practical photoshop sampler
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&
EASYTO FOLLOWVIDEOSTOHELPYOUIMPROVEYOURSKILLSWATCH & LEARN!
20 VIDEOGUIDES
FREEDVD!
No.1FORCREATIVEPROJECTSDomorewithPhotoshopElementsandCStoday!
Get creative with& & & & &
SPIN
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TCU
T#
4A
LT/BACK
SPACE
Fillswith
ForegroundColour
Issue04
Septem
ber2011
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w.practicalphotoshopm
ag.com
Achieveamazinglight&coloureffectsUnderstandhistogramsandchannelsTakeyour imagestoanother level
THE UK’SBIGGEST & BESTPHOTOSHOPMAGAZINE
16-pagecreativemanualpackedwithtipsandtechniques
PLUS! INSIDE
X RAY EFFECTSFindouthowtogiveyour
imagestheX-raylook
SHARP SHOTSAllyoursharpening
questionsansweredISSUE 04 SEPTEMBER2011 £5.99
FUNDAMENTALS
JUST FOR FUN
CREATIVEPROJECT
JUST FOR FUN
MAKE AMAGRITTESurrealdigitalartworkmadeeasy
CreatethecoverimageTurn to p68
Speaktoyournewsagent
IsyourfreeDVDmissing?
COOLEFFECTS
Montagetipstotrytoday!
MASTERLAYERS
EXPERTADVICE
Learnhowtogetthemostoutofthisessentialtool
GRADIENTTOOL TIPS
Use the Art History Brush tool tocreate a painterly country scene
to tool Brush History Art the Use to tool Brush History Art the Usecreate a painterly country scenecreate a painterly country scene
STUNNINGLANDSCAPES
Issue04September2011£5.99
DavidColePhotoshop5.0inspired
David,atraditionalartistspecialisinginwatercolours,
tomoveintonaturalmediasimulation.Thefourthpartofhisphotopaintingseriescanbefoundonpage88.
HannahGalAward-winningcreative
HannahGal,whoseworkhasfeaturedonMTVand in
theNewYorkTimes, showsushowtocreateacoolmosaiceffect inthreeeasystepsonpage79.
MissAnielaAuthorofSelf-Portrait
Photographywhichcovershertechniquesand
composites.MissAnielatellsushowtoachieveheracclaimedlevitationphotoeffectonpage74.
AngelaNicholsonOurHeadofTestinghas
usedPhotoshopsinceversion4.0andnowuses
CS5togetthebestpossibleresultsfromherimages.Sheexplainsthebasicsofsharpeningonpage52.
MeetyourPhotoshopgeniuses…
BenBrainBenhasusedPhotoshop
sincetheearly90’s,findingitvitalforhisartphotography
andduringhispreviouscareerasaprophotographer.Check outhisguidetomakingX-raystyleimagesonpage66.
JamesPatersonHavingworkedasastudio
portraitpro,ourtechniqueeditorhasusedPhotoshop
onadailybasisforthepastdecade.Followhistutorialoncreatingafantasylandscapeonpage68.
SteveCaplinAdigitalartistand
author,Stevehashisphotomontagework
publishedworldwide.This issueseeshimrecreateBridgetRiley-styleartworkonpage76.
AliJenningsAlihasbeenusing
Photoshopforadecadeandis ImagingLabManagerfor
Future’sphotographyportfolio.ReadhisexpertguidetotheColourHalftoneFilteronpage64.
September 2011 PracticalPhotoshop 3
Get Inspired…Every issueofPracticalPhotoshop ispackedwith
fresh ideasandexpertadvicetohelpyou improveyourPhotoshopskills.Be inspiredbythebestnewimagery inourWorldofPhotoshopsectionand letourtechniqueguidesteachyouhowtocreateyourownwithourtutorials inthemagazineandonourDVD.
