Adjustment Layer Curves

A curves Adjustment Layer in Photoshop is very useful if you want to bump up the image subtly and quickly without too much effort and when you have little time. It can be applied to most images and is intriguing at the effects you can get without trying too hard. Also is it very easy to do.

I will be using this free stock image. You will find it here

It belongs to aegipan 

The image after processing.

Step 1 :There is only the Background layer in the Layers palette. Click the Adjustment Layer button. 

Step 2 : Click on Curves from the pop up menu.

The Curves Adjustment Layer comes up. In the Curves dialogue box you will find that beside the RGB channel there are Red, Green and Blue channels.

Step 3 : Click first on the Red channel. Note the diagonal inside.

Step 4 : Click two points on the diagonal at the top right and bottom left as shown, then pull the upper point up slightly and the lower point down slightly as shown.

Step 5 : Click the Green channel and click two points on the diagonal -- one at top right and the other at left bottom. Drag the upper point up slightly and the lower point down a bit. It should form a gentle S curve, just as we did in the Red channel.

Step 6 : Lastly click the Blue channel. This time do the opposite with the two points. Drag the upper point down slightly and push up the lower point a bit.

Step 7 : Click the RGB channel.

Step 8 : Drag the diagonal up slightly.

ALT+CLICK the Background Layer eye icon to see the before and after effects.

Step 9 : Lower the Opacity of the Curves Adjustment Layer just a tad. I have lowered it to 85%.

The finished image.

Other photoshop tutorials are here

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Adjustment Layer and Gradient Map

Creating a black and white photo with Gradient Fill in photohop is no big deal. But you can have some fun. You can not only make a black and white image, but makes the blacks and whites more prominent or also add another Gradient and get a vintage effect. 

I will be using this free stock image. You will find it here

It belongs to fetishfaerie-stock

The processed image.

Step 1 : Click the New Fill or Adjustment layer button at the bottom of the Layers palette. Click on Gradient Map from the pop up menu.

The Gradient Map 1 Layer has been added.

This is the Gradient Map.

The image looks like this.

Step 2 : Click where shown.

It opens the Gradient Editor. 

Step 3 : Click the Black Stop at the left. The Color which was greyed out changes to Black.

Step 4 : Type 25 in Location.

Step 5 : Click on the White Stop at the right. The Color changes to White.

Step 6 : Type 85 in the Location. Click OK in the Gradient Editor to close it.

The image looks like this. Look at the image under Step 1 and then at this image. The Blacks and Whites have become more pronounced.

Step 7 : Click the Adjustment button and make another Gradient Map layer.

There is a Gradient Map 2 Adjustment Layer.

Step 8 : Click the Gradient to bring up the Gradient Editor.

Step 9 : Click the Violet, Orange Gradient.

Step 10 : Click the Stop at the left. The Color turns to Red.

Step 11 : Type 25 in Location.

Step 12 : Click the Green Stop at the Right. The Color changes to Green.

Step 13 : Type 85 in Location. Click OK in the Gradient Editor.

The image looks like this.

Step 14 : Click the Blend Mode to change it.

Step 15 : Change the Blend Mode to Soft Light.

The image looks like this.

Step 16 : Lower the Opacity of the Layer to 35%.

The image looks like this.

Step 17 : Click the Adjustment button and click on Vibrance.

The Vibrance Adjustment Layer forms.

In Vibrance you will find Vibrance and Saturation sliders.

Step 18 : Drag the Vibrance slider to 80 and Saturation to 50.

The image looks like this.

Step 19 : Drag down the Vibrance to 60 and Saturation to 40.

The finished image. Other Photoshop tutorials are here

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Adjustment Layers and Selective Color

Continuing with Adjustment Layers, a Curves adjustment can be used to bump up highlights without actually working directly on the image. The trick is to notice the highlights and increase them. If you study the image below you will notice the areas of highlights. Then use a Selective Color  Adjustment Layer to tweak colors in the image. Selective Color adjustments will take some time getting used to. I have tried to explain in detail. You will learn how to fine-tune the colors in an image.

