MACRO AND ART

PHOTOGRAPHY

Workshop Support Notes

MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY Macro photography is the production of images which range from life-size on film or sensor (1:1 magnification ratio) to around 25 times magnification. The three key considerations for successful macro photography are:

1. Movement. At high magnification, the slightest movement of the

camera or the subject will blur the image. If possible the camera should be mounted on a sturdy tripod. If the camera is handheld, high shutter speeds will be needed.

2. Depth of Field. The depth of field in macro photography is often

extremely limited, sometimes a fraction of a millimetre. To maximise depth of field it will usually be desirable to close down the aperture. It may also be necessary to compose the subject in such a way that the elements to be in focus fall, so far as possible, in the same plane.

3. Lighting. Good lighting is necessary both to show the subject to

best advantage and also to allow the lens to be stopped down without resulting in an unacceptably slow shutter speed. However, the closeness of lens to the subject in macro photography will often limit the lighting that equipment that can be used, and will probably exclude the use of on-camera flash.

The main equipment options for macro photography are as follows:

Dedicated Macro Lens Specifically designed for close-up work. Straightforward to use and compatible with the camera’s focus

and exposure systems. Upwards of 100mm the lenses are telephoto-macros and enable

wildlife etc to be photographed at an increased working distance.

Supplementary Lens Least expensive option, screws on to the filter thread of the

standard lens. The only option for cameras without removable lenses (compact

and bridge cameras) Lightweight and easy to handle and carry. The speed of the main

lens is preserved. May not deliver best optical performance, particularly with wide

apertures.

Teleconverter An additional optical component placed between the camera and

the main lens. Relatively light and cheap. Increase the main lens’s magnification without altering the

focusing distance. Cause a loss of light, generally one to two stops, so not ideal in

low-light conditions.

Reversing Ring An adaptor that screws on to the lens filter thread and enables

the camera to be reverse mounted on the camera. Creates a close-focusing lens producing good-quality macro

images. Best used for short prime lenses, for example a standard 50mm

lens. Most reversing systems result in the loss of automatic metering

and focusing.

Coupling Ring An adaptor with a lens filter thread at each side to enable one

lens to be reversed onto another normally mounted lens. The reversed lens is effectively a high-power, high-quality

supplementary lens. Mount the longest lens on the camera and focus with the camera-

mounted lens and by position.

Extension Tube Added between the camera body and lens. Often sold in sets of three lengths Best with relatively short lenses – with an extension of 50mm, a

magnification of 1:1 can be reached with a normal 50mm lens. Automatic extension tubes maintain the camera’s focus and

metering systems.

Bellows

The same principle as extension tubes, but with continuous variability.

Can provide extremely high magnification ratios. Cumbersome to use in the field and best suited to studio work. May draw dust into the camera system.

DEDICATED MACRO LENS

All camera and lens manufacturers make specialist macro lenses. Note that these are not the same as lenses with a ‘close up’ facility, and don’t necessarily be persuaded by the word ‘macro’ being printed on the lens – sometimes this just indicates close up capability. A true macro lens is designed to give best performance at close distances to the subject, and has the ability to produce life size images. They are generally available in three focal lengths: relatively short (around 50mm), short telephoto (around 100mm) and telephoto (around 200mm). The merit of the longer lenses is that the macro photograph can be taken further away from the subject. This is potentially very helpful in nature photography where the living subject may not take kindly to a close approach! However, the longer lenses are more expensive and much heavier, so can be difficult to hand-hold for field work. There is no depth of field advantage from using shorter macro lenses. Most macro lenses can also be used for non-macro photography. For example, a 100mm macro lens is also an excellent portrait lens. However, Canon has a unique macro lens that can only be used for macro work. This is the MP-E65 lens, a 65mm lens designed only for magnifications from 1x to 5x. This is a manual focus lens and can only be focused by controlling the distance between the lens and the subject. Because of the extremely shallow depth of field at high magnifications (less than 0.05mm for 5x magnification at f2.8) the adjustment of position is very critical and will often require a focusing rack mounted on a sturdy tripod. Despite their expense, dedicated macro lenses have the merit of being relatively straightforward to use, and of preserving the automatic focus and exposure facilities of modern SLR cameras.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS USM Macro Lens

