I have come across photos which have a bleached effect. I am calling it a bleached effect for want of something better. The idea is to highlight a particular color in the image while retaining some of the other colors too. It can be done in any version of Photoshop. You also need not be an expert to achieve this effect .
Step 1 : I have opened this free stock image in Photoshop. You will find it here. It belongs to Hydropheliac
Step 2 : Click on the Add New Layer button. A new Layer 1 forms.
Step 3 : Click the Eyedropper Tool.
Step 4 : I have clicked with the Eyedropper Tool on a portion of the blue jeans. Choose any color or the dominant color in your image to click with the Eyedropper.
Step 5 : Look at the Foreground Color. It changes to the color clicked.
Step 6 : Press ALT+BACKSPACE. This will fill the layer with the Foreground Color.
Step 7 : Change the Blend Mode of the layer to Overlay. (Sometimes Soft Light also works well).
This is how the image looks.
Step 8 : Press CTRL+J. Layer 1 duplicates into Layer 1 copy.
This is how the image looks.
Step 9 : Press CTRL+J again. A new Layer 1 copy forms.
Step 10 : Press CTRL+J again. Layer 1 copy 3 forms.
This is how my image looks. The blues are now predominant.
Step 11 : I have pressed CTRL+J again. Layer 1 copy 4 forms.
This is how my image looks. Now you will have to decide if the image
looks better after Step 10 or earlier or this. It depends totally on you. The trick is to duplicate the Fill Layer (the layer filled with color) till you get the effect you want.
looks better after Step 10 or earlier or this. It depends totally on you. The trick is to duplicate the Fill Layer (the layer filled with color) till you get the effect you want.
Let us go back to the original image. I have clicked on a portion of the skin with the Eye Dropper.
The foreground Color changes accordingly.
Press ALT+BACKSPACE to fill the blank layer above the Background layer with the color chosen with the Eye Dropper.
Change the Blend Mode to Overlay and the image looks like this.
I have pressed CTRL+J four times.
And this is how the image looks. You can experiment as much as you want and come up with different interesting effects. Happy experimenting.
That is all. Other photoshop tutorials are here
