How to Turn an Ordinary Photo Into an Extraordinary Photo
I’ve often been asked about my process for tweaking photos. I thought I’d use one of my favorite photos and show how I took it from initial capture to final public display. I had forgotten how far I had taken this image from its initial capture:
(click image to see a larger version)
As with all tools, there are many ways to accomplish the same thing. I found a set of techniques that work really well for taking a photo that doesn’t have the best light or isn’t shot at the perfect time of day and amping it up. You may have better or different techniques to accomplish similar things and I say to you things like, “Keep the hope alive.” And: “Awesome!”
I generally don’t like writing tutorials, because my assumptions about everything are usually wrong. In this case, I wanted to write a fairly straightforward tutorial, but after showing a draft to Heather, decided to rework it substantially, with more screenshots and better explanations of the steps. This is not a beginner tutorial for Photoshop. This is an advanced tutorial. I hope it doesn’t frustrate you or confuse you.
Some assumptions
—You have access to Photoshop and know your way around some of the palettes. In particular, the Layer Palette. There are several buttons at the bottom of the Layer Palette. There are two that I’ll be making reference to; 1) The New Layer/Duplicate Layer and; 2) the Adjustment Layer button.
When I mention duplicating layers below, I mean you select the thumbnail/icon of the layer you want to duplicate and drag it to the New Layer button (#1 in the above illustration). This duplicates the layer and positions it above the layer you clicked and dragged.
—You have a photo that you’d like to tweak.
—You aren’t afraid to play around with sliders and settings.
Taking the picture
I might muck about with some settings on the camera, but I want to capture the vision in my head as close as I can while I’m in the moment. I might think about post-processing, but that’s pretty rare. I usually make a mental note of the kind of thing I want, click the shot and move on. This isn’t always the best way to work, but it’s how the image I’m using in this tutorial evolved.
So here’s our starter image:
(click image to see a larger version)
Photoshop time
I always keep a layer in Photoshop of my original file, untouched and at the bottom of the stack in the Layer Palette. So the first thing I do is select the background layer and drag it to the New Layer button. This creates a layer of the same image that I can edit, calm in the assurance that if I do anything untoward, I can revert to my original without too much pain. After doing this, the Layers Palette looks like this:
The photo has pretty flat light and not a lot of mood. I love the low angle and of the six shots I took of the building and hydrant, this image shows the most promise by far. That pesky tall grass really is distracting. In my first sharing of this photo, I left it in throughout the processing. Big mistake. It’s out. I’m going to use the stamp tool and get rid of a few strands of tall grass. Since this is optional on whatever you might be working on, I’ll skip all the technique and screenshots, as that would likely be enough information to be its own tutorial. After several hours of painstaking use of the stamp tool it’s time to perform an Unsharp Mask:
This is an entirely subjective thing. Use the three sliders to make your image sharper, without making it look like it came out of a digital camera circa 1997. Which would look like ass. Avoid looking like ass. I use the Amount and Radius settings to get what I want. There are times when the Threshold slider can help, but for speed, it’s all about a .4 to .9 pixel radius and a setting between 80% and 150% on the Amount slider. As with all the steps, the values you might use depend on your image resolution and degree of sharpness you want:
With that, we are here:
(click image to see a larger version)
Note that because this is a screenshot of a large image, you might not see much difference between the previous image and this one; when you do it yourself, you’ll see a dramatic difference that will change how you look at photos.
Time to Blur
The image is still very flat and there is very little contrast. Let’s take the layer we did the work on and duplicate it by selecting the layer and dragging it to the New Layer button. This will create the third layer in the image on top of the source/Background and the copy of the source we just finished working on. The Layers Palette looks like this:
Apply a Gaussian Blur:
You’ll want to vary this based on how large your source image is. The larger the image, the higher you can set the blur. Our image now looks like this:
(click image to see a larger version)
Bear with me. You’ll take this layer and change it’s layer settings in the Layer Palette. We’ll set the transparency mode to Multiply by clicking on the drop down menu that says “Normal” and selecting Multiply:
Still a little dark:
(click image to see a larger version)
Don’t panic yet. Set the Opacity of this blurred layer to 33%. This is in the top section of the Layer Palette next to the transparency drop down menu:
I know. Still a little dark, but we’re building a foundation. Of love:
(click image to see a larger version)
Mask It: It’s Like Cheese!