SUPPLEMENTARY LENS

Supplementary lenses are probably the simplest and cheapest route to close up photography. They are effectively magnifying glasses that screw on to the filter thread of the main camera lens. They are compact and do not reduce the amount of light reaching the sensor. The magnifying strength is measured in dioptres (technically the reciprocal of the focal length in metres), with a usual range from one to ten dioptres. They can be combined together so that, for example, a one plus a two dioptre lens becomes three dioptre equivalent. The chief drawback with supplementary lenses is loss of quality, especially at large apertures. There is a tendency to colour fringing and softness and it is advisable to use small apertures, say no wider than f11. Higher quality supplementary lenses are available which consist of two lens elements, but these are more expensive and only available at relatively low powers. Supplementary lenses are best used on reasonably long lenses, say 100 to 200 mm. They work by reducing the effective focal length of the lens and enabling closer focus. The camera will no longer focus on infinity with a supplementary lens fitted.

Set of supplementary lenses, 1 to 10 dioptre

REVERSING RING

A reversing ring has a camera body coupling on one side, and a male filter screw thread on the other. When mounted on the camera body, a lens can be mounted backwards so that the front of the lens is coupled to the camera. This can enable high magnifications to be achieved, especially from relatively wide lenses. The ring must be purchased to match the camera mount, with the same filter thread size as the lens to be used. A reversed 35mm lens will give approximately life size images (true macro), and a reversed 20mm lens will provide about 3x magnification. Long range zoom lenses are less suitable for reversed use, and very short focal length lenses may result in some darkening of the picture edges. Reversing lenses provide a high quality and low cost route to high magnification photography. However, the drawback is that once the lens is reversed, the electronic couplings from the camera are lost and the camera doesn’t know there is a lens there. As a result there is no automatic exposure and focus function. The loss of focus is not a real problem for macro work since manual focus is likely to be preferable anyway – probably by precise positioning of the camera. However, while shutter speed can be set in the camera, the loss of aperture control is more of a challenge. For some lenses a reverse coupling adaptor, or Z ring, can be obtained to enable the lens to stop down. It is also possible to purchase electronic reversing rings that retain all the camera’s usual automatic features. These are considerably more expensive, but enable very high magnifications to be achieved with excellent quality. A good alternative is to purchase an old-style lens where the aperture is controlled within the lens itself.

Reversing ring

COUPLING RING

A coupling ring has a male filter screw thread on both sides. This enables two lenses to be ‘stacked’ together. One lens is mounted normally on the camera body, and the other is reversed on the front of the first lens. In effect, the outer lens is being used as a very high quality supplementary lens. If the outer lens is a reversed 50mm lens, it will be equivalent to a 20 dioptre supplementary lens. A reversed 24mm lens gives 40 dioptre power. The resulting assembly can be a little unwieldy and can be difficult to hand hold for field work. However, when supported on a tripod or bean bag, it is possible to obtain high magnification images at high quality for very little cost. The set up should be for the longer of the two lenses to be on the camera body. Focusing will be by position, plus some adjustment with the camera-mounted lens. Automatic exposure will still be available, or manual exposure can be used. The magnifying power achieved will be the ratio of the focal lengths of the two lenses. For example a 100mm lens with a stacked 50mm lens will give 2:1 (2x) magnification. If the two lenses have significantly different front lens diameters, there may be some vignetting of the image, so the final picture might need to be cropped or corrected in Photoshop.

