Post-Processing Tutorials

[dimitrz]

Wonderful links just going through them


I was just wondering once you have taken you shot and saved it to the desktop - are there any mandatory / fixed editing that professionals do (hope you got my point)

[pearlene]

thanks nicole for all your help.

you have shown us post processing on nature and buildings etc. but could you please help me apply these rules with my wedding photography.

[Laurel520]

I just spent my whole evening on this one thread, I am giddy with excitement over all the links. Thank you.

[kencaleno]

Here are my post-processing recipes:


- Noise (Chroma-colour noise)


- Image> Mode> LAB Colour> Channels
Channel “a” Gaussian blur 5 pixels
Channel “b” Gaussian blur 5 pixels
Channel “lightness” Filter> noise> despeckle
Image> Mode> RGB colour

-Noise (Luma -Grainy noise)

-lasso area and apply smart blur at default setting (For small areas)
-Or Ctrl+J
-Smart blur-Then eraser tool to expose background features


- Lateral chromatic aberration (fringing) Removal

Ctrl+J select brush tool and click on the quick mask tool.
Choose a brush size to match the width of the fringe.
Draw all the areas that have fringing. When done, click icon next to quick mask
Select> Inverse.
Image> Adjustments> Hue/Saturation and pick the color closest to your fringe color Click eyedropper on the fringe color on your image.
drag Saturation slider to the left until the fringing goes.
Select> deselect
Save

Quick method for fringe elimination

Using lasso tool select area with fringing
Image> adjustments> Hue/Saturation
De saturate fringe color
Select> Deselect
save

- Transverse chromatic aberration (Moire banding) Elimination

- Filters/blur/Gaussian Blur at 1.5 pixels radius





- Local Contrast Enhancement

Ctrl+J
Filter> sharpen> Unsharp Mask
Amount 10
Radius 50 pixels
Threshold 0
Flatten and save


“Pop”

Ctrl+J
Filter> Sharpen> Unsharp mask
Amount 30
Radius 60 pixels
Threshold 10
Blend mode> Luminosity- Flatten

- To sharpen - Smart sharpen

Ctrl+J
Unsharp mask amount 18%
Radius 40 pxls
Threshold 0
Unsharp mask amount 150%
Radius 0.3 pxls
Threshold 0
Edit> fade Unsharp mask 100% Darken
Unsharp mask amount 150%
Radius 0.3 pxls
Threshold 0
Edit> fade Unsharp mask 50% Lighten

- Smart sharpen ( Alternative)

- To sharpen - Smart sharpen
Ctrl+J
Select> All> Edit> Copy
Channels> New channel (alpha 1)> Edit> paste
Filter> Stylize> Find edges
Ctrl+L move sliders for clean edges
Filters> Blur Gaussian blur1.5 pixels
Select> Load selection-Check “invert” click “ok”
Select RGB channel
View> Show> “selection edges” uncheck
Filter> Sharpen> Unsharp mask- Amount 500
Radius 0.2
Threshold 0
Select> deselect> dump alpha channel
Blend mode “luminosity”
Ctrl+shift+E




- To lighten under-exposed images

Ctrl+J
Blend mode Screen
Adjust opacity to suit before flattening/save

- To darken over-exposed images

Ctrl+J
Blend mode Multiply
Adjust opacity to suit before flattening/save

- To Vignette portrait images

Create an ellipse around subject, using elliptical Marquee tool
Select> Inverse
Feather radius 250 pixels
Edit> Cut

- To reduce skin redness in portraits

Add new adjustment layer> selective color
Set to Reds
Click, hold drag magenta slider to left

-To smooth skin in portraits

Ctrl+J
Click on quick mask
Brush tool 35 soft
Press ”D” Paint face except for eyes, eyebrows and nostrils, and lips
(If you go over the edges, press X and erase, then x again to continue…)
Press “Q
Select “inverse”
Select> feather 10 pixels
Filters> Blur> Gaussian Blur 3 pixels
Filter> Noise> Add noise 2.5%
“uniformed” and “monochrome” checked
Flatten/save

Polarizer

1.Ctrl+J
2. Window> Channels
3. Red Channel
4. Ctrl+A; Ctrl+C
5. Lab Colour (Don’t Flatten)
6. Channel> Lightness
7. Ctrl+V
8. Image> Mode> RGB (Don’t Flatten)
9. Select top layer- Layer> Layer mask Reveal All
10. Click on layer mask thumbnail
11. Image> Apply Image
12. Layer-background; channel red; “Invert” Ticked Blending-Multiply-opacity 100% Flatten and save.




