Selective Blown out highlights 2

I have posted a tutorial on adding a blown out effect selectively in photoshop in this tutorial. 

This is another way of doing it. Perhaps a much more easier way. It can be done in all versions of photoshop and will work for most images.

These are the effects you can apply with Photoshop. The original image is below.

I will demonstrate the technique with this stock image. You will find it here

It belongs to Ziki37

Note that this image already has some blown out highlights. 

Step 1 : Click the New Layer icon and a new Layer 1 forms above the Background Layer.

Step 2 : Switch the Foreground Color to White by pressing x on the keyboard or use the small bent double headed arrow above the Foreground/Background Colors.

Step 3 : Click the Gradient Tool. Click where shown in the top panel to open the Gradient Editor.

Step 4 : Click on the Foreground to Transparent.

Step 5 : Click on the Linear Gradient. It is checked by default.

Step 6 : In the top panel Mode is set to Normal. Reduce the Opacity to 60%. Reverse, Dither and Transparency are checked. 

Step 7 : Drag up the Gradient Tool diagonally in the direction of the light from a point just above the hair,

The Gradient has been applied a teeny weeny bit.

Step 8 : Drag up from the nose diagonally as shown.

A bit more of the Gradient has been applied. 

Step 9 : Drag sideways outwards with the Gradient Tool.

Step 10 : Drag down diagonally with the Gradient Tool as shown.

A bit more of the Gradient has been applied. Nothing looks out of place. Continue applying the Gradients in small increments as shown.

Step 11 : Continue applying the Gradient till you get something like this.

Step 12 : Click the Add New Fill or Adjustment Layer button.

Step 13 : Click on Curves from the pop up menu.

Step 14 : Click 2 points on the diagonal as shown in the Curves. The top of the diagonal represents the highlights and the lower the shadows.

Step 15 : Nudge the top point slightly up and the bottom one slightly down.

The image looks like this.

Step 16 : With Curves 1 Layer highlighted click on Layer 1 keeping SHIFT pressed. Both Layers are highlighted.

Step 17 : Press CTRL+G. The two layers are now in Group 1 Layer. The Blend Mode changes to Pass Through.

Step 18 : Lower the Opacity of the Layer to 85% or to taste.

The completed image.

Other Photoshop tutorials are here

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Selective Blownout highlights

Some images are ruined by blown out highlights. Some give the blown out effect deliberately. That is the difference. You can selectively give a blown highlight to an image with photoshop. Not much skill is required. 

 
This is the effect I intend to create.

I will be using this stock photo to demonstrate the effect. You will find it here

It belongs to ~Yuki-StockPhoto

Step 1 : Click the New Layer icon. A new Layer 1 forms above the Background layer.

Step 2 : Click the Elliptical Marquee Tool.

Step 3 : Draw a selection like this.

Step 4 : Use the Left, Right, Up and Down arrow keys to move the selection into place. If you compare with Step 3 you can see the selection has been moved.

Step 5 : Press CTRL+SHIFT+I to invert the selection.

Step 6 : Go to Select>Modify>Feather.

Step 7 : Put a Feather Radius of 100 pixels. Click OK.

Step 8 : Click the small bent arrow

To change the Foreground Color to White.

Step 9 : Click the Gradient Tool. Click at the top where shown to bring up the Gradient Editor.

Step 10 : In the Gradient Editor which opens click on Foreground to Transparent.

Step 11 : By default the Linear Gradient is selected. Click it if it is not selected.

Step 12 : Let us experiment. Drag the Gradient Tool from top to bottom in the middle.

This is the effect that I have got. Not quite what I wanted. Press CTRL+Z to undo it.

Let us drag the Gradient Tool a part of the way up.

Still not what I wanted. Press CTRL+Z again.

Let's try dragging it part of the way diagonally as shown.

This looks better. Press CTRL+Z to try again.

Let's draw the Gradient tool diagonally as shown.

This looks much better,

Step 13 : Drop the Opacity of the Layer to 90% or more if you like.

The image looks like this. To make the marching ants selection go away press CTR+D.

Step 14 : Click the Add New Fill or Adjustment Layer button.

Step 15 : From the pop up menu click on Curves.

The Curves dialogue box opens.

 Step 16 : Click 2 points at the top and bottom of the diagonal.

 
 Step 17 : Drag the top point slightly up and the lower point slightly down.

The finished image.
Other photoshop tutorials are here

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