Ben Brain
Welcometo…
BenBrain,Editorben@practicalphotoshopmag.com
LevelsandCurvescanseemdauntingtotheuninitiated.However, theyaren’tnearlyasscaryastheyfirstappearwhich iswhywe’vededicatedthismonth’smainfeaturetoshowingyouallyouneedtoknowinourultimateguide.Whetheryou’restrugglingwith
histograms,wanttogetthebestoutofyourphotosorhaveaburning
desiretounleashyourcreativity–weshowyouhow.OurCreativeProjectsarepackedwithsomegreat
advice, too,andtotie inwiththeTateLiverpool’smajorexhibitionofsurrealistartistRenéMagritte,we’regoingtoshowyouhowyoucanmakeyourveryownsurrealmasterpiecefromscratch.Meanwhile,our residentPhotoshopwhiz James
Paterson isgoingtoshowyouhowwecreatedthismonth’sstunningfantasy landscapecover.Asusual,ourgalleriesarefilledwith inspirational images
togetyourcreative juicesflowingandweshowcasethetalentedCristianBoian inourPortfolio.Ihopeyouenjoythemagazineanddon’t forgettodrop
mea lineand letmeknowwhatyouthink.Ourstar letterwill receivesomefineartpaper fromFotospeed.
PSDon’tmissoutonour specialintroductoryofferonpages40-41–youcansaveupto30%!
Saveupto30%
Toturnpages40-41formoreinfoSubscribetoday&savemoney…
4 PracticalPhotoshop September2011 www.practicalphotoshopmag.com
07DVDContentsFindoutwhat’sonyourfreeDVDofsuperbPhotoshoptutorials
08TheWorldofPhotoshopGet inspiredbytheverybestPhotoshopimageryfromaroundtheglobe
14PortfolioWeshowcasePhotoshopguruCristianBoian’squirkybrandofgraphical tableaux
18ReadersLettersMakeyourselfheardandenter thedebateinPracticalPhotoshop’s Noisesection
20ReaderChallengeTakethismonth’schallengeandpushyourPhotoshopskills tothe limit
40SubscriptionofferSaveupto30%onourcoverpricebysubscribingtoPracticalPhotoshop
74Artist InsightFivetopPhotoshopgurussharesomefascinatingtricksof thetrade
81 InternationalofferLiveoutsidetheUK?Wewanttosaveyoucashwiththisgreatsubscriptiondeal
82 ImageReviewSeeyourshotscritiquedbyourteamofexpertsand learnnewskills!
95FilterAll the latestPhotoshopgear testedandratedbyourcrewoftopexperts
114PersonalSelectionsAustraliandigitalartist JustinMallerwaxeslyricalonhis favouriteworktodate
InsideIssue04
Makeyourownversionoftheartist’siconicpainting,TheSonofMan
IssueFour September2011
Use theimages ontheDVD!t D!
42CreateaMagrittesurrealistmasterpiece
START IMAGES
Get creative withLEVELS&CURVES24Everythingyouneedtoknowabout
masteringthesevital image-editingfeaturesinouressentialguide
September2011 PracticalPhotoshop 5
Subscriberightnow&saveupto30%UK readers see page 40 for full details. Internationalreaders see page 81 for your own special offer…
New to Photoshop?Get up to speed fast in…
105 Take a tour of Elements and CS, andlearn the principles of image editing
Recreatethismonth’sfantasticalcoverartfromacombinationofimagesin thelatestofoureasy-to-followstep-by-steptutorials
68Makeafantasycompositelandscape
Photoshop? to NewGet up to speed fast in…
16 PAGES OF IN DEPTHTECHNIQUES, TRICKS& TIPS INCLUDING:
SharpeningThe Gradient toolX-ray effects
Andmuchmore…
YOURCREATIVEMANUAL!See page 51 for more…
YOUR PHOTOSHOP QUICKSTART GUIDE
Turn overfor the DVDcontents!