Coupling ring

EXTENSION TUBES

Extension tubes are simply tubes that fit between the camera body and the lens. This enables the lens to focus closer to the object and, as a result, produce an enlarged image. They are generally sold in sets of different lengths, and can be coupled together in any combination to vary the magnification. Although a simple set of tubes can be purchased at very low cost, it is ideal to purchase ‘automatic’ tubes that retain the electronic linkage between camera and lens. In this way, automatic focusing and exposure can be used if desired. For standard (non-macro) lenses, the magnification obtained is the length of the extension divided by the focal length of the lens. So for true macro work, the extension should be equal to, or greater than, the focal length. This also means that the greatest magnification is achieved from shorter lenses. The chief limitation in using extension tubes is loss of light. When extension equal to the focal length is added, the light is reduced by two stops. This will add to the challenge of finding a suitable combination of aperture and shutter speed, and can limit their use for field work, especially if the camera is hand held. Extension tubes reduce the working distance between lens and subject and this can restrict the amount of extension that can be practically used. Extension tubes can be used in conjunction with other close-up techniques. They can, for example, be used to increase the magnification power of a standard macro lens.

Set of automatic extension tubes

FOCUS STACKING In macro situations, even very small apertures can give insufficient depth of field. Focus stacking enables a series of images to be combined in computer so that the sharpest areas of each image are merged into the final picture. Several software programs are available for focus stacking. The sequence is:

1. Take a series of pictures focused at different points, covering all areas that are required to be sharp in the final image

2. Combine the pictures into a single image file 3. Ensure that the pictures are accurately aligned 4. Use the software to blend the images

Software options include: Photoshop - CS4 onwards Helicon Focus - www.heliconsoft.com/heliconfocus.html Zerene Stacker - www.zerenesystems.com/cms/stacker CombineZP (freeware) - www.hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/CZP/News.htm

It is vital that the subject is completely stationary during the image sequence. This can be a considerable challenge for macro work since the slightest movement, including wafting of hairs in the hot air from lighting, can affect final image sharpness. A sturdy tripod and firm mount for the subject are generally required, and it is unlikely that focus stacking can be used for live animal subjects. Fine focus adjustment can be achieved either by rotating the focus ring of the camera, or by moving the camera on a focusing rail. The focus rail option has the advantage of allowing very precise adjustment without touching the camera and risking changing the framing. Helicon Focus Remote automatically adjusts the focusing steps and so avoids touching the set up. Zerene Stacker can be linked to a computer-controlled focusing rail – however, this is expensive and must be imported from America. The illustration shows three pictures blended in Photoshop. The layers palette shows the masks that have been applied to reveal the sharpest part of each layer.

PHOTOSHOP ART TECHNIQUES

STRETCH IMAGES TONE WITH GRADIENT MAP SIMPLIFIED IMAGES ADD MIST ADD RAYS OF SUNLIGHT, 1, 2, 3 ADD LENS FLARE MIX COLOUR AND MONO AERIAL VIEW WITH POLAR COORDINATES PAINT EFFECTS DISPLACEMENT MAP TO ADD TEXTURE SELECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF CONTRAST SNOW EFFECTS WATER DROP SIGNATURE SOFT DIFFUSE IMAGE TEXTURE QUICK PHOTOSHOP TECHNIQUES BORDERS

STRETCH IMAGES This technique stretches a section of an image across the full width or height to create horizontal or vertical banding similar to the effect produced by panning the camera while taking the photograph. This is repeated on two or more separate image sections and the images combined by use of the gradient tool on a layer mask. The combination of a number of images gives variety across the width or height.

Make a narrow rectangular selection on the main image. Edit > Copy followed by Edit > Paste places a copy of the

selection on new layer. Edit > Transform > Scale places drag points on selection. Drag

across whole of image. Select tick to confirm transformation. Hide transformation and activate main image. Repeat process to

put a new transformation on an additional layer. With both transformations active, place layer mask on top layer. Select gradient tool, black to white. Drag cursor over layer mask to partially reveal second layer. Flatten and adjust final image.

The illustration shows a vertical section on a new layer being stretched across the image using the transform tool.

