Future - Series Teach - Yourself.image - Editing P2P

Image Editing
Discover how to perfect your

post-processing skills
196
pages of
practical tips,
tricks and
techniques
Edition
Digital
Retouch to Perfection Get Organised Improve Workflow

Discover how to improve your Learn the best ways to process Make your post-production
EDITION
FIRST
captures with pro techniques and store your imagery efficient and streamlined
Image Editing
Post-processing is often an afterthought, especially for new
photographers. However, it’s an essential part of the image-making
process and time should always be allocated to it. Even at the most basic
level, images that have been shot by a DSLR need to be sharpened a touch
if the DSLR has an anti-aliasing filter. Image processing software also helps
with the organisation and archiving of digital images. Teach Yourself Image
Editing is packed with in-depth and informative tutorials that will take
you through both Lightroom and Photoshop essentials. We’ll also briefly
look at other editing programs, plug-ins and common editing mistakes.
Once you’ve mastered the basics of Lightroom and Photoshop, delve into
the more advanced feature on retouching for polishing your images to
perfection, and discover how to perfect your own unique editing style.
3
Image
Editing
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CONTENTS
08 INTRODUCTION TO
IMAGE EDITING
20 10 ESSENTIAL
EDITING TECHNIQUES
Head to
www.filesilo.co.
Aa look at the best software to Read our guide to the
uk/bks-2629
choose from and how image fundamental aspects of a pro
to get tutorial
types affect your photographer’s post- start files.
editing workflow processing workflow
LIGHTROOM
36 THE LIGHTROOM 60 REVEAL MORE
WORKSPACE MIDTONE DETAIL
38 IMPORT YOUR PHOTOS 62 REMOVE SENSOR SPOTS

INTO LIGHTROOM
64 DODGE AND BURN
40 INTRODUCING THE
LIBRARY MODULE 68 EDITING WITH
AUTO MASK
70
42 SORT AND RATE
YOUR IMAGES 70 THE GRADUATED
FILTER TOOL
43 FIND IMAGES WITH
KEYWORDS 72 THE RADIAL FILTER
44 HOW TO PUT A 74 MASTER THE HSL PANEL

NAME TO A FACE
78 BETTER BLACK AND
45 TAG YOUR IMAGES WITH WHITE IMAGES
LOCATION DATA
82 CREATE HDR IMAGES
46 QUICK PHOTO FIXES
84 INTRODUCING THE
48 INTRODUCING THE TONE CURVE PANEL
DEVELOP MODULE
86 MAKE TONE
50 THE HISTOGRAM CURVE ADJUSTMENTS
52 USE SMART PREVIEWS 88 SHARPEN UP

YOUR IMAGES
54 MAKE BASIC COLOUR
ADJUSTMENTS 90 REDUCE NOISE
56 CROP & STRAIGHTEN 92 CAMERA CALIBRATION
78
YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS
94 POWERFUL PRESETS
58 REMOVE LENS
DISTORTION 96 CREATE A PANORAMA
6
PHOTOSHOP
100 INTRODUCING THE 132 HOW TO USE THE
PHOTOSHOP LASSO TOOLS
WORKSPACE
134 INTELLIGENT
102 INTRODUCING SELECTION TOOLS
THE TOOLS PANEL
136 MASTER THE PEN TOOL
104 THE CROP TOOL
138 LENS CORRECTION
108 IMAGE AND CANVAS
SIZE EXPLAINED 142 REFINE EDGE
114 110 THE POWER OF 146 LAYER MASKS

ADJUSTMENT LAYERS
148 MAKE BETTER
112 BASIC FIXES WITH LAYER MASKS
A LEVELS LAYER
150 MAKE A SURREAL
114 MASTER CURVES PORTRAIT
IN PHOTOSHOP
154 IMPROVE IMAGES WITH
116 SELECTIVE HUE/ CONTROLLED BLUR
SATURATION TWEAKS
156 PLUG-IN FILTERS
118 CONVERT COLOUR
PHOTOS TO MONO 158 SHARPEN UP
116 120 ADJUSTMENT LAYER

YOUR IMAGES
MASKS IN ACTION 160 REMOVE NOISE

FROM YOUR PHOTOS
162 122 THE SELECTION TOOLS
162 QUICK MASK EDITS
126 THE ERASER TOOLS
164 CONTENT-AWARE
130 PHOTOSHOP’S BASIC
SELECTION TOOLS 166 DODGE AND BURN
ADVANCED
170 ADVANCED IMAGE
RETOUCHING
Learn the tools that the pros
use for outstanding image
retouching skills
182 DEVELOP YOUR

EDITING STYLE
Embrace creative freedom and
learn to use experimentation
to hone your own signature
post-processing recipe
182
7
Teach yourself Image Editing
INTRODUCTION TO IMAGE EDITING
INTRODUCTION TO
IMAGE
EDITING
A walkthrough of the basics of image editing, a
look at the best software to choose from and how
image types affect your editing workflow
8
mage editing, in regards to photography,
I is the process of manipulating a

photograph visually in order to change or
improve the appearance. In analogue
photography this would be done in a darkroom
where the photographer could adjust exposure, alter
dark and light areas and retouch small sections of
the image before fully developing the photograph. In
the digital world this is more easily done non-
destructively, as you are able to keep the original
image intact, and even undo processing steps.
The principal variables you might control
during image editing are as follows: size, shape
and orientation; exposure across all tonal
values; vibrancy of colour, or specific colours;
sharpness; correction distortions associated
with optical errors, such as chromatic aberration
and vignetting; and other special effects. Image-
editing software is now affordable for most with
a computer, tablet, smartphone or other smart
device, and although there is a steep learning curve
at the start of learning, is much more accessible
with well laid out user interfaces.
Processing images in software is a creative
endeavour, that one normally does to develop
the raw photograph and inflect their own stylistic
characteristics. There are, of course, exceptions
to this where image editing is frowned upon or
outright banned. Photojournalism, especially in
regards to news and sports, is one of these areas.
For news it’s a case of ethical integrity and not
altering a photograph beyond what is deemed
to be the truth. Whereas in sports it’s generally
considered best practice to get exposure and
composition right first time round, in-camera for
a quick editorial turnaround. However, over the
Editing better
images coming chapter we’ll be looking at why processing
It’s difficult to capture your photographs is essential and look at the best
all the detail of a scene ways to organise your workflow. We’ll also round up
perfectly without the top five image editing applications and analyse
processing the image some beginner editing mistakes to learn how best
afterward to avoid them.
Image © Getty
9
Why processing
images is essential
Improving, fixing, and retouching photographs is essential
to develop your own work to a high standard
In the same way that developing film and cheaper lenses, can be removed with a single your photograph is by its very nature creative.
slides is essential in order to produce a useable press of a button. Even lens characteristics like Perhaps you’re shooting a friend and they’re
photograph, so too is it essential to process pincushion or barrel distortion can be corrected particularly charming, or perhaps you’re on
photographs digitally. The camera market is automatically in software. High dynamic range a hill in Italy and feel a warm summer breeze
booming and more people have access to a (HDR) compositing provides us with the ability rush over you during a landscape shoot –
camera now than ever before, and that means to capture detail in scenes with extreme contrast these emotions are hard to convey through a
a range in the quality of the products. Whether from bright whites to dark blacks. So image two-dimensional image. The lighting could be
you’re starting out with an entry-level DSLR, processing is essential for correcting the errors stark for the portrait, or the subject is nervous
sinking some money into a new mirrorless that the cameras and lenses cause in the first and looking uneasy in front of the camera. The
system, or starting up your own digital medium place, but a large part of editing is in the style of colour of the sky could be quite blue and cold,
format kit, there’s good and bad gear in every your work. compared to that summer breeze. Altering
brand. Due to this, there are discrepancies Although the camera is principally a photographs to create and convey the emotion
in optical quality, as well as image sensor scientific device used for measuring and of what’s in front of you while you shoot, is a
abilities. We can use image editing to counteract recording light, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t big reason why you should edit your images.
these issues, though. For example, chromatic artistry involved with producing an image. So think about how the photos make you feel,
aberration, a colour fringing that appears Altering colour, greyscale tones, choosing to and use the tools at your disposal to get your
around edges of light and dark contrast on edit in black and white, or even just recropping point across to the viewer.
AFTER BEFORE
Improving wildlife shots
The original shot had bright
highlights on the frog’s skin
and very dark shadows behind.
By reducing the highlights and
giving a lift in shadows we’re
able to see both the frog and the
background more clearly.
10
BEFORE
AFTER
Rotate and crop
Through a simple act
of rotating the portrait
of the biker, we’re able
to make this shot seem
more action-packed as
he leaps through the
frame. A slight crop in on
the biker also pushes our
attention toward him.
BEFORE AFTER
Using lens corrections
Although this shot is technically
Pave your perfect, with good exposure
own path and colour rendition, there’s
heavy vignetting around the
Editing images shouldn’t be edge of the frame. By enabling
viewed as cheating the viewer, or the lens correction tool this lens
misleading them (except in the case of characteristic is removed for a
photojournalism). It’s a creative endeavour clearer shot.
and accounts for a large proportion of making
photographs. Take the time to explore the
tools available to you and work up your own
style, introducing colour and tone changes
that are original and unique. You can
even save custom presets to give the
same look to all of the images
in your portfolio, keeping
consistency. BEFORE
AFTER
White balance
alteration
The camera originally chose
a sensible white balance
giving good, accurate
colours, but it didn’t reflect
the summery feel this shot
should have. By increasing
the white balance Kelvin to
6700K we correct this.
11
The importance of
having a good workflow
Organising your images properly, and being consistent with your
workflow practice will make things easier to find, and quicker to recall
The first place to start in image organisation is favourites and leave the rest. Once your import is identify subjects in photos and automatically assign
to name your files in-camera. Most DSLRs and complete you can start labelling them with metadata. word tags in the metadata. Searching for ‘cat’ will
mirrorless cameras give the ability to do this, albeit Metadata is information that is stored in the image bring up photos it suspects have cats in, and while
limited to a few characters and numbers. This then file, which acts as a kind of notepad for camera there are a few bumps still to iron out, it’s pretty good.
makes it easier to search for your files later on. The settings, equipment used, and user-inputted words. Some of us can’t stand being on a computer for
next step, after your shoot, is to back them up. For example, a series of landscape images in Iceland long, and much prefer to get out shooting again as
You probably don’t want to back up every single from 2019 could be labelled in the metadata as soon as possible. If this sounds like you, then a good
image you’ve ever taken, as there are a lot of duds, follows: Iceland, winter, snow, volcano, 2019. When the workflow is imperative to reduce your time in front of
with missed exposures, poor composition or focusing. images have been correctly labelled, it’s much easier the screen. Different software options have various
Culling the images during import is a good way to recall those images, even if you can’t remember the ways of handling and recalling files, but mainly stick
to reduce the memory space it takes up on your file names themselves. with options to create arbitrary ‘collections’ within the
computer or smart device. When importing – either The way software recalls images is also becoming software, enabling the user to switch between them,
through your favourite software or manually through a lot more intelligent. For example, Adobe Lightroom without having to remember where they’re stored on
the operating system’s folders window – select your now offers the ability to use artificial intelligence to the hard drive.
12
Left
Editing tools
Photoshop CC now displays
mini animations when the
cursor hovers above each tool,
to demonstrate how it works
Below
Filters
A myriad of filtration
controls introduces the
ability to blur, sharpen and
add creative, stylistic effects
Adobe Photoshop Photoshop is the best-known image-editing

software in the world, and for good reason
By far the best-known image-editing software, well as tools that fill colour and reverse the history for use by illustrators, 3D modellers (including
Adobe Photoshop is also the leading industry of edits over a defined area. A look at the top of the readying models for 3D printing), animators,
standard software for the processing of raster window reveals more features still, with the Filters videographers and more.
image editing. Since it was established in 1988, it tab allowing the introduction of Liquify, the ability to Once a one-off purchase, Photoshop CC now
has grown massively over the past 30 years and warp and morph specific areas of the photograph. requires a monthly (or annual) subscription
now contains an enormous collection of editing Under Filters we also find the utilities to add multiple payment. Monthly payments are quite low, but it
tools. The layers panel is a section that allows types of blurring, lens correction, distortion, noise, does now mean that amateur photographers that
photographers to create new layers above or below sharpening and other stylistic effects. Photoshop is are shooting and editing for fun might find they’re
the original photograph. That means different enhanced further, almost limitlessly by the ability to paying out more over several years of use than the
elements can be blended together for an overall customise actions (preset processes defined by the one-time purchase alone. However, this does entitle
effect. With the latest iteration of Photoshop CC, user, played in sequence with one press of the play users to free updates and upgrades as they’re
it has the standard tools to crop, make selections, button) and introduce plugins. Not only this, but released, ensuring the best functionality and editing
sample colours, clone stamp and heal patches, as Photoshop has now for some time been extended tools on their computer or smart device.
Affinity Photo A powerful and cheaper alternative to Photoshop,

Affinity Photo is available as a one-time purchase
Released in 2015, Affinity Photo is comparatively
new to the editing scene, but its plethora of
features and abilities is nearly as extensive as
Photoshop’s. Sold as a one-time purchase, and
a modestly priced one at that, it offers the same
functionality as Photoshop in a slightly different
wrapper. Retouch, paint, add filters and plugins,
even composite HDR images and stack macro
photographs automatically, Affinity Photo is
everything the average photographer would want.
It’s laid out slightly differently with ‘Personas’
being distinct editing modes which cover Photo,
Liquify, Develop, Tone Mapping and Export
modes. It’s available cross-platform for both
macOS and Windows machines as well as on iOS
for apple smart devices like the iPad. It has batch
editing features, and is compatible with .PSD
Photoshop document files, which means easy Above Right
transfer between Adobe and Affinity, should you Photo Persona Tone Mapping Persona
need it. Overall, it’s slightly slower at processing This persona (or mode) is designed Choose from a range of tone mapping
than Photoshop, but it’s a much more cost- to edit photographs in a traditional, presets on the left, or customise said
effective way of editing images. and layer-based method presets with the controls on the right
13
Capture One Pro A strong Raw photo editor with an efficient

workflow and studio work in-mind
Developed by Phase One, Capture One is compatible

with most popular camera file types. Although Capture
One Pro can be used as a standalone image-editing
software like the others, its greatest strength is probably
its workflow practice. Near-instant tethering solutions
for shooting direct to the computer or laptop means
it’s ideal in a studio environment where there’s a high
volume of photos to work through. Many companies
that set up in-house photography teams use this
software due to its flexibility in organising assets, with
everything available at your fingertips to set up new
folders, and move images from place to place. They also
offer this as a subscription service, or a one-off payment
for a perpetual license (although at a steep cost). This
software is unlikely to be the first on a beginner’s list, but
it’s certainly a useful asset if shooting tethered.
Right Far right
Capture One’s Marking up
initial layout Markers, guidelines and
The layout is different rulers show in no uncertain
from the others, with a terms the size and shape of the
priority on workflow and photograph making it great for
image location product photography
Plan of
PLUG INS action for a
great workflow
Start each photoshoot by going through
your camera’s menu and changing your
filenames to something appropriate and
enable GPS tagging (if available) to make it
easier to search for the files later. Once you’ve
completed your photoshoot, import your
images either via your favourite image-editing
software or by copying them to your computer
or smart device. Next, add metadata tags
so it’s easier to search for your photos in
the future. Then it’s a simple case of
sorting the images into folders or
On1 Effects Nik collection collections to recall the entire
It contains hundreds of built-in effects, stock DxO’s Nik collection offers a wide range of album later.
textures and presets, all fully customisable, and colour-correction tools, ideal for retouching
even works as a standalone software. and creative effects
Luminar 3 Pexels Portraiture 3

Browse and edit photos with fast artificial Use the Pexels plugin to quickly access the Edit skin quickly, and flawlessly, with lots of
intelligence tools and a good selection of Pexels’s free stock image library without presets that are all customisable, it takes the
editing features. having to leave your editing software. tedium out of retouching skin.
14
Left
Lightroom CC
A simple user interface and
limited editing tools makes it
easier for those on the go
Below
Lightroom Classic CC
Slightly more complex, Classic
CC opens up more editing tools,
and easier batch processing for
those that need to spend more
time in the editing process
Adobe Lightroom Lightroom comes in two flavours, CC and Classic CC and although
the editing tools are similar, they operate in different ways
The same as all of Adobe’s creative suite products, Lightroom CC, however, is a new iteration that is online storage, (Classic CC files are stored locally and
Lightroom CC and Classic CC are available as designed with the smart device in mind. It contains only offers 20GB online storage, with extra storage
subscription services purchased monthly or annually. fewer editing controls, and a new user interface, with available at a hefty cost). Overall, Lightroom CC is
Lightroom Classic CC has the same interface and images being stored in albums and folders on the left, most useful for light users that prefer to take their
operations as older versions of Lightroom in that the and simple, slider-based tools on the right. Batch- portfolio with them stored on the cloud with the need
files are stored locally and contain all the available processing in CC is difficult at present, with copy and to edit in small amounts, whereas Lightroom Classic
editing tools of the previous versions, plus a few more. paste being the only way to synchronise edits across CC is better for heavy users, usually based in one
It is excellent at batch-processing, allowing quick multiple images. It is more user-friendly on smart location, or on one device, that prefer a wider selection
synchronisation of edits across multiple images. devices like phones and tablets, and offers 1TB of of editing tools.
Aurora HDR
A specialised high dynamic range
editing software for photographers
that want greater flexibility
Aurora HDR is a specialised high dynamic
range (HDR) photo editor that uses artificial
intelligence technology to convert single photos
or multiple, bracketed images into HDR. It offers
the same functionality as other photo-editing
software suites, like tools to alter exposure,
colours and contrast, but it lacks retouching
tools such as clone stamping or moving objects.
This is available in the standard plugins within
Aurora HDR, but it does require an additional
purchase. It’s a strong and flexible software
that offers unique and specialised features for
photographers who want to edit their HDR
images to greater depth, and its simple layout
Above Right
is uncluttered and easy to use. It’s available as a The main window Extra features
one-time purchase, but is more expensive than The opening window gives the It also offers a variety of powerful
most other one-time purchase software options, same initial controls as other HDR-specific tools for dealing with
and lacks their extensive list of features. photo editing softwares HDR processing
15
Image file formats

Not all image file formats are created equally, here’s a
look at the most popular
All images taken on digital cameras are raster it’s more difficult to edit photos to a high degree balance, lens corrections, and other variables are
graphics, (also known as bitmap). That is, pixels are without introducing imaging artifacts that degrade editable to a great extent in-software. The brand-
used to record light and colour. This means the clarity the image quality further. Shooting straight to JPEG specific Raw formats for the most popular brands
of the photo depends on the number of captured is recommended for photojournalism and sports are: NEF for Nikon, CR2 for Canon and ARW for Sony.
pixels. These are measured in megapixels for modern photography where quick, sometimes immediate DNG (digital negative) files are brand-neutral Raws
digital cameras, and are a multiplication of the deadlines are required, memory is limited and/or (despite being created by Adobe) and are compatible
amount of pixels along the longest and shortest sides. editing is either frowned upon or banned on ethical with almost every digital image editing software,
JPEG is the standard image file format for most grounds. Some older cameras may shoot TIFF and are generally smaller in file size than other Raw
cameras and computer devices. JPEG is a lossy form format, but this is largely outdated and superceded files due to a loss of some metadata. It is generally
of compression for raster graphic files, in that it loses by the brand-specific Raw files. considered best practice to shoot and edit in Raw
data in order to reduce file size. This consequently Raw is a compressed lossless file format, meaning file formats, because of the extra editing abilities that
means loss of image quality, so the user has to trade minimal image compression and maximum image come with this format. However, as mentioned above,
off image quality over file size. With this loss in data, quality is kept. Parameters like exposure, white JPEG may be preferred in some cases.
AFTER
BEFORE
Saving underexposure
Here you see an underexposed
landscape taken at night in both
Raw and JPEG format. The before
photo reveals only a few spots of
light from the lighthouse and distant
houses. Despite both Raw and JPEG
having the same edit settings, the
JPEG is still underexposed and
suffers from colour dithering/
banding in the sky. The Raw version,
however, contains a larger dynamic
range and is brighter.
BEFORE
AFTER
Recovered detail
in shadows
A boost in exposure and shadows
reveals much more detail in the
undergrowth behind the flower. The
colours also look more vibrant because
they are now properly exposed.
16
AFTER
BEFORE
Avoiding clipping
in highlights
Reduction of the highlights slider
and a little boost in clarity (midtone
contrast) shows the light trails
much more clearly. The flare of
the lights in the distant has also
drastically reduced.
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
White balance
alteration
The white balance has been
dropped here for more
natural colours under the
tungsten lighting in the cafe.
Also a slight lift in brightness
and reducing blacks output
mutes the darker tones.
17
Common mistakes when

editing photographs
Many beginner photo editors fall into the same traps when
processing their work – here are five editing mistakes to avoid
High Dynamic
Range
Over, or extreme use of
HDR looks unrealistic
Beginner photo editors quickly learn that the
digital camera doesn’t capture the wide dynamic
range that they see with their eyes. So in order to
counteract this inability to display bright highlights
and dark shadows in a single image they turn
to High Dynamic Range (HDR) processing. By
combining three bracketed photos (dark, medium
and light in exposure) the idea is to provide a full
range of tonal values that software automatically
blends together to create a photo that looks more
like what we see with our eyes. However, not every
photo calls for HDR, because sometimes the lack
of detail in shadows or highlights help to portray
the reality of the scene (eg blinding sun, dark shade
etc). It’s important to remember why you’re using
HDR processing and use it sparingly, even in regard
to the intensity of the processing. Subtle tone-
mapping and a smoothness of contrast between
areas in a photograph will make it look realistic while
maintaining the wider dynamic range. Whereas high
contrast results in areas of competing exposure
butting up to one another with dark black and bright
whites which is jarring to the eye.
Right Far right

Natural HDR HDR trouble
The treatment of HDR There’s far too much contrast in this
is natural, with brighter shot, the trees are unrealistically
shadows and clearer textured and the sky has gone from
definition in the trees a bright white to midtone grey
18
Adding too much clarity An increase in midtone contrast

doesn’t suit all subjects
Perhaps we have a beautiful photograph of a female model,
or maybe a young person, even a baby, these subjects often
have smooth skin when compared to male models that
are a bit older. So there’s no use upping the Clarity slider
to increase midtone contrast as the midtones in portraits
are often found in the skin. Introducing fake contrast on the
skin looks unreal and is often deemed as unflattering to
the subject. Or maybe you have a landscape photograph
taken under overcast conditions with plenty of gradating, Above Above
soft shadows, we’re not expecting great contrast in these Good level of clarity Clarity overdone
scenes, so there’s no reason to over emphasise it by adding Here the railway sleepers are a smooth blur with The increase in midtone contrast (clarity) is too great in
the railway lines forging sharp, clear shapes this photo and the brown sleepers now jar with definition,
too much clarity.
through the softness detracting from the metal railway lines
Over-softening
skin
The key sign of an amateur photo
editor is heavy blurring of skin
In portraits and body shots it’s important to keep in fine details
of the skin, like pores and hair because it’s a natural part of the
body. Some retouching corrections of temporary blemishes,
perhaps even removing a couple of bags or wrinkles under
or around the eye is necessary to enhance the portrait, but
adding too much blur to skin is a no-no. It results in the skin
looking too smooth, synonymous with plastic. If you’re editing
a child’s portrait, it’s unlikely you’ll need any skin retouching at
all, as their skin is generally in good condition.
Far left Left

Good correction Bad correction
This photo has just the right The skin is too plastic-looking.
level of correction on the skin, There is no more texture to the
blemishes and temporary lines skin and contours of features roll
are reduced, but pores and skin into one another, giving a two-
texture remains intact dimensional look
Vignetting everything in Lightroom Too much colour

Just because one photo benefits, it doesn’t mean they all will There’s more to making a photo ‘pop’
than just boosting the colour
Not every photo benefits from vignetting. Sometimes the most interesting part
In the real world it’s rare to find a circumstance where every part of the scene
of the frame, or even the subject, is off to one side and placing a vignette on the
is incredibly vibrant. In fact, it’s much more common to find scenes that have
photo would distract from the subject. For example, you have a selection of macro
areas which lack colour. It’s easy, and tempting, to whack the Saturation slider
photographs in your Lightroom catalog. There are some photos in the sequence
all the way up but this can destroy the subtleties and small nuances that may
where an insect crawls along a flower from the corner of the frame, and some where
add depth to photographs. Grass isn’t always glowing green, and skin is rarely
it is central. Adding a dark, or light vignette uniformly around the edge of the photo
anything more than muted earth tones. So when adding colour boosts, be
would draw the eye into the centre of the frame, which works for the photos where
selective in where you want to add saturation and remember what your main
the subject is centrally located. However, those shots with the insect nearer the
subject looked like when photographing them.
edge of the frame would be ruined as the eye would naturally want to draw closer to
the centre of the frame, away from the subject. Synchronising a post-crop vignette
across all the photos in the collection would be disastrous, so it’s better to be discrete
and apply vignettes image by image.
Above Above Above Above

