinepassingthroughthegraphtoadjustthebalanceofblack,whiteandmidtonelight.Thisiswhereyoushouldbeconsciousofthebrightnessof your landscape. Keep in mind that the sky’s intensity should match theforeground. Therefore, if the contrast of the sky is too high compared to thescenery,thenyoushouldreduceitscontrast.

Step7:

Another thingyou shouldconsider is thepositionof theclouds. If, for instance,youareworkingwithacityscape,andthedistantbuildingsarebright,thentheskyaboveitshouldbecleartogivetheeffectthatthesunisshiningbrightinthatarea.Shouldyourphotosnotmatch,thenyoucanapplyalittlegradienttrickoveryourmasklayertomakeitappearthatthereismorelightinthedistance.

Select theGradient tool from the palette, and then click on theLinearGradient

buttonattheoptionsbar.MakesurethecolorsselectedfromthegradientoptionsareBlackandWhite.Keeptheopacityat100%.Holdthemouseatthetopofyourimage, then drag it to just above the horizon. The line needs to be completelystraight to avoid resulting to a slanted effect. Simply hold the shift key beforereleasing themouse toaccomplish this.Takenote that this shouldbeappliedonyourmasklayer.

When you are done applying the effect, you will notice how the added depthenhancedthedramaofthesky.Theupperportionoftheimagelightened,whilethelowerdarkened.If,however,youwantthisinversed,youonlyneedtointerchangewhereyoustarteddrawingthegradientline.Inthiscase,youstartfromthehorizongoingup.

Youcanalsotryplayingwithothergradientoptions, liketheRadiusGradientortheReflectedGradient.Tryapplying theseonyour imageaswellandseewhichwillbringoutthebesteffect.Afterall,youalsoneedtoconsiderthepositionofthecloudstodeterminewherethelighterportionoftheskyshouldbe.

Step8:

RepeattheinstructionsinStep6.Youneedtocreateasecondcurveadjustmenttofurtherestablish the light sourceofyour image.Forexample, if thebuildingsorobjectsontherightsideofyourphotoarebrighterthantheonesontheleft,thentheleftportionof theskyshoulddisplaymorelight.Despitebeingoptional, thisstepisalsonecessaryforitcanfurtherhidetheseamsofyourPhotoshopwork.

Shouldyour skyphotohave thatwarmafternoonglow,youcanadjust theRGBcurvesofyourlandscapetomakeitappearthatthebuildings,orobjects,aresoftlybathinginorangelight.SimplyclickthedropdownmenuwiththeRGBtext,andselect a different color (e.g. Red, Green, and Blue). The line on the grid willchange color afterwards.Move and adjust this according to your image’s needs.Again,don’tbeafraidtoexperimentandplaywithPhotoshop.TheHistorypanelis there to help you undo any changes you’ve made should you find itinappropriate.

Step9:

Tofurtherbringoutthefocusofyourimage’slight,youwillapplyanotherlayerofgradient. This time, however, you need to fill the currently selected mask withblack.GotoEditinthemenupanel,thenFill,andfinally,selectblack.PresstheGkey toactivate theGradient tool.Set itonRadiusGradient, thenkeep theblackandwhite color selection in the options bar. Change theMode fromNormal toScreen,thenlookforReverseandclickitscheckbox.

Determinewherethesunwouldhavebeeninyourmontage,becausethecenterofit iswhereyou’ll startdrawing thegradient.Don’tdrag the line too far.Ashortradius of light is already sufficient to bring the effect out. However, if you areworkingwithabrightscenery,thenpullingthegradientfartherwouldn’thurt.

Step10:

Youarereadytomergethetwoimages,andinsteadofflatteningthem,makinguse

ofPhotoshop’s stamping functionwillmake awiser choice. Just like the flattenfunction, all visible layerswillmerge.Thedifference is that in stamping, itwillcreate a new layer (with all the changes and adjustments you’ve made welllaminated),andnotcombinealltheexistinglayerstoone.

Toaccomplishthis,gotoSelect, thenclickonSelectAll.Afterwards,gotoEditandchooseCopyMerged.Lastly,gobacktoEditandthenclickonPaste.AnewlayerwillappearintheLayerspanel.

For the finishing touches, keep this new layer selected and go to Filter, thenSharpen,andselectSmartSharpen.Adjust theradius justenoughtoenhance thedetailsofyourimage,clickOK,andyou’redone!

Keepinmindthatalthoughthisbookhasprovidedasetoftechniquesforyoutofollow,youshouldstill learnhowevery tool, function,andsettingwereusedandwhatchangeswereimposedonyourphoto.Knowinghoweachofthesefunctionwillgiveyouamoreconcrete idea onwhat should be applied in a picture, andwhat should be skipped.Asexplained before, there are no two identical photos.Eachwill require a different set oftweaking.Hence,somepicturesmaynotneedoneortwooftheadjustmentsinstructedinthe techniques, while others may require additional changes using different andunmentionedtools.

KeepinmindthatcreativitywillhelpyouflourishinusingPhotoshop.Onceyouknowthebasics,youcansetoutonyourowneditionadventureandcomeupwithyourowneditingtechniques.