TONE WITH GRADIENT MAP

The use of a gradient map for toning gives the greatest control over the colour of the tone and the intensity of the effect. Since the effect is introduced via an Adjustment Layer, the effect can be reversed or adjusted at any time.

Set foreground/background to black/white. In layers palette create Gradient Map Adjustment Layer (not

Gradient). Click on Gradient to open Gradient Editor. Click directly under the gradient graphic to add a Color Stop. Double click Color Stop and choose colour (vertical for colour,

horizontal for saturation). Adjust position of Color Stop to suit image.

The illustration shows the various menus that open as the gradient map, gradient editor and colour pallet are progressively revealed.

SIMPLIFIED IMAGE

A number of Photoshop filters (e.g. Dry Brush) or plug-ins (e.g. Topaz Simplify) simplify the original image. However, this can result in the loss of too much detail. This technique superimposes the image edges back on the simplified image using the Soft Light layer blending mode. The result has more definition and ‘bite’ than the simplified image alone.

Make two duplicate copies of the image on new layers. Hide the top layer and activate the middle layer. Apply a filter effect that

simplifies the image. Examples are Dry Brush (Filter > Artistic > Dry Brush), Median (Filter > Noise > Median), or Gaussian Blur (Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur).

Activate the top layer and apply an edge finding filter (Filter > Blur > Smart Blur, Edge Only setting).

Invert the edge effect using Image > Adjustments > Invert, to obtain black on white edges.

Blend the edge image into the main image using the Soft Light blending mode.

If parts of the edge effect are too sharp or unnatural (for instance on water), part of the edge layer can be selected and blurred.

For artistic effect, the hue or saturation of the underlying image can be significantly changed In the example below, the saturation has been dramatically increased (Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation and move the middle slider to the right)

The illustration shows the top layer with the Smart Blur edges using Soft Light blend for combination with the simplified image on the layer below. The simplification was obtained with the Median filter, and the image saturation increased. The water area of the top layer has been blurred with the Motion Blur filter to give a more natural ‘watery’ effect. The background bottom layer is the original image – it plays no part in the final image but is preserved for possible use in the future.

ADD MIST

Mist effects often add to the atmosphere of landscape photographs. However, the intensity of mist is dependent on the distance of the object from the camera. This technique adds mist and slight blurring to a selected area of the scene. A layer mask is then used to partially re-reveal those parts of the image closest to the viewer.

Duplicate image on new layer. Make a rectangular selection on the top layer to represent the

mist area. Feather heavily (say around 200px). Apply Gaussian blur to the selection (Filters > Blur > Gaussian

Blur). Maintain selection and create new, blank top layer. Fill with white (Edit > Fill). Reduce opacity to represent mist. Merge the two top layers. Add a layer mask and paint foreground trees etc with black soft

brush at around 15% opacity. Build up progressively. Use a very large brush over foreground.

The illustration shows the feathered selection filled with white and opacity reduced on the top layer, the selected area blurred on the middle layer, and the original image on the bottom layer. The next stage will be to combine the two top layers and selectively reveal the bottom layer by painting on a layer mask.

ADD RAYS OF SUNLIGHT 1 Add a new blank layer above the image layer, Layer > New Layer (or simply click the Create a New Layer button at the bottom of the layers palette). Select the Polygonal Lasso tool and draw in a selection showing the rays where you would like them to appear in the image. Fill the selection with white, Edit > Fill, choose white contents. Then deselect, Select > Deselect Blur the rays using a combination of radial blur, Filter > Blur > Radial blur, zoom setting, and Gaussian blur, Filter > Blur > Gaussian blur. Use strength settings to suit the image, you may have to go backwards and forwards a few times until it looks right. Reduce the opacity of the light beams layer until they have the right level of impact. Add a layer mask, Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All (or click on the layer mask button at the bottom of the layers palette). Pick a soft brush and paint on the layer mask in black at low opacity (say 15%) to soften the ends of the light beams and to reduce the opacity of the beams where they should be appearing to pass behind trees etc. The rays are on a layer of their own so can be repositioned, rotated, scaled etc. if required. The illustration shows the new layer with rays filled with white before blurring.