Unnoticeable vignette Vignettes that detract Perfect colour Too saturated
A good vignette is unnoticeable, but provides This vignette is obvious, it’s too dark and has too The scene is warm, with vivid The colours are over the top, everything is
good direction to the eye to move toward the little feather, meaning a shorter transition and a colours that complement both the yellowish orange and looks unnatural in both
brighter subject clearer line. It distracts the eye from the subject background and subject the background and on the subject
19
ESSENTIAL EDITING TECHNIQUES
10
ESSENTIAL
EDITING
TECHNIQUES
Read our guide to the fundamental aspects of a pro
photographer’s processing workflow
20
e often talk about ‘essential’ techniques in
W the context of both taking photographs

and then processing them in software. For
even the most experienced digital
photographer however, this term can seem a little
opaque, with a level of uncertainty about what exactly
constitutes essential in this case. While there is a great
degree of personal judgement involved in deciding
what shooting and processing actions are required for
an image, there are some ‘tricks of the trade’ that
must be employed in order to create the quality of
images demanded by the world today. These cover the
key elements of a successful image – correct
exposure, balanced colour for a natural appearance
and critical sharpness where it is most needed, such
the eyes in a portrait. Other staple processing steps in
a professional workflow encompass the application of
local adjustments, via the use of brushes and
selections. Furthermore, noise reduction, lens
corrections and retouching work all combine to create
images that truly demonstrate the quality of the
camera, enabling the photographer to really get the
most out of their equipment. Without these key
techniques, the full potential of the work done
in-camera can never be realised.
Of course deciding how much an image requires
editing is a skill in its own right. The choice to alter
an element should be made if it acts as a distraction
from the intended subject or when it impedes the
rendition of natural colour and tone. For example,
in order to meet the standards expected by high-
end magazines, some skin retouching is necessary
to remove distracting blemishes, while the colour
in landscapes should almost always be adjusted to
present the scene in a realistic way. In other cases
More than pixels processing will be required to achieve a specific ‘look’,
The RAW digital image for artistic purposes. While this may not be completely
captured by your natural, it is essential if the style is needed for a
camera’s sensor is very specific function. In this guide we have compiled a list
rarely in a display-worthy of the ten processing techniques we feel the modern
state – critical image
photographer should be armed with by default,
editing is needed in order
in order to remain commercially competitive and
to do your subject justice
Image © TJ Drysdale creatively motivated to experiment.
21
Work with RAW

Learn to use the power of RAW editing software with these key techniques
It is generally accepted that a RAW workflow from a single file, vastly increasing the versatility of your files, introducing pixelation artefacts and colour
should be the choice of most professional every image. Once you have decided to shoot RAW, banding effects.
photographers. Unless there is a specific reason for the next decision is which editing steps should be Noise reduction often blurs image detail, so having
choosing JPEG as a file format, such as maximising done in RAW applications and what to leave for later the option to return to an image and reduce NR
memory card space and buffer capacity, RAW Photoshop work. The adjustments you should be settings for a better noise/detail balance is a major
files offer far greater flexibility. There is still some making in RAW processing are those which are the advantage. Sharpening can also be tailored for both
confusion amongst photographers surrounding most ‘destructive’ and hardest to undo. These span print and digital output, all from the same image.
the actual advantages offered by RAW, however. white balance, exposure, sharpening and noise Add the following techniques to your processing
Unlike JPEGs or even TIFF files, RAW images reduction, as these have the potential to damage repertoire to get more from your RAW files.
contain all of the data captured by the imaging
sensor, including full colour information. This
allows changes to be made to white balance at any BEFORE
time and in a manner that is similar to in-camera
colour temperature selection. The true benefit is
Right
2x © Danilo Faria
that of future-proofing – any adjustments made
can be revisited and altered indefinitely, without Out-of-camera
While composition was finalised at
loss of image quality and risk of file corruption. This
the shooting stage, this RAW image
means multiple processing styles can be sourced
is not yet ready for print or web
AFTER
Express
natural impact
This RAW-processed
image displays corrected
exposure, colour and
sharpness. Danilo Faria
(defariaphotography.
com) reveals his editing
steps in the guide below
1 Correct
perspective
Reduce distortions and
2 Reduce
noise
Noise is prominent in
3 Enhance
colour
Control the impact of
4 Straighten
horizon
Uneven horizons ruin an
5 Sharpen
for web
Sharpening varies for
chromatic aberration, flat areas such as the each colour individually image – even though I was print and online output
scaling to remove sky – use global and local using the HSL panel for levelled, the landscape is destinations – edit with the
peripheral space. reduction to reduce this. tailored effects. undulated. final product in mind.
22
1 RAW sharpening
Sharpening is vital for almost every digital image. Perform it non-destructively in RAW processing
1
Masking
2
Zoom in
3
Amount
Dragging the Masking slider to the right limits In order to accurately judge the extent of Gradually move this sharpening slider to
sharpening to edges, eliminating flat-toned sharpening needed, zoom in to 100% on a the right, starting at a value of 40, only
areas and minimising the exaggeration of noise. visible edge, with higher contrast. This will enable increasing further if your image is significantly
The further the slider is moved, the more narrowly you to view the sharpening effect in real time and blurred. A setting of 50 to 70 is appropriate for
targeted the sharpening. Hold down Alt for a will help avoid pushing things too far and over- shots made with stacked filters or lower-quality
preview. sharpening. ‘standard’ lenses.
4
Set Radius
5
Bring out detail
6
Selective sharpening
The Radius slider defines how pronounced the While the Masking slider protects flat A refined sharpening policy is to apply it on
sharpening is, by extending the effect further areas, the Detail slider reduces halo effects, a local level, using the Adjustment Brush
from the detail edges. A low setting enables you to common to sharpening. A low value has the (K). Select a brush with a small size, medium
enhance fine detail, while a larger value helps sharpen most effect, so increase this for more ‘obvious’ Feather and mid-to-low Flow to gradually build up
softer edges. Try to avoid settings above 1.5. sharpening, in landscapes for example. sharpening in the softest areas.
2Setting the
Set black and white points
Take advanced control of image contrast using these vital, yet simple RAW sliders
Left side
© Peter Fenech
Black and White Lacking contrast

In this image, the White points
points enables
are too far from 255 (pure
you to allocate a
white) meaning white areas
brightness value
have turned grey, creating a
to the lightest and
dull image. Shadow areas are
darkest tones in washed out
your image. This
adds contrast to
Right side
your shot, but
also helps prevent
Blacks and Whites
defined
losing highlight and
By holding down the Alt key
shadow detail while
for a preview, while moving
you are editing your the Blacks and Whites sliders,
image, as this way these points can be pushed as
no tone will ever close to pure black and white
be pushed to pure as possible, protecting detail
black or white. and adding impact
BEFORE AFTER
23
Left
© Danilo Faria
The magic of
Clarity
One of the best tools
in Camera Raw and
Lightroom is the
Clarity slider. This
enhances midtone
contrast, creating the
impression of detail
– an essential tool for
rocky landscapes
Below right
Choose
your mood
Selecting the overall
colour theme for your
image is best done at
the RAW stage, due
to the immense
flexibility of white
balance selection
3 Achieve balanced colour

RAW editing applications have all the tools you need for natural colour rendition
© Peter Fenech
1
Choose a
camera profile BEFORE AFTER
This introduces the image
parameters that would have been applied
Above left Above right
in-camera had you shot in JPEG format, Strong colour cast True to life
producing colours closer to those you The artificial lights in this scene have cast colour ‘hot The human eye automatically corrects strong colour
saw on the rear LCD when shooting. spots’, with white surfaces unnaturally warm bias. This image is pleasingly closer to the real scene
2
One-click white
3
Use Split Toning
4
Correct colour
balance Now customise the tone using the with curves
Use the White Balance Tool (I) to Split Toning panel. These controls Using the Tone Curve, it is possible to
neutralise colour casts. By clicking the tool in are highly useful for altering the colour of edit colour balance in the shadows, midtones
an area of neutral grey, ACR will alter the white highlights and shadows independently, and highlights separately, offering almost
balance using the grey sample as a reference. where a slight bias is desirable. unlimited customisation opportunities.
24
4 Apply noise reduction in RAW

Improve the quality of your images while keeping fine detail safe in Camera Raw or Lightroom
The NR tools in both Camera
Raw and Lightroom effectively
Left side
Grainy distraction
This high ISO shot suffers from
reduce luminance noise (grain) significant grain when enlarged,
and chrominance noise (coloured which will be even more evident in
patterning) non-destructively. large-format prints. Some colour
Attempt to keep the Luminance noise is also visible
slider at 40 or below, as this form
of NR also reduces detail, and use
Right side
Luminance Detail to retrieve fine Smoother texture
textures, if these have been blurred. Noise has been removed using
The same relationship applies to Camera Raw, then detail, contrast
© Peter Fenech
the Color and Color Detail sliders and colour have been ‘repaired’
– the more NR you apply, the more using the appropriate sliders in the
compensation with the detail slider Noise Reduction panel. A grain/
you should consider. detail balance has been achieved
5
Create
colour depth
Learn to add visual balance, using
contrasting colour and gradients
One of the main reasons images can lack depth is

that they do not have sufficient colour contrast. As
well as overall contrast of brightness, having colours
in your shot that oppose each other on the colour
wheel provides essential interest for holding a viewer’s
attention. For shots made at sunrise and sunset,
ensuring you maintain cool hues to contrast with the
warm colours will guarantee this.
Left side
Warm bias
While the colours
in this image are
attractive, they all
have a low Kelvin
value, creating a
uniform tonality
which fails to depict
all natural colours
present. So, the
scene appears flat
Right side
Balanced and
impactful
With a mix of cool
and warm hues,
the image now has
a greater sense
of depth and the
colour range feels
more natural
© Peter Fenech
© TJ Drysdale
BEFORE AFTER
25
When to use Photoshop

RAW controls offer security, but Photoshop
allows flexibility for dynamic edits
With as many colour and tonal changes made
to your RAW files as possible, most images
will have to be brought into Photoshop, in
order for the finishing touches to be added. As
accomplished as many RAW converters have
become, they do not feature the vast range of
retouching tools found in Photoshop and so
are unsuitable for high-end work in this area.
The following techniques make use of the
most dynamic components of the program,
layers and brushes, which cannot be currently
supported in Camera Raw, Lightroom or
Capture. These allow complex modifications
to be made very precisely, on a highly local
basis – brushes in ACR work in a similar way
to Photoshop brushes, but offer nowhere
near the same level of sophisticated control.
There is also the case of customisation
and personalisation – Photoshop enables
users to create new tool presets, if those
pre-installed do not offer the effect or
working style desired. This plays a vital
role in enabling photographers to realise
their own visions and develop a personal
style that sets their work apart from others.
Layers meanwhile, along with the extensive
range of selection tools available, allow
different parts of a photo to be adjusted
separately and then carefully blended. As
with all photo editing, each stage of this work
should be done in moderation, to avoid the
over-processing of images. When perfected Above Opposite
however, these techniques open up new Brush modes Dynamic control
possibilities for professional-level imagery, in Try changing the brush mode for new effects Brushes can be used to introduce pooled lighting effects
multiple areas of photography. from the same tool. Use Screen or Soft Light for and differential colour saturation in some scenes. Alter
glow effects or Colour for advanced local toning Brush Hardness and Opacity to vary painting effects
6 Work with brushes

Craft unique shots by building custom brush presets, for creative effects on-demand
Photoshop brushes
can be used to greatly
enhance images in a highly
controllable way. Complex
brush customisation is
usually associated with
digital art, but has a place
in the photographer’s
1
Extract a shape
2
Select a
3
workflow when a particular Define a brush
texture or effect is required. We’re going to make a brush target area preset
Brush Opacity defines from one element of an With the object layer active, Go to Edit>Define Brush
the maximum strength image so that we can add it to use the rectangular Marquee Tool Preset. With an object like this leaf,
of an effect, through pixel another file on-demand. Select (M) in order to isolate the extracted use the brush editor to increase
transparency, while Flow the object, ensuring the edges shape. Make sure that the entire the Hue and Angle Jitter, and turn
controls the speed at which are sharp, and place on a new shape is within the marquee up Scatter to avoid creating any
pixels are laid down on a layer. layer. boundary. repeating patterns.
26
7 Try advanced selection techniques

Improve the quality of your images while keeping fine detail safe in Camera Raw or Lightroom
Making selections in Photoshop has never been easier,
but in difficult lighting, where edge contrast is low, being
key skill is recognising which tool will be best in any given
circumstance. Use selections to place different photo
aware of how to customise and take greater control of components on individual layers for local editing, or to
the selection process can vastly improve your results. A protect edges when cloning or healing complex patterns.
Refine Edge dialogue Key selection tools

Magic Wand
Make your selections even more precise with these customisations In a single click Photoshop searches for
and selects high-contrast edges, though
it can struggle with poorly defined lines in
View Mode Smart Radius slider less contrasty conditions.
Here you can choose how The ‘intelligent’ part of the
your selection is displayed. dialogue, this slider tells
Polygonal Lasso tool
You can view the selected Photoshop how far away
Use this tool for selecting objects with
area on a white, black or from an edge to look for
angular outlines and straight edges. Great
transparent background, contrast for more accurate
for product photography, as it can output
with a choice of overlay. selections. Move the slider
sharp-edged extractions well.
further to the right for
complex edges, then use
Refine Radius Tool the Refine Radius Tool to
Quick Selection Tool
A great tool for expanding This tool is used like a brush to select
increase selection precision.
or contracting a selection. large areas. To enable this feature,
Paint over unselected areas always erase an error and re-select,
to add them to the selection Decontaminate rather than using ‘undo’.
or hold down Alt and paint to Colors
remove areas. This feature helps Pen Tool
minimise colour spill that Used to cut around complex shapes.
reflects around the edges Anchor points are used to create
Output options of the selected area. If an editable path, which can then be
Choose how you want you intend to place an converted to a selection.
your Refine Edge settings extracted subject on a new
to appear from this menu. background, turn this on Free-form Lasso
New Layer with Layer Mask for a more natural blend of Best used in conjunction with a graphics
is a useful option. image elements. tablet and stylus, as edges can be
manually selected by drawing around
them on the tablet, allowing full control.
© Danilo Faria
27
8 Utilise layers
Use the most powerful feature in Photoshop to adjust colour and lighting non-destructively
Having the ability to edit individual

parts of an image and to store these Layer Style effects
adjustments separately, for easy
moderation, is of immense benefit Get more from layers by using these additional effects for creative impact
to photographers and retouchers.
Photoshop layers create a literal stack Blend Mode
of processing actions that can be Select how you
selected, altered or removed at any would like the effect
time, temporarily or permanently. to interact with the
This offers a truly non-destructive pixels of the layer for
workflow, whereby your editing decisions differing looks and
functions.
need not pose a risk to the quality or
longevity of your image library. While
much processing can be applied to the
background layer, adjustment layers
are the only real option for professionals
using Photoshop. If, for example, you Scale Slider
create a Curves adjustment layer, make Adjust the relative size
of the style. Vary the
a contrast change and later decide
feather of the gradient,
this was too aggressive, the effect can
for a hard or soft grad
be easily limited by reducing the layer effect.
opacity. Working with layers is not
without its challenges however, and Style Menu Opacity Slider Style Angle
Pick from a range of Use this control to This function allows
an understanding of how they work is
style options. Here a adjust the strength the user to alter the
important if we want to produce reliable, Gradient Overlay was of the effect by orientation of the
consistent results. With the exception chosen for a neutral making it more or less style, relative to the
of adjustment layers, colour, fill and density effect. transparent. base layer.
image layers are simply arrays of pixels
arranged above the background layer.
If left to their default modes, these will
hide the image data of the background
and will not interact. For creative
purposes this is often undesirable, in
which case layers must be blended using
blend modes. These are categorised
by their main effects, such as darken,
lighten, contrast, inversion etc. and
force the pixels in each layer to ‘speak’
to each other. If blending is not the
aim, compositing using selections
and masking techniques allows
elements of one image to be added to
another, such as the replacement of
a sky in a landscape. For this to work
effectively, the feather of the mask
must be appropriate to the scene
and components being merged –
rough masking will yield hard edges
and unconvincing layer transitions.
Conversely, a mask that is overly soft can
also produce unnatural edge halos and
the impression of low image resolution.
Layer organisation is another essential
step – grouping related layers (Ctrl/Cmd
+ G) helps keep track of changes, while
layer naming and colour-coding ensures
correct arrangement in the layer stack.
Right
Colour control
© Danilo Faria
In scenes with strong contrasting colours, global

adjustments often don’t ‘fit’ all areas. Using layer
masks enables each to be treated uniquely
28
Original file
This image displays a good range
of colour and tone and could be
considered to be in a finished
state. With blend modes however,
new varied styles can be derived
© TJ Drysdale
Experiment with blend modes Expert retoucher TJ Drysdale (tjdrysdale.com) provides

an insight into how he uses this powerful feature
Multiply Screen Soft light Luminosity

I use this mode with various adjustment I typically use the Screen blend mode when I The blend mode I use most often, typically with I’ve used this blend mode with the Black &
layers, usually when I want to draw focus to the want to add a sun flare. I feel it’s most effective a Black & White adjustment layer. It gives a nice White adjustment layer and Curves. It’s great
centre of my photograph by subtly darkening with the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. I’ve crisp look without adding too much contrast. for increasing vibrance and it really attacks
the edges of the image. I rarely have the had success using it with Curves and Levels Sometimes I also apply a colour tint to the warm hues well. I’ve also used it to add a subtle
adjustment at full opacity. as well. adjustment layer. matte finish.
Edit with layer masks Use the most powerful feature of layers to make selective adjustments
3
Clipping masks
1
Create a layer mask
2
Masks from selections Clipping masks can be created on
A simple layer mask allows the content For precise extractions or blends, first adjustment layers, so that effects work
of a layer to be selectively removed, by make a selection, refine the edges to only on the layer below. Place an object on its
painting black on a white mask, or revealed match the hardness of the object selected, own layer (Ctrl/Cmd+J) and go to Layer>Create
by painting white on a black mask. and then create a layer mask. Clipping Mask.
29
9 Blend your exposures Opposite

Mist
management
Combine the best elements of multiple frames using these advanced techniques Photoshop brushes are
ideal for editing delicate
atmospheric elements
Today’s DSLRs have ever-increasing dynamic ranges. options are manual layer merging, using masks, or the highly such as mist and fog.
However, their sensors cannot match the human eye for sophisticated luminosity mask technique. Here we offer They can be used to
detail and colour retention at the exposure extremes. HDR guidance on two versatile exposure blending procedures – enhance the effect or
software offers a solution, but at the cost of noise. Other just remember that moderation is key. dehaze a scene
Work with 32-bit files

Create a low-noise, high-quality HDR image in RAW software using this lesser-known technique
1
Synchronise RAW edits
2
Create TIFF file
3
Perform tonal adjustments
Perform lens corrections and basic edits in Open files in Photoshop, go to File>Automate> Click OK and save your merged file. Re-open
Camera Raw, clicking Synchronize so each file Merge to HDR Pro and Add Open Files. In the this TIFF in Camera Raw or Lightroom and use
in your bracketed series is identically processed. HDR Pro window, select 32 Bit as the Mode and the Shadows and Highlights sliders to increase the
Leave most sliders set to zero for now. check Remove ghosts if images were shot handheld. dynamic range of your photo.
Use luminosity masks Balanced and natural

Below
The manual blending method

Washed out
Inset
The brightest areas of

Creator of luminosity mask panel Lumenzia, has produced a true-to-life this image exceed the
Greg Benz (gregbenzphotography.com) effect, with less pronounced dynamic range of the
explains this blending technique noise than when tone
mapping for HDR
camera, so highlight
detail has been lost
AFTER
1
Process RAW
It is important to extract key
detail from the RAW images
before blending. Important
adjustments are white balance
and tonal adjustments (exposure,
highlights, etc). Check sky colour in
the dark exposure.
© Greg Benz
30
© Danilo Faria
2
Stack exposures
3
Select best
4
Load mask as
5
Paint transitions
as layers luminosity mask selection Using a white brush, paint
Exposures should be Using a tool such as my Turn that luminosity ‘mask’ on the black layer mask to
stacked in one-stop increments, free luminosity masking panel, into a selection (Ctrl/Cmd-click reveal the highlight areas from
sorted with the darkest on top. evaluate the potential luminosity the channel’s icon). Hit Ctrl/ the next darker exposure. White
Add black masks to all but the ‘masks’ (L2-L5 are usually best). Cmd+H to hide the marching ants. reveals and black conceals.
bottom layer.
6
Use multiple
7
Paint interior
8
Repeat for
9
Finish normally
strokes with white additional Group or flatten layers and
The luminosity selection You may find that the exposures continue editing. Luminosity
will prevent you from painting blended image has low contrast Continue steps 3-6 for each darker masks are useful for general
pure white in a single stroke, even in areas where the middle of the layer. Be sure to re-create the editing when targeting specific
at 100% opacity. Make multiple mask remains black/grey. Discard luminosity selection for each layer, tones. I’ve used them to dodge the
brush strokes where you need to. the selection and paint freehand. as the blending process changes. sand and adjust cloud contrast.
31
10 Retouch skin
Combine the best elements of multiple frames using these advanced techniques
One of the disadvantages of ultra-high resolution
cameras is that every minor blemish on a model’s
texture and remove irregularities in complexion
and brightness. The method for this can range from
skin becomes discernible. Therefore, for high-end using a low-opacity brush, with low flow, to frequency
portrait work, it is an essential step to smooth skin separation for precise smoothing effects.
Advanced skin retouching Right
© Adrian Dewey
Smooth and sharp
Adrian Dewey (www.adriandewey.com) explains how to smooth This shot of Liv with her amazing designed headpieces
was fairly good in-camera, so it didn’t take much editing
skin texture using the Frequency Separation technique other than the removal of a few marks and blemishes
1
Make initial edits
2
Smoothing
3
New layer
First get the image, open it in Camera Raw and Create a duplicate layer and name it ‘texture’. Add a new layer above the background. Name
tweak any levels, brightness/contrast and so Rename the background layer ‘colour/ this ‘retouch’. Go to Image>Menu and select
on as needed, then crop the image to where you tone’ and convert it to a smart object. Go to Apply Image. If using an 8-bit image, use the settings
want it. Open the file in Photoshop. Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur and set this to 2 pixels. shown here. Change the top layer to Linear Light.
4
Healing Brush
5
Further tweaks
6
Finalise
On the retouch layer, select the Healing Brush Once happy, switch on texture layer visibility. Zoom in to ensure the skin is equally smoothed.
Tool. Brush in a few small areas around the Go to Layers> Flatten Image to bring all the You can see the image is sharp, with skin
eyes with a soft brush set to a low opacity, sampling layers together and make it easy for any final touch- texture details, but there are no blemishes or marks. I
the colours around the areas to be retouched. ups like stray hairs and marks on the background. added a little dodge in the eyes to make them brighter.
32
AFTER
33
LIGHTROOM
Discover how to get started
with Lightroom and explore
key editing tricks
36 THE LIGHTROOM WORKSPACE
38 IMPORT YOUR PHOTOS INTO

LIGHTROOM
40 INTRODUCING THE LIBRARY MODULE
42 SORT AND RATE YOUR IMAGES
43 FIND IMAGES WITH KEYWORDS
44 HOW TO PUT A NAME TO A FACE
45 TAG YOUR IMAGES WITH

LOCATION DATA
46 QUICK PHOTO FIXES
48 INTRODUCING THE DEVELOP MODULE
50 THE HISTOGRAM
52 USE SMART PREVIEWS
54 MAKE BASIC COLOUR ADJUSTMENTS
56 CROP & STRAIGHTEN YOUR

PHOTOGRAPHS
58 REMOVE LENS DISTORTION
34
60 REVEAL MORE MIDTONE DETAIL
62 REMOVE SENSOR SPOTS
64 DODGE AND BURN
68 EDITING WITH AUTO MASK
70 THE GRADUATED FILTER TOOL
72 THE RADIAL FILTER
74 MASTER THE HSL PANEL
78 BETTER BLACK AND WHITE IMAGES
82 CREATE HDR IMAGES
84 INTRODUCING THE TONE

CURVE PANEL
86 MAKE TONE CURVE ADJUSTMENTS
88 SHARPEN UP YOUR IMAGES
90 REDUCE NOISE
92 CAMERA CALIBRATION
94 POWERFUL PRESETS
96 CREATE A PANORAMA
35
Teach Yourself Image Editing
THE LIGHTROOM WORKSPACE
The Lightroom
workspace
Get to know the general layout and purpose of Lightroom’s
photo organising, editing and sharing modules
hotoshop Lightroom combines the professional raw-process- You may be dealing with thousands of images that are scattered across
P ing tools in the more expensive Photoshop CC with the

asset-organising powers of the cheaper Photoshop Elements.
It also has plenty of unique photo-fixing and organising tools of
folders on your PC as well as on external hard drives. Lightroom enables
you to gather stray photos into its Catalog regardless of their locations,
and organise them in a variety of ways. You can create themed collections,
its own, as you’ll discover while working through this book. or even set up Smart Collections, which automatically collect files that
One of the biggest challenges that we face as digital photographers is meet specific criteria – more on this in a few pages. But first we’ll give you
managing our collections of images. Lightroom enables you to take the an overview of Lightroom’s layout. Lightroom has seven key workspaces,
tedium out of asset management. It provides easy ways to add keywords called modules. The main modules are Library and Develop, because
to batches of files as you import them from a memory card, so you can these enable you to import, organise and process your photos. The
find specific images more quickly in the future. We’ll look at Lightroom’s other modules are Map, Book, Slideshow, Print and Web. Check out our
asset management functions in more detail later . annotated grab to familiarise yourself with the Module picker.
36
THE LIGHTROOM WORKSPACE
Lightroom Anatomy Module picker