Another important thing to remember when using Photoshop is to never stopexperimenting.Thisbookmayhavepresentedguidelines,butkeepinmindthatthesearemere safety nets. To create truly breathtaking photos, you have to go beyond what isexpected.Therefore,inthetechniquesenumeratedabove,don’tbeafraidtoplaywiththeslidersofthedifferenttoolsandfunctions.Seehoweachwillaffecttheimage,andlearnwhatwilllookbestonit.

Conclusion

Thankyouagainfordownloadingthisbook!

Ihopethisbookwasabletohelpyouenhanceyourphotosandbringlifetoeverypictureyouedit.

Thenextstepistogoonandapplywhatyou’velearned,andthereisnobetterwaytodothis than to sit in front of your computer, open Photoshop, and follow the instructionsenumerated in the techniques.One good aspect of digital editing is theUndo function.This is what makes learning this skill worthwhile. Committing mistakes won’t beexpensive and heartbreaking – unless, of course, you accidentally override the originalone-of-a-kindphotowithapoorlyeditedone.

Youshouldunderstandaswellthateverymomentyoudedicateinusingthissoftwarewillearnyouampleexperience–andexperiencemeansskill.Ifyouarepatientenough,youmightevenbecomeaPhotoshopgurusomeday,sodon’tstoptryingevenifyoudon’tgetthingsrightatfirst.

Finally,ifyouenjoyedthisbook,thenI’dliketoaskyouforafavour,wouldyoubekindenoughtoleaveareviewforthisbookonAmazon?It ’ dbegreatlyappreciated!

Thankyouandgoodluck!

Previewof“DSLRPhotographyMadeEasy:SimpleTipsonHowYouCanGetVisuallyStunningImagesUsingYourDSLR”

Chapter1-WhatDidIjustBuy?

“It’sthemanthatmakestheclothesandnottheotherwayaround.”

Thesamethingcanbesaidaboutcameras.Nomatterhowtechnologically-advancedyourequipmentmaybe,yourshotswillonlybeasgoodashowwellyouhandlethecameraandcomposedyourphotographs.

Unfortunately,camerasareslightlymorecomplexthanclothes.AndunderstandinghowyournewDSLRworksisoneofthemostimportantstepsyoushouldtakebeforegettingthosestudio-qualityshots.

THEBASICS

TheacronymDSLRstandsforDigitalSingle-LensReflex.UnderstandingthistermwillhelpyoubetterappreciatewhatmakesaDSLRcameradifferentfromanythingelse.

Asopposedtothinkingofacamerawithacomplexarrayoflenses,theterm“single-lens”referstothenotionthatboththephotographerandfilm(ordigitalimagecapturingsurface)arelookingthroughthesamelens.Thereisnodistortionbetweenwhatthephotographerseesandwhatwillappearonthepicture.

Ascomparedtoearliercamerasthathaveaseparatesetoflensesfortheeyepieceandthefilm,SLRcamerasallowphotographerstoseeexactlyhowthepicturewillturnoutbeforehittingtheshutter!Oldercamerasdonothavethisfunctionbecausetheeyepieceisseparatefromthecameralens.

Thisfeatureallowsphotographerstojudgethequalityoftheirimagesevenbeforecallingtheshot.Theycanadjustthelight,changethelens,re-adjustthefocusandanythingelsetheyfeelthatwillhelpmakeabettershot.

ThatexplainstheSLRpart.

Takenotethattherearenon-digitalSLRcamerasthatstillusefilm.That’swhytheyaresimplycalledSLR’s.ThedifferencebetweenSLRcamerasandDSLRcamerasishowthecamerascapturetheimage.

BothSLRandDSLRcamerashostasinglelensthroughwhichthelightrayspassthrough.Whiletheshothasn’tbeentaken,thelightraysfromtheprimarylenshitamirrortiltedata45degreeangle.Thiswillcausethelightraystogoupwardinsteadofhittingtherearportionofthecamera.

Whenthenow-verticallightraysbounceupward,theyencounterasmallsystemofprismsthatdirectthelightraystoasmalleroutletknownastheeyepiece.Thisiswherethephotographerseestheimagebeforebeingshot.Sincetheuserisbeingfedthelightraysdirectlyfromthemainlens,theygetanexact“preview”ofhowtheimageisgoingtocomeout.

Whentheuserhitstheshutter,themirrorthatbendedthelightat45degreesflipsupward,blockingtheprismsystematthetopwhichallowsthelighttopassrightonthroughtotherearportionofthecamera.

ThisiswherethedifferencebetweenSLR’sandDSLR’scomein.Insteadofhavingthelightrayshitasheetoffilmtocapturetheimage,DSLR’shostadigital-imagingsensorthatcapturestheimageandtranslatesitintoadigitalimagetobesaveduntoastoragedevice.Oncetheshothasbeentaken,themirrorslipsbackintooriginal45degreeanglespottoonceagainredirectlightbacktotheeyepiece…

ClickheretoreadtherestofthisbookonAmazon.