ADD RAYS OF SUNLIGHT 2 Make a copy of the image layer and set its blend mode to Screen. Add radial blur – Filter > Blur > Radial Blur > Zoom, positioning the blur centre to where the rays should originate, use a fairly high value in the Amount setting. Reduce the opacity of the blur layer to suit the image and adjust in Levels if desired to darken the image since the Screen blend mode will have lightened (Image > Adjustments > Levels and drag the left point in Levels to the right. Colourise the layer to warm up the effect if desired (Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation, tick colorize box and adjust the hue and saturation sliders). To intensify some of the rays, add a new blank layer and change blend mode to Screen. Paint white patches along the areas to be lightened using a scratchy brush. Click to make the white lines but do not drag the brush. Apply the same radial blur filter as before and, as before, adjust opacity and colour to suit. The illustration shows two layers added above the original, both set to Screen blend mode. One layer has had radial blur added, the other has white patches added prior to radial blurring to give more intensity to that area of the rays.

ADD RAYS OF SUNLIGHT 3 Open the image and go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Gradient. Click OK and the Gradient Fill dialog panel will open, Set the Style to Angle, click on the Gradient to open the Gradient Editor and click on the Black, White preset. Click on the Gradient Type and choose Noise, don't worry about the colours!

Under Colour Mode, select HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness) and drag the Saturation slider all the way to the left to remove colour. Increase roughness to around 60%. Keep clicking Randomise until the Gradient has a reasonably even distribution.

Click OK on the Gradient Editor. You’ll be back with the Gradient Fill Editor, click OK and a Gradient Fill layer will be created. Click on this layer and set its blend mode to Screen.

Double click on the Gradient Fill layer thumbnail. This will reopen the Gradient Fill panel and you can left-click and hold to drag the centre point of the rays to a suitable place in the image.

Click on the Gradient Fill layer mask thumbnail and paint with a large soft black brush at reduced opacity to mask off areas of the sunbeams that are not wanted in the scene. Paint over trees etc where you want the beams to appear to be behind them.

To give the beams a warmer colour click the Adjustment Layer button at the bottom of the layers panel and choose Hue/Saturation. Right click the adjustment layer and choose Create Clipping Mask from the dropdown menu. This clips the adjustment layer to the Gradient Fill layer below it and a small arrow will indicate that adjustments will only affect the layer it is clipped to. With the Hue/Saturation layer active, go the Hue/Saturation Properties panel. Check the Colorize button and adjust colour and lightness.

The illustration shows the desaturated Noise gradient repositioned with the centre of the rays to the top right of the image.

ADD LENS FLARE Lens flare can add authenticity to shots taken into the light, or where mist and rays of sunlight have been added. Lens flare can be added directly to the image, but placing it on a layer of its own gives more control and is not destructive. Add a new empty layer by clicking the new layer shortcut button at the bottom of the Layers panel. This is a transparent layer and will not accept lens flare since some content is required on the layer, so fill the layer with black, go to Edit > Fill, set Contents to black. Go to Filter > Render > Lens Flare. Choose the type of flare from the Lens Type options, and set the brightness to suit. The effect can be seen in the preview box. Change the blend mode of the flare layer to Screen. This will make black transparent so only the lighter flare image can be seen. The impact can be reduced or modified by changing the opacity of the lens flare layer, or by adding a Layer Mask and brushing on the mask in black with a low opacity soft brush to reduce the flare where desired. The flare layer can also be moved and resized if needed to suit the image. The illustration shows the flare added to a black layer set to Screen blend mode.