Get to know the seven key modules in Lightroom’s workspace
1 LIBRARY
Lightroom opens in the Library module. The Library 1 3

module is where you import and organise your digital
6
4 7
photos. You can also tweak their colours and tones 2
using the Quick Develop panel. 5
2 DEVELOP
The Develop module is your digital darkroom. Here

you can fix problems relating to colour, tone and
composition. This module also has a collection of
selective raw editing tools.
3 MAP
If your camera has the capacity to geo-tag photos

with GPS coordinates you can see images on a map
according to where they were captured. You can also
use Lightroom to manually geo-tag photos.
4 BOOK
Once you’ve processed your pictures, you may want to

share them in a photo book. This module enables you
to lay out the book using handy templates, and export
the book to a publisher who will produce a hard copy.
5 SLIDESHOW 6 PRINT 7 WEB
In this module you can present your photos as a slick In chapter nine we’ll show you how to produce perfect This handy module provides you with a host of
slide show. In chapter ten we’ll look at this module prints using the tools and templates in this module. templates so that you can share your photos online
in more detail, and show you how to add music and This chapter will also demonstrate how to make sure in interactive and attractive web galleries. Lightroom
transitions to your show, and how to watermark your that what you see on screen looks the same in print enables you to make web galleries without any coding
images to protect them. using Lightroom’s soft-proofing tools. knowledge at all.
KEYBOARD
Understanding… SHORTCUTS
PANEL CONTROL With seven modules to explore,

it’s worth mastering the keyboard
IN LIGHTROOM shortcuts that can summon each
module with a few taps. The seven
modules can be summoned with
Each Lightroom bottom) of the screen. sensibly-numbered keyboard
shortcuts that relate to the order
module has a range If you want less clutter
in which they appear at the top
of panels, such as and to get rid of those 1 of the workspace.
the Library module’s displays that you don’t
Use Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+1 to
Keywording panel [1]. use, then right-click
a panel to activate
2 access the Library module,
Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+2 for the Develop
Some panels may be a context-sensitive module, Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+3 for Map,
more useful to you pop-up menu.
3
Cmd/Ctrl+Alt+4 for Book, Cmd/
than others, so you Ctrl+Alt+5 for Slideshow, Cmd/
can minimise the ones Clear any panels [3] Ctrl+Alt+6 for Print, and Cmd/
you want to hide by that you don’t often Ctrl+Alt+7 for Web.
4
clicking these icons use to make more When you’re using Lightroom,
[2]. The hidden panels space. The Solo Mode you’ll spend most of your time
will reappear when you [4] option means that in the Develop module, so you
move the cursor near you have one open can also jump straight there with
the sides (or top and panel at a time. a snappier tap of the D key.
37
IMPORT AND SORT IMAGES
Import your photos

into Lightroom
Discover how to import images and video clips from
a memory card or hard drive into Lightroom
1
Choose a source
2
Check or uncheck?
Lightroom collects files from a variety of sources and displays them The assets in the selected source folder or memory card will
in its Catalog. After launching Lightroom, click the Import button at appear as thumbnails. Use the slider to increase the thumbnail
the bottom-left of the interface (or choose File>Import Photos and Video size for a closer look. All the files are checked automatically. You can tick
from the main menu.) An import window will appear. In the Source section, Uncheck All and then manually check the thumbnails of all the photos that
browse the files and folders and choose a source such as a memory you want to import. The unchecked thumbnails will have a vignette around
card, your camera if it’s plugged in, or a folder of photos on an internal or their edges. If you hold down Alt, the buttons will change to enable you to
external hard drive. check or uncheck any video files.
38
IMPORT AND SORT IMAGES
3
Copy or Add?
4
Loupe or Grid view?
If you’re importing files from a memory card, click Copy. This By default you will see the targeted folder’s content as
will copy them to a chosen location on your computer’s hard thumbnails in the Grid view. To see a particular photo
drive (such as your Pictures folder), or onto an external hard drive. It more clearly, either click the Loupe view icon or double click the
will then import the copied photos into Lightroom’s Catalog. If you’re thumbnail to take it into the Loupe view. You can then tick the
importing files from a folder on an internal or external hard drive, click Include in Import box if you want to add the photo to Lightroom’s
Add. This will add them to Lightroom’s Catalog without physically Catalog. Press G to go back to Grid view, where you can see the
moving or copying them, which saves disc space. folder’s contents as thumbnails.
5
Process while importing
6
Import the images
You can batch process files as you import them. By checking the Once you’ve decided which photos you want to include in
Build Smart Previews box you can edit copies of a photo even Lightroom’s Catalog, and you’ve chosen any File Handling
if the external hard drive that it’s stored on has been disconnected. You or Develop Settings presets, click Import. A progress bar will indicate that
can also apply preset Develop Settings to every photo, which enables the files are being imported into the Catalog from their current location.
you to creatively process them or apply automatic tonal corrections as Lightroom will then generate standard previews of each file. In our
they are imported. We’ll look at ways to batch process imported files example we chose not to apply any Smart Preview or Develop Settings
in more detail later in this chapter. presets, because we’ll look at these options later.
39
THE LIBRARY MODULE
Introducing the
Library module
Discover the key features of the Library module,
and customise it to create a cleaner-looking workspace
n the previous chapter we demonstrated how to import Lightroom gathers assets together and places them in its Catalog,
I images into Lightroom. We also touched on ways to organise

your assets by placing them in Collections. In this chapter we’ll
delve deeper into the Library module and demonstrate how it
so that they are all under one roof. You can then see your images more
conveniently in the Library module.
On this spread we introduce the key panels and tools in the Library
can help you to manage (and edit) your images. module, so you can familiarise yourself with its layout. We also explain
You may have thousands of photos to deal with, and they may be how to change the default layout so you can hide panels until you need
scattered across a variety of folders and external hard drives. Without them. We’ll then move on to show you how to organise your images using
Lightroom’s Library module, you’d have to rummage around in those keywords and star ratings, and tag them with the coordinates of the
separate folders looking for specific photos. location in which they were captured.
At a glance The Library module

Get to know the key features of Lightroom’s organising workspace
4 HISTOGRAM
4
When you click a photo’s thumbnail
(or double click to view it in the Loupe
2
view), you can see the image’s spread
of tones in the histogram window. This
undulating graph enables you to analyse
and fix exposure-related problems, as
we’ll demonstrate in chapter three.
1
5
5 KEYWORDING PANEL
Here you can assign keywords to a

photo to help you find it more easily
in the future. Like all panels, it can be
toggled open or collapsed by clicking
6 the little triangle icon. If you right click
a panel you can clear unwanted panels
from the pop-up menu.
3
6 METADATA
Here you can discover lots of

1 FOLDERS PANEL 2 IMAGE DISPLAY 3 TOOLBAR information about how a photo was
captured, including camera settings
This panel shows you all the folders Photographs and video clips that The icons in the Toolbar enable you to such as the ISO and aperture values.
linked to Lightroom’s Catalog. Right have been imported into the Library add ratings, flag photos for rejection You can use Lightroom to add extra
click a folder and choose Synchronize module appear in the image display and display them by a range of criteria information to a photo’s metadata, such
Folder to update it. area as thumbnails. such as Capture Time. as keywords and GPS coordinates.
40
THE LIBRARY MODULE
At a glance The Library workspace

Create a cleaner workspace and compare photos in the Survey view
2 3
1
4 5 6
1 HIDE OR SHOW 3 SURVEY VIEW 5 SELECT
If you click the little triangle icons by the Library module’s The Survey view enables you to compare a selection of Shift click in the Filmstrip to select a range of thumbnails
side or top panels, you can make them vanish and create photos as larger thumbnails. Shift click to select a range to compare in the Survey view. The first thumbnail
more space to work in. To summon a panel, simply slide of photos to survey. If you only want to compare two selected is the active photo. It will display a white border.
the mouse to the appropriate edge of the screen. photos, click the Compare view icon immediately to the To remove a photo from the Survey view, click the X icon.
left of the Survey icon.
2 FULL SCREEN 4 FILMSTRIP 6 SORT
Press Shift+F to cycle through different screen options. When using the Survey or Compare views, it’s handy to You can begin to sort your photos by clicking icons or
Here we’ve used this shortcut to hide the top menu bar. be able to access all the Library module’s thumbnails adding ratings. Here we’ve ticked the Keep flag icon for
Press F to make the currently selected thumbnail fill the too. To do so, click the triangle at the bottom of the this photo. We’ve also added four stars by clicking the
screen. We’ve also collapsed the Module picker to make workspace to summon the Filmstrip. This offers an icons below the image. There’s much more on sorting on
more space. alternative to the Grid view. the following pages.
41
SORT AND RATE
Sort and rate your images

Use the tools in the Library module to start organising
your photos to make them easier to manage
f you’ve imported thousands of photos into Lightroom’s according to the date they were captured, so you can scroll back
I Library module, you may be daunted by the challenge of

finding specific files when you need them. Fortunately,
Lightroom is packed full of tools and commands that are
through time and rely on your memoryof when particular images were
taken. As this chapter progresses, we’ll show you alternative and
much more efficient ways to organise and search for files.
designed to help you separate the wheat from the chaff. In chapter We’ll start by examining quick and easy ways to sort your photos
one we demonstrated how to add selected photos to Collections, so using ratings and flags, so you can begin the quality-control process by
you could group images together in a similar way to putting prints into highlighting your favourites, while marking others for rejection. We’ll
a photo album. We also demonstrated how to use the Smart also show you how to filter the photos in the Grid view to display images
Collections feature to collect and display files according to specific that match specific criteria contained in each photo’s metadata. We’ll
metadata criteria, such as whether they had a portrait or landscape then move on later in this chapter to explore more advanced ways of
aspect ratio, for example. Lightroom displays all your thumbnails organising photos, using tools such as keywords and geo-tagging.
1
Change the
2
Rate your
3
Check the
4
Delete the
sorting options photos quality rejected files
Press G to display the Grid To rate a photo, click its Double-click a thumbnail You can use the Tool-
view. Photos are listed by when thumbnail, then click below the (or press E) to take the photo into bar’s Sort menu to displaythe
they were captured, with the new- thumbnail to assign between zero Loupe view. You can then click the picked pictures at the top of
er thumbnails at the top. From the and five stars. Alternatively, you image to zoom into a 1:1 view that the Grid view. Photos that have
Toolbar at the bottom you can use can tap one of the number keys will show you the image at 100%. been flagged as Rejects will ap-
the Sort pop-up menu to change or click a star rating icon in the If you want to keep the photo, pear as greyed out thumbnails
the way photos are displayed, Toolbar. You can also right-click a tick the Set as Pick flag icon in the at the bottom of the Grid view.
such as making the highest-rated thumbnail and use the Set Rating Toolbar. Otherwise, click the Set Choose Photo>Delete Rejected
photos appear at the top. command. as Rejected flag. Photos to remove them.
8
Stack images
5
Remove or
6
Sort using
7
Colour-code to save screen
delete? filters your pictures space
When you choose to Go to View>Show Filter The Filter Bar also displays You may have a collection of
delete a photo, you have two Bar. Tick Attribute. Click the Pick photos according to colour labels. similar photos cluttering the work-
options. If you click Remove, icon to display photos that have Click the Custom Filter menu space. To save space, Shift-click
it will stay in its original folder been flagged. You can also choose and choose Filters Off. This will each similar thumbnail, then right-
on your PC, but it will vanish to display photos that have been display all the photos. To assign a click and choose Stacking>Group
from Lightroom’s Catalog. To rated greater than or equal to a coloured label to a photo, simply into Stack. You can then click
permanently delete it from its specific star rating. You can refine right-click its thumbnail, choose the right of a collapsed stack’s
original folder, click the Delete the filter results by clicking Meta- Set Color Label, and choose a thumbnail to expand it, or left to
from Disk option. data and choosing an attribute. colour from the list. collapse it.
42
KEYWORDS
Find images with keywords

Identify particular pictures by adding keywords to the metadata,
then search for specific images using keyword filters
e just looked at ways to begin sorting your collection of the particular pictures in an instant. Keywords are a series of words
W photos by adding ratings and flags, and using their existing

metadata to filter photos according to certain criteria, such
as aspect ratio or camera model. Later in this chapter we’ll
that describe the content of a photo. They are stored in the photo’s
metadata, so that when the file is shared or uploaded, the keywords
remain attached to it. This can be especially useful if you want to sell
learn how to locate photos according to where they were captured, your work as stock photography, because potential buyers can use
thanks to the GPS coordinates stored in the metadata. keywords to find your photo via search engines.
It’s handy to be able to search for files according to coloured In this walkthrough we’ll show you how to create keywords from
labels or shooting locations, but these tools will only go so far. To scratch, and then use the handy Keyword Set panel to assign common
find a photo according to its actual subject matter, we could try to keywords to photos with just a few clicks. It may seem unnecessary if
remember when it was taken and then scroll down through the Grid you don’t have many photos to begin with, but the more effort you put
view in an attempt to identify its thumbnail. Alternatively, we could add into adding keywords to your photos, the easier they will be to find in
keywords to our photos and then use Lightroom’s Filter bar to find the future. Let ‘Keywords are King’ be your image-organising mantra!
1
Assign keywords
2
Keyword Sets
3
Manually assign
on import In the Library module, double- keywords
You can assign keywords to a batch of click to select a landscape photo. Click a preset keyword such as
photos when you import them into Light- To see a photograph’s Info label, ‘Landscape’ to assign it to the selected photo.
room’s Catalog. Go to the Apply During Im- press Cmd/Ctrl+I. Toggle open the The assigned keyword appears in the Keyword
port panel and type into the Keywords field. Keywording panel. Click the Keyword tags panel. Click ‘Spring’. That word will also
Separate each keyword with a comma. Set drop-down menu and choose appear in the Keyword tags panel, separated
Lightroom will remember previous keywords an appropriate set such as Outdoor by a comma. You can then manually type
and suggest them as you type. Photography. more specific words such as ocean.
4
Use keyword
5
Find keyworded
6
Filter by
suggestions photos keywords
Press G to go to the Grid view Toggle open the Keyword List panel. If you click the white arrow on the
and double click a similar photo. You’ll Here you’ll see a list of all the keywords that right of a keyword (such as ‘Landscape’) it
see more keyword suggestions (based have been added to photos in Lightroom’s will summon the Library Filter. The keyword
on previously added keywords) in Catalog. You can also see how many photos ‘Landscape’ will be highlighted in the Library
the Keyword panel. Click appropriate contain a particular keyword. Place the cursor Filter’s Keyword panel and only photos
keyword suggestions to add them to the on a keyword to highlight the appropriate containing thatkeyword will be visible in the
selected photo’s metadata. thumbnails with a white border. Grid view.
43
THE LIBRARY MODULE
How to put a name to a face

Use the facial recognition tools in Lightroom’s Library
module to detect and organise your portraits and snaps
he facial recognition feature within Lightroom’s Library collection of images. As such, it’s a handy feature for organising family
T module enables you to organise your photos by person, and

keep track of family, friends and clients. It works by detecting
faces in a group of images, then allows you to tag them with
photos, snapshots, weddings and the like.
Once a face is tagged, it appears in a list of named people, so that
you can quickly find images featuring that person whenever you like.
the person’s name. The clever part is, as you add more names, the The tag is stored in the image’s metadata as with any other keyword.
feature gets smarter, seeking out similar faces and suggesting names You can choose to detect faces within a single folder or collection, or
for you. So it takes less time than you’d think to tag faces in a large alternatively, you can search your entire catalogue.
1
Detect the faces
2
Type a name
Go to the Library module and select a folder or collection Detected faces will show up as ‘unnamed people’. Simply type the
of images in the left-hand panels. Hit G for Grid view. In the person’s name in the space under the image and they’ll appear at
list of view options at the bottom is a People icon. Click this to detect the top as ‘named people’. As you add names, Lightroom will detect similar
faces. Lightroom will automatically group very similar shots of the same faces and suggest the name for you. If it guesses right, click the tick. If not,
person together (the numbers in the stack are listed next to the name). add a different name or drag the image to a different named person.
3
Remove bad selections
4
Filter the faces
If the feature ever goes wrong and detects something that isn’t a To search your library for a face, press G for Grid view, then type the
face, double-click the thumbnail to see the full image, click the face name in the Text section in the filter bar at the top of the screen. You
box, then click the X to remove the tag. You can also draw or move face can also filter keywords by people. Go to the Keyword Lists panel to the
boxes manually using the box tool below the image. Double-click again to right of the Library and click the People tab, then click the arrow next to a
go back to the list of faces. person’s name.
44
THE LIBRARY MODULE
Tag your images

with location data
Use and add GPS data embedded in your images to pinpoint
the shooting location of a photo in the Map module
fter travelling abroad it used to be traditional practice to print display the photo’s location in the Map module. Here you can see a map, see
A your holiday snaps and store them in an album to flick through.

Now, you can gather your holiday-sourced photos together in
a Lightroom Collection (see chapter one). Alternatively, you can
little flags that indicate a geo-tagged image, and click to see any photos that
were taken there.
To demonstrate how the Map panel works, we’ve provided you with
use the Map module to present your photos according to where they were some iPhone-sourced photos that contain geo-tagged location coordinates.
captured, which provides a fun and informative way to find particular files. Make sure that you import the supplied iPhone-sourced images into the
When you take a photo on your smart phone, the software records the Library module so you can follow our walkthrough. If your camera doesn’t
location of the photo using GPS (the satellite-based global positioning automatically geo-tag your photos then we’ll demonstrate how you can
system). These coordinates are stored in the image file’s metadata, so when manually add location data to a photo by dragging and dropping it onto the
you import it into Lightroom the software can read the map coordinates and appropriate part of a map.
1
Find your photos
2
Tag a location
Set the Custom filter drop-down menu in the Library Filter to Camera In the Map module, type a place name into the search bar. If the
Info. On the Camera tab, click on your desired camera to display place name returns no results then find it on the map and zoom in
photos taken. Photos with GPS data already built-in will display a GPS icon. with the + button. Drag your image’s thumbnail onto the map to assign a
Click on a photo to see its GPS information in the Metadata panel. location. GPS coordinates will appear in the photo’s metadata.
3
View by location
4
Filter the flags
Click the arrow to the right of the GPS coordinates and you’ll Use the options in the Location Filter to highlight particular photos
jump to that location in the Map module. The photo’s position (such as those tagged with GPS coordinates) in the film strip. As
will be indicated by a yellow flag. Place the cursor over a flag to see the you move over a thumbnail in the film strip, the associated flag will jump
tagged photo. Use the arrow keys to cycle through multiple photos. up and down on the map. Use Map Style to change the look of the map.
45
QUICK PHOTO FIXES
Quick photo fixes

Use the Quick Develop panel to overcome common problems
with colour and tone while you organise your photos
s you’ve already seen in this chapter, the Library module a healthier spread of tones. We’ll look at histograms in more detail in
A enables you to organise your digital assets so that you can

find specific files more easily. You can even automatically
edit your images as you import them to improve their
the next chapter.
You can also manually adjust a photo’s colours and tones using the
aptly named Quick Develop panel in the Library module. This enables
contrast. To do so, go to the Apply During Import section in the Import you to quickly correct colours and increase contrast without having to
window. Set the Develop Settings drop-down menu to Lightroom drag the photo into the more complex Develop module. You can also
General presets and choose Auto Tone. This preset will then analyse apply presets to your photos to tweak their colours and tones with just a
each photograph’s histogram and adjust it automatically to create few clicks. Read on to find out how…
1
Adjust the colour balance
2
Selectively boost the colours
Import TYLR26 into Lightroom’s Library module. Our starting image The colours look a little desaturated. Double-click the Vibrance
suffers from a warm colour cast, so the skin tones look too orange. button to boost the colours. Vibrance boosts weaker colours without
Toggle open the Quick Develop panel and set the White Balance drop- over-saturating stronger ones. It also tends to make less of a change to skin
down menu to Auto to create more natural-looking skin tones. tones, which stops them from looking too orange or over-saturated.
3
Reveal fine details
4
Use creative presets
As well as making manual adjustments you can also use colour or Use the Crop Ratio to quickly change the composition and make
tone presets. Go to Saved Preset and choose Lightroom General it fit a specific aspect ratio. Experiment with Lightroom B&W Filter
Presets. If you choose Punch, this increases the midtone contrast, which presets such as the Orange Filter. This produces a high-key mono print. You
helps to emphasise fine details such as our model’s cheekbones. can always click the Reset All button to restore the photo.
46
QUICK PHOTO FIXES
AFTER
BEFORE
47
THE DEVELOP MODULE
Introducing the
Develop module
You’ll find Lightroom’s key image-editing tools
and photo-fixing panels in the Develop module
t the end of the previous chapter on the Library module, we unprocessed raw files. The word ‘negative’ harks back to the traditional
A touched on ways to improve photos using the Quick Develop

panel. This aptly named panel enables you to quickly tweak
some of the most common image-related issues.
days of analogue film. Before you could see a film negative’s true
colours and tones, it needed to be developed in a darkroom, which is
why the Develop module’s name also evokes recollections of traditional
Once you’ve imported and organised your collection of digital darkroom techniques. Here you can process a picture’s colours, tones
negatives into Collections and added keywords, you’ll be ready to and composition to perfection.
deal with more complex image-processing challenges – and this is You can also make selective adjustments to your raw files, so that
where the sophisticated Develop module comes in. Adobe invented even high-contrast scenes can feature detail in the shadows, midtones
the .dng (digital negative) format to make it easier to store and access and highlights.
At a glance The Develop module

Get to know the key features of Lightroom’s digital darkroom
4 BASIC
1 2 The Basic panel enables you to tackle

the most common picture problems,
such as under-exposed shadows or
colour casts produced by a camera’s
6 incorrect white balance setting. We’ll
look at this important panel in more
3
detail on the opposite page.
5 SOLO MODE
4
When multiple panels are open, the
workspace can become cluttered.
Right-click a panel to summon this
pop-up menu. Hide unwanted panels
by un-ticking their labels. Solo Mode
5 enables you to click a panel to open
it. It will then close all the other panels
that are open.
6 PRESETS
These presets enable you to make

1 NAVIGATOR 2 HISTOGRAM 3 TOOLBAR many adjustments with a single click.
They change a multitude of settings in
This panel enables you to get a closer This panel displays the spread of These darkroom-style tools enable Develop module panels to produce a
look at your picture. Click on a size tones in a photo. Here we see some you to improve your photos with a few range of creative or photo-fixing edits.
at the top to zoom in by a specific strong shadows on the left, and an clicks. You can crop images, remove Check out chapter seven for more on
magnification. absence of strong bright highlights. sensor spots, or make tonal edits. this powerful panel.
48
THE DEVELOP MODULE
At a glance The Basic panel

Familiarise yourself with the Basic panel’s key features
4
5
1 WHITE BALANCE 2 EXPOSURE 3 HIGHLIGHTS
This section enables you to try out different white Our starting image is under-exposed and lacks detail. The global adjustment made by the Exposure slider
balance presets (Such as Flash or Daylight), or By dragging Exposure to +1.20 we can open up the has caused the brightest pixels to over-expose. We can
manually change the colour temperature. Here we’ve aperture to reveal more detail. This adjustment selectively claw back detail in the brightest highlights
dragged the Temperature slider down to 5570 to cool brightens the photo’s tones and causes the histogram by dragging this slider left to -38. This adjustment
down the starting image’s rather warm colour cast. graph to shift to the right. doesn’t alter the darker tones.
4 SHADOWS 5 CLARITY 6 VIBRANCE
This slider enables you to lighten under-exposed This clever slider increases midtone contrast, which is This slider enables you to selectively adjust
shadows and reveal more detail. It doesn’t affect the a great way to make fine details such as our subject’s saturation. It can boost the strength of weaker
brighter highlights and white pixels towards the right of hair stand out. It does a similar job to the sharpening colours without over-saturating stronger ones. Here
the histogram window. It also leaves the photo’s darkest tools in the Detail panel. We’ll look at Clarity in more we’ve reduced the strength of the vivid orange jumper
black pixels untouched at the far left of the graph. detail in the next chapter. without desaturating the skin tones too much.
49
THE HISTOGRAM
The histogram
Use Lightroom’s histogram window to diagnose
and fix tonal problems in your digital photos
he histogram window is one of the most useful tools in the We can also use Lightroom’s histogram window to help us create an
T Develop module. The histogram graph performs a similar

function to the medical chart clipped to a hospital patient’s
bed. Just as a doctor or nurse can use a chart to help diagnose
image that has a healthier spread of tones that displays more detail in its
shadows, midtones and highlights. In the walkthrough below we’ll show
you how to analyse a histogram so that you can understand how parts
the health of a patient, we can look at the shape of a photo’s histogram of the undulating graph equate to a photo’s tonal characteristics. Our
graph to see if the image is under- or over-exposed. starting image looks over-exposed to the naked eye.
1
Analyse the histogram
2
Darken the midtones
The graph is bunched up towards the middle and right of the A well-exposed photo should have a graph that spreads from the
histogram window. This indicates that the image consists blacks on the far left to the whites on the far right. Place the
mostly of midtones (in the middle) and highlights (on the right). cursor over the peaks in the middle. The Exposure slider will be
The fact that there’s no graph data on the far left demonstrates the highlighted. Drag right on the graph to increase Exposure to +0.50.
photo’s lack of shadows. This lightens the midtones.
3
Show the clipping warnings
4
Improve the contrast
Leave Shadows at 0, but a photo should have some black pixels, For a strong contrast we need some white highlights. Turn on
so drag Blacks left to -43v. Click the Show Shadow Clipping icon Show Highlight Clipping. Drag Whites to +50. A few red
to see the blackest shadows as patches of blue. These clipped areas patches will appear when you begin to blow up detail in the brightest
will print as pure black, but there’s no crucial detail being lost in these highlights, but again, there is not any important detail to lose in
small sections. these areas.
50
THE HISTOGRAM
BEFORE
AFTER
51
THE DEVELOP MODULE
Smart preview
Use Smart Previews