www.practicalphotoshopmag.com
Turn a landscape imageinto a stunning work ofart with David Cole
Photoshop? to New
START IMAGE
ForasneakpreviewTurntopage67
NEXTMONTH
Photoshop? to New Photoshop? to New
to-follow step-by-step tutorialsto-follow step-by-step tutorialsto-follow step-by-step tutorials
STARTIMAGES
88ArtHistoryBrushpainting
Emailusat letters@practicalphotoshopmag.comor jointhediscussionatwww.facebook.com/practicalphotoshop
Well done to all involved increating a new, refreshing and
hopefully very successfulmagazine inthese uncertain times.I love the in-depth tutorials, and
even though I’ma relative beginner, Iwill be trying each one.I especially enjoyedwatching the
video byDavidCole and look forwardto seeingmore tutorials fromhim.I have also taken advantage of your
offer andhave taken out asubscription,mainly because I alwaysbuymagazines late and alwaysmissthe competition deadlines.Hopefully,now I’ll getmy copy early andhaveplenty of time to enter.One last point, I hope that youwill
Iwritewith regard to the letterfromBrianThompson in Issue 3
ofPractical Photoshop (“Basic photoskills are slowly dying away”).I canunderstandwhereBrian is
coming fromwithhis basics, but it’s adying philosophy.Wehad the sameargumentwhendigital started takingover fromfilm: the idea that digital tookthe art out of taking a photo.However, I do feel that I am still a
beginner after at least five years if notmore and still try to get it rightin-camera to save time inPhotoshoplater. I have even enrolled in a course tobettermyself and “visualise”what I’mgoing to take beforehand.At the endof the day, Photoshop can
only do somuch. It can’t alwaysrestoremassively under or over-exposed images and can’tmake reallyblurry images clear.Imay bewrong, but I do feel Brian’s
confusing the rescuing of imageswithtweaking to improve a shot, just as peryour response in themagazine.AndrewMiller,Email
ReplyYou’reabsolutely right,Andrew.Sixorsevenyearsago, thedebateof themeritsof traditionalfilmstockversusdigital imagingwasat itspeak,nowit’snon-touchedupdigital shotsagainstPhotoshoppedones.We’re definitely inthecampthatbelievesPhotoshop isaforceforgoodnotevil!
continuewith the coverDVD, ashaving the tutorials andfiles toworkwith are a big bonus.Well done again, I look forward to
receivingmy copies in the post.DavidNightingale,Email
STARLETTER
It’shelpful includingimagesontheDVD
Timetomoveoninphotographydebate
Creativeprojectsareacentral partofPracticalPhotoshopeachmonth
ReaderDavidNightingalehasenjoyedthe tutorialsonourmonthly freeDVD
WIN!StarletterwinsapackofA3FineArtpaperfromFotospeed
ReplyThanksDavid. It’salwaysourintentiontomake itaseasyaspossiblefor readers torecreatethetutorialsandtheDVDvideo lessonsarevital inmakingthathappen.
20 PracticalPhotoshop September2011 www.practicalphotoshopmag.com
Take thePracticalPhotoshopchallenge!
HowtoenterSimply load up the DVD andgo to the Resources section,
where you’ll find a selection ofclassic surreal objects. Use theseimages, plus any others on thedisc or of your own to createa work of surreal art. You canenter by email to challenge@practicalphotoshopmag.comor by sending a CD to:
Practical Photoshop, FuturePublishing, 30 Monmouth Street,Bath BA1 2BW.
Please give your finishedcreation a suitable title andsupply a couple of lines todescribe what you did and why.The closing date for entries is 21October, 2011. We look forwardto seeing your entries and we’llpublish the best in Issue 7.
What you can winInadditiontofeaturingthebest imageinPracticalPhotoshop,we’llalsogetit
professionallyframedbyWhiteWall–theleadingonlinegalleryforbespokephotographicprinting,mountingandframing.WhiteWall’seasy-to-usewebsiteallowsphotographersanddigitalartiststouploadtheirpicturesandselectfromavarietyofbeautifulfinishespreparedtogallerystandards.Seewww.whitewall.co.ukfordetails.
Every issuewe’ll set youa creative taskbasedona technique featured in the
magazine and thismonth’s challenge is inspiredbyourRenéMagritte tutorial.We’ve supplied a surrealist’s toolboxof images
on theDVD.Use themhowever you like, alongwith anyof theother tutorial files you’ll findonthedisc or evenyour own images, to create aweird andwonderfulmasterpiece.We’ve pieced together our owncreationusing
different images from thedisc, combining a fewof the techniques that are featured in thisissue’s tutorial pages.Now it’s your turn to get creative. Our favourite
imageswill be featured in Issue7, giving youplenty of time toenter, and theoverallwinnerwill have their imageprofessionally framed.Good luckwith the challenge –we’re looking
forward to receiving your entries!