This is where the tutorial will take a turn for the fourth dimension. Masking images can be daunting and takes some time to get used to the concept and how layers can work for us. Think of the layers as a sandwich. The layer we will mask is the cheese layer of the sandwich. We’re going to take that cheese layer and turn it into Swiss cheese. We’ll use the mask to make holes in the image that will allow what is underneath to show through.
This step will rectify the darkness somewhat and is going to require some layer masking and painting on the masked portion of the layer. To do this, we’ll duplicate the blurred layer (the layer I’ve called “blur”) and add a Layer Mask to this new layer, selecting “Reveal All” in the submenu:
The effect we’re trying to get is to make the blacks darker and then mask out the parts of the image we want to keep light. This is where the drama and focal points come into play. In our case, the building and the hydrant are the two focal points we want to emphasize. This is what I saw in my head when I took the shot and what I want to achieve with the rest of the steps.
Your Layer Palette should have a mask icon next to the thumbnail of the image:
I took this shot after I did the work, to show what a Layer mask icon in the Layer Palette looks like. I used the brush tool and selected a basic brush with a blurred fall-off:
Make sure you select the mask icon in the Layer Palette before you start brushing, as you’ll destroy your masterpiece and want to throw things. Important: Masks are painted in grayscale, so I usually paint with black selected as the brush color and use varying flow rates and brush sizes to mask. In this case, I’ve painted black over the building and the hydrant. You’ll notice that it masks out the dark layer we just created and reveals the lighter layer underneath:
(click image to see a larger version)
Save the Drama
We’ve started to make the image more dramatic. Now we need to work with Colors, Curves and Levels. We’ll be using Adjustment Layers, which are your best friend when doing work like this. Adjustment layers are non-destructive layers that sit in the palette wherever you’d like and can make playing around a lot less time consuming (reducing the number of Undos). The Adjustment Layer button is at the bottom of the Layers Palette (it’s the half dark/half light one):
As you can see, there are a ton of options to play with. We’re going to start with Selective Color, as I want to bump up the yellows and reds:
(click image to see a larger version)
Still not quite where it needs to be, but much closer. I’d share shots of the color selections I did, but it’s always different for every photo. So while you can see my settings, they wouldn’t necessarily apply to the image you might be working on. Remember, it’s non-destructive. So tweak away. After we’re done, the Layers Palette looks like this:
We need to add some contrast, and I like using Levels for this, because I can control the blacks, whites and midrange with more precision than just using Brightness/Contrast. We’ll add another Adjustment Layer by clicking on the button in the Layer Palette and selecting “Levels”. This looks just like the regular Photoshop “Levels” command under the image adjustments submenu. Except this is non-destructive and as an Adjustment Layer, holds your settings should you want to tweak them later. After we do the Level adjustments, our Layers Palette looks like this:
Which gives us:
(click image to see a larger version)
Almost Done
The image is very close to being done. But I want just a tiny bit more light on the hydrant and a hint of a vignette. There are many ways to do this, but at the time I worked on this image, Photoshop didn’t have either Camera Raw or the Lens filters to add vignettes. So I did it using Lighting Effects.
We’ll take the blurred layer that isn’t masked and duplicate it. So we’ll be selecting the layer called “blur”, dragging it to the New Layer/Duplicate Layer button. Once the layer is created, we’ll drag it in the Layer Palette so that it is at the top of the palette, above the two adjustment layers we just made. Our Layers Palette looks like this:
Then we’ll select this layer and do the Lighting Effects:
I used these settings in the Lighting Effects panel:
Set the transparency on this layer to Overlay and the Opacity to 33%:
We are almost there. It still needs just a touch of lightening overall, and I like to use Curves to accomplish this. We’ll make a new Adjustment Layer by clicking the icon in the Layers Palette and selecting “Curves”. A simple adjustment lightens up the image enough to recapture some of our highlights. Our Layer Palette looks like this:
And boom. We’re there. o
ditto on what joh3n says- i learned this technique (or the bones of it anyway) from heather a while back, and i love it. it makes photos look so good that i want to eat them.