Edit images in the Catalog that aren’t currently
accessible by Lightroom using Smart Previews
s we revealed in chapter one, Lightroom can gather disconnect the external hard drive containing the original raw file, you can
A photographs from a variety of locations (such as external hard

drives) into its Catalog. It then creates and stores standard-
resolution previews of each imported photo on your PC’s hard
still apply all of the photo-fixing tools in the Develop module to the Smart
Preview version of the photo. When you reconnect your laptop with the
external hard drive, Lightroom will automatically look at all the edits you
drive, while storing the original high-resolution images on your external made to the Smart Preview, and then apply them to the high-resolution
hard drives. This enables you to save valuable disc space on your laptop original.
or PC. However, if you plan to use a laptop to edit your photos while away In the following walkthrough we’ll work with an over-exposed starting
from the office, then you won’t want to have to lug around a collection of image that’s been imported and stored on an external hard drive. After
hard drives in order to access and edit your images. downloading our TYLR09.dng starting image, copy it onto an external
By creating a Smart Preview of a photo, you can edit the image while on drive too, so you can discover how Smart Previews work their magic to
the move, without requiring access to the external hard drive. After you give you the freedom to edit any photo at any time and in any place.
1
Import a photo
2
Standard versus Smart
Go to File>Import Photos and Video. Browse to the external drive in By default Lightroom will create a standard preview of any imported
the Source section of the import window and select the TYLR09.dng photo so that you can see it in the Library module. The original high-
thumbnail. Click the Add button so that Lightroom’s Catalog will link to resolution raw file will remain on the external drive. However, if the external
the photo without moving it onto your PC. Leave the Build Smart Previews hard drive isn’t connected then you won’t be able to edit a standard
box un-ticked at this stage, because you can always choose this option for preview version of an image. Go to the histogram window and click the
specific photographs at a later date. Click Import. Original Photo box. A Smart Preview dialog will appear.
52
THE DEVELOP MODULE
3
Build the Smart Preview
4
Analyse the histogram
Click the Build Smart Preview button. After a short while a new dialog Take the photo into the Develop module. You can see from the
will appear indicating that ‘One Smart Preview was built’. Click OK spread of tones on the histogram graph that there are lots of strong
to dismiss the window. Look below the histogram window. A new label will midtones in the middle and a few highlights towards the right, but there’s
indicate that you now have the original file plus a Smart Preview version. As very little shadow information on the right. This indicates that the photo is
an experiment, eject the external hard drive by disconnecting it from your slightly under-exposed. We need to increase the strength and spread of
PC. Now only the Smart Preview label will be visible below the histogram. the histogram graph towards the right to create stronger highlights.
5
Improve the contrast
6
To improve the photo’s contrast and create a wider spread of tones, To tease out some of the texture in the rocky midtones, drag Clarity right
drag the Exposure slider left to +0.54 to gently lighten the photo to +31. This slightly increases the spread of the foam’s clipped highlights,
overall. Drag the Blacks slider left to -24. This makes the histogram stretch but detail in these areas is negligible. By boosting Vibrance to +40 you can
to the far left, so we now have some dark black pixels present in the picture. selectively increase the saturation of natural-looking colours such as the blue sky
For some contrasting white highlights, drag Whites right to +33. This adds a and green seaweed. Warmer colours tend not to be altered as much because
hint of clipping to some of the cloudsm, but no crucial detail is lost. this is designed to stop any skin tones from becoming too orange.
7
Reconnect the drive
Once you’ve finished editing
your Smart Preview, reconnect
your external hard drive. Any ‘photo
missing’ warning icons by other
thumbnails will disappear. If you
look below our TYLR09.dng photo’s
histogram window you’ll see that the
‘Original+Smart Preview’ label has
reappeared. All the colour and tonal
changes that we made to the Smart
Preview will be applied to the original
raw version of the photo on the
external drive.
53
BASIC COLOUR ADJUSTMENTS
AFTER
BEFORE
Make basic
colour adjustments
Use Lightroom’s colour-correcting tools to boost
weak colours without over-saturating strong ones
f you plan to share your edited photographs online then you automatic white balance setting fails to get whites looking white in
I don’t need to worry as much about over-saturating the

colours. Computer screens can reproduce millions of
colours, but if you’re planning to print your photos then you
particular lighting scenarios. We’ll look at colour correction in more
detail in the following chapter, but it will be helpful to get to grips with
Lightroom’s colour-correcting tools as soon as possible because you’ll
need to be more careful about avoiding over-saturated colours at the need to use them often.
editing stage, because printers can’t reproduce as many colours as you Every edit that you perform in Lightroom’s Develop module is
can see on a monitor. If you print over-saturated colours, they may look stored in the History panel. This enables you to perform multiple
garish and lack detail in the print version. We’ll look into ways to get undoes if you need to retrace your steps, or you can jump straight to
more faithful-looking prints but it’s worth being aware of the concept of a particular stage in the editing process by clicking the appropriate
printable and unprintable colours at an early stage. history state. You can also record versions of your edited image
Lightroom is also designed to help you counteract colour casts. as easily accessible Snapshots, which gives you the freedom to
These warm orange or cold blue tints can occur when your camera’s experiment with different looks.
54
BASIC COLOUR ADJUSTMENTS
1
Adjust the saturation
2
Adjust the Vibrance
Open your image in Lightroom’s Develop module. Our photo looks Restore Saturation to 0. Reduce Vibrance to -100. The weaker
a little desaturated, apart from the brown rock under the water. colours become grey, while the stronger orange/yellow coloured
So we went to the Presence section of the Basic panel. If you rock retains some colour. This demonstrates how the Vibrance slider
decrease the value of the Saturation slider to -100 then all the colours selectively adjusts colour saturation. It also has a stronger influence
become greyscale. over typical landscape colours.
3
4
Create a Snapshot
If you increase Saturation, the rock becomes too saturated and Before making further colour adjustments, let’s record this version
unprintable. To selectively boost the greens and blues without as a Snapshot. Go to the Snapshots panel on the left of the De-
over-saturating the more intensly hued oranges, drag the Vibrance slider velop module’s workspace. Click on the + icon to create a new Snapshot.
right to a value of +52. This gives the blue ocean and the green moss It names the Snapshot using date and time. Re-label it ‘Vibrance adjust-
more impact. ment’. Click Create.
5
Adjust the white balance
6
Compare the versions
The ‘Vibrance Adjustment’ Snapshot will appear in the Snap- You can now click the Snapshot labels to toggle between the
shots panel. To reduce the warm cast, drag the Temperature two versions of the photo. The Vibrance Adjustment Snapshot
slider to 6286. This makes the green vegetation look more natural. has a greener hue than the White Balance version. You can create as
Counteract the green tint by dragging Tint to +10. Create a new Snap- many Snapshots as you like to help you decide which edited version
shot called ‘White Balance’. you prefer.
55
CROP AND STRAIGHTEN
BEFORE AFTER
Crop & straighten

your photographs
Use Lightroom’s Crop Overlay tool to straighten tilted
horizons and improve the composition of your photos
hile looking at a scene through your camera’s viewfinder, you imported a photo into Lightroom. Thanks to the Crop Overlay tool you
W can zoom and pan the lens to compose the photo. You may
know what makes a good composition, or you might employ a
more intuitive point-and-shoot approach. Often, it’s only when
can remove distracting objects with ease, straighten wonky horizons
and even turn a landscape-oriented photo into a portrait-oriented one.
Due to the high resolution produced by DSLR cameras you can use
looking at photos on the camera’s LCD display (or even in Lightroom’s the Crop Overlay to make certain features look more prominent in the
Library) that you can spot a photo that stands out as being well- frame and still produce large prints from a cropped photo. Cropping raw
composed. files in Lightroom is also non-destructive, so you can always restore the
When taking the picture you may not notice a distracting object at cropped photo’s original composition.
the edge of the frame. For example, when directing a model in the By activating the Crop tool’s range of overlays you can recompose your
studio you’ll be more attentive to her pose than concentrating on any photographs so that their contents adhere to some of the classic rules
bits of backdrop or lighting kit that might be straying into the photo. of composition that have been used by master artists for centuries. We’ll
And you may not notice problems such as tilted horizons until you’ve take a look at those handy overlays in more detail in our walkthrough.
1
Use a preset crop
2
Choose an overlay
Import your starting image into Lightroom’s Library. In Quick Develop For more control over the crop, take the photo into the Develop
you can access and apply preset crops by clicking the Crop Ratio module. Click the Crop Overlay icon on the left of the tool panel.
drop-down menu. Some of these presets (such as 5x7) subtly change the You can summon different overlays to help you crop subjects. Go to
photo’s shape (aspect ratio). Others (such as 1x1), make a more dramatic Tools>Crop Guide Overlay and explore the options. Thirds summons
change (by making a square image). A square crop doesn’t suit this a rule-of-thirds grid that helps you to place objects in a balanced
particular image, so revert back to the As shot option. composition. Grid is especially handy when looking for tilted horizons.
56
CROP AND STRAIGHTEN
3
Create a landscape crop
4
Create a portrait crop
To keep the cropped photo’s shape the same as the original, tick Our photo’s subject doesn’t suit a landscape-shaped crop,
the padlock icon to make sure that it’s in a locked position. Drag the however, so click the Crop Overlay icon to reveal the Crop Frame
top-left corner handle of the Crop Frame tool down to the right to remove tool’s overlay. Drag the top-left handle up to the right, and the overlay will
the lamp on the left-hand side of the frame. Drag inside the overlay to change its landscape shape to a portrait-oriented one. Drag the corner
reposition it so that we can see more of the model’s head. This creates a handles to create a tighter crop. She now looks towards the space on the
tight landscape-shaped crop. right of the frame. The unbalanced distractions on the left are hidden.
5
Keep the shapes consistent
6
Create a crop Snapshot
Because we kept the padlock icon ticked, the cropped photo On the previous spread we recorded different colour treatments of
still has the same aspect ratio as other portrait-oriented photos the same image as handy Snapshots so that we could experiment
produced by the same camera, even though it started out with a with different looks, using the Snapshots to compare them. You can store
landscape orientation. This means that the photo will look consistent different cropped versions as Snapshots too. Go to the Snapshots panel and
when displayed with un-cropped portrait photos captured during the click the + icon. Label the new Snapshot ‘Portrait version’ and click Create. A
same shoot, so you can create a consistent series of prints. ‘Portrait version’ Snapshot label will appear in the Snapshots panel.
7
Create different compositions
8
Straighten an image
Click the Crop Overlay icon. Click the As shot drop-down menu next Import TYLR24.dng and take it into the Develop module. Click
to the padlock and choose a preset size such as 1x1. This gives you the Crop Overlay icon. Choose Tools>Crop Guide Overlay>Grid.
the square overlay we saw in step one, but this time you can drag inside You can easily see that the horizon is tilting down to the right. Click the
the overlay to position the face in the square shape. Click Done. Create Straighten tool icon. Draw a line that follows the tilted horizon. The tool will
a new Snapshot called ‘Square shape’. You can then toggle between the automatically rotate the overlay to counteract the tilt. You can fine-tune it
cropped versions to see which composition you prefer. by dragging the Angle slider, if necessary. Click Done to make the crop.
57
PHOTO-FIXING TOOLS BEFORE
AFTER
Remove lens distortion

Set up and apply lens profiles in Lightroom to
automatically counteract lens-induced distortion
hat you see with the naked eye isn’t always what you get in a spot on your camera’s sensor. Also, when you zoom out with your lens to
W photo of the same location. When shooting with a wide-angle

lens, the edges of the frame can become distorted, with
horizontal and vertical lines appearing curved instead of
capture a wider view of a landscape, the frame can become darker at the
edges and corners. You’ll also notice darker edge colours and tones when
using a wider aperture. This vignetting effect occurs because different
straight. This barrel (outward) or pin-cushion (inward) distortion is amounts of light are entering the edge of the lens compared to the
especially noticeable when looking at architectural photos that feature centre, causing the corners of the image to become incorrectly exposed.
lots of straight lines. Fortunately, Lightroom’s Lens Corrections panel has all the tools you
Cheaper lenses can also add colour-related artefacts to a subject. need to counteract vignetting, barrel and pin-cushion distortion and
When faced with a high-contrast edge (such as a white swan against a chromatic aberration.
dark blue lake), you may find fringes of purple clinging to the edges of Thanks to its collection of Lens Profiles, Lightroom can counteract
your subject. This ugly and distracting chromatic aberration is caused by these problems automatically, so that your photos will look more like the
the lens’s inability to focus different wavelengths of light onto the same scene did when you saw it with the naked eye.
58
PHOTO-FIXING TOOLS
1
Add a grid
2
Read the metadata
Upload your start image into Lightroom’s Library. To see if lines Toggle open the Metadata panel. Here we can see that a
are distorted it can be handy to summon a grid. Simply go to 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens was used to capture the photo. The focal
View>Loupe Overlay and click Grid. Hold down Cmd/Ctrl and click and length was 61mm. The camera was a Canon EOS 7D. Lightroom can
drag on the Size and Opacity options to customise your grid to suit use this information to work out where the distortions will occur
the photo. (and therefore counteract them).
3
Set up a lens profile
4
Compare versions
Click the Develop module at the top. Toggle open Lens The Lens Profile command reads the photo’s metadata
Corrections. You could go to Manual and drag the sliders to and then automatically selects the appropriate lens from
counteract distorted lines. For quicker, more precise corrections click Lightroom’s list of lens profiles. Toggle the Enable Profile Corrections
Profile. Tick Enable Profile Corrections. In Lens Profile, click Make and box on and off to see how the profile counteracts the original photo’s
choose Canon. distorted lines.
5
Remove the vignette
6
Remove the fringes
You can fine-tune the results achieved by dragging the If you go to the Color tab you can turn on Remove Chromatic
Distortion slider, although the profile should do a good job. Aberration. This option counteracts any colour fringing around
Toggle the correction on and off and you’ll also notice that the high-contrast objects with a click. You can fine-tune the results by
original corners are slightly dark. The profile lightens them to match using the eyedropper to sample unwanted fringe colours, then adjust
the rest of the scene. the Amount slider.
59
BEFORE
REVEAL THE MIDTONES
Reveal more
midtone detail AFTER
Reveal more texture and detail

by selectively increasing midtone
contrast using the Clarity slider
he starting image on this page has some bright areas in the
T background but the majority of the photo consists of dull

shadows and murky midtones. The flat-lit printing press has
lots of interesting textures and details, but in the
unprocessed picture these areas of interest are lost in a muddy wash
of dull brown midtones. To reveal more detail in this scene we could
have captured more tonal information in a series of bracketed
exposures. However, Lightroom lacks Photoshop CC’s ability to merge
multiple photos as a single HDR (high dynamic range) composite that
features detail in the shadows, midtones and highlights. We could also
have zapped the scene with a burst of flash, but we chose to use the
available mix of artificial tungsten and natural daylight instead because
introducing a third light source would make the image unworkable.
Fortunately, our starting image is a raw file, so it already contains
more tonal information than we can see when looking at the
unprocessed version of the photo. In the walkthrough overleaf we’ll
show you how to lighten the midtones and increase their contrast to
make finer features and textures stand out more effectively. We’ll also
show you how to reveal the scene’s true colours by cooling down a
warm colour cast and removing a slight magenta tint caused by an
incorrect white balance setting.
1
Examine the histogram
2
Correct the colours
Import Before_Midtone.jpg into Lightroom and take the unprocessed Drag the Temperature slider left to a value of 4976 to remove
photo into the Develop module. From the spread of the histogram graph the photo’s warm colour cast. To remove the hint of magenta,
we can see that the photo has information throughout the entire tonal range. drag the Tint slider down from +3 to -14 . This restores the metal boat
However, from the height of the graph we can see that the strongest tones are mooring’s greenish metallic hue and makes it look less brown. The
the shadows, followed by weaker midtones. We’ll need to move some of that cooler colours now contrast with the warmer colours of the rusty chain.
shadow information into the midtone section to reveal missing detail. We now have more colour variety, and texture.
60
REVEAL THE MIDTONES
3
Increase the exposure
4
Remove the clipped areas
It’s always a good plan to fix colour-related problems first, because This global exposure change has blown out the highlights. Click the
this can change the tones in the image. This is why the white balance Highlight Clipping Warning icon at the top right of the histogram
controls are at the top of the Basic panel. To reveal more detail, kick off by window. Over-exposed highlights will appear in patches of red. Move the
dragging the Exposure slider right to +0.83.The histogram graph will slide cursor onto the far right of the histogram graph. The Whites sliders will
to the right, because some of the shadows become midtones. We can now become highlighted below. Click and drag the graph to reduce the Whites
see a healthier-looking histogram and more detail in the printing press. to -20. Drag Highlights to -60 to remove the remaining red patches.
5
Improve the global contrast
6
Compare before and after
To reveal even more midtone detail in the photo, drag the Shadows Turn on the Shadow Clipping Warning (at the top left of the
slider right to +39. This selectively lightens more of the shadows, histogram window). A few blue patches will appear, indicating
and places them more towards the middle of the histogram window. You areas of pure black. It’s good to have some black pixels in a photo, and
can now see even more detail in the printing press, but the photo lacks because these areas don’t contain any important detail we can leave them
contrast and there aren’t any strong blacks on the left of the histogram. To clipped. Click the Before and After icon at the bottom left to see how your
improve the photo’s overall contrast, drag Blacks left to -71. processed picture is shaping up. You can now see much more detail.
7
Increase the midtone contrast
8
Fine-tune the clipped patches
You now have a healthier-looking histogram with more information Go back to the Loupe view (by clicking its icon or pressing D). The
in the midtones and some contrasting shadows and highlights. edited photo will fill the workspace. The Clarity’s slider’s increase
To tease out more midtone detail, drag the Clarity slider to +69. This to midtone contrast may have caused a little clipping in the background’s
increase in midtone contrast causes fine textures in the metal and rope brighter areas, so drag the Whites slider left to -26 to remove some of these
to jump out. Zoom in to 1:1 magnification to compare the before version clipped patches. A few red patches can remain in the brightest windows,
of the image with the after and see the revealed midtone detail. because these areas contain no important details.
61
REMOVE SENSOR SPOTS
AFTER
BEFORE
Remove sensor spots

Use Lightroom’s Spot Removal tool to remove sensor
spots and other dust marks with just a few clicks
espite our best efforts to keep our lenses and cameras clean, This locks up the mirror and enables you to use a blower brush to dislodge
D we may find that some photos suffer from sensor spots. When
you swap lenses over on location, tiny fragments of dirt and
dust can enter the camera body and adhere to the sensor.
particles of dust without damaging your camera’s mechanisms. It’s worth
trying to nip sensor spots in the bud, because this will save you lots of time
‘dust busting’ in Lightroom’s digital darkroom.
These sensor spots can then show up in a photograph as small, soft, dark Even after cleaning your camera’s sensor you may find that some
blobs. These blobs are particularly annoying because they appear in the sensor spots are still visible. In this instance you’ll need to take the photo
same parts of every photo from a shoot. They are particularly noticeable into Lightroom’s Develop module and remove the blobs with a few clicks
in clean smooth areas such as skies (as you can see in the starting image). of the Spot Removal tool. This powerful tool samples clean sections of
Your DSLR camera may attempt to remove sensor spots by vibrating the photo that are adjacent to a sensor spot. The sampled section is then
the sensor, but this automatic mechanical technique may not prove transplanted over the unwanted spot to hide it. The sampled pixels are
effective. For a more thorough clean you can activate the camera’s sensor seamlessly blended with their new surroundings to create an invisible edit,
cleaning feature. as you’ll see.
1
Import the image
2
Zoom and pan
Download our Before_removal.jpg start image, go to File>Import Once you’ve zoomed in using the Navigator’s presets, the Hand tool
Photos and Video, and bring the photo into Lightroom’s Catalog. automatically becomes active. Click and drag the mouse to look at
We’ve already cropped the photo and converted it into black and white, sections of the magnified photo. Dark sensor spots are clearly noticeable
but it suffers from lots of undesirable sensor spots. Click Develop in the because they contrast with the light greys of the sky and the white
Library module to take it into that module. Go to the Navigator panel on foreground boats. Sensor spots are less noticeable when they overlap
the left and click 1:1. This gives us a closer look at the individual pixels. darker busier textured areas such as the harbour wall in this image.
62
REMOVE SENSOR SPOTS
3
Visualise the spots
4
Adjust the threshold
Go to the Develop module’s toolbar (just below the histogram To discover the location of more subtle sensor spots, drag the
window) and click the Spot Removal tool icon. You can also summon Visualize Spots slider to the right. This increases the contrast of
this tool by pressing Q. Once you’ve activated the tool, go to the options the spot visualisation threshold so that the faded grey spots become
bar below the photograph and tick the Visualize Spots box. This creates a whiter and easier to locate. You’ll also notice that the cursor changes to
greyscale preview of the photo. Prominent sensor spots show up as white show the Spot Removal tool’s target-shaped circular overlay. This overlay
blobs. More subtle spots appear as patches of grey. automatically appears when you move the cursor over the photo.
5
Set up the brush
6
Remove the spots
Some of the sensor spots will be larger than the Spot Removal The Spot Removal tool will automatically sample an adjacent patch
tool’s circular overlay, so go to the section below the toolbar of clean sky and transplant it over the unwanted spot. An arrow
and increase the Size slider to 59. Set Feather to 47 for a soft edge. indicates that we’ve taken a patch of clear sky from one circular overlay
To seamlessly blend the clean patches of sampled sky with their new and placed it into another. The white Visualize Spot warning in the overlay
surroundings, click the Heal option rather than Clone. Healing produces will turn black to indicate that the targeted sensor spot is no longer visible.
an invisible edit. Place the overlay on a white spot and click. Clear Visualize Spots to see how effective the Spot Removal tool has been.
7
Fine-tune the overlays
8
Create irregular overlays
Turn Visualize Spots back on. Click to heal other white and grey There’s a stray hair on the left-hand side of the frame. Set Size to 29
spots. To see all the Overlays you create, set the Tool Overlay and drag to paint the Spot Removal tool over the hair. This creates
drop-down menu to Always. You can drag inside an overlay to fine-tune an irregular shaped overlay that’s perfect for hiding the hair without
its position. Drag the edge of an overlay to shrink or enlarge it. You altering too much of the surrounding sky. Continue clicking to place
can also tap the left square bracket to shrink the Spot Removal tool’s circular overlays over the remaining sensor spots. When hiding spots on
overlay so that it can deal with smaller spots. the boats you may need to manually reposition the source overlay.
63
DODGE AND BURN
Dodge and burn