Get surreal and enter this month’s reader challengefor the chance to win a great prize
READERCHALLENGE
Your challenge images… enter to How
nd a selection of where you’ll fithese Use objects. surreal classic
images, plus any others on the disc or of your own to create a work of surreal art. You can
enter by email to challenge@practicalphotoshopmag.com or by sending a CD to:
Practical Photoshop, FutureStreet, Monmouth 30 Publishing,
Bath BA1 2BW.
nished Please give your fiand title suitable a creation
Use theimages ontheDVD!th D!
September2011 PracticalPhotoshop 21www.practicalphotoshopmag.com
Five top tips for…stunningsurrealart
SURREALART
01Makebizarrecomposites
Surrealartoftenjuxtaposesobjectsthathavenonaturalconnection,sotocreateamasterpiece inPhotoshopyou’llneedtogettogripswithbuildingcomposites.Learnhowtobringseveralimagestogether intoacohesivewhole inourtutorialonpage42.
02 Createacanvas
You’llneedasuitablecanvastouseasastartingpoint forall the imageelementsandeffects.WechosetocreateagreencurtainwiththeGradienttool.Findouthowit’sdoneonpage60.ThecurtainhasbeenblurredslightlywithFilter>LensBlur togiveasenseofdepth.
03 Tonetoperfection
Tonaladjustmentsareessential tweaksforanyimage,andcanreallyhelptomakeelementsgeltogether inacomposite.Turntothismonth’smainfeatureonpage24foreverythingyouneedtoknowabouttweakingtoneswith levelsandcurves inPhotoshop.
04 Fine-tuneforaddedrealism
Simplyplacingtheclawontopofthephone isn’tenough.We’veusedtheDodgeandBurntools toaddashadowforextrarealism.Thiswasappliedonaseparategreyfill layerset toBlendMode:Overlay.Findoutmoreaboutnon-destructivedodgingandburningonpage55.
WIN!Thebestimagewillbeframedtoaprofessional
standard
This isagreatopportunitytoaddfunflourishessuchasthesurreal touchesonthephone.The lettershavebeenchangedaroundbymakingsmall selections,atechniquesimilarlyusedtomakethe ‘treefaces’onthecoverand inthetutorialonpage68.Themorepeculiartheresults thebetter.
05Addoddflourishes
32 PracticalPhotoshop September2011 www.practicalphotoshopmag.com
GETCREATIVEWITHLEVELSANDCURVES
Levels’morepowerful cousinCurvesgivesyouultimatecontrolover tones
INTRODUCINGCURVES
BEFORE
Use theimage ontheDVD!t D!
LikeLevels, Photoshop’s Curvescommandallowsyou toadjust tones,butwith fargreaterprecision. Levels is
likeadecorator’s roller compared toCurves’artistic paintbrush. Insteadof just threesliders,youhaveanarrayof intuitive control pointsthatallowyou tofine-tunedifferentvaluesalong the tonal range.Toaccess theCurvesDialogBoxgo to
Image>Adjustments>CurvesoralternativelyhitCmd/Ctrl+M. Alternatively, applyCurvesasanAdjustmentLayer. LikeLevels,we recommendyoualwaysapplyCurvesonanAdjustmentLayer for theextra control this givesyou. Ifyou’reunfamiliarwithCurves, then thecontrolsmay initially seema littledaunting, buta fewminutesofexperimentation is all that’s neededformostpeople tobecomecomfortable.Click anywherealong thediagonal line toadd
acontrol point.Drag thispointupwards tolighten the imageanddowntodarken it.Addmorepointsalong the line if you likeand
drag theseupordowntoalterdifferent tonalvalues. Inmost cases, you’ll rarelyneed toaddmore than threepoints.Along thebottomof thegridyouhaveablack
point andwhitepoint slider thatwork inexactlythesamewayas theydo inLevels.HoldAlt anddrag thesliders inwardsuntil theymeet theedgesof thehistogramto improve the tonalrangeandcheck for clippedpixels.
