Focus with Light

Sometimes you may want to bring the focus in an image to a particular spot. You can do this with a couple of Adjustment Layers. It is not difficult to do at all and will work with any image. Moreover it does not take much time.

This is the effect I am aiming for. The original image is just below.

Step 1 : I have opened this free stock image which you will find here

It belongs to 

Etniezz

You can see that the image is very brightly lit. If I have to bring the focus on the girl, I will have to ensure that the background does not distract. But the background is equally brilliantly lit.

Step 2 : Click the New Fill or Adjustment Layer button.

Step 3 : Click on Curves from the pop up.

Step 4 : The Curves 1 Layer opens above the Background. The Curves dialogue box is on top. It is at the default setting.

Step 5  : In the Curves dialogue box click the middle of the diagonal and drag up diagonally.

The image becomes even more bright after you pull up the diagonal.

Step 6 : Press CTRL+I to invert the Layer Mask to Black.

You see the original image again.

Step 7 : Zoom into the image with the Zoom Tool.

Step 8 : Click the Brush Tool.

Step 9 : Click in the top panel to reveal the Brush controls. Set the Hardness slider at 0. Instead of using the Size slider to increase or decrease the size of the Brush press SHIFT+] to increase the size of the Brush and SHIFT+[ to decrease it.

Step 10 : In the top panel lower the Opacity of the Brush to 45 to 50%.

Step 11 : With Brush set to low Opacity I have painted on the face, the back and arms.

Step 12 : Press CTRL+J to duplicate Curves 1 layer to Curves 1 copy layer.

This was the last position of the Curves dialogue box.

Step 13 : Press CTRL+I to inverse the Mask to White. The image will instantly increase in brightness.

Step 14 : Drag the midpoint of the diagonal down in a curve.

The remainder of the image darkens.

Step 15 : Click back on the Curves 1 Layer.

Step 16 : Change the Blend Mode of the Layer to Soft light.

Step 17 : Click on Masks. See the arrow on top.

Step 18 : Look at your image and drag the Feather Radius to taste. I have dragged it to 20 pixels.

The image looks like this. Just some minor adjustments are left.

Step 19 : Press CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+E. A composite Layer 1 forms.

Step 20 : Click off the eye icons of Curves1 copy and Curves 1 layers. This is to guard against color shift occurring.

The finished image.

Other tutorials are here 

IF you have a photoshop question or wish for a photoshop tutorial please emal me at pradip.chowdhury@gmail.com

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Enriching Tones

You can enrich the tones of bland looking photographs with a couple of Adjustment Layers. It also allows for a great deal of flexibility. This will show you how it is done with Hue/Saturation and Color Balance Adjustment Layers. The process will work with all images and can be done in any version of Photoshop. You must not follow this tutorial verbatim. You should just follow the process only as each image is different.

This is a free stock image which you can download from here

It belongs to GABOGRAFICO

This is the effect I will achieve.

Step 1 : Click the Add New Fill or Adjustment Layer button.

Step 2 : Click on Hue/Saturation.

Step 3 : The Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer opens.

Step 4 : Check Colorize.

The image looks like this with the default setting.

Step 5 : Drag the Hue slider between the Red and Orange with the Hue slider.

The image looks like this.

Step 6 : Change the Blend Mode to Soft Light.

You will immediately notice that the tones becomes richer.

Press ALT and click on the eye icon in the Background Layer to see the before and after effect.

Step 7 : Now click on the Color Balance Adjustment Layer by clicking the Add New Fill or Adjustment Layer button.

Step 8 : The Color Balance Adjustment Layer opens. By default Midtones is selected, but first click on Highlights.

Step 9 : I have dragged the yan and Yellow sliders to +25 and Magenta to +10. again let me stress that these values are not absolute. You will have to try them yourself. Try increasing by increments of +25  or lower at +10. See the effect then increase or decease the value. It will depend on your liking.

The image looks like this.

Step 10 : In the Shadows I have dragged +25 for the Cyan and the Yellow and +20 for Magenta.

The image looks like this.

Step 11 : In the Midtones I have set -25 for the Red, -10 for Magenta and +15 for Yellow.

The tones in the image look much more warmer now.

Step 12 : Now click back on the Hue/Saturation Layer and slide the Hue slider till you find the correct tone.

Step 13 : I have also moved the Saturation and Lightness sliders to +20 and +10 respectively.

The image looks like this.

Step 14 : I have reduced the Opacity of the Hue/Saturation layer to 90%.

This is my final image. The power of Adjustment lies in being able to adjust them in any point in time. Just follow the guidelines I have provided, but set your own values and should be able to have a lot of fun.

Other tutorials are here

If you have a photoshop question or wish to request  for a tutorial please email me at pradip.chowdhury@gmail.com

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