Use the Adjustment brush to lighten and darken
specific areas of a monochrome image
hen it comes to exposure, most photos will benefit with a specific tones. The Highlights and Shadows sliders are able to target
W few slider tweaks in Lightroom’s Develop module to reveal

more tonal detail. The Basic panel’s Exposure slider makes
global adjustments that evenly lighten or darken the tones
and adjust brighter and darker tones independently of each other,
revealing detail where it is needed.
The Highlights and Shadows sliders do a good job of enabling you to
in the photo. This slider works well if the entire image is slightly make selective tonal adjustments, but with some photos you’ll need
under- or over-exposed. However, if you use the Exposure slider to more tone tweaking precision. In this spread’s starting image the
lighten under-exposed shadows, then you may blow out (or clip) camera has metered for the brighter sky, so we’re losing detail in the
correctly exposed highlights. If you try to claw back missing highlight foreground. We’ll demonstrate how to use the Adjustment brush to
detail with the Exposure slider, then you’ll plunge the shadows into make precise tonal adjustments to irregular shapes, so that you can
clipped darkness. achieve a more balanced exposure in a high-contrast scene. Thanks to
To help you make selective tonal adjustments you can use other the Adjustment brush you can dodge (lighten) or burn (darken)
sliders (such as Highlights and Shadows) to target and adjust any area.
64
DODGE AND BURN
BEFORE
65
DODGE AND BURN
1
Brighten the image
2
Increase the contrast
Bring the before_dodge.jpg starting image into Lightroom’s Develop Increase the Contrast slider to +62 for stronger shadows and
module. In the Basic panel, click the Black & White tab. This throws out highlights. The histogram’s shadows and highlights look nice and
all the colour information. At this stage the photo’s murky shadows lack strong, but there’s a gap in the middle, indicating a lack of midtone detail.
contrast and detail. Before we unleash the Adjustment brush, we can start To restore detail to the brightest highlights, drag Highlights down to -100.
to improve things with the sliders in the Basic panel. Drag Exposure up to Push Whites to +14 for a wider range of tones. A good monochrome
+.71. The histogram shows more highlight information on the right. conversion should have some black blacks and white whites.
3
Increase the midtone contrast
4
Set the Adjustment brush
To tease out missing midtone detail, drag the Clarity slider right to a Click the Adjustment brush icon in the toolbar under the histogram
value of +34. This increases midtone contrast and begins to reveal window (or press K to activate it). A new panel of sliders will appear
some of the texture in the stones. After using the sliders to improve the immediately below. Click the Effect menu at the top of this panel and
contrast and reveal more detail, we can move on to make more targeted and choose Dodge (Lighten). This adjustment preset automatically sets the
stronger tonal adjustments with the Adjustment brush. This will help you to Exposure slider to 0.25 (and the other sliders to 0. Manually increase
selectively dodge the pier and burn the sky to reveal more detail. Shadows to +81. Set the brush Size to 18 and Feather to 100 v.
66
DODGE AND BURN
5
Fine-tune the adjustments
6
Create a mask
Click to place an Edit pin on the largest standing stone. Paint Tap the left square bracket key a few times to drop the brush tip Size
the Adjustment brush over the stone to selectively lighten down to 6 (or drag the Size slider left). You can then paint with the
it using Exposure. You can fine-tune the effect of the Adjustment Adjustment brush over the foreground shadows using the same settings
n under-exposed areas by increasing Shadows to 59. Tease out and lighten them up. To see which areas a particular Edit Pin is controlling,
more detail by pushing Clarity up to 39. This helps the stony, mossy move the mouse onto the pin. A red mask will appear over the edited areas.
texture to stand out. We’ll look at ways to use masks more effectively overleaf.
7
Set a new pin
8
Add impact to the clouds
The dodged seats now have much more impact. To restore detail to Tap the right square bracket key a few times to increase Size to
the clouds we need to make a separate selective adjustment. In the 25, then paint over the clouds to darken their fine midtones. Avoid
mask section, click New. In the Effect section, click the drop-down menu painting over the correctly exposed stones. To give the clouds even more
and choose Burn (Darken). Drag the Exposure slider left to -1.43. To build impact, push Contrast to 45, Shadows to -60 and Clarity to 3 8. This
up the adjustment in more controllable incremental strokes, go to the increase in midtone contrast teases out the fine textures and details, and
Brush section and set Flow to 46. Click to place a pin on the sky. adds mood to the composition. Drop Exposure to -0.89 for more impact.
67
SELECTIVE IMAGE ADJUSTMENTS
AFTER
BEFORE
Editing with
Auto Mask
Identify select areas to alter using the Adjustment brush’s Auto Mask
n the previous spread we demonstrated how to use the boost the contrast more. Drag left on a pin to reduce the slider settings.
O Adjustment brush to dodge a dull foreground, while burning

more detail into the brighter sky. By altering the size, softness
and flow of the Adjustment brush, you can target and tweak
In step six on the previous spread we introduced masks. By moving
the mouse over a particular pin, you can see a red mask overlay that
indicates which areas are being adjusted by that pin.
the tones of specific objects with precision. When you click a photo with The Adjustment brush strokes we used to lighten the stones were soft
the Adjustment brush you place an Edit pin. This pin records the position and imprecise, so the brush tip could stray over the background and
and strength of all the tonal adjustments you make. Thanks to Edit pins lighten the sky or ground.
you can make multiple adjustments to a photo and then click a pin to In the following walkthrough we’ll show you how to use Auto Masking to
fine-tune its effect at any time in the future. dodge and burn more precisely, to lighten the circular light orbs without
If you click a pin and drag it to the right, you can increase the value blowing out the background details, and deepen the cavernous shadows
setting of each associated slider to, say, brighten the image more or without darkening the surrounding moss.
1
Improve the tonal range
2
Adjust the brush attributes
This low-contrast starting image lacks punch in the shadows and the To brighten the light from the lamps, first press K to select the
highlights. In the histogram window you can see that the black could Adjustment brush. Then, boost the Highlights up to around +60.
be darker, and midtones are a little on the bright side. Drag the Blacks Next, scroll down and change your brush settings. Increase Feather and
slider left for more dramatic and darker shadows. Boost the Whites a Flow to +50 or greater. The lamps naturally have a slight glow so having a
touch to brighten the light orbs. soft, flowing brush will help you to mimic the natural glow of the light.
68
3
Activate the mask overlay
4
Erase the problematic areas
If you hover the cursor over the Edit pin, you’ll see a red mask Go to the Brush section on the right and click Erase. This gives you
overlay indicating the already edited areas. You can turn the mask a new cursor with a minus icon inside it. Set Size to 12 and change
overlay on permanently by ticking the Show Selected Mask Overlay box Feather and Flow to 100 for a more accurate brush edge. Auto Mask Box
at the bottom-left of the photograph. Some of the Adjustment brush’s enables the Erase brush to understand changes in contrast. There are
strokes may have strayed over the lighter background. sections that need removing completely though, so untick this.
5
Use Auto Mask
6
Turn off the mask
In the Brush section click back on A to access your original Keep Auto Mask active as you paint around any remaining
Adjustment brush settings. Tick the Auto Mask box. Now click Highlights to brighten them while leaving the background
‘New’ at the top of the Brush panel, to make a new brush pin for us to buildings untouched. Turn off Auto Mask when painting whole areas
make different adjustments. Set Highlights to +62. Paint over objects of shadow that have no light, to produce an even-looking tonal
near the lights to brighten their edges, so added light blends in. adjustment. Turn off the mask overlay to see the lightened tones.
7
Remove the distractions
8
Add the finishing touches
Now that you’ve brightened light patches and made the lamps It’s time to add a final polish to the overall image. Deselect your
glow a brilliant white, check that the rest of the image has no Spot Removal brush by pressing Q again, and this time scroll up to
distractions. The sky is crossed by several wires which distract from the the Vibrance and Saturation section under the Basic tab in the Develop
street scene, so select the Spot Removal brush with Q and paint over module. Increase Vibrance to +38 to boost the more muted colours until
them. The brush automatically chooses a suitable place to clone from. they’re nearly as strong as the brighter colours. Then add +2 Saturation.
69
THE GRADUATED FILTER TOOL
BEFORE
The Graduated
Filter tool
Learn how to use one of the most useful tools for selective
adjustments, and how to make essential edits to your landscapes
he Graduated Filter is one of the most useful tools that classic example of a graduated filter in action is to darken a sky in a
T Lightroom has on offer. It works by creating a gradated tonal

blend between any two points in an image. The area behind
your first point is completely affected, and beyond your
landscape. One problem that landscape photographers often encounter
is that skies are brighter than the land, so if you expose for the land, then
the sky comes out too bright, or sometimes even completely white with
second point remains unaffected, with a blend in between. What makes it no detail. Much like traditional lens-based graduated neutral density
such a powerful tool is the fact that, just like the Radial Filter and filters, you can use the Lightroom tool to darken a sky for a more even
Adjustment Brush tools, you have complete control both over the area it exposure. However, the control goes way beyond basic exposure
affects, and the type of tonal changes that you’d like to make in that area. changes: you can add contrast, boost colour and brush out areas you
You can click and drag a line in any direction to create your blend, but the want to exclude from the effect. Here’s how it works…
70
THE GRADUATED FILTER TOOL
1
Dial in some under-exposure
2
Drag a gradient
Bring before_grad.jpg into Lightroom’s Develop module, then Click and drag down from the top of the image to darken the
grab the Graduated Filter tool from the toolbar at the top right of sky. You can hold down Shift as you drag if you want to keep
the interface. Notice that when you click the tool, a set of sliders the lines perfectly horizontal. If you want to tweak the gradient, drag
appears directly below it. These closely resemble the Basic panel the upper or lower lines to change the width of the blend (hold down
sliders, but the difference is that they work in combination with the Alt and drag to move both at once) or drag the centre line to adjust
tool. Set Exposure to -1.17. the angle.
3
Add more gradients
4
Erase the mask
You can add as many gradients as you like. Simply click and drag The gradient over the sky here is also darkening the mountains ,
elsewhere in the image to make another, then adjust the sliders but you can exclude it from the effect. Click Brush at the top right
below the toolbar to change how the area looks. The tool will remember (next to New and Mask), then go to the Brush settings below the tool’s
previous settings, but you can quickly reset everything to default values tonal sliders. Choose A or B to add to the effect, and Erase to exclude,
by double-clicking Effect, or by double-clicking on individual sliders to then paint over the area. Press O to toggle the mask overlay so you can
reset them. see what’s affected.
71
THE RADIAL FILTER
The Radial Filter

Learn how to draw the eye towards your subject
by making circular adjustments to your images
ust like the two other selective tools – the Graduated Filter vignettes that draw the eye towards your subject and away from
J and Adjustment Brush – the Radial Filter tool enables you to

alter the tones in parts of an image. The difference is in the
way you define the area you’d like to change. While the
distracting edge details, or for softening parts of an image you want to
de-emphasise.
Here we’ve used the tool for two very different tasks. For the first
Adjustment Brush works by painting and the Graduated Filter works by landscape image, you can drag a circle to darken down the corners of the
creating a straight-lined blend, the Radial Filter enables you to create a frame and lead the eye towards the distant lighthouse. And for the second
circular blend between the area affected by the tonal changes, and the area image, you can add two circular adjustments – one to claw back blown-
that remains unaffected. As such it’s very useful for creating subtle out detail in the arm, and the other to add contrast to the face.
1
Drag a circle
2
Add a vignette
Bring the starting image into the Develop module and grab the If the circle isn’t perfectly positioned, drag the pin to move it. When
Radial Filter tool from the toolbar at the top-right. This opens up making a circle there are a few shortcuts that can help. Hold down
a set of sliders below that can be used to dial in tonal changes for the Shift for a perfect circle, and hold down Alt to make the start point the
tool. Set Exposure to -0.67, then drag a circle over the castle to subtly corner of the circle. If you want to snap the circle to the edges of the image
darken the corners of the image. for a vignette, hold down Cmd/Ctrl and double-click with the tool.
3
Erase parts of the mask
4
Change inside the circle
Move on to the portrait image. Drag a fresh circle over the face, then You can also make circular adjustments that affect the inside rather
dial in Exposure -0.29. This improves the background, but makes than the outside of the circle. Hold down Cmd/Ctrl+Alt, and drag
the hand too dark. Click Brush at the top-right, then go to the Brush set- the pin on the face to make a copy of the original circle. Check Invert
tings below the tonal sliders and click Erase. Press O to toggle the mask Mask below the tonal sliders, then double-click Effect to reset them all
overlay on, and paint to erase the mask over the hand. and dial in Contrast +49 to add punch to the face.
72
AFTER
BEFORE
73
THE HSL PANEL
Master the
HSL panel
Enhance a photo by targeting specific colours and
changing their hue, saturation and luminance values
ertain colours are weaker in some photos than skin tones. If you venture beyond the Basic panel you’ll find
C in others. If you boost the overall colour intensity

of the image using the Basic panel’s Saturation
slider, then weaker colours will have more impact,
some alternative colour-tweaking tools that can help you
enhance a problematic photo. In our unprocessed starting
image the sunset is slightly blown out, and we’re losing the
but the stronger ones may become over-saturated. This can vibrant colours that we saw on location. The hills and
lead to colours that won’t print correctly because they’ll be shoreline are under-exposed, so we can’t see the textures
clipped and lacking in detail. In addition, a model’s skin tones and colours in these dark areas. The HSL (Hue, Saturation,
may become too orange and garish. The Vibrance slider is Lightness) panel offers a powerful and effective way to target
designed to solve this problem by enabling you to increase specific colours (such as the oranges and reds of the sunset)
the saturation of weaker colours without over-saturating the and change not only their colour intensity but also their
stronger ones. It also tends to boost natural landscape lightness (luminance). This enables you to lighten and boost
colours such as blues and greens more strongly than specific regions based on their colours, as you’ll see in the
oranges, which helps you to avoid creating over-saturated walkthrough overleaf…
74
THE HSL PANEL
BEFORE
75
THE HSL PANEL
1
Use Solo Mode
2
Lighten the shadows
Import hsl_before.jpg into Lightroom and then take it into the Open the Basic panel. Here we can make some global
Develop module. Here we’ll use the Basic and HSL panels to adjustments to the photograph and then refine them using
darken the photo’s blown-out highlights, lighten its under-exposed the HSL panel. Drag the Shadows slider right to a value of +45 .
shadows and boost weak colours. You’ll be jumping from one panel to This targets and lightens the under-exposed landscape’s shadows
another, so right-click any panel and choose Solo Mode. This means without over-exposing the brighter sky’s highlights. To selectively
that when you click to open one panel, the previous one will close. This darken the sky we can use the Graduated Filter that we introduced
creates a tidier, cleaner workspace. in the previous chapter.
3
Darken the sky
4
Expand the tonal range
Click the Graduated Filter icon in the toolbar below the By looking at the histogram we can see that the graph doesn’t
histogram window. Choose Exposure from the Effect menu. quite stretch to the far right. This indicates that the photo lacks
Set the Exposure slider to -1.39. The other sliders should be set to strong highlight information. Click the cursor on the far right of the
0. Click at the top of the frame and drag down to the horizon. This histogram window and the Whites slider will automatically become
creates a gentle gradated tonal adjustment that darkens the top of highlighted. Click and drag right to increase the Whites slider setting
the frame and reveals more colour and texture detail in the blown-out to +19. You now have a wider ranger of tones with some dark shadows
clouds. Click Done. and bright highlights.
76
THE HSL PANEL
5
6
Make targeted adjustments
To refine colours and tones in selected parts of the photograph, Click and drag upwards with the targeted Adjustment tool. This
click the HSL panel, and then click on the Saturation tab. By tool will sample the colours in that specific area and increase
dragging the Orange slider to +29 you can boost the colours of the their saturation. Although the hill looks green to the naked eye, there
sunset without altering the colours in the rest of the photo. If you’re are lots of yellows in the sampled area. This causes the Green and
not sure which colours are present in a darker area, click the Targeted Yellow slider to move to the right. Stop dragging upwards when Yellow
Adjustment tool icon at the top left of the Saturation tab, then click a is at +15 and Green is around a value of +58. You can manually tweak
green hill to target it. individual sliders too.
7
Lighten specific colours
8
Fine-tune the highlights
The green hills are more saturated, but they’re still lost in the By boosting the Saturation and Luminance of the Yellows and
shadows. To selectively lighten them, click the Luminance Greens we can see more of the scene’s colour, texture and
tab. Click the Targeted Adjustment tool on a hill to sample it and detail. However, the lighter yellows have blown out the sky a little,
drag upwards to lighten the sampled colours. Let the Yellows shoot so click the Graduated Filter icon, click its grey Edit pin to reactivate
up to a brighter +80. The sampled Greens will increase by a lesser the adjustable sliders associated with that adjustment, and drag the
increment. Manually drag the Green slider up to +84 to lighten Exposure slider left to a darker -1.52 to reveal a little more detail in the
them a bit more. sky’s brightest highlights.
77
SPECIAL EFFECTS
AFTER
78
SPECIAL EFFECTS
BEFORE
Better black
and white images
Selectively lighten or darken greyscale tones in a mono
conversion based on the original colours of the image
hen shooting with black-and-white film, pre-digital approach can be very hit and miss, so we’ll show you how to take more
W photographers could also place a coloured filter over the

camera’s lens to produce more striking monochrome pictures.
Different coloured filters would lighten or darken the greyscale
control of greyscale tones in your monochrome conversions in Lightroom.
There are several ways to create a monochrome image in Lightroom. If
you simply throw away a photo’s colour information by setting Saturation
tones of specific objects in the scene. to 0, you’ll get an instant mono conversion, but you risk producing a drab
For example, if you placed a red filter over the lens it would make blue wash of greyscale tones that swallow up your subject’s features, especially
skies become dark greys in the monochrome print, enabling lighter clouds if they consist mostly of midtones. An eye-catching monochrome photo
to pop out in contrast. should have a wide range of tones, from black shadows through greyscale
Many digital cameras enable you to use a Monochrome picture style midtones to white highlights. A stronger tonal contrast helps to bring out a
setting to produce a black-and-white photo in camera. You can even set model’s shape and contours, as you can see in our after image.
the camera to apply colour filters that help lighten or darken greyscale In the walkthrough overleaf we’ll demonstrate how to use the B&W panel
tones in particular areas, such as blue skies or green fields. This in-camera to selectively lighten or darken greyscale tones.
79
SPECIAL EFFECTS
1
Convert to mono
2
Lighten the colours
Import before_mono.jpg into Lightroom, and take the photo Scroll down and click the B&W panel. When you convert a
into the Develop module. Go to the Basic panel and click on the photo to monochrome, Lightroom automatically adjusts the
Black & White tab. This desaturates the photo, but the result is a position of the Black & White mix sliders to try to get an effective
mass of murky midtones and shadows. If you look at the histogram black-and-white photo. You can fine-tune the results by manually
window, you can see that the mono conversion lacks highlight tweaking the position of specific sliders. In this image, dragging
detail. It also looks under-exposed to the naked eye. We need to Orange up to +33 lightens some of the subject’s skin tones and
improve the photo’s contrast. makes them stand out against the shadows.
3
Examine the histogram
4
Increase the exposure
After lightening greyscale tones that correspond to orange Click the middle of the histogram window and drag right to
colours in the starting image, the tones in the histogram push the Exposure up to +0.76. Now that you’ve remapped the
window’s graph have slid right towards the highlight section. We photo’s weaker midtones to a brighter tonal level, this gives the graph
still need to boost the contrast, because it should have some black a wider spread of tones. Increase the strength of the tones by pushing
shadows and bright white highlights. Move the cursor over the the Contrast slider up to +28. The higher contrast photo now has
middle of the graph you’ll see the Exposure slider influences this. more impact, and you have a healthier-looking histogram.
80
SPECIAL EFFECTS
5
Lighten the shadows
6
Boost the contrast
To check that you can see darker detail, click the Shadow To help reveal the shape and form of our fine-art nude
Clipping Warning icon at the top left of the histogram we can push the contrast even further, courtesy of the
window. Areas that will print as pure black will appear as patches Tone Curve tab. This powerful tool enables you to selectively
of blue. In this case, none of the model’s details are clipped, but lighten or darken tones in a variety of ways, as you’ll see from
some the shadows lack detail. Push the Shadows slider up to +24. our in-depth look at the Tone Curve in the following chapter. In
Reveal more detail in the model’s darkest contours by dragging this instance, simply click the Point Curve drop-down menu and
the Blacks slider to +37. choose Strong Contrast.
7
Fine-tune the greys
8
Add the finishing touches
This contrast boost reintroduces some clipping in the Some of the model’s curves are represented by subtle greyscale
background highlights, but there are no important details in tones. To help emphasise these areas, go back to the Basic
these regions to worry about. Turn the Shadow Clipping Warning off. panel and go to the Presence section. Drag the Clarity slider right to
You can now go back to the B&W tab and fine-tune the conversion. a value of +10. This increase in Clarity boosts the contrast of the fine
Push Reds up to +11 to lighten the greys that correspond to this midtones to help emphasise the subject’s curves and contours. It also
range of colour in the original photo. gives the finished photograph a bit more punch.
81
CREATE HDR IMAGES
Create HDR images

Discover how to combine several exposures into a single,
highly detailed image using Lightroom’s HDR Merge feature
ightroom’s HDR feature enables you to merge several HDR command. But Lightroom’s approach is slightly different. It
L different exposures into one, providing a high dynamic

range with detail in the brightest highlights and darkest
shadows (which makes the feature particularly useful for
creates a detail-rich raw file without resulting in the over-processed
look that puts many photographers off HDR. As such, it’s more HDR as
a utility than as a style, and all the better for it. While limited, the
high-contrast landscapes and interiors). Best of all, it then creates a options in the Merge HDR command are very effective. There’s an Auto
merged DNG raw file packed with tonal information. Understandably, Align feature, so as long as camera movement isn’t too severe, you can
the feature isn’t as in-depth as dedicated HDR software like get away with merging hand-held sequences. There’s also a Deghost
Photomatix or Nik’s HDR Efex Pro, or even Photoshop’s own Merge to control to fix movement within the frame.
1
Start HDR Merge
2
Improve the tones
You’ll need a set of images taken in alignment, with each frame The Auto Align box to the top-right will help if the alignment between
set at a different exposure. Once the images are imported into each frame is slightly off. The Auto Tone box will bring out detail in
Lightroom, Shift-click between the first and last frame to select them. shadows and highlights. Bear in mind that this is non-destructive, so once
There are three ways to begin the HDR command: go to Photo>Photo you merge the images, you can change the Auto Tone settings with the
Merge>HDR, or right-click the images and choose Photomerge. Develop module’s Basic panel.
3
Fix ghosting movement
4
Merge and enhance
The Deghost amount will help to correct movement within the frame Click Merge and Lightroom will create a new raw DNG file with the suffix
– perhaps from moving grass or clouds, or in this case people – by HDR and add it to your Library. Take the new image into the Develop
taking the problematic area from a single frame rather than by merging module for further enhancements. There’s far more tonal information than
several. Along with four deghosting strengths, there’s also a helpful ‘Show in a normal photo (for example, Exposure goes from -10 to +10 stops). Use
deghost overlay’ option that enables you to see exactly which areas are being the tonal tools and make selective adjustments with the Adjustment Brush to
corrected. We used Medium here. improve the image.
82
CREATE HDR IMAGES
AFTER
BEFORE BEFORE
BEFORE BEFORE
83
THE TONE CURVE PANEL
Introducing the
Tone Curve panel
Take more precise control over the tones in your photographs
using the power of Lightroom’s Tone Curve Panel
hen shooting a high-contrast scene it can be a challenge to always packed full ofinformation about a scene’s tonal range, you can
W capture detail throughout that scene’s full tonal range. If the

camera’s metering mode attempts to capture detail in
a bright area (such as a background window) then a shaded
overcome common exposure problems with ease, and restore detail to
clipped areas. As we have seen already, Lightroom’s Develop module
has a collection of sliders that enable you to target and tweak specific
room may be plunged into shadow. If the camera meters to capture tones such as under-exposed shadows, without altering correctly
detail in shaded areas, then the shot’s sunlit sections may blow out. exposed highlights. We also used the basic panel’s Clarity slider to tease
When you review a photo on your camera’s LCD you may not see any out more midtone detail in the shot. The Basic panel is useful and easy
detail in the brighter highlights, but if you’re shooting in raw then Light- to use, but Lightroom provides an alternative and more powerful way to
room’s Develop module will come to the rescue. Because raw files are target and tweak tones with greater precision…
84
THE TONE CURVE PANEL
Lightroom Anatomy The Tone Curve tab

Get to know the features of this powerful tone-tweaking tool
1 CYCLE VIEWS
It’s always a good idea to compare an edited photo

with the original, especially when tinkering with the
powerful Tone Curve. Click here to cycle between
different before-and-after layouts. You can see that
the after version is brighter and better exposed.
2
5
2 CURVE
4
Initially, the curve is a straight diagonal line, so it
doesn’t make any changes to the photo’s tones until
you start to bend it. The bottom left of the curve alters
the darkest shadows, the middle of the curve changes
the midtones, and the top-right adjusts the highlights.
3
6
3 REGIONS
The Tone Curve is broken up into four tonal regions –