MIX COLOUR & MONO

Colour can be re-introduced to a black and white image in a number of ways. In this case a black and white layer is created on top of the original colour layer. The colour is selectively returned by painting on a layer mask on the black and white layer. If the brush tool paints in black on to a white layer mask, the underlying colours will be completely restored. A more subtle effect can be achieved by painting in grey or reducing the opacity setting of the brush.

Duplicate the image on a new layer. Convert the top image to black and white, for example by Image >

Adjustments > Black & White, auto setting. Apply layer mask and ensure foreground colour is set to black. Paint on layer mask to reveal selected colour. Reduce paint opacity to soften effect.

The illustration shows the black and white image on top of the colour original, with a layer mask partially painted with a black brush to reveal the underlying colour.

AERIAL VIEW WITH POLAR COORDINATES

A picture showing a horizontal row of subjects, such as trees or buildings, can be modified to give the impression of being viewed directly from above. A 360° panorama is ideal for this effect since the edges will then join together.

Make the image square by resizing (Image > Image Size) so that the width is the same as the height.

Turn the image upside down (Image > Image Rotation >180°) Create aerial view using the Polar Coordinates filter (Filter >

Distort > Polar Coordinates). Use Rectangular to Polar setting. Tidy the join using the Clone Tool.

The result will create an aerial effect but will be in a circle with untidy edges. To make a circular crop: Use the Elliptical Marquee Selection Tool Press the Shift key while dragging to select a perfect circle Simultaneously press the Alt key while dragging to drag from the

centre of the circle Invert the selection so that the area outside the circle is selected

(Select > Inverse) Fill the outside of the circle with a suitable solid colour (Edit > Fill)

The illustration shows the picture, squared and inverted, with the Polar Coordinates Filter ready to be applied.

PAINT EFFECTS

A painterly effect can be obtained by gently smearing the original image with suitable brush settings for the smudge tool. The best results require painstaking application, smudging the image in the direction of the image ‘flow’.

Create a new transparent layer. Use smudge tool and select ‘sample all layers’. Use Rough Round Bristle (in Thick Heavy Brushes) or other

brushes, to paint over enlarged sections of picture. ‘Finger Painting’ takes some colour from foreground colour (only

at start of stroke if strength slider set low). The illustration shows an enlarged section of the image with smudging of the image commencing with the rough round bristle brush.

DISPLACEMENT MAP TO ADD TEXTURE

Texture can be added to photographs simply by dragging the photograph on top of a texture image to create a new layer. A blending mode is then chosen so that both images are partially visible and the texture appears to be imposed onto the image. If the main image is distorted to match the texture image, the superimposing will be much more convincing. This can be achieved using a Displacement Map.

Photograph a suitable textured surface, such as a crumpled sheet of paper. Adjust the size and resolution (Image > Image Size) to the size of your required print (say A4 at 300 dpi). Save as a jpeg (or other favoured format if preferred).

Since the texture will be used as the displacement map, it must also be saved as a psd file (File > Save As, select psd as the format). Keep the psd file in the same folder as the image you are going to work on and give it a simple file name (Photoshop is fussy about this!)

Open the picture to which you wish to apply texture and ensure it is also sized to match the final intended result.

Drag the main picture onto the texture image to create two layers, the main picture will be on top and the texture will be the background. If you hold the shift key as you drag, the two pictures will align precisely. Otherwise activate the move tool and drag the top picture so that it lines up over the background texture.

Apply the texture to the picture (Filter > Distort > Displace). Try settings of 30 on the horizontal and vertical scales. Click OK and locate the psd file of the texture. The image will then be distorted to match the texture.

Change the blend mode to show the texture image. Try several blend modes to find the most suitable – multiply, screen and overlay are possibilities. Adjust the main image brightness in levels if necessary.

The illustration shows the distorted image blended into the texture.

SELECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF CONTRAST

Many pictures have areas that benefit from darkening and other areas that should be lightened. The dodge and burn tools are useful for achieving this. However, an approach that gives more indication of the effect that will be achieved is to blend copies of the image into the original using the Screen and Multiply blend modes. Black layer masks are used to hide the effects which are then selectively revealed by painting on the mask with a white brush tool.