Seriously, if you’re ever looking for something to do, as someone who works for and with educators, I know there is always a need in every (geographic) area for someone who can teach Photoshop-and do it without making it sound like Greek. The pay’s not great, and you gotta have patience with the folks who think their Sony cameras will only work on Sony computers…but it is generally very rewarding!
I don’t know if you have the inclination to do so, but you would be a fantastic teacher for beginning and advanced photographers alike. I myself know nothing about photography and would love to take either private or group lessons (too bad I’m in Chicago). I think this is something that you could turn into a lucrative side career, if you wished. You and Heather could even do it as a team (of course, you’d have to watch out for the fanatics who would just want to get close to Heather). Geez, you guys could even have specialty workshops. Nature, animals, children, etc. THink about how well a workshop on shooting children’s photographs would go over in a place like Utah. You have a ready made market.
I thought I knew my way around Photoshop. Your tutorial showed me that I have barely scratched the surface. Cool! Thanks.
Since I started blogging, I’ve started using Photoshop and, when I need to be speedy, Adobe ImageReady to get my photos where they need to be for the site. It’s been so fun to work with the images, and I’ve learned so much about Photoshop techniques already.
I’d tried playing around some with the Dooce effect already, but this is going to be equally, if not more, fun to play with! You and Heather create kickin’ images — if I can even get part of the way up that ladder, I’ll be excited.
Thanks for sharing this info and knowledge!
That’s nice stuff.
Though the pre-press dork in me wants to point out the you must NOT forget to change it from RGB to CYMK. You can only do Lighting Effects in RGB. :-]
And I’d like to take a moment and AGAIN ask Adobe to make effects like “Unsharp Mask” be layer-able.
Quotes like this one: “Which would look like ass. Avoid looking like ass…” make me wish you actually wrote graphics tutorials for a living. They are usually so freaking boring I immediately lose interest and have to go figure out what to do through trial and error for the nine bazillionth time.
Seriously. I’m not talking a whole book, but maybe a master class series?
Also, I’d just add that the key (IMHO) to getting good results with “Unsharp Mask” filter is to preview your results at 100% at the size of the finished piece. And yes, it’s entirely subjective how much Unsharp Masking you need to do.
Also, Unsharp Mask can affect the “lightness” of the image so you have to be careful about going too far with it. Unsharp Mask compares the relative densities (contrast) of the pixels and puts small halos of light pixels in the image to give the appearence of sharpening. But I do work that is far less artistic and much more about color fidelity, so that’s why I wait to sharpen until just before I hit “Save.” That way I can easily hit Undo and start tweaking my color correction layers if need be.
Man, I loves me some Photoshop.
I guess the only other suggestion I would add is “don’t forget to save final as a .psd.” I am continually kicking myself for saving photos like this with many layers and tweaks only as jpg (thinking it’s ready to upload), only to change my mind about one niggling little thing and have to start over completely because I was SO STUPIDLY CONVINCED I was really done when I saved it as a jpg and closed Photoshop. Don’t be stupid like me.
Here’s a photo I recently worked on where I’m glad I finally remembered the ever-important .psd, cuz I changed my mind about everything I did to it originally. http://slolane.org/2006/10/what_photoshop.html
I had Heather’s old tutorial saved as a Photoshop action once but it got corrupted and I lost it, grrrr. I think I had called it “Mashed Tatoes.”
Shalini: you can do all of this on a Winblows computer with Photoshop. But as per above, I recommend making backups of your prefs file once in while.
Thanks for this. I’ve been working with layers and effects for awhile now, but learned a lot today!
Holy shit. That is awesome.