Highlights, Lights, Darks and Shadows. The Highlights 1
slider controls the brightest pixels, whereas the Lights
slider adjusts a wider range of highlights/midtones.
4 RANGE PREVIEW 5 CLICK AND DRAG 6 POINT CURVE
When you click on one of the four sliders, this light Instead of clicking and dragging a slider, you can click If you click here, the sliders will vanish. You can then
grey blob highlights which parts of the curve that on part of the tone curve itself. The appropriate slider manually click anywhere on the curve to place a
particular slider is controlling. Here we can see that will be highlighted. If you drag the cursor upwards in control point. You then drag the point up to lighten
the Darks slider influences a wide range of shadows the tone curve window, then the corresponding slider the tones, or down to darken them. You can place
and midtones. will move to the right. multiple control points to control the tones.
CHANGE THE
Understanding… 4 SPREAD OF REGIONS
TONE CURVE Just below the Tone Curve you’ll

notice three triangular-shaped
PRESETS 3
handles. Between these handles
are four bands of greyscale
tones that indicate which tonal
Instead of manually darken the shadows. regions are segregated by
dragging the Tone The top-right part particular handles. By default
Curve panel’s sliders of the curve [4] will the regions are separated evenly.
to lighten or darken gently lift up to lighten 0-25 covers Shadows, 25-50
specific tones, you the highlights. This covers Darks, 50-75 covers Lights
can make quicker S-shaped curve is and 75-100 covers Highlights.
adjustments using often used to improve However, if you wanted the
the Point Curve’s drop- image contrast. Shadows slider to influence a
down preset menu [1]. narrower band of shadows, drag
1 the triangle handle left to 10. The
You can then manually
By setting the menu tweak the Region Shadows slider will then tweak
shadows, but will leave more of the
to Strong Contrast sliders to fine-tune
2 midtones untouched. Click Reset
[2], the bottom-left the results produced
to restore the region segregation
section of the curve by these handy Tone
handles to their default positions
will dip down [3] to Curve presets. if you come unstuck.
85
ADVANCED EDITING
Make Tone
Curve adjustments
Use the powerful new parametric and targeted adjustment
tools in the Tone Curve to slide your way to a better photo
he Develop module’s Basic panel is designed to help
T you reveal a photo’s missing tonal details

by independently targeting and adjusting the
Highlights, Shadows, Whites and Blacks. This enables
you to lighten or darken problematic areas without changing
correctly exposed ones. The Tone Curve panel that was featured
on the previous spread provides you with an additional and
effective way to target and tweak specific tones. You can
combine the controls in the Basic and Tone Curve panels to
overcome any tone-related problem.
Lightroom has two new powerful techniques to manipulate
the Tone Curve; parametric adjustment sliders and the targeted
adjustment tool. The parametric adjustment sliders are useful
for choosing precise values for accurate tonal changes, as they
split an image into four distinct sections: Highlights, Lights, Darks
1
and Shadows (in descending order of brightness). The targeted Make basic adjustments
adjustment tool is for those tricky parts of your image where the Load Architect.jpg into the Develop module. In the Basic panel, drop
tone is hard to judge. It enables you to drop a pinpoint on the image the Temperature slider for a cooler colour palette. The photo is
to alter specific tones in an image precisely, without having to guess lacking in colour, so set Vibrance to +31. This will boost the colours that
whether it’s a ‘Dark’ or a ‘Shadow’. Let’s see how these tools affect are less saturated and bring an overall colour boost to the image without
our image. clipping them.
2
Parametric adjustments
3
Targeted adjustment tool
Our highlights are too bright and shadows too dark, so to reduce Using the targeted adjustment tool, click and drag up on the
the contrast in the image with lots of control, reduce Highlights Shadows in the folds of the coat to lighten these areas, then
by -100 and boost Shadows by +100. The darks in the image are a little click and drag down on the highlights on the to darken the
bright now, so to add depth to the recesses of the model’s clothes, Lights and Highlights. We are left with a far more natural and
reduce Darks by -20. textured image.
86
ADVANCED EDITING
BEFORE
AFTER
87
Teach yourself Image Editing BEFORE
SHARPEN YOUR IMAGES
Sharpen up
your images
Give soft-looking photo subjects
AFTER
more impact while keeping
sharpening artefacts at bay
etting your photos looking pin-sharp can be a challenge for a
G variety of reasons. Many digital cameras have a built-in filter

that blurs the photo a little in an attempt to avoid producing
moiré patterns. This low-pass (or anti-aliasing) filter can also
soften important details such as our flower’s fine stigmas.
By placing the camera close to a small subject (such as a flower) you
risk getting a shallow depth of field. This means that only a narrow band
of detail will be in focus. Features in front of and behind this sharply
focused zone will look blurred. An image that appears to look sharp on
the camera’s small LCD may turn out to look disappointingly soft when
examined on your PC’s larger screen.
Fortunately, Lightroom’s rather aptly named Detail panel is packed full
of tools that are designed to tease out the fine details in a soft-looking
photo. These post-production sharpening tools work their magic by
increasing the contrast around the edges of details in the image, giving
them more impact. However, when you digitally sharpen a photo using
Lightroom’s sliders you risk exaggerating picture noise in smooth areas
such as the clear blue background in our starting image. You can also
introduce artefacts such as blown-out highlights, clipped shadows and
distracting haloes to the sharpened areas.
In the following walkthrough we’ll examine ways to sharpen your
photos while keeping artefacts at bay. We’ll demonstrate how the
sophisticated Detail panel enables you to restrict the sharpening to
important areas, while protecting other sections from being sharpened –
and therefore minimising artefacts.
1
Zoom in
2
Check the detail
Open our TYLR36.dng starting image in Lightroom’s Develop module. Toggle open the Detail panel. This features a detail zoom window
To accurately assess how in-focus a photo is, you’ll need to look that displays sections of the photo at 100% so that you can see
at it at 100%. Go to the Navigator panel and click on the 1:1 option at the how sharp they really are. Click on the little crosshair icon at the top-left
top. You can then drag Navigator’s white preview box around to examine of the Detail panel and move the cursor over the image in the main
sections of the photo and check the focus. At this magnification the window. Click to render a 100% size view in the Detail zoom window. Use
flower’s subtle textures and fine details look slightly soft. this tool to check the sharpness of a photo that’s zoomed out.
88
SHARPEN YOUR IMAGES
3
Experiment with the Amount
4
Recognise artefacts
Lightroom will apply a sharpening amount of 25 to all photos to Drag the Amount slider to 150 to increase the contrast around the
counteract the blurring effect of the camera’s low-pass filter. If you edges of small details in the photo. This maximum setting makes
reduce Amount to 0 you’ll see that the unedited photo looks softer, so it the photo look sharper, but it exaggerates picture noise. The Radius slider
certainly needs some post-production sharpening. All the other sliders will increases the spread of the contrast change produced by the Amount
be greyed out. Before we sharpen the photo properly, we’ll over-sharpen it slider. To see how it works, drag it up to 3. Now you can see ugly artefacts
to demonstrate the type of ugly artefacts to avoid. such as white and dark haloes clinging to the edges of the petals.
5
Compare before and after
6
Balance detail versus noise
Drop the Amount slider to a more subtle value of 109 to reduce The Amount and Radius sliders have given the details in the image
the strength of the visible ugly haloes. Drop Radius to 2.0 to more impact, but they’ve also exaggerated picture noise. This
decrease the spread of the edge contrast change and reduce the haloes noise is noticeable in the smooth areas such as the background. The
even more. To see how your sharpened version compares with the Detail tab is designed to get a balance between sharpening detail while
original, toggle the Detail panel on and off. Alternatively, click the Before keeping noise at bay. Hold down Alt and drag Detail to 100%. A greyscale
and After icon at the bottom-left of the workspace. preview shows you sharp detail plus noticeable noise.
7
Reduce the noise
8
Mask out the smooth areas
Hold down Alt and drag Detail down to 23. This lower setting Hold down Alt and click the Masking slider. At a value of 0, the
reduces the presence of the noise in the sharpened areas, but it still screen will turn white. This indicates that no masking is occurring.
adds impact and definition to important details such as the petal edges. The other three sharpening sliders are free to alter the entire image. As
Lightroom’s Detail tab also has a Masking slider. This works in tandem you hold down Alt and click and drag the slider right, the black (masked)
with the Details slider to restrict the sharpening contrast change to areas appear. These masks protect parts of the photograph from being
important areas while keeping noise at bay. sharpened. Only the white areas are sharpened.
89
REDUCE NOISE
Reduce noise
Smooth out chroma and luminance noise
while preserving important image detail
n the previous spread we demonstrated how the Detail panel in detail-free sections of a JPEG image, such as a sky.Luminance noise
O enables you to sharpen a photo while keeping noise at bay.

Noise is added to a photo when using a high ISO sensitivity
setting on your camera, or when shooting at night with a slow
can be compared to character-adding film grain, so it isn’t as distracting
or undesirable as chroma noise.
We’ll show you how to use the Detail panel’s Noise Reduction tools to
shutter speed. There are two types of noise – luminance (greyscale) get a balance between smoothing out luminance noise while preserving
and chroma (or colour). Luminance noise appears throughout the important image detail.
image’s tonal range as tiny dots. Chroma noise manifests itself as tiny It’s much easier to remove chroma noise without losing detail, as
patches of distracting rainbow colours,which are especially noticeable you’ll see in our walkthrough.
1
Improve the exposure
2
Reduce the colour noise
Open before_noise.jpg in the Library module. Toggle open the In the Detail panel’s Noise Reduction section, drag Color to 0 to see
Metadata tab. We used a noise-inducing ISO Speed Rating of 12800. the speckles of chroma noise. Slide it back to 25 to remove them.
Zoom in to see the noise more clearly. In the Develop module, drag the The Detail tab provides a balance between reducing colour bleed and
Exposure to +0.71, set Blacks to -45 and Vibrance to +19. colour speckling. Drag it right to reduce bleed or left to reduce speckling.
3
Reduce the luminance noise
4
Preserve the detail
The Smoothness slider is designed to remove low frequency colour The Detail tab enables you to get a balance between smoothing
mottling, but in this case the default setting of 50 produces good out luminance noise while protecting detail. Drag it right to sharpen
results. To soften the remaining luminance noise, drag the Luminance blurred details, or left to blur noise. A setting of 63 produces
slider to 32. This reduces the luminance noise, but it also blurs image. an effective compromise. You could also try increasing Contrast.
90
REDUCE NOISE
AFTER
BEFORE
91
CAMERA CALIBRATION
Camera Calibration
Make quick adjustments to colour and tone by choosing
from a range of camera-processing profiles
any digital cameras provide the opportunity to process a you shoot in JPEG format, then the results of these in-camera presets will
M photograph immediately as they capture it, using a range of

built-in presets such as Portrait, Landscape, Neutral and so on.
These presets change the look of the captured photos’ colours
be harder to alter in Lightroom. However, if you shoot in your camera’s
raw format then you can experiment with different looks quickly and
effectively in Lightroom, courtesy of the profiles and sliders in the Camera
and tones. For example, a camera’s Landscape preset might boost the Calibration panel. This panel provides you with a springboard towards
saturation of blues and greens. The Neutral preset will avoid boosting the adjusting colour and tone. You can then fine-tune the results of a particular
colour and contrast so that you can get the look you want in Lightroom. If preset profile using the sliders in the Basic panel.
1
Process options
2
Choose a profile
Open before_calibration.jpg in Lightroom’s Develop module. Open the We’ll leave Process set to 2012 (Current) so that we’re using
Camera Calibration panel. Lightroom 5 uses the 2012 raw processing Lightroom’s latest raw-processing tools. Camera Landscape makes
engine, so jump back to the 2010 process if you prefer to replace the Basic the skin look too orange. Camera Portrait increases contrast without
panel’s Highlights and Shadows slider with the Recovery and Fill Light. boosting colour, so we’ll settle with that profile as a starting point.
3
Fine-tune the profile
4
Back to Basic
To counteract the slight magenta tint, drag the Shadows slider to Finish off in the Basic panel. The shadows are a little dark so boost
the left (-16). To make the skin look less orange, go to Red Primary them to +100 for an airy feel. The image may look a little washed
and drag Saturation down to the left (-15). If you’re unhappy with the look, out, so increase the contrast to +12. Now increase the Vibrance to +33 for
hold down Alt and click a label such as Reset Shadows. a subtle colour boost. The Camera Calibration panel is an effective tool.
92
CAMERA CALIBRATION
AFTER
BEFORE
93
POWERFUL PRESETS
Powerful
presets BEFORE
Make instant creative edits to

colours and tones in photos
ne way to discover more about how Lightroom’s sliders
O and panels function is to experiment with presets. In the

previous chapter we demonstrated how you could use
presets to change a video clip’s colours and tones using
the Library module’s Quick Develop panel. However, video clips only
have access to a limited range of preset effects. When editing raw
files you can take them into the more sophisticated Develop module
and apply a wider range of effects to your photos, as you’ll see on this
spread. You can use presets as a starting point for a range of looks
and then fine-tune them to customise the results.
1
Preview the presets
2
Apply a preset
Open before_presets.jpg in the Develop module. Toggle open the To apply a preset to the photo, simply click a preset such as Blue
Presets panel below the Navigator. Toggle open a folder such as Filter. This instantly converts the photo to monochrome and
Lightroom B&W Filter Presets. As you move the cursor over each preset adjusts the sliders in the B&W panel to dramatically darken the reds of the
you’ll see a preview of the look that it will produce in the window. dress. To darken the brick, drag Orange down to -16.
3
Save a custom preset
4
Open your presets
Once you’ve customised a preset effect, you can save it and apply Any custom presets you create will appear in the User Preset
it to other photos. Click the + icon on the right of the Presets panel. section of the Presets window. To remove any custom preset,
In the New Develop Preset window, label the preset. You can remove right-click it and choose Delete from the pop-up menu. You can also make
specific attributes from the preset if desired. Click Create. adjustments from scratch and save them as custom User Presets.
94
POWERFUL PRESETS
Take it further...
Produce a wide range of looks by experimenting
with the options in Lightroom’s Presets panel
Custom Blue Filter preset High contrast Red preset

This preset filter applies values that lighten the reds and oranges
Here’s the result produced by the customised Blue Filter preset in our
of the stone for greater contrast popular in landscapes and mid-day
four-step walkthrough. We darkened the reds to darken the brick so
lighting. This exagerrates the ‘ho’t feel of the Roman sunlight and cre-
that it stands out in contrast with the bright sky. We also darkened
ates a strong monochrome image.
the blue of the sky slightly, for for more detail
Cross Process 2 preset Old Polar preset

This Lightroom preset mimics a traditional darkroom processing
This preset can be found in the Lightroom Color Presets folder.
technique by tweaking the Tone Curve and adjusting the HSL panel’s
It creates a cool desaturated look with a filmic quality, which lends
Saturation and Luminance sliders. We’ll explore cross-processing in
a cinematic style. Presets are great for giving your digital photos an
more detail in the following chapter.
instant retro look.
95
GET CREATIVE
Create a
panorama
Use Lightroom’s Merge Panorama
command to combine several frames
ightroom’s Merge Panorama command stitches
L several horizontal or vertical frames together to

create a panoramic raw file – perfect for those times
when your lens can’t fit everything in,
or if you want to pack in extra detail.
When shooting the frames for a panorama, use a tripod
to keep the camera position fixed and make sure that the
panning motion remains perfectly level by checking the horizon
as you pan (a spirit level comes in handy here). BEFORE BEFORE
Shoot with your camera in vertical orientation to record
the maximum amount of detail, and allow for a generous
overlap between each segment.
Lightroom’s Merge Panorama command offers three
Projection modes that stitch the frames in different ways.
Spherical maps the frames as if on the inside of a sphere.
It’s ideal for very wide panoramas, or ones that have several
rows to them. Perspective maps the segments as if they were
on a flat surface, keeping lines straight. As such, it’s good
for architectural or city scenes. But it can lead to extreme
distortion and warping at the edges, so check them before
applying. Cylindrical maps the frames as if they are on the
inside of a cylinder. It’s ideal for wide panoramas because
distortion is minimal, and vertical lines stay straight.
1
Start Merge Panorama
2
Choose a projection
First, Cmd/Ctrl+click to select all the frames to stitch There are three projection modes to choose from:
into your panorama, then go to the Develop module, Spherical, Cylindrical and Perspective. Each maps
scroll down to the Lens Correction panel, click Profile and out the frames in a different way. Spherical places them
Enable Profile Corrections. Next, to begin the merge, select as if on the inside of a sphere, Cylindrical as if on the inside
Photo>Photo Merge>Panorama, or right-click the images of a cylinder, and Perspective as if placed flat. Experiment
and choose Photomerge, or simply press Cmd/Ctrl+M. with each. We’ve used Cylindrical here.
96
GET CREATIVE
AFTER
BEFORE BEFORE BEFORE BEFORE BEFORE
3
Auto Crop messy edges
4
Enhance the panorama
Tick the Auto Crop check box to automatically remove When you’re happy with the settings, click Merge.
any messy edges to give you a tidy rectangular The panorama will show up alongside the originals
image. It’s non-destructive and can be changed later with with the suffix Pano. It’s a DNG raw file, so you can process
Lightroom’s Crop tool. Try unchecking the box just to see it like any other raw file. Take it into the Develop module to
what’s being cropped off. With Perspective Projection mode make any changes you like. Here we’ve boosted the colours
here, you can see the extreme distortion at the edges. and added a gradient to darken the sky.
97
PHOTOSHOP
Master the basics of
Photoshop and understand
essential edits
100 INTRODUCING THE PHOTOSHOP
WORKSPACE
102 INTRODUCING THE TOOLS PANEL
104 THE CROP TOOL
108 IMAGE AND CANVAS SIZE EXPLAINED
110 THE POWER OF ADJUSTMENT LAYERS
112 BASIC FIXES WITH A LEVELS LAYER
114 MASTER CURVES IN PHOTOSHOP
116 SELECTIVE HUE/SATURATION TWEAKS
118 CONVERT COLOUR PHOTOS TO MONO
120 ADJUSTMENT LAYER MASKS

IN ACTION
122 THE SELECTION TOOLS
126 THE ERASER TOOLS
130 PHOTOSHOP’S BASIC

SELECTION TOOLS
132 HOW TO USE THE LASSO TOOLS
98
134 INTELLIGENT SELECTION TOOLS
136 MASTER THE PEN TOOL
138 LENS CORRECTION
142 REFINE EDGE
146 LAYER MASKS
148 MAKE BETTER LAYER MASKS
150 MAKE A SURREAL PORTRAIT
154 IMPROVE IMAGES WITH

CONTROLLED BLUR
156 PLUG-IN FILTERS
158 SHARPEN UP YOUR IMAGES
160 REMOVE NOISE FROM YOUR PHOTOS
162 QUICK MASK EDITS
164 CONTENT-AWARE
166 DODGE AND BURN

99
THE PHOTOSHOP WORKSPACE
Introducing the
Photoshop workspace
Get to know all of Photoshop’s key interface components, and
discover how they enable you edit and enhance your photographs
ince its debut in 1990, Photoshop has grown and developed is a cut-down version of Photoshop that’s designed to help amateur
S to maintain its role as the world’s most popular image-

editing application. Indeed, the name Photoshop has
become synonymous with the act of digitally processing a
photographers organise, edit and share their images. Elements lacks
many of the more powerful and creative features found in Photoshop
(such as the ability to make HDR composites or use realistic paint
photograph (though Adobe doesn’t approve of this usage!). Although brushes), but it has most of the tone- and colour-tweaking tools a
this book focuses on Photoshop CC and CS, we’ll start by placing this photographer might need, as well as many of the creative filters
most expensive and powerful version in context with the other versions in Photoshop.
of the Photoshop application so you can understand its strengths. Photoshop Lightroom is Adobe’s pro image organising and
Adobe has now created a whole slew of free mobile image editing cataloguing tool and it has the same raw editing tools as Photoshop’s
apps for smartphones and tablets, including Photoshop Express, Camera Raw, but it lacks the ability to edit in layers. Photoshop is still
Photoshop Fix and Photoshop Mix. These are designed for quick image the go-to application in the Adobe photography family for advanced,
manipulation while you’re on the move. The next one up is in-depth image manipulation, allowing you to go beyond simple
Photoshop Elements for regular desktop and laptop computers. This adjustments to colour, tone and cropping and into a world of creativity.
100
THE PHOTOSHOP WORKSPACE
Photoshop Anatomy The workspace

Get to know the key sections in Photoshop’s workspace
1 LAYERS PANEL
By editing in layers you can seamlessly combine

different elements together, such as the studio-based 6
model and the exterior street scene in this image. You 5
can also make non-destructive changes to the colours
and tones of an image using adjustment layers, as we’ll 3
demonstrate later.
2 LAYER MASKS
4
Layer masks are one of the most powerful tools in 1
Photoshop when it comes to making composites. The
black section of the mask makes the corresponding
pixels on the attached layer transparent. White pixels
create solid areas. You can fine-tune the affect of a
2
mask using a black or white brush.
3 TOOLS PANEL
Here you’ll find a host of tools designed to enable you

to edit or enhance your images. Selection tools such
as the Magic Wand enable you to isolate a subject from
the original background. Retouching tools such as the
Clone Stamp tool enable you to hide unwanted objects.
4 FLY-OUT PANEL 5 OPTIONS BAR 6 MENU BAR
The Photoshop interface takes up very little space, Once you choose a tool to work with, such as the Brush These drop-down menus enable you to use commands
despite the complexity and depth of its tools. Many tool in this example, you’ll be able to change the tool’s and access more tools and filters. You can also save
options and controls are displayed on these fly-out attributes in the Options bar. Here you can change the your edited files in a variety of formats (such as .jpg for
panels so that they can be left open for as long as opacity of the brush tip, its flow, the size, and the way web galleries), share them via Behance (Adobe’s online
they’re needed and then collapsed back into a small it blends with the colours and tones on other layers portfolio showcase) or choose to Browse in Bridge.
icon at the side of the screen. This is the Properties using Blend modes. Different tools display different You can even take JPEGs into the Camera Raw editor
panel for the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. editable options. by using Filter>Camera Raw Filter.
JPEG AND RAW

Understanding… 1 4
WORKSPACES
THE PHOTOSHOP 3 As you’ll see in this chapter’s

following pages, Bridge enables
WORKSPACE 2 you to manage both your
compressed JPEG format files and
your uncompressed raw format
files. To get the most from a raw
You can access analyse the spread
file’s colours and tones, it needs
particular panels and of tones in an image
to be processed in the Camera
commands from the to see if it’s over- or
Raw editor. This workspace is
main menu bar, but for under-exposed. By effectively a digital darkroom
a speedier workflow choosing Painting [3] that enables you to develop your
the Photoshop you can display the images. It has a range of selective
workspace [1] can be Brush Preset picker colour and tonal adjustment tools,
customised to suit and Color Swatch. Feel so you can process your pictures
your particular needs. free to experiment to perfection. You can then take
If you’re into photo with the different the processed raw file into the
fixing then choose workspaces, because standard Photoshop workspace
Window>Workspace> they are a great way to to apply creative effects such as
Photography [2]. discover new features, filters, text or paint-like brush
This opens relevant and you can always go strokes, for example, using layer
panels such as the back to basics with the masks to restrict your changes to
Histogram, so you can Essentials [4] option. selected areas.
101
THE TOOLS PANEL
Introducing
the Tools panel
Discover how to access Photoshop’s comprehensive
collection of image-editing utilities in the Tools panel
traditional darkroom photographer had a suite of tools to more easily in Photoshop’s digital darkroom, thanks to features such
A call upon when processing images, such as bits of card that

enabled selective lightening (dodging) or darkening
(burning) of parts of a picture. Other tools included an
as the Clone Stamp tool.
Photoshop has a wide range of image-editing tools packed into
panels and buried in menus and sub-menus. The most useful tools
enlarger that equipped the photographer to produce prints of specific are collected in the Tools panel, which you’ll find on the left-hand side
sizes. Photoshop has a vast suite of equivalent darkroom tools to help of the workspace. This panel is docked to the edge as a single vertical
us process a picture, or to crop them to improve composition, for column, but you can undock it and make it float closer to hand as a
example. In the darkroom a photographer might use a brush to paint more compact two-column panel. Check out our annotation to get to
over unwanted objects. We can mimic this challenging retouching task know the key players in the Tools panel.
At a glance Tools of the trade

Learn how to uncover more tools and discover the key components of the Tools panel
1
4 ZOOM TOOL
2 The side-by-side Zoom and Hand tools
3 work in conjunction with each other.
They enable you to zoom in and pan
around your picture to examine and edit
specific areas. Tap Z to summon the
Zoom tool or H to switch to the Hand.
Double click the Zoom tool to magnify
the image by 100%.
5 FOREGROUND COLOUR
The default foreground and background

colours in the Tools panel are black and
white. Click the black or white swatch to
change the colour. Press D to go back
4 to the default colours. These swatches
are useful for tasks such as painting on
5 layer masks.
6 6 SCREEN MODES
Click here to access the screen modes.