Create two duplicate layers. Apply Screen blend mode on first and add a black layer mask by

holding Alt key while selecting the layer mask. Paint with white to lighten bright areas. Apply Multiply blend mode on next layer and add a black

adjustment layer Paint with white to darken light areas.

The illustration shows the layer and layer mask structure with some selective painting on the top layer mask to lighten the bottom right of the picture.

SNOW EFFECTS

Snow scenes often benefit from creating the impression that snow was falling at the time the picture was taken. This effect creates snowflakes layers and superimposes them on the original image using the Screen layer blend mode.

Create a new transparent layer. Fill the layer with black (Edit > Fill) Change the layer blend mode to Screen Add noise (Filter > Noise > Add Noise) Adjust in Levels to reduce number of white speckles (Image >

Adjustments > Levels) Create snow effect with the Crystallize filter (Filter > Pixelate >

Crystallize) Add blur and direction (Filter > Blur > Motion Blur) Add another black layer and repeat the process using higher

settings in Crystallize (to give some larger flakes), change blend mode to Screen

Reduce the opacity of the snow layers to suit The illustration shows the result of adding two snow layers to the original image.

WATER DROP

Artificial water drops can be created using a combination of the Gradient Tool, the Overlay Layer Blend Mode, and Layer Styles.

Add a new layer by clicking the New Layer icon. Make a droplet size and shape selection using the Elliptical

Marquee Tool. Ensure the foreground and background colours are black and

white (press D on the keyboard to reset if necessary). Select the Gradient Tool, select a linear black to white gradient

and drag a gradient across the selected droplet. Deselect the selection and set the droplet layer blend mode to

Overlay. Add a Layer Style by clicking on the Layer Style icon, or through

Layers > Layer Style. Choose Drop Shadow and use the mouse to drag the shadow into position. Adjust the Opacity and Size settings of the shadow to create the right appearance.

In the Layer Style box, select Inner Shadow. Again, adjust Opacity and Size until the appearance is convincing.

Add a new layer and, with white as the foreground colour use a soft brush to add a highlight on the drop.

Slightly reduce the opacity of the drop and the highlight layers if necessary for a more convincing effect

The illustration shows the water drop and the settings in the Drop Shadow Layer Styles palette.

SIGNATURE

Art photographs should be signed! However, photographic paper can be difficult to write on and an error may require an expensive reprint. It is easy to make a Photoshop brush of a signature which can then be used to experiment with alternative positions, sizes and colours of signature.

Photograph or scan signature, adjust levels for high contrast black/white image, size to about 1200 pixels wide

Go to edit>define brush preset and give name (don’t need to save picture)

Open picture, choose paintbrush and select signature from presets, set foreground colour, size with [ ], click for signature.

The illustration shows the Define Brush Preset option in the Edit menu being used to create a signature brush before application to a photograph.

SOFT, DIFFUSE IMAGE

A range of interesting image diffusion effects can be created by blending a black and white or toned layer into a blurred coloured layer. This technique uses the multiply layer blend mode, but it is worth experimenting with other blend modes.

Duplicate image on new layer. Convert the top image to black and white (Image > Adjustments >

Black & White). Blend into colour layer with multiply blend mode (also try other

modes). Apply Gaussian blur to colour layer (Filters > Blur > Gaussian

Blur) Experiment with toning top layer and varying opacities.

The illustration shows the opacity of the top monochrome layer reduced to lighten the overall image and increase the image softness.

TEXTURE

Texture effects add an artistic feel to an image and are often achieved by printing on textured paper or canvas. However, textures can also be added directly to the image in a number of ways. This technique uses Photoshop’s texturiser. In addition to the textures immediately accessible, any image can be accessed from the texturiser menu and incorporated in the texture effect.