Polarizer (Alternative)

1. Ctrl+J
2. Mode> soft light-click “OK”
3. Press ”D”
4. Press ”G” for gradient tool - Select Black to transparent Linear gradient
5. Mouse cursor at top of image, click-hold-drag down to horizon-release
6. Click on background layer; Click, hold on b/w circle
7. Choose selective colour Cyan/magenta 100/100 (Cyans)
Cyan/magenta 100/100 (Blues)

8.Flatten and save



Graduated Neutral Density Filter effect

Add adjustment layer> levels
Drag right slider to left
Drag middle slider to left (These moves enable you to get the ground or sea how you want it)
Press “D”
Press “G”
Choose linear gradient
Drag cursor from horizon up to mid-sky
flatten/save

- Black & White conversion from colour

Ctrl+J
Image> Calculations
Background layer
Red
Background Layer
Red
Multiply
New channel
Image> Mode> Greyscale
flatten/save

- To black & White Quadtone

Ctrl+J
Image> Mode> Duotone
Choose type: Quadtone
Load> quadtones> pantones
Select last option Bl 541 513 5773. Hit LOAD. Hit OK.
Image> Mode> RGB Color
Flatten/save

- To convert to Black & White then selectively colourize

New adjustment layer> Hue/Saturation
De-saturate
F7 (or click on layer mask)
Press ”D”
Click on brush tool
Brush over parts to colourize
Flatten/Save

-To Isolate Objects against a white background:

Photograph your object using any background, Then:

a) Zoom in 200-300%.
b) Use the pen selection tool to chart an exact path around the object.
Get it perfect.
c) Click on working path Icon in paths palette
d) Select> Modify> Contract by 2 pixels. Smooth by 3-5 pixels.
e) Select> Inverse-.
f) Select> Feather by 0.2 - 0.5 pixels.
g) Make sure foreground black/background white - Press Delete.
You now have isolated object on white background.

-To Correct Converging verticals

"Select > All"
"View > Fit on Screen"
"View > Show > Grid" .
"Edit > Transform > Perspective"
Eight small squares will appear around the image edges.
Using the Left mouse button select the small square
at the top left or right corner and drag in the opposite
direction to the way the verticals are tilting.


Sepia/color

1 duplicate layer,
2. then select background copy layer and select background layer invisible
3. select layer and go
image -> adjustments -> Match color...
4. then set luminance to 200 and color intensity to 1
5. then select background layer to visible and take the eraser tool
6 on "background copy" layer start delete the all what you want in real colors

For landscapes

Step one- To bring out detail

1. Ctrl+J
2. filter> other> high pass 1.7 pixels
3. Change blend mode to "hard light"
4. Ctrl+Shift+N
5. Edit> Fill - black 100%
6. Click on eraser tool-set brush size 300
7. Click once in centre of blacked-out image
8. change blend mode to "soft light" Adjust opacity to suit
9. Flatten and save

Step two- To enhance colors:

1. Ctrl+J
2. Image> adjustments> Match Color
Luminance 119
Color intensity 126
3. Flatten/save


- Soft light portrait

Press ctrl+j to duplicate the layer and press shift +control +u to de-saturate the new layer.
Click on Add layer mask button
Click on layer mask thumbnail to active it and go to Image> Apply image :-
Layer- merged
RGB
Multiply
100%
Now, click on image thumbnail to active it. ( It is located just before the layer mask thumbnail ). Now do two things :-
1. Go to filter> Blur> Gaussian blur and give 2.5 radius.
2. Change the blending mode of the layer to Multiply.
Duplicate this layer again and change its blending mode to Linear dodge. You now have soft light effect on your image. If you want more light than change the blending mode to Color Dodge.

Infra-red

1. Ctrl+j
2. New adjustment layer-Channel mixer
Check "monochrome"
3. Set Red to +100
Green to +200
Blue to -200
Set constant to between 27 and 32
Click “ok”
Flatten and save.

Faux F1.8 D.O.F.