I will be using this free stock image. You will find it here

It belongs to Albert-Smirnov

The image after processing.

Step 1 : Click the Curves after clicking the New Fill or Adjustment Layer button on the bottom of the Layers palette.

Step 2 : Click the Eyedropper Tool.

Step 3 : CTRL+CLICK on a highlight.

A dot appears on the diagonal in Curves.

Step 4 : CTRL+CLICK another highlight.

Another point forms on the diagonal.

Step 5 : CTRL+CLICK another highlight.

Another point forms on the diagonal.

Step 6 : CTRL+CLICK another highlight.

Step 7 : CTRL+CLICK another highlight.

Every time you CTRL+CLICK a highlight a black dot appears on the diagonal.

Step 8 : SHIFT+CLICK the dots on the diagonal one by one. They all turn Black. It means all the dots are grouped together and can be moved as one.

Step 9 : If you move the dots upwards, they all move together.

This is how the image looks.

Step 10 : ALT+CLICK on the eye icon to see the before and after.

Look at the RGBColor Wheel. You can calculate the opposite colors from it.

Here are the opposites of the three basic RGB colors and their opposites.

Step 11 : Click on Selective Color Adjustment Layer.

Step 12 : In the Selective Color click the drop down and you can see all the colors you can adjust. There are also Whites, Neutrals and Blacks at the bottom.

Working with the Reds pull the Cyan slider to -100.

The Reds increase.

Drag the slider to +100.

The image turns greenish.

Reset the Cyan to 0. Drag the Magenta slider to -100.

The images acquires a greenish tinge.

Drag The Magenta slider to +100.

The image acquires a Red tone.

Reset the Magenta slider. Drag the Yellow slider to -100.

The image acquires a Magenta tone

Drag the Yellow slider to +100.

The Yellows become more pronounced.

Reset the Yellow to 0. Drag the Black slider to -100.

The colors become muted.

Drag the Black slider to +100.

The colors become richer.

After the Red all the Colors -- Yellows, Greens, Cyans and Magentas do not work at all.

Coming to the Whites, the Cyan slider does not effect any change. Drag the Magenta slider to -100.

The highlights turn greenish.

Drag the Magenta slider to +100.

The highlights turn Pink.

Drag the Yellow slider to -100.

The highlights turn Pink.

Drag the slider to +100.

The highlights turn yellow.

Click on Neutrals.

Dragging the sliders either way has the same effect as the Neutrals.

Click on the Blacks.

Drag the Cyan slider to -100.

The shadows turn Red. Dragging it to +100 decreases the effect.

Drag the Cyan slider to +100.

The Greens in the background increase slightly.

Drag the Magenta slider to -100.

The shadows turn Green.

Drag the Magenta slider to +100.

The Magentas in the Background increase.

Drag the Magenta slider to +100.

The Blues in the Shadows increase.
Now we can see that Reds, Yellows, Greens, Cyans, Blues and Magenta affects the most prominent parts of the image and changes their color. The Whites affect the Highlights and the Blacks the Shadows. The Neutrals play a part in between.

Step 13 : To give a warmer tone to the image I have selected the Reds and set Cyan -3, Magenta +30 and Yellows at -50.

The image looks like this.

Step 14 : Now to tweak the Highlights. I have selected White. I have set Magenta +35, Yellow +35.

The image looks like this.

Step 15 : Now to tweak the Shadows.I have selected Blacks. I have set Magenta at +35, Yellow-10.

The image looks like this.

Step 16 : Now to set the intervening tones. In the Neutrals I have set Cyan +15, Magenta+25 and Yellow-5.

This is how the image looks.

Step 17 : Lower the Opacity of the Layer to 80%.

The final Image. Other photoshop tutorials are here

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