Duplicate image and keep original as background layer. To top layer apply Filter > Texture > Texturiser. Select load texture – the arrow next to the texture drop-down box. Open pattern file in Textures, Displacement Maps or Adobe

ImageReady Only folders (e.g. Program Files > Adobe > Adobe Photoshop > Presets > Textures.

Reduce opacity of textured layer Any image can be used as texture provided a psd file.

The illustration shows the open texturiser settings box prior to application to a copy layer of the image.

QUICK PHOTOSHOP TECHNIQUES

BLACK & WHITE Create a blank layer above the original. Fill with black

or white. Change to Color blend mode. Reduce opacity for subtle colour.

INCREASE CONTRAST/SHARPNESS Make a copy of the original on a

new layer. Apply High Pass filter (Filter > Other > High Pass). Change to Soft Light blend mode. For greater effect use Overlay blend.

SELECTIVE LIGHTEN/DARKEN Create a blank layer above the original

and change to Overlay blend mode. Paint with white or black at low opacity to selectively lighten and darken.

EMBOSSED LETTERING Use the type tool to create and position text

where required, this will be on a new layer. Change the text colour to neutral grey, and the layer blend mode to Overlay. Go to Layer Styles and choose Bevel & Emboss. Adjust size and depth sliders to suit.

WRAP CORNER INTO PICTURE Select corner of picture. Go to Edit >

Transform > Warp, and drag corner into picture.

CREATE CLOUDS Set background/foreground colours to blue/white.

Apply the clouds filter (Filter > Render > Clouds). Select the layer and use Distort (Edit > Transform > Distort) to drag the top corners up and out.

ADJUST PERSPECTIVE WHILE CROPPING Select the Crop tool and draw

a rectangular crop over the image. A Perspective box will now appear on the options bar. Tick the box and drag the crop corners to the positions required for perspective correction. Press Enter, or click the tick to confirm.

ADD NOISE/GRAIN Create a new layer and fill with neutral grey (Edit >

Fill > 50% gray). Add noise to the grey layer (Filter > Noise > Add Noise), use monochromatic setting and adjust slider to suit. Set the noise layer blend mode to Overlay. Adjust opacity to reduce impact.

EVEN SKIN TONES Pick a light tone from the skin for foreground colour.

With a soft edge to the Brush Tool and mode set at Screen, about 20% opacity, paint over skin.

BORDERS Photoshop offers a wide range of methods for adding a border to an image. These can often be used in combination. Methods include:

Stroke. This places a solid line round the edge of the image. The

simplest method is to select the whole image (Select > All), then add a stroke (Edit > Stroke). The width and colour of the stroke can be selected in the stroke menu. Selection of the stroke ‘inside’ the image gives the sharpest border option at the corners.

Wide Plain Border. To produce a large border, the canvas size can

be increased (Image > Canvas Size). If ‘relative’ is ticked, the dimensions entered will be the dimensions of the new canvas extension, otherwise the dimensions will be for the whole image. The canvas colour can be selected using the colour picker. This can include the selection of a colour taken from the main image.

Layer Style. If the main image is produced as a separate layer on a

larger background layer, then a range of border effects can be accessed through the layer style menu (Layer > Layer Style) or use the layer style icon (fx) at the bottom of the layers palette. A simple stroke can be added this way, as well as shadows and bevels. These effects are adjustable and reversible.

Blending Modes. A border effect can be obtained by placing a border

image on a separate layer from the main image and combining them with an appropriate blend mode. Make a black on white border pattern (for example by drawing on a white background with a black colour selected for the brush tool using a rough bristle brush setting). Drag the border image on to the main image with the move tool selected. The border will be a new layer on top of the main image. Move and resize the border (using Edit > Transform > Scale). Set the blend mode to screen and the image will replace the black areas of the border image.

Photoshop Actions. A range of frame effects are pre-set in

Photoshop Actions. Windows > Actions. Select a frame and click the Play Selection button at the bottom of the Actions window.