Curvesworkbyremappingthetonalvaluesdisplayedinthehistogram. Ifyouaddacontrolpointhalfwayalongthehorizontalaxisabovethecentreofthehistogramthendragthepointupto3/4ofthewayalongtheverticalaxis,you’reeffectivelychangingthetonesthatwereinitiallyhalfwaybetweenlightanddarkandmakingthem75%light01.Addasecondcontrolpointaquarterofthewayalongthe horizontalaxisanddragthisdowntomeetthediagonal lineandthetonesthatwere25%lightbeforeyoumadeyourfirstadjustmentwillberestoredtotheir initialtonalvalue02.Thesteeperthelineofthecurve,
thegreaterthecontrastwillbealongthisrangeoftones03. Ifthebottomortopofthecurveflattensagainstthebox,thenthetonesatthiscorrespondingpointinthehistogramwillbeclippedtopureblackorpurewhite04.
TOPTECHNIQUE CURVESEXPLAINED
Curves allow you tomake really precise tonal
adjustments to yourdigital images
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3 4
September2011 PracticalPhotoshop 33www.practicalphotoshopmag.com September2011r2e PracticalPhotoshopcPr shoPho p 333
INTRODUCINGCURVES
THECURVESDIALOGBOXEXPLAINEDNote:ThisdiagramdisplaystheCurvesDialogBox.TheCurvesAdjustmentspanelshowsaslightlydifferentsetofoptions,butthekeyfeaturesremainthesameinboth.
18 DRAWCURVESThepencil icon
allowsyoutodrawalinebyhandthroughthebox. It’smostuseful ifyouholdShiftasyoudrawsoyoucangetstraightvertical,horizontalor45degree lines.CheckoutourcreativeCurvessectiononpage38toseehowthiscanbeusedtocreateasolarisedeffect.
17 EDIT POINTSTheeditpointsoption
ischeckedbydefaultandallowsyoutoclickoncontrolpointsandmovethemtoadjustthecurve.
02 SMOOTHUsethis in
conjunctionwiththepencil icontosmooththelinesofahand-drawncurve.
07 PREVIEWTogglethePreviewonoroffto
seehowyourchangesaffectthe image.
14 OUTPUTAND INPUT
VALUESAllowsyoutomanuallysetanoutputandinputvalueforeachcontrolpointonthecurve.
15 SHOWAMOUNTOF:
Bydefault, this issettoLight.Pigment/Ink%isuseful forcheckingthelevelsof inkrequiredforprinting.
16 EYEDROPPERSLiketheeyedroppers
inLevels,clickwithintheimageto interactivelyre-mapthetones.Setawhitepointandanyshades lighterthanthispointwillbeclippedtopurewhite.Theblackpointworks inasimilarway.Thegreypointallowsyoutoaltercoloursbychoosingatonetosetasneutralgrey.
13 HAND ICONHighlightthe
handiconthenclickwithinthe imagetoselectacertainshadeofpixel.Dragupordowntointeractively lightenordarkenall similarshades.You’ll seethecorrespondingpointalongthecurvereactasyoudrag.
06 OPTIONSAccessAutooptionstosettones
accordingtoautomatedequations.Thisbuttononlyappears intheDialogBox.Ifyou’reusingtheAdjustmentsPanel,Alt-clicktheAutoButton.
12 SHOWCustomise
theappearanceoftheCurvesDialogBoxwiththissetofcheckboxes.
10 SHOWCLIPPINGAhandycheckboxthatwill
showyoupixelsthatareclippingtopurewhiteorblack.Clickonthecontrolpointatthetoporbottomofthelinetoseehighlightsorshadows.
11 CONTROL POINTClicktoaddcontrolpoints
alongthe lineandthendragthepointstoadjustthetones.Youcanaddamaximumof16points.Togetridofone,drag itoutsidethebox.
09 DIAGONAL LINEThediagonal line isusedtoremaptones inan
imagetodifferentvalues.Thehorizontalaxisdisplaystheoriginal tonesandtheverticalaxisspecifieshowthetonesarechanged.Thesteeperthe lineofthecurve, themorecontrasttherewillbealongthatpartofthetonalscale.Conversely, themoreshallowtheline, the lesscontrast.
08 HISTOGRAMJust likeLevels,Curvesdisplays
ahistogramthatrepresentsthetonalrangeofthe imageasdifferentshadesgroupedtogetherfromdark(0)tolight (255).Themorepixelsofacertainshade, thehigherthepeakonthegraph.