1 EXPAND AND FLOAT 2 COMPARTMENTS 3 TOGGLE THE TOOLS Full Screen mode hides all the panels so
you can focus on a clutter-free image.
Click this little icon to toggle between The Tools panel has 20 The Tools panel contains 66 tools. Minimised panels will slide into view
a long, single column of tools, or a compartments. To keep the panel at a Click and hold down the mouse on a when you move the cursor to the edges
shorter panel containing two columns. manageable size, many related tools compartment to reveal its contents, of the workspace. Press F to toggle
You can also undock the panel. share a compartment. then click the tool you require. between the screen modes.
102
THE TOOLS PANEL
Photoshop Anatomy The Options bar

Discover how to modify the behaviour of the currently active tool
2
3
5 6
4
1 TOOL PRESETS 3 BRUSH PANEL 5 OPACITY
After selecting a tool you can use the Options bar to This icon opens the Brush panel. This does a similar This option enables you to reduce the intensity of the tool
edit attributes and modify the way the tool behaves. job to the Brush Preset picker, but you can change so you can perform more subtle edits. You can set a specific
Click the Tool Preset picker to discover other versions many more tool attributes such as the texture and its percentage, click the little triangle icon to activate a slider, or
of the selected tool. scattering properties. The Brush panel has a tab that simply click and drag left or right on the Opacity label.
You can save your own customised presets here too. opens the Brush Preset picker.
4 MODE 6 HISTORY
2 BRUSH PRESET PICKER
You can click the Mode drop-down menu to change the Some tools have unique options, such as the Eraser’s
Many tools, like the Eraser, are brush-based. The Brush way the brush tip behaves. By default our example tool Erase to History box. This enables you to make a
Preset picker in the Options bar enables you to quickly (the Eraser) is set to Brush, so it can paint with soft global adjustment to the image. You can then tick this
modify the size and softness of the tool’s brush tip to edges. You can change it to a sharper Pencil mode, or box and paint with the Eraser to remove the previous
change the way it alters the pixels in the image. even a square Block. adjustments from specific areas.
103
ESSENTIAL TOOLS
The Crop tool

Maximise the potential of your photographs by
cropping them to improve their composition
n this Tool School, we look at the Crop tool. This tool has a We’ll demonstrate how to use the Crop tool to make the horizon run
I lot to offer when it comes to making shots look their best. It

enables us to remove or crop the edges of a photo to create
a new composition or take out unwanted objects at the
parallel with the top and bottom of the frame. When preparing a shot
for printing, it can be a challenge to get a cropped shot to have the
same shape – or aspect ratio – as the other uncropped shots from
edges of the frame, much as a traditional photographer would use a your camera. This can be irritating if you want to include the photo in
guillotine to trim photos after printing them. a gallery with non-cropped prints. We’ll show you how to constrain
When shooting on location, we may not have enough time to think the Crop tool to make the cropped image have the same shape and
about the best way to compose a scene, especially if we’re rushing proportions as the original. We’ll also get the Crop tool to resize a shot
from A to B. The Crop tool enables us to reframe the photo’s subject so that it prints out with specific width and height dimensions and fits
matter at our leisure. into a standard off-the-shelf picture frame.
As well as removing distracting objects, the Crop tool also allows The Crop tool is located in a compartment at the top section of
us to correct common mistakes. For example, when shooting with the Tools panel, which reflects its status as a frequently used item. It
the camera tilted at an angle you’ll create an uneven horizon. This shares this compartment with the less useful Slice tools, which are
can be as annoying as seeing a picture hanging lop-sided on a wall. designed to help web designers chop up a Photoshop document.
104
ESSENTIAL TOOLS
Improve composition
Discover how to use the Crop tool’s Overlay BEFORE
function to produce well-framed shots
Sometimes we might flick through a series of shots could also overlap intersecting horizontal and vertical grid lines at
and only a few will stand out as being of any real worth. The odds are the left of the frame, as in this feature’s main image on the previous
that the more aesthetically pleasing shots will conform to the rule of page. Professional photographers like David Bailey zoom in to frame
thirds. This is an artistic technique that involves separating the frame their shots and crop out the top of their subject’s head, producing a
into nine equally sized boxes using a grid. By placing certain subjects in tighter and more intimate-looking portrait. We can creatively crop a
these boxes, or getting the grid’s intersecting lines to overlap specific conventionally framed portrait to make a more eye-catching version
objects in the scene, you can create a more pleasing and balanced with a square frame. We’ll show you how to combine a constrained
composition. For example, you could have a hill in the bottom third aspect ratio with the Crop tool’s rule of thirds overlay grid to create an
of the screen, a tree in the middle third and sky at the top. The tree aesthetically pleasing portrait.
Use the rule of thirds overlay
1
Draw a square
2
Get some balance
3
Creative cropping
Open a standard portrait. Grab the Crop In the Options bar, set Crop Guide Drag the crop window across the top
tool. Hold down Shift to constrain the Crop Overlay to Rule of Thirds. Drag inside half of the image in order to iinclude
tool and draw a perfectly square crop box. The the crop window to make a balanced image, the sky and horizon, and create a creative
areas that will be removed will appear as a grey focussing on the intersecting lines. Fill one panoramic image. Keep the rule of thirds in
shield. The areas we’ll keep remain 100% visible. third of the frame with the sky. mind here too. Hit Enter.
105
ESSENTIAL TOOLS
Crop to correct
Tidy up problems like uneven horizons with these cropping techniques
As well as improving composition, the
Crop tool enables you to overcome
common problems. By zooming out to
capture this landscape, we caught the
edges of the lens hood at the edges of
the frame. There’s also some vignetting
at the top left.
When shooting from a moving boat
it’s harder to get the horizon looking
horizontal, and ours tilted downwards
towards the right.
To remove these problems, grab the
Crop tool from the Tools panel. Select
the entire image to start with. Turn on
the Rule of Thirds Overlay. Now hold
down Shift and this will constrain the
cropped shot to match the aspect ratio
– the shape and proportions – of the
original photo. Drag a corner handle to
tighten the crop window and remove
the lens hood and vignetted corner.
Drag inside the crop window to place
the rock in the bottom left corner.
Drag outside the crop box to rotate it
so that the horizon runs parallel with
a horizontal grid line.
If you send your photos off to be
printed at a particular size, you may
find that they come back cropped,
which ruins your careful composition.
Check out the guide below to cropping
and resizing with precision.
Resize your photos for printing
1
Choose a size
2
Change the orientation
3
Check the size
Open an image that you’ve processed By default, the preset will create To complete the crop, hit Enter or
and is ready to print. Click the Crop a portrait-oriented crop, but this click the tick icon on the Options bar.
tool icon. Move up to the left of the Options particular image is in landscape format. Go to Image>Image Size. Set the units to
bar and then click the Tool Preset picker’s Click the Swaps Height and Width icon in the inches. You’ll see that the shot is precisely 7
triangular fly-out icon. Select the Crop 5 inch Options bar to correct this. Click and drag to inches wide by 5 inches high, with a
x 7 inch 300 ppi preset. crop the image. resolution of 300 pixels per inch.
106
ESSENTIAL TOOLS
Photoshop Anatomy Crop tool options

Learn how to get the most out of this invaluable tool
1 2
4
3
5
1 TOOL PRESET PICKER 4 OPACITY AND COLOR
You can use these presets to make the Crop Reduce the opacity setting to make the contents of the
tool resize the cropped image to fit specific shielded areas more visible. You can change the colour
dimensions and resolutions. of the shield, too.
2 QUICK SWAP 5 PERSPECTIVE
Click this icon to swap a preset’s When cropping photos of architecture, you can use
width and height so that you can perform this option to manually straighten converging verticals
portrait or landscape-oriented crops. at the same time.
3 OVERLAY 6 TOOL COMPARTMENT
Click here to add a composition-friendly The Crop tool hangs out in the Tools panel with
rule of thirds grid to the Crop box, or a more the less useful Slice tools. Press Shift+C to cycle
conventional grid. between them.
CHANGE THE SHIELD

Understanding… PROPERTIES
THE CROP TOOL The areas outside the crop window

are greyed out by a shield, which
helps you focus on what will
1 3 remain once you’ve cropped it. If
you want to hide the preview of the
After selecting the to see cropped
cropped areas entirely, you can
Crop tool from the areas by changing
change the opacity of the shield
Tools panel, click and the shield colour
overlay to 100%. It will become
drag to start drawing [3] and reducing its
black and solid.
a crop box [1]. Use the opacity. To apply the
overlay to add a handy crop to your photo, hit
2
rule of thirds grid [2] Enter or click the tick
to help you create a in the Options 4
more aesthetically bar. Alternatively,
pleasing composition. click another tool
By default, cropped in the Tools panel
areas appear as a dark and Photoshop will
grey colour, which can ask you if you want
make it hard to spot to complete the
content – especially in crop before it gives
monochrome shots. you access to the
You can make it easier other tool [4].
107
IMAGE SIZE
Image and canvas

size explained
These are two essential settings which can also be two major
causes of confusion! Here’s what you need to know
hen you’re preparing your photos Resizing is a non-destructive process that a web page only 1,024 pixels across! This is
W for printing it’s easy to get caught

up in the confusing array of options
for width and height, percentages,
simply changes the size at which the pixels will
be reproduced. It’s completely reversible and
doesn’t actually change the image itself. This
where you need to use resampling options to
reduce the number of pixels. Resampling is an
irreversible ‘destructive’ process because it
pixel dimensions, resolution and resampling. is what you use to create different-sized prints permanently changes the pixels in the photo,
It’s just as difficult when you need to resize from within Photoshop. so you need to make sure you work on a copy,
photos for use online. But when you’re creating images for online not the original photo. But don’t worry – our
The key concept to keep in mind at all times, use you need to work directly in pixels. You annotation opposite explains the Image Size
though, is ‘resizing’ versus ‘resampling’. can’t display a 6,000 x 4,000 pixel photo on dialog in detail.
Canvas Size settings and what they mean

It’s right next to Image Size on the Edit menu, but the Canvas Size is not the same thing
4 RELATIVE SIZES
If you leave this unchecked, the values

you type into the Width and Height
boxes will set the absolute canvas size.
If you check this box, you type in the
amounts you want to add to the current
size, which is often the easiest option if
you’re adding a border, for example.
1
5 ANCHOR GADGET
If you leave the centre box selected the

2 3 extra canvas area is extended equally
around the image, but you can extend
the canvas from the left, right, top or
4 bottom or from any of the four corners.
6 CANVAS COLOUR
5
7
This is where you choose the colour for
6 the canvas extension. In our example
we’ve chosen black to create a black
border around this photograph.
7 EXTENDED CANVAS
The image canvas is the ‘pasteboard’

1 CURRENT SIZE 2 WIDTH AND HEIGHT 3 SIZE UNITS the image sits on. Normally it’s the
same size as the photo itself, but when
This section shows you your photo’s If you increase the canvas size you You can set the new canvas size in you increase the canvas size, it becomes
current size, and the units of create empty (background) space percentage values, pixels, inches and visible around the photo. If you want to
measurement are the same as those around the photo. If you reduce it, you other units – pixels and percentages separate the photo from the canvas,
you choose in the New Size section. crop off the edges of the picture. tend to be the most useful. convert the photo to a layer first.
108
IMAGE SIZE
How to use the Image Size dialog

Resampling vs resizing: what’s the difference and why is it so important?
2
1
5
6
1 IMAGE SIZE (MB) 4 WIDTH AND HEIGHT
This is for information only. It tells you the image file size in its You don’t have to resample a photo to make it print at different
uncompressed form, but JPEGs, TIFFs and Photoshop files use sizes, though. Instead, leave the Resample box unchecked and
compression to reduce the file size. It’s useful for checking how type in the width or height you want into either of these fields –
much difference resizing the image will make, though. the chainlink indicates the aspect ratio is locked.
2 DIMENSIONS 5 RESOLUTION
If you leave the Resample box unchecked, this too is for When the Resample box is unchecked, Photoshop achieves the
information only. It will display the current image size according dimensions you ask for by adjusting the resolution. Don’t worry
to the units of measurement you choose for the Width and about making your prints 300dpi in Photoshop – that’s just an
Height settings in the section below. arbitrary measure for good print quality.
3 FIT TO MENU 6 RESAMPLE CHECKBOX AND MENU
This offers preset image sizes for different purposes including This is the box that should ring alarm bells. When it’s checked,
on-screen display (the top section), regular office paper sizes Photoshop will permanently change the number of pixels in the
(the next section) and common photo print sizes (the section photo, so make sure you’re working on a copy. The drop-down
below). These presets will automatically check the Resample menu lets you choose different resampling methods according
box because they need to change the number of pixels. to whether you’re increasing or reducing the pixel dimensions.
109
ADJUSTMENT LAYERS
BEFORE
The power of
adjustment layers
With adjustment layers you can stack up as many
reversible, non-destructive image adjustments as you like
nce, every adjustment you made to your images with them and remain fully editable. The only time their
O in Photoshop was applied directly to the pixels in

your photo. There was no going back, at least not
without duplicating layers, using the History
effect is made permanent is when you save a copy of your
image in another file format.
Adjustment layers are versatile. You can turn them on
panel, or reverting to a backup. and off to compare the edited image with the original. You
But the introduction of adjustment layers changed all can reduce their opacity to dial down the strength of the
that. Adjustment layers merely change the appearance of adjustment. You can also produce selective colour or tonal
the layer(s) below without modifying any of the pixels. You adjustments by painting on an adjustment layer’s mask,
can change an adjustment layer’s settings long after you’ve enabling you to fine-tune which areas are being altered.
created it and you can stack adjustment layers to produce So while it’s still possible to apply levels and curves
cumulative editing effects. If you save your images in the adjustments, for example, directly to an image layer, why
Photoshop (.psd) format, the adjustment layers are saved would you? Adjustment layers give you much more control.
110
ADJUSTMENT LAYERS
1
Add an adjustment layer
2
Brightness and Contrast
Open before_adjustment.jpg. This landscape has rather Very quickly we can make our picture look better by
dull tones and it’s a good subject for adjustments. If you increasing the Brightness and reducing the Contrast.
open the Layers panel you’ll see just one ‘Background’ layer By the way, Photoshop’s Brightness/Contrast controls used
containing the photo. Click the adjustment layer button at the to be pretty crude, but they’re much better now. They look
bottom of the panel and chose Brightness/Contrast. simplistic, but they’re actually very effective.
3
Adding a Vibrance layer…
4
And a Photo Filter
You can now see the new adjustment layer added You can see the Vibrance adjustment layer’s been
above the Background image in the Layers panel. But added at the top of the Layers panel and we’ve moved
fixing the brightness and contrast has made it obvious that its Properties panel over to the left of the screen so that it
this picture has a serious lack of colour saturation, and the doesn’t get in the way. Increasing the Vibrance and Satura-
solution is to add a Vibrance adjustment layer… tion has helped, but we’re going to finish with a Photo Filter…
5
Everything can still be changed
6
The layer order is important
This Photo Filter layer has been added at the top of You can drag adjustment layers up and down in the
the Layers panel, and it’s given our image a subtle, Layers panel to change their order, but be aware that it
warm look. So now we have three adjustment layers stacked can change the overall effect. Here, for example, moving the
on top of each other, but we can still go back and change the Vibrance layer above the Photo Filter layer means that the
Brightness/Contrast layer, say, to modify the overall effect. Photo Filter’s warming effect has been exaggerated.
111
ESSENTIAL TOOLS
BEFORE
Basic fixes with

a levels layer
Levels adjustments offer a great first step for diagnosing
and then fixing issues with your picture’s tonal range
evels adjustments don’t look terribly By default, levels adjustments are applied equally to the red,
L sophisticated when you compare them with what

you can do with a curves adjustment layer, but
they are a really quick and easy way to optimise
green and blue colour channels, but they can also be altered
individually – levels are handy for colour corrections, too.
You’ll notice that we’re creating a levels adjustment layer
your image ahead of any more detailed work. Often, it’s only rather than applying levels directly to the image layer.
when you’ve got the levels right that you can properly see There are lots of good reasons for doing it this way. One is
what to do next. that your adjustments will be non-destructive – you can go
The key to this is the histogram display in the levels panel. back and change them later. Another is that adjustment
From this you can tell whether your image has a full range layers come with layer masks, so that you can manually
of tones. If not, you can drag the black point and white point mask out areas of your photo which you want left alone.
sliders underneath to line up the left and right edges of the We’ll cover layer masks in a later chapter, but for now we’ll
histogram. Our walkthrough, opposite, shows how this works demonstrate not one but three different approaches to
on a real-life image and some of the hidden depth of levels! levels adjustments…
112
ESSENTIAL TOOLS
1
Use the histogram as a guide
2
Be careful with the highlights
Open before_levels.jpg if you’d like to follow this process Now do the same with the white point slider on the
with the image we’re working on here. First, create a right, dragging it to the left to line up with the right edge
new levels adjustment layer. You’ll see that the left-hand of the histogram. This is the usual method for optimising
(shadow) end of the histogram doesn’t go all the way to a full image levels, but this image still lacks contrast even though,
black, so drag the black point slider to the right to meet it. technically, it now has a full tonal range.
3
Alt-drag the black point slider
4
Alt-drag the white point slider
The problem is that we’re preserving extreme shadow You can do the same with the white point slider. Nor-
and highlight detail without knowing whether it’s im- mally, you wouldn’t want any highlight clipping, but we
portant. Instead, hold down the alt key as you drag the black can afford to lose some detail in the floor tile. This different
point slider. Now you can see where the image will go to a ‘alt-dragging’ approach is an improvement, but the picture’s
solid black and which areas you can afford to lose. still a little weak…
5
Use the eyedroppers
So here’s a third approach which doesn’t involve the
black and white point sliders at all. Instead, you use
the black point, white point and middle ‘grey point’ eyedrop-
6 Adjust the mid-point (brightness)
The eyedroppers don’t just set the upper and lower
brightness values, they ‘neutralise’ the deepest blacks,
brightest whites and midtone greys too, adding a colour
pers to click an area you want to be a solid black, a solid white correction effect. And for a final adjustment we can move the
area and a neutral grey tone, like the doorstep. mid-point slider to the right to darken the image a little.
113
MASTER CURVES
BEFORE
Master Curves
in Photoshop
Use Curves, the ultimate tool for tonal control,
to add punch and enhance portraits
1
Add punch
2
Tweak the colours
Add a Curves Adjustment layer, then drag the top part Add a Curves layer, then choose Blue from the drop-
of the curve upwards to lighten the image. Click the down menu. Drag the bottom-left point upwards to
bottom of the curve to add a second anchor point, then drag add blue to the shadows, and the top-right point down to add
this point downwards to darken shadows. yellow to the highlights.
114
MASTER CURVES
Photoshop Anatomy The Curves controls

Use these Curves controls to bring your images to life
TONE CURVE 3 COLOUR CHANNELS
Camera Raw has its An upwards drag on the red line adds
own version of the red while down adds cyan; up on the
Curves command:
3 blue channel adds blue and down adds
called the Tone Curve, yellow; up on the green line adds green
it works in much the and down adds magenta. Try dragging
same way. Raw files the very top or bottom of the channel lines
are usually a little flat, to add subtle colour shifts to highlights
so will often benefit and shadows.
from increased punch.
4 4 S-CURVE
1 NEUTRAL GREY 2
EYEDROPPER The S-shaped curve is a classic Curves
technique for boosting contrast and
Grab the neutral grey eyedropper and colour saturation, lending much-
click a point in an image you know should needed punch to flat images. The more
be grey; then all the other colours will pronounced the S-shape is, the more the
re-map around this new grey point. 1 image will pop.
2 THE CURVE LINE 5 WHITE AND

BLACK POINTS
The diagonal line can be dragged up or
down to lighten or darken the image. 5 Hold Alt and drag the White and Black
Each point you click creates an anchor. point sliders, and your display will change
It’s important where you place a point, to show clipped pixels as you drag. In
because this determines which part of the general, it’s best to drag the black point
tonal range you wish to change. Towards inwards until you see a few black areas
the left will target shadow tones, and the appear, and drag the white point inwards
right will change highlights. until the point just before pixels appear.
Understanding…
CURVES 3
ADJUSTMENT
LAYERS 2
Add Curves as an possible to highlight the 4

adjustment layer via layer’s mask [4] and
the Create adjustment paint with white or black 5
layer icon [1]. This gives to apply the Curves edit
you lots of layer-based to specific parts of an
options. You can lower image. If you’re working
the layer opacity to in a multi-layered
tone down the effect document and you want
[2] or change the the Curves layer to affect
blending mode [3]. only the image layer
For example, a switch directly below it (rather
to Luminosity allows than all the layers below),
1
you to add contrast Alt-click the line between
without affecting colour the two layers to ‘clip’ the
saturation. It’s also adjustment [5].
115
HUE/SATURATION
BEFORE
Selective Hue/
Saturation tweaks
A Hue/Saturation adjustment layer gives you rather more
control over colour rendition than you might think at first
olour adjustments are central to much of the – and the saturation slider appears to offer no particular
C photo enhancement work we do in Photoshop,

and much of the time we simply want more! One
way of doing this is with a Vibrance adjustment
advantage over the version in the Vibrance panel.
However, the Hue/Saturation panel has hidden depths. By
default, it adjusts your image’s ‘Master’ channel, modifying all
layer – which actually has two sliders, one for Vibrance and colours equally. Often, though, you want to enhance or modify
one for Saturation. The saturation slider is a pretty crude tool just one or two colours, and by different amounts, and you
which increases all colours equally, while Vibrance is more can do this by opening the drop-down menu and choosing a
sophisticated and strengthens weaker colours more. specific colour range.
But neither offers any control over individual colours, and This simple trick reveals enormous power! You can change
for this you need a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. Now the colour of green leaves or a blue sky or a red coat in
at first sight this doesn’t appear to be very helpful because moments, and without the need for complicated selections
it simply offers global hue, saturation and lightness sliders and masks. Our tutorial shows how this process works.
116
HUE/SATURATION
1
Add a Hue/Saturation layer
2
Increase the saturation
You can follow this tutorial with the same image as Usually, the only adjustment you apply with a Hue/Sat-
ours by opening before_hue.jpg from our set of sample uration layer is the saturation value. Changing the hue
images. The first step is to add a Hue/Saturation adjustment shifts the colours wholesale, and there are better ways of
layer, and you can do this using the drop-down adjustment changing the colours in Photoshop, and the lightness slider
layers menu at the bottom of the Layers panel. is a very poor way of changing the overall image brightness.
3
Choose the greens
4
Fine-tune with the eyedropper
We had to stop at a saturation value of +14 in the So now any hue/saturation adjustments will only
previous step because the reds and yellows in the apply to green tones in the picture, but this is a
flowers were starting to fill. The green tones are still weak, generic colour range and we need to tighten it up a little using
though – and the answer lies in the drop-down colour range the panel’s eyedropper tool and then clicking on one of the
menu. It’s set to ‘Master’ by default, but we need ‘Greens’… green leaves. This makes our colour selection more precise.
5
Adjust the greens
6
Tweak the colour range
Now we can really bring out the colour of the leaves Sometimes the colour selection leaves out parts of
but without affecting the flowers. Shifting the hue val- the image you meant to include or strays into similar
ue to +10 makes the leaves look a little greener and fresher, tones that should be left alone. If so, you can drag the bars
reducing the lightness to -36 darkens them down a little and in the colour selection gadget – the inner bars control the
pushing the saturation up to +58 makes them more intense. colour range and the outer bars ‘feather’ this selected range.
117
CONVERT TO MONO
BEFORE
Convert colour
photos to mono
In black and white photography, colour is crucial – or at
least how different colours are converted to grey tones
lack and white photography shows no signs of brightness values of the colours in the photo as they are
B dying away. In fact, it’s become a mainstream

creative choice for photographers attempting to
capture the world in a dramatic or timeless way.
translated into shades of grey.
In the old days, this would be achieved using Photoshop’s
Channel Mixer tools, but these only offered adjustments for
But creating a successful black and white image isn’t as the red, green and blue channels, whereas Black & White
simple as just removing the colour information, because the adjustment layers have sliders for six colour: reds, yellows,
way different colours translate into different shades of grey greens, cyans, blues and magentas.
makes a massive difference to the finished picture. You’ll notice that we’re using a 16-bit sample image to
In the days of film you would control this using different- get the best quality. This is important when your final image
coloured ‘contrast’ filters on the lens. These days, you can relies heavily on individual colour channels in the photo.
do it using a Black & White adjustment layer in Photoshop. Remember – the only way to get a 16-bit image is to shoot
With this, you can control the relative strengths and hence raw. This is one time when JPEGs won’t do.
118
CONVERT TO MONO
1
Check the bit depth
2
Default mono conversion
You can follow this tutorial by opening our before_ Now open the adjustment layer drop-down at the bot-
mono.tiff sample image. We’ve supplied this as a TIFF tom of the Layers panel and add a Black & White adjust-
file rather than a JPEG because mono conversions like this ment layer. At the default settings you’ll see that the colour
work much better on 16-bit images. With 8-bit images you mix isn’t exactly even. Some colours (yellow, magenta and
quickly get banding effects and other artefacts. cyan) are made stronger and hence lighter than others.
3
Red filter effect
4
Blue filter effect
The default colour mix will probably work well with Compare this with the Blue Filter effect! Because blues
many images, but for landscapes it’s definitely worth are now made lighter, the sky and the water have a
trying some alternatives from the drop-down Preset menu. brighter tone, while the yellows and oranges in the rocks (on
The Red Filter effect, for example, makes the blue sea and the opposite side of the colour wheel) are much darker. T his
sky darker and the yellow rocks lighter. shows the importance of colour filtration in black and white.
5
Manual adjustments
6
Adding a tint
Once you’ve found a preset that gets close to the look Many photographers like the look of ‘toned’ black and
you want, you can fine-tune the sliders to finish the white prints, and you can achieve that effect here by
job. Here, we’ve increased the contrast and drama in this checking the Tint box and then the colour swatch just to the
landscape by making the cyans and blues darker still and right. This opens the Color Picker, where you choose the tint
slightly lightening the reds and yellows. hue and its strength – subtle tints are almost always better.
119
LAYER MASKS
Adjustment layer
masks in action
Discover how to modify an adjustment layer’s mask to
modify selected areas only rather than the whole photo
ayer masks are a powerful tool because they enable
BEFORE
L you to modify selections made by Photoshop’s
selection tools until they are perfect. By painting
white or black strokes on a mask you can show or
hide pixels on the image layer the mask is attached to. This
enables you to hide an unwanted sky, for example, and show
through a more interesting one on another layer underneath.
But layer masks are also invaluable when it comes to
common image adjustments – in fact, every adjustment layer
you create comes with a ready to use layer mask.
In the case of our starting image here we need to darken
the over-exposed sky with a Levels adjustment layer to
reveal missing detail and colour. However, this will plunge the
correctly exposed foreground rocks into silhouette. We can
apply black paint to specific sections of the mask so that it only
darkens the sky.
Like image layer masks, an adjustment layer’s mask is non-
destructive, so you can modify it using a range of tools and
techniques until the masking for the adjustment is perfect.
1
Create an adjustment layer
2
Darken the sky
Open the before_layer_masks.jpg starting image. Due In the adjustment layer panel, we’ve dragged the
to the contrasting lighting conditions the camera has black point slider right across to the right to darken
metered to expose for the rocks, so the sky is over-exposed. the sky. This ‘clips’ all the darker information in the rocks
To restore sky detail, choose Layer>New Adjustment Layer> so that they come out as a near solid black, but that doesn’t
Levels. Click OK. A Levels adjustment layer will appear. matter because of what we’re going to do next…
120
LAYER MASKS
3
Mask the rocks
4
Subtle is best
We need to select the layer mask thumbnail in the And here you can see the result. The sky is darkened
Layers panel to edit it – and you can alt/ctrl-click the nicely, and by using the gradient tool we’ve blended
mask to show it directly. We’ve added a black-white gradient this darkening effect subtly with the rest of the photo – just
on a slight diagonal so that the black area ‘masks’ the rocks like using a graduated filter on the camera. Often, a subtly
from the Levels adjustments we’ve made. blended mask will look more natural than ‘hard’ selections.
121
SELECTION TOOLS
The selection tools