I have so much to learn. All I really do to my photos is adjust the contrast and saturation. A friend bought me a great photoshop book, but I’m having trouble learning from it. I need someone to sit at the computer and teach me.
and every photography professor i’ve ever had would argue with you whether or not what you did would still be considered photography. lol
but thanks so much for that tutorial. as stated by many others before me, teaching photoshop is a hard job. i love tutorials with screen caps of the steps. :)
I like this post. Thanks for sharing.
Had to share some of my own thoughts.
In this http://www.dooce.com/archives/daily_photo/11_01_2006.html
you look SOOOOO much like Leta!
Startling.
I did it!! I can follow directions! Thank you so much. If you’re interested, you can see the final version here: http://tinyurl.com/yjmr92 and I posted a before and after on my blog, too (totally giving you props for hookin’ a sistah put) rivetergirl.blogspot.com
Really, thanks! You’re awesome. If you’re ever driving West, stop in Grand Junction and I’ll buy you a beer or three.
Oh and sorry for the numerous comments, but I wanted to comment on Kristen’s comments.
While I’ve only dabbled in photography myself, I’ve studied art and photography for many years (and even teach art appreciation) and I don’t see how anyone could argue that this isn’t photography. It’s an image taken with a camera therefore a photograph. The fact that it was altered in the developing process is what all great photographers do.
I really want to thank you, Jon, for making this tutorial. I always learn something from watching how others use Photoshop. I’m always saying, “Hey, I didn’t know that button did that!” much the way a young boy might… nevermind.
Killer photog workage.
Ok…I want to post this now to nip this discussion in the bud because we’ve been through this on blurbomat before.
Saying a touched-up photo is not photography is like saying highlighted hair is no longer hair, or that a muralled wall is no longer a ‘real’ wall.
Must we question everything? Do we really have nothing better to do or think about?
I disagree with the whole ‘it’s not photography’ statement. The 2 art schools I’ve attended would consider this ‘digital imaging’. The professors just had the mentality that any touch up or manipulation not done in a darkroom or with camera settings would make the photo no longer a photo and therefore a digital piece of art. I think many of the professors are just bitter over the whole digital movement.
I prefer the whole process of developing film and being in a darkroom over sitting in front of a computer to do my photography. Maybe it’s just because I myself am a graphic designer and I miss the hands on feeling that I get when developing and processing film. But I also like to scratch my negatives and manipulate my photos in other ways in a darkroom, which are somethings that can easily be done in photoshop.
The last professor I had was starting to warm up to the whole digital movement. He had an eye for a photo to where he could tell you what film was used and any kind of manipulation that was used on the camera settings. So I think when he saw something foreign done in photoshop he was thrown-off. It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks. lol
I know there are other debates about this as well. It’s not just something my professors thought of. When I applied for a job awhile ago and showed my portfolio, I ended up explaining the process of some of my photos I had taken because they were dumbfounded it wasn’t done in photoshop. And then the otherway around as well.
Whatever I was taught, I believe it’s photography. I grew up in the digital age. And actually, my one professor loved Adams. Anyone who can manipulate a photo using just a camera and a darkroom was his best friend. Kind of hypocritical, I know.
Kristen,
My college photography teacher was the same way, but I think it was because she was so hardcore about technical perfection. I could take a photo with amazing composition and lighting — but forget it if there was even a peice of dust on the negative when I created my print.
I think it really comes down to a love for the craft, much like a painter prefers the feel of the brush and the weight of the paint and the sound it makes on the canvas. That sort of painter would say that using Adobe Illustrator is “not art.” It’s just a different mindset.
I personally find myself much more at home in Photoshop then I do in a darkroom. There’s so much more you can do, your creativity is unlimted, you can always delete a layer (or Apple-Z) if you take a wrong turn. And it doesn’t smell like a fix bath. :)
Krystyn
Jon, just thought I’d pass along - since I know how much effort putting this entry together must have taken - that by religiously following your instructions, I was able to vastly improve web cam screen grabs from an elephant sanctuary. Plus I learned some short cuts that I didn’t know about before.
THANKS!
P.S. I hope you post more Photoshop lessons/tips! I think you’d get quite a draw for these because your communication style makes learning easy.
I’m also appreciative of your tip about Lightroom. I’m lovin’ that product.
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