1. Ctrl+J ; Add a layer mask-Using Pen tool, draw a path around subject, Edit> fill Black 100%
2. Selection> save selection, save to new channel
3. Select gradient tool, black to white, linear
4. From the area you want in focus, draw a line vertically downwards (1/3 in front;
5. Using gradient tool again, layer mode Screen, drawing a line upwards 2/3ds behind)
6. Channels-click on saved mask Ctrl+ click-select gradient mask, mask only
7. Set background color to black. Ctrl+ backspace
8. Click on original duplicated layer with its mask-name it “Gaussian Blur”
9. Now select image-not mask.-Lock Transparency. click little chequerboard, at top of layer palette
10. Filter> Blur> Gaussian blur 40-50 pixels
11. Repeat step 8,but name layer “Lens Blur”-Filter> blur> lens blur, and in the dialogue box:
12. “faster”, depth map source “layer mask” Blur focal distance-adjust to suit
13. Set iris shape to number of diaphragm blades of your lens. Radius 100%
14. Don’t play with “blade curvature or rotation” Brightness 2;Threshold 180
15. Click Ok-Flatten and save

Red eye Reduction
Double click Quick mask icon
Change masking color to green-opacity 60%
Paint mask over eyes
Click icon next to Quick mask
Select> Inverse
Image> adjustments> Desaturate
Add new adjustment layer-Levels
Move both input sliders towards the centre of the range until you are satisfied.
Layers> Flatten image

To Whiten Teeth

Ctrl+j
Select quick mask icon
Select brush tool 13 pixels soft
Brush over teeth
Click icon next to quick mask
Select> Inverse
Image> adjustments> Hue/Saturation -60
Add new adjustment layer-Levels
Click and drag right slider to left until whiteness looks good
Flatten and save


Copyright: © Kenneth William Caleno (Dip Phot) 2008

[scrappyethel]

Ken, thanks for all your "Recipes" this list TOTALLY ROCKS!! Thanks for being a great mentor.

[dilshad]

Originally Posted by Nicole

Below is a list of tutorials that have been discussed on the forums (plus a few extras). These tutorials come from users on the forums or they've been discussed in the forums and link to other sites. I'll try to keep this list up to date as much as possible . All links go to other posts on the forums unless otherwise noted by (external). Hope a few people find this interesting or helpful. And feel free to add suggestions to other tutorials or create your own tutorial and start a thread in the post-processing section

Artistic Blur

• Artistic Macro Blur
• The Orton Effect

Black & White

• High Key B&W Portraits (external)
• Black & White with a Touch of Color
• Getting Good Greyscale out of Photoshop (external)
• Best Technique for Black & White Conversion
• The Black & White Guide to Monochrome Conversions (external)

Cross Processing

• Cross processing in Photoshop [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] (external)

Copyright

• Adding a Copyright to your Picture in Photoshop

Fun Stuff

• Amazing Circles
• OOBs (Out Of Bounds)
• Tilt-Shift
• Imitating Comics & Graphic Novels
• Imitating Movie Effects (Also see The Horror Film Effect)
• Panorama Planets
• "Folded" Images
• Lemony Snicket Effect

HDR (High Dynamic Range)

• If You Doubt HDR Editing (links to many of the HDR tutorials on the forums)
• "Dave Hill" / LucisArt Method - Explained a bit more

Lomo

• How to Make Your Digital Photos Look Like Lomo Photography (DPS Blog)

Miscellaneous

• Antiquing Digital Images
• Cross Processing in Photoshop
• Changing Colors in Photoshop (or your image editing program of choice)
• Tara Whitney Effect
• "Flower Fun": Masking out a busy background
• Creating a Negative Image
• Purple Flower Turned Gold
• Transforming Digital Photography to Classic Film
• Dave Hill / Jill Greenberg Effect

Photoshop Actions / Plugins

• Photoshop Plugins / Actions
• Boost Creativity with Photoshop Actions (external)
• Photoshop Actions?

Picasa Tutorials

• Using Picasa to "Ortonize"
• Picasa Group on Flickr

GIMP Tutorials

• Toning BW images (a good one)
• Contrast mask/Tone Mapping
• Orton Effect and Another one
• Digital Neutral Density Filter (another good one -- learned how to use masks and gradients here)
• Exposure Blending
• Lomo Effect (found this disappointing compared to PS versions)
• Black and white conversion (another good one)
• Selective Colorization
• Local Contrast Enhancement
• gimpguru.org

Tutorial Sites

• Photoshop Elements Tutorials (external)
• Gimp Tutorials (external)
• The Photoshop Roadmap - Tutorials (external)
• Photoshop Mosaic - Tutorials (external)
• Paint Shop Pro Tutorials [1] [2] (external)

I heard about Pixpa it is basically a platform through which we can manipulate Portfolio Websites, Photography Websites, it is easy to handle from user side and interchange images and its description and meta tag as well.