05 AUTOHitAutotoapplyanautomatedtonal
adjustmentthatenhancescontrast. Ifyou’reapplyingCurves intheAdjustmentspanel,holddownAltandclickAutotoaccesstheAutoOptionsbox.
04 CANCEL BUTTONLikemostDialogBoxes,holddownAlt
andthiswill changetoreset.
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01 CHANNELSSelectfrom
thedrop-downtomakechangestoindividualcolourchannels.Makecolourtweakstoshadoworhighlightareasbyadjustingthecurveateitherendofthehistogram.
03 PRESETSChoosefromadrop-downlistofCurves
presetstoquicklyadjusttones.AmongthechoicesareCrossProcessandColourNegativeeffects.Presetscanbeuseful foraquickfixandasastartingpointforfurthertweaks.
THE CREATIVEMANUAL FOR ALLPHOTOSHOP USERS
www.practicalphotoshopmag.com
BEFORE
AFTER
52 PracticalPhotoshop September2011
SHARPENUPYOURACTWeflytheflagforPhotoshop’swiderangeofexcellent image-sharpeningtools
When it comes to creatingpolished, sharp images, it
seems there’smore than a littleconfusion as to the bestwayforward. Schools of thought aredivided between thosewhooptfor achieving it in-camera,whileothers plump for softwarepackages such as Photoshop.Inmost cases, in-camera
sharpening is applied across anentire image to a level selected bythe photographer. This one-size-fits-all approach keeps things
simple, but it’s not always the bestsolution. It can result in edgeswithhigh contrast, such as thehorizonof a landscape looking too bold,while fine foregrounddetails arestill a little soft. Consequently, it’sfar better to apply sharpening at alevel that suits each individualimageusingPhotoshop.Thegrid-like structure of a
camera’s sensor and the presenceof an anti-aliasingfilter over it toreducemoiré patterningmeanthat all digital images need some
formof sharpening, eitherin-camera or post-capture.Sharpeningworks by increasing
the contrast along edges so thatthere is a quicker transition fromlight to dark and the edgesbecomemoredefined. Pushing thelevel of sharpening too far resultsin very highmicro contrastwithhalos appearing around imageelements and the introduction ofartefacts in otherwise smoothareas. Oversharpening often looksworse thannot sharpening at all.
Photoshop CS5offers aselection of sharpeningmodes,but themost useful areUnsharpMask andSmart Sharpen as theyoffer the greatest level of control.Elements users are often best
served by theAdjust Sharpnessoptions (Enhance>AdjustSharpness),which is similar toCS5’s Smart Sharpen feature.TheSharpen tool is also very
useful as it enables sharpening tobe targeted at specific areasusing a brush.
FUNDAMENTALSOur adjusted imagenowhas clearly definedpetals
www.practicalphotoshopmag.com September2011 PracticalPhotoshop 53
How do the Amount, Radiusand Threshold controls help?
Try applying sharpening to the Luminancechannel to avoid colour shifts and artefacts
Found via the drop-downFilter>Sharpening>Unsharp
Mask, the Unsharp Mask (USM)Dialog Box has three slidingcontrols called Amount, Radiusand Threshold.
The Amount slider sets theoverall level of sharpening. Radiusdictates how large an area aroundan edge is sharpened. Overuse ofthe Radius control is a commoncause of oversharpening and it isresponsible for the introduction ofstrong outlines and halos.
The Threshold slider is used tospecify which edges aresharpened. When a large value isused, the sharpening is onlyapplied to high contrast edges,while a low value means that thesharpening is also applied to lowcontrast edges and finer details.
Finding the correct values takesexperimentation, but start with alow Threshold and move theAmount and Radius sliders up anddown until the image looks right.
Required values vary from imageto image, but aim to keep theRadius below 3. An Amount of150-180 is a good starting point.
Sharpening theluminance
UnsharpMask
Apply sharpening at thesize the image is to be used
at. Different levels are requireddepending upon how the imageis to be viewed. An image that isto be printed may need a heaviersharpening treatment thanone viewed on-screen. As someprinters apply sharpening, it’simportant to make a test printor two before making multiplelarge prints for the first time.
SHARPENINGFOR PRINTING
GENIUS TIP!SHARPENING SHARPENING SHARPENING
The Unsharp Mask can determinethe exact extent of thesharpening of your image
Unsharp Mask (USM) hasthree sliders called Amount,Radius and Threshold
You can applysharpening tothe Luminancechannel to avoidcolour shifts andartefacts whenusing USM
Radius sharpening. of level overall dictates how large an area around
responsible for the introduction of
The Unsharp Mask can determine The Unsharp Mask can determine the exact extent of the the exact extent of the
sharpening of your imagesharpening of your image
has (USM) Mask Unsharp has (USM) Mask Unsharp Amount, called sliders three Amount, called sliders three
Threshold and Radius Threshold and Radius
apply can Youto sharpening
Luminance theavoid to channel
and shifts colour artefacts when
using USM
apply can Youto sharpening
Luminance theavoid to channel
and shifts colour artefacts when
using USM
apply can Youto sharpening
Luminance theavoid to channel
and shifts colour artefacts when
using USM
BEFORE
AFTER
AFTER
BEFORE
Using USM can result in colour shifts andartefacts being introduced. Avoid this by only
applying the sharpening to the Luminance channel.Convert the image to Lab Colour mode(Image>Mode>Lab Colour) and then select theLuminance channel in the Channels panel. Convertingto Lab Colour mode results in some loss of imagequality, so it isn’t always desirable. It’s better to applyUSM to a duplicate layer and blend that layer with thebackground using the Luminosity Blend Mode.
www.practicalphotoshopmag.com
THE CREATIVEMANUAL FOR ALLPHOTOSHOP USERS
54 PracticalPhotoshop September2011
Adjust the sharpening that’s applied to thehighlights and shadows separately
Camera Raw makes targeting the right areas for sharpening asimple process – even if you don’t shoot in Raw format
Adjust the sharpening that’s applied to thehighlights and shadows separately
Sharpening controls inAdobe Camera Raw
Smart sharpenSharpening blurredbackgrounds and uniform
skies may introduce artefactsor texture, so it’s advisable tosharpen selectively. This can bedone on a duplicate layer wheremasking or erasing can revealthe unsharpened layer beneath.Alternatively, use the Sharpentool found with the Blur andSmudge tools. With the option toprotect details selected, paint insharpening over important areas.
GENIUS TIP!SELECTIVESHARPENING
Make use of theLens Blur optionto detect edgesand detail
The Mask sliderrestricts where thesharpening effectis applied
Adjust the sharpening that’s applied to the Adjust the sharpening that’s applied to the
Smart sharpenSmart sharpenSmart sharpen
BEFORE
AFTER
Make use of the Lens Blur option
edges detect to
Camera Raw opensautomatically when you
open a Raw file in Photoshop, butto use it with a JPEG, simplyselect the image in Bridge, rightclick with the mouse and selectOpen in Camera Raw.
The sharpening controls arefound under the Details tab, butbefore you set to work, use thedrop-down menu in the bottomleft-hand corner of the screen toset the preview to 100%.
Camera Raw’s sharpeningcontrols are similar to the USMcontrols, with Amount setting thelevel and Radius dictating thewidth of the area along the edgesthat is sharpened. The Detail slideris similar to Threshold in that it isused to control the haloing anddetermine how much emphasis is
given to the edges, but its impactdecreases as its value increases. ADetail setting of 100 is effectivelythe same as a zero Thresholdvalue and vice versa.
Finally, the Mask slider is used torestrict where the sharpening isapplied. Hold down theAlt keywhile making Maskingadjustments to see where isaffected, the black areas will beleft untouched.
Adjusting the Amount and Radius settings inSmart Sharpen has the same impact as when
using USM, but you can choose what type of blur –such as Gaussian, Lens or Movement – to correct usingthe Remove drop-down menu. Gaussian Blur is thegeneral softness that is also addressed by USM, theLens Blur option detects edges and detail and is agood choice for sharpening fine detail. Motion Bluraims to reduce the effects of camera or subjectmovement. After selecting the appropriateAmount, Radius and Remove settings, choose theAdvanced options to control how much sharpening toapply to the shadows and highlights.
BEFORE
AFTER
top related