Master the Quick Selection and Magic Wand tools
to make detailed extractions from your images
n this Tool School lesson, we take a look at the details. In both cases, you can then use the Add to Selection
I many applications of the Quick Selection and

Magic Wand tools. From replacing dull
backgrounds to making faster selective
and Subtract from Selection icons in the Options bar to
refine your marquee even more.
The Quick Selection tool is best suited to selecting a single
adjustments, these nifty Photoshop devices will help you subject – for example, a person standing against a busy
enhance your images and speed up your selection workflow. backdrop. Once you’ve made your selection, you can use
The Quick Selection and the Magic Wand tools select the Refine Edge option to tweak its edge, turn it into a layer
pixels based on colour and tonal similarity, so they share mask, or create an accurate cut-out.
the same Toolbox compartment. However, like any double The Magic Wand tool is great for ferreting out every bit of
act they have their own individual strengths. To start making background sky, including those pixels hiding between the
a selection with the Magic Wand tool, you simply click an branches of a tree. You can modify its Tolerance so it selects
area to sample it. The tool will then select similar pixels a wider or narrower range of pixels with each click. This
based on the colours and tones that you first clicked. adjustable sensitivity is very useful. An evenly coloured and
By brushing the more intelligent Quick Selection tool toned sky can be selected using a low Tolerance value.
over your subject, it will create a more complex selection A more complex sky that features different colours and
marquee that attempts to include the subject’s relevant tones will need a higher Tolerance setting to select all of it.
122
SELECTION TOOLS
Unleash the power of the Magic Wand tool

Select every bit of unwanted background with ease
Some shots – like our Bonsai tree here
– have coloured backgrounds that you
may want to select and replace. When
set up correctly, the Magic Wand tool
can tackle these sorts of selection
challenges in just a few clicks.
As well as the New Selection option
that gives you a basic marquee, there’s
also Add to Selection and Subtract
from Selection. When zoomed in
to your image, these incredibly
useful tools will fine-tune your
marquee, particularly around edges
and in detailed areas.
Although small and seemingly
insignificant, the Sample All Layers
tick box shouldn’t be overlooked. This
facility ensures that your selection
includes similar pixels on multiple
layers, and not just the one currently
targeted in the Layers panel.
If there are any patches of unwanted
background sky hiding among the
leaves and branches, then you’ll need
to clear the Contiguous box. This lets
the Magic Wand tool off its leash, so it
can track down the sampled colours
in every part of the image. The final way
to make the tool even more precise is
with the Refine Edge button. This opens
a new window with multiple options for
feathering, smoothing and even shifting
the marquee.
Get rid of unwanted backgrounds
1
Choose your tool
2
Click to sample
3
Delete the selection
Open an image you want to make a Click any patch of background. The The leaves are looking a little sharp
selection in. Grab the Magic Wand from selection marquee should appear and ‘cut-out’. To soften things, set
the Tools Panel. Press W to toggle between it around all of that colour, even if it’s in the Feather to 0.5 pixels. To remove any
and the Quick Selection tool. In this image the branches. Choose Select>Inverse to select background sky pixels clinging to the edge of
background is evenly lit, so you’d leave the the tree. Click Refine Edge. Set the View drop- the tree, drag Shift Edge to –16%. Set Output
Tolerance on 31. Clear Contiguous. down menu to On Layers. to New layer and click OK.
123
SELECTION TOOLS
More advanced selections

Discover how to add fine details to your selections, like wispy hairs and eyelashes
The intelligent Quick Selection tool can
work out what subject you’re trying to
select as you paint over it. If it does get
confused, you can call on the help of
the Add To and Subtract From icons
in the Options bar to fine-tune the
selection. Clever though it is, the Quick
Selection tool can sometimes find it
difficult to locate the edges of your
subject. This is especially true if there’s
minimal contrast between the subject
and the background, or if there’s any
softness to your subject caused by a
shallow depth of field. It will also find
it a challenge to include delicate edge
details like hair and eyelashes – even if
they are overlapping a uniformly plain
white studio backdrop! For this portrait
shot, we ran the Quick Selection tool
over the white background and then
inverted the selection so the marquee
was around the model. However,
by zooming in for a closer look at
the selection we could clearly see
that the marquee didn’t include the
model’s eyelashes or her out-of-focus
wispy hairs. So we used the Refine
Radius tool to add these details to the
selection. We then turned the refined
selection into a layer mask so we could
fine-tune it by applying brush tips to
hide or reveal relevant details.
BEFORE
Including fine details in a selection
1
Create a selection
2
The Refine Edge tool
3
Fine-tune the selection
Open a portrait shot against a clean Hit Select>Inverse. Click Refine Edge Set Contrast to 39. For a smoother
background. Use the Quick Selection and set View Mode to On Layers. To selection, set Smooth to 10 and
tool to paint over the background. Tick restore hairs and hide background pixels, tick Feather to 1.4. Tick the Decontaminate Colors
Subtract from Selection and paint over the Smart Radius. Slide it to 14.2. Tick the Refine box and set Amount to 64%. Set Output to
hairs. This creates a rough selection that Radius tool icon. Set Size to 60. Paint over New Layer with Layer Mask
also includes background pixels. edge hairs. and click OK.
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SELECTION TOOLS
Photoshop Anatomy Quick Selection

There’s a vast array of options at your disposal to create fast and accurate selections
5
1 2 3 6
1 NEW SELECTION 3 SUBTRACT FROM SELECTION 5 TOOL PRESET PICKER
Creates a selection marquee independent of any Enables you to remove unwanted areas from your The Quick Selection tool has no presets, but you can
previous selections you may have made. With this selection. Select it directly from the Options bar, or save your own for use on other images at a later date.
highlighted, you can begin brushing over your subject. hold down Alt to activate it. Add tools with characteristics that can be saved.
2 ADD TO SELECTION 4 BRUSH PICKER 6 SAMPLE ALL LAYERS
Once you’ve created your initial selection, the Quick Gives you access to options such as Diameter, Check the box to sample pixels from all layers in the
Selection tool will automatically change over to this Hardness, Spacing and Shaping that will customise the document; uncheck it to sample pictures only from the
option that allows you to add further areas. brush tip of the Quick Selection tool. currently selected layer.
CHANGE THE
Understanding… SENSITIVITY
REFINE EDGE 1 If the unwanted background
areas of your image are fairly
even in their colour and tone, then
The Refine Edge great way to effectively
the default Tolerance setting of
button will give you make a composite of
2 32 should be sensitive enough
a variety of choices your subjects onto
to include every last part of it.
for improving the new backgrounds, too. However, if the background
work you’ve already The Adjust Edge [3] features a range of similar colours,
done with the Quick options make sure 3 like in a gradated sky, for instance,
Selection tool. The that your marquee then increase the Tolerance value.
options found under has no rough edges If you find that you end up
the View Mode [1] or other tell-tale signs selecting bits of your main subject
heading will change that you’ve created a as well, press Cmd/Ctrl+Z to undo
how your selection selection. The Output the last selection that you made
looks in the main [4] heading contains 4 and choose a lower Tolerance
window. Edge several preferences for setting. To make a smoother
Detection [2] is a how to present your selection, keep the Anti-alias
recent introduction to final edited selection, box ticked.
Photoshop, and has such as with a layer
several ways to select mask or as a new
fine detail, such as document. Click OK to
fly-away hairs. This is a finalise the selection.
125
ERASER TOOL
BEFORE
The Eraser tools

Create quick and effective composite images using
the underrated powers of the Eraser tools
hen faced with the challenge of of the background details, Photoshop user complexity. However, in this Tool School we’ll
W selecting and replacing an

unwanted background we’re spoilt
for choice thanks to Photoshop’s
number two might decide to select the parrot
instead of the background, using the Quick
Selection tool. A few swipes of this brush-
show you why the Eraser tool is capable of
much more precise compositing tasks than
you’d expect.
comprehensive collection of tools. If you gave based tool would select most of the parrot, The Eraser tool comes in three variants. The
three Photoshop users the task of removing the although some of the bird’s feathered edges standard Eraser enables you to modify options
clutter in our opening image’s background you would elude the initial selection. such as size, softness and flow. You use it to
might see three different approaches. If Photoshop user number three moved his permanently remove unwanted pixels. The
To remove the sky, Photoshop user number cursor over the Eraser compartment it might Background Eraser samples pixel colours and
one might reach for the Magic Wand to sample raise a few eyebrows. It’s like using a saw when tones, enabling you to paint over the blue sky to
the sky pixels and then Shift-click to add other you need a scalpel, isn’t it? remove it. The Magic Eraser tool isn’t brush-
background details to the selection, and use For most of us, the Eraser is probably the based like the others. It works in a similar way to
Edit>Cut to remove the selected pixels. last tool we’d think of reaching for when the Magic Wand, enabling you to select a range
Due to the complexity and variety of some faced with a compositing challenge of any of similar pixels and delete them with a click.
126
ERASER TOOL
Erase unwanted backgrounds

Get the Eraser tools to gang up so that you can select and delete unwanted backgrounds
When you use any Photoshop tool to
create an initial selection marquee it’s
unlikely to be a perfect selection. You
may need to convert it into a layer mask
(by choosing Layer>
Layer Mask>Hide Selection) and then
apply a black brush to the mask to
remove any remaining bits.
Alternatively, you’d need to apply
white strokes to the mask to restore
details. Layer masks are non-
destructive, so those hidden details are
still available.
You may fear using the Eraser tool
and its cousins – the Magic Eraser
and the Background Eraser – because
they don’t create selection marquees
that can be fine-tuned with masks, but
instead permanently delete pixels.
By getting the three Eraser tool
variants to work as a team, we can
remove our unwanted background
without worrying about fine-tuning
selection marquees. Load an image
similar to our parrot and go to the
Layers panel (Window>Layers), then
double click the Background thumbnail
to unlock it. Press Cmd/Ctrl+J to
duplicate the layer. You can then click
the eye icon to hide the Background
layer (and use it as a safety net in case
you need to start editing from scratch).
How to cut out with the Eraser tools
1
First strike
2
Erase the edges
3
Get more control
Grab the Magic Eraser. Set Tolerance Grab the Background Eraser. Grab the Eraser tool. Remove any
to 34 and tick Contiguous. Click to In the Brush Preset picker, choose a pixels that aren’t adjacent to the bird’s
delete the blue sky. Reduce Tolerance to soft tip with a Size of 125. Tick Sampling: fine edges. To erase background pixels near
24 and click to delete the cream and yellow Once. Set Limits to Find Edges. Erase pixels the perch, hold down Shift and click to place
background while preserving the similarly adjacent to the white feathers. To erase less a point. Click the cursor on another point and
coloured white feathers. fine edges, set Limits to Discontiguous. you’ll erase in a straight line.
127
MAKING SELECTIONS
Background and Magic Erasers

Fine-tune the way your Eraser tools behave, and learn some new tricks and techniques
Each Eraser tool has its own strengths
and weaknesses. The Eraser tool is a
blunt instrument that creates pixel
destruction wherever it goes, mopping
up surviving pixels that have evaded
the more delicate work of the other two
Eraser tools.
The Magic Eraser performs a more
targeted strike on unwanted background
details. Give it the colour and tone of a
large swathe of similar pixels and these
areas will be erased with a click.
The Background Eraser is the most
sophisticated member of the team. It
combines the Magic Eraser’s ability to
recognise sampled colours and tones
with the standard Eraser’s editable
brush-based properties, making it
smart and powerful. In this section
we’ll show you how to get the Magic
and Background Eraser tools to perform BEFORE
more effectively.
Each Eraser tool has its own icon.
The Magic Eraser’s irregularly shaped
icon makes it tricky to place it on a
precise spot. Because of the icon’s
shape, you may click to remove some
sky but end up clicking the bird’s beak
by mistake. By pressing Caps Lock
you can replace the default icon with a
crosshair, enabling you to target pixels
with much more precision.
Who’s a pretty boy, then?
1
Draw a path
2
Sample the bark
3
Erase the path
Grab the Pen tool. In the Options bar, Grab the Background Eraser tool. Set Click the Direct Selection tool.
set it to Path. Place anchor points Size to 300. Set the sampling option Right click the image and choose
around the bird. Once a rough path follows the to Continuous. Set Limits to Find Edges. Stroke Path. Set the Tool to Background
parrot’s outline, place a few points around Reduce Tolerance to 20%. Tick Protect Eraser. Click OK. This Eraser will erase the
the sides and top of the frame. Place the last Foreground Color. Hold down Alt and click background pixels. Remove any remaining
point on the first to complete the path. to sample some of the bark. background with the Eraser tool.
128
MAKING SELECTIONS
Photoshop Anatomy The Eraser tools

Tweak tones with more precision by modifying the behaviour of these brush-based tools
1 2 3 4
5 6
1 BRUSH PRESET PICKER 3 FLOW 5 SAMPLING
Click here to modify the hardness and size of the A lower percentage produces a weaker stroke, You can set the Background Eraser to Sampling: Once
Eraser and Background Eraser tools. The Eraser tool enabling you to build up your erasing in more and it will erase similar pixels, or set it to Continuous
also supports the new Bristle Brush presets. controllable increments. to erase a wider range of background details.
2 MODE 4 ERASE TO HISTORY 6 FORBIDDEN COLORS
When using the Eraser tool you can use this drop-down You can use this option to erase recent strokes with This useful option stops the Background Eraser from
menu to change the Eraser type; from a soft brush to the Eraser tool. Read on below for more details on erasing a particular colour. Alt-click to sample the
a sharp pencil to a square block. how to do this. colour you want to protect.
SOFTEN EDGES
Understanding… 1
The Background Eraser does a
THE HISTORY great job of deleting sampled
background pixels while leaving
ERASER 3
contrasting foreground subjects
untouched. However, when faced
with delicate feathery detail that
Our parrot’s feathers your project by going
has a similar colour and tone to
are a challenge to Window> History
the background, you may create
to isolate. The to open the History
blocky edges. To smooth these
Background Eraser Panel [1]. Click the problematic areas out, simply
may erase some of the little camera icon to paint over them with the Blur tool
feathers as well as the take a snapshot of the to create a soft focus effect.
background. You can unedited image [2].
press Cmd/Ctrl+Z to Use the Eraser tools
undo the stroke and to edit your image. If
restore the feathers, you make a mistake,
but you may not notice click here to choose
the problem until a history state [3].
much later. To restore You can then choose
key detail, you can the Eraser tool, tick
summon the History its Erase to History 4
Eraser. For this to option, and paint over 2
work, you need to start the missing pixels [4].
129
MAKING SELECTIONS
Photoshop’s basic
selection tools
Create and modify basic selections in your images using
Photoshop’s simple marquee selection tools
any of Photoshop’s tools and menu paces so that you can find the right tool for any The most basic selection tools are the
M commands enable you to change

the colours and tones in the entire
image. However, in some cases you
selection challenge.
The selection tools work in different ways,
but they all produce a selection marquee – a
Elliptical, Rectangular, Single Row and Single
Column marquees. These tools share the
same compartment. You can use them to
may need to alter the tones of a particular area straight or curved line made up of animated make simple selections. We’ll kick off by look-
without changing the image as a whole. You black-and-white dashes, which are often ing at these basic marquee selection tools and
may also want to isolate a particular element referred to as ‘marching ants’. Think of a mar- demonstrate ways to modify the shapes they
from one photo and add it to another to create quee as a fence that isolates the pixels within it produce so that you can make more complex
a composite image. This is where the selection from the rest of the image. You can then copy selections. You’ll learn how to add to and
tools come in handy. There are nine selection the selected pixels or change their colour or subtract from the basic shapes, and how to
tools in the Tools panel, and in this chapter tone without altering pixels that fall outside the transform the shapes and soften their edges
we’ll show you how to put them through their selection marquee. using the Options bar.
130
MAKING SELECTIONS
Photoshop Anatomy The marquee tools

Create a basic selection marquee and modify its shape
1 COMPARTMENT
Click this compartment and hold down the mouse

button to access the four selection marquee variants.
The Row and Column marquee tools produce instant
3
2
vertical or horizontal lines that you can stroke to create 4
guide lines, for example.
1
2 ADD OR SUBTRACT
By default the Rectangular and Elliptical marquees

produce a primitive shape selection. By clicking these
options you can get the tools to add to or subtract
from the initial shape that they create, to make more
complex selection marquees.
3 FEATHER
By default a selection marquee produces a clean,

sharp edge. To create a softer edge to any selection
marquee, increase the value in the Feather field.
A softer edge enables copied pixels to blend more
gently with their new neighbours.
4 STYLE 5 ADD TO 6 SUBTRACT FROM
To create a perfect circle with the Elliptical Marquee Here we’ve used the Rectangular Marquee tool to draw Here we used the Subtract From icon in the Options
tool, set the Style drop-down menu to Fixed ratio. You two overlapping rectangles. We clicked the Add to bar to cut a smaller circular hole in a larger elliptical
can also hold down Shift as you draw with the Elliptical selection box in the Options bar to make the rectangles selection. If you place the cursor in the centre of a
Marquee to constrain the shape to a circle. If you intersect and create a new shape. circular shape (such as the lens in this image) you can
choose Fixed Size you can type pixel values into the hold down Alt to make the marquee grow outwards
adjacent boxes. from the central point.
Understanding…
THE SELECT MENU 1
3
2 4
Once you’ve created Feather command [2].

a selection marquee If you drag a selection
you can modify the with the Move tool
way it behaves using then you’ll move
the commands in the the pixels within the
Select [1] menu. The marquee. This handy
Modify commands command [3] enables
enable you to expand you to reposition the
or contract the marquee without
selection by a specific relocating its contents.
pixel value. You can Refine Edge [4] makes
also decide to soften light work of selecting
a selection marquee tricky subjects such
after it’s been created as models with wispy
by accessing the hair.
131
LASSO TOOLS
How to use
the Lasso tools
Round up a more complex selection of pixels in your
photos with the Magnetic and Polygonal Lasso tools
n the previous pages we introduced you to simple Some selection challenges require a lasso tool with more
O selection tools such as the Rectangular and

Elliptical marquees. These primitive selection
tools are fine for selecting basic shapes, but not
control, such as the Polygonal Lasso. To understand how this
particular selection tool works, imagine you had some pins,
a cork board and a piece of string. You can pin the string onto
much help if you need to select more complex or irregularly the board to create shapes. The string (marquee) between
shaped objects, such as the jagged mountain in our starting each pin (anchor point) will always be a straight line, but with
image. The Lasso tools are directly beneath the marquee lots of pins you can create curved shapes.
tools in the Tools panel. The final Lasso tool is the most powerful – the Magnetic
The basic Lasso tool enables you to draw a quick freehand Lasso. This behaves like a more intelligent Polygonal Lasso.
selection marquee, which is good for making quick but rough The Magnetic Lasso also creates anchor points while making
selections. You have to make a freehand Lasso selection in a selection, but as its name suggests, these are placed
one operation by clicking the mouse button, then holding it automatically as you draw freehand around the edge of the
down as you draw. Once you let go of the mouse button the object you want to select. Here we’ll demonstrate how to use
marquee selection is completed. the Magnetic and Polygonal Lasso tools to select a mountain.
132
LASSO TOOLS
1
Open the image
2
Start drawing
The Mountain in our image has jagged edges, but you There’s plenty of contrast between the edges of the
can make a quick selection using the Magnetic Lasso. mountain and the sky, so leave Contrast at 10%.
Click the new Selection icon in the Options bar. Set Width to Drop Frequency to 36 to reduce the number of anchor points
5 pixels. This stops the tool’s anchor points from straying too placed by the tool. Place a point at the base of the mountain
far from the edge of the mountain. and start drawing along the edge.
3
Delete wayward anchor points
4
Complete the path
As you follow the edge, an anchor point may go astray. Don’t worry about being too accurate because you
Move the cursor near the last anchor point and hit can modify the selection using other lasso tools.
Backspace to delete it. Continue to draw your selection. If To turn the path and its anchor points into a selection
you hold down the space bar you can temporarily summon marquee, place the last point on the first. The ‘marching
the Hand tool and drag to reposition the image. ants’ will appear.
5
Trim the selection
6
Save the selection
Grab the Polygonal Lasso tool. Click Subtract from We’ll use the mountain as part of a surreal composite
selection in the Options bar. Place points that trim in the next chapter, so choose Select>Save Selection.
some of the marquee from the sides of the mountain. Place Name the selection ‘Mountain’. Tick New Channel. Click OK.
the last point on the first and you’ll create a narrower, more We’ll reactivate this saved selection in our creative
triangular-shaped selection marquee. tutorial. Save the file as a Photoshop document.
133
INTELLIGENT SELECTIONS
Intelligent
selection tools
Isolate more complex objects using tools that use colour
and tone differences in the image to create selections
ou can make quick, rough selections by manually Like the Magic Wand tool, the Color Range command
Y drawing a marquee using the Elliptical or

Rectangular Marquee tools. Alternatively, you can
use manual selection tools such as the Polygonal
also selects pixels based on their colours. With the
Magic Wand tool you can select the sky and then delete
the marquee to leave the tree, but this may also delete
Lasso tool to select more irregularly shaped subjects such as leaves and fine branches. The Color range command gives
a jagged mountain. The Tools panel has a third compartment you a useful greyscale preview that enables you to see
containing the intelligent selection tools. Tools such as the precisely which areas are part of the selection, as you’ll
Magic Wand tool enable you to make selections based on see in our walkthrough.
similarities in colour and tone, so you can select large areas All these tools make a ‘marching ants’ style selection
such as skies with a few clicks. This tool is handy for instantly marquee that defines the locations of the selected pixels.
hunting out bits of sky between tree branches. The Magic By experimenting with the selection tools you can work out
Wand tool shares its Tools panel compartment with the Quick which tool will be the most appropriate when dealing with
Selection tool. Like the Magic Wand tool, the Quick Selection a particular selection challenge. In this walkthrough we’ll
tool recognises changes in colour and tone, making it the isolate a complex tree from a busy background by combining
perfect choice for selecting contrasting objects. a range of intelligent selections tools and techniques.
1
Make a selection
2
Modify the selection
Open TYCC87.jpg. One way to make colour-based Hold down Shift and click the eyedropper to add more
selections is to choose Select>Color Range. The sky patches of sky to the selection. We want all the tree to
contains a range of blues, so leave the Select menu set to look white so that it’s selected. To turn the tree and its leaves
Sampled Colors. Click the eyedropper on the tree. Set the White, drag the Fuzziness slider to around 95. If necessary,
Selection Preview drop-down menu to Grayscale. Shift-click to add more patches of sky to the selection.
134
INTELLIGENT SELECTIONS
3
The Quick Selection tool
4
Delete the selection
Click OK. To add the field to the selection, grab the In the Layers panel, double click the Background
Quick Selection tool from the Tools panel. Click the layer’s thumbnail to unlock it. Choose Edit>Cut to
Add to selection icon in the Options bar. Paint on the field to delete the selected sky and field. This leaves the tree and its
extend the marquee into it. Click the Subtract from selection complex leaves isolated against a transparent background.
icon and paint to undo any mistakes. Press Cmd/Ctrl+D to remove the marquee.
5
The Magic Wand tool
6
Adjust the options
Now we’ll show you an alternative technique so that Set Tolerance to 52 so that the Magic Wand selects a
you can decide which method you prefer. Choose wide range of colours, given the variety of blues and
File>Revert to restore the image to its original state. Grab whites in the sky. Keep the Contiguous box cleared. Click to
the Magic Wand tool and click the New Selection icon in select a patch of sky, then hold down Shift and click to add
the Options bar. Set Sample Size to 3 by 3 Average. more sky and clouds to the selection.
7
Fine-tune the selection
8
Make a layer mask
Grab the Quick Selection tool and click the Add to We could delete the sky as we did in step 4, but to give
Selection icon in the Options bar. Paint over the field to us more editing options we can turn the selection
add it to the marquee. Click the Subtract from Selection icon into a non-destructive layer mask. Double click to unlock the
and paint over the green vegetation at the base of the tree to background layer. Choose Layer>Layer Mask>Hide Selection.
remove it from the selection, just like we did in step 3. The marquee converts into a black-and-white mask.
135
MAKING SELECTIONS
BEFORE
Master the Pen tool

Isolate a complex object from a busy background using
the mighty Pen tool – it’s easier to use than you think!
s we mentioned earlier in the of a series of anchor points. Between these complement your design projects. As well as
A chapter, digital images are made

up of millions of tiny square pixels.
These building blocks of colour and
moveable points are curves that you can bend
to change the filled vector shape. The vector
shape’s mathematical nature enables you
creating colour-filled shapes for designers,
the Pen tool can also be used to create
paths to help photographers edit images.
tone combine to create the illusion of reality. enlarge a shape without any drop in quality, Pen-produced paths can be converted into
Pixel-based images are called bitmaps. whereas a bitmap photo can look a bit fuzzy selection marquees. In our walkthrough we’ll
Photoshop also enables you to produce if you enlarge the image. The Tools panel also demonstrate how to modify the Pen tool’s
content from scratch using tools such as the has a collection of other vector-based tools curves and anchor points to select the curved
Pen tool. This tool enables you to draw graphic such as the Rectangle and Polygonal tool, contours of the sports car in our starting
components for design projects (such as an which provide primitive shapes that you can image. You’ll then be able to use the selection
icon or logo, for example). The Pen tool uses modify to enhance your graphic designs. to protect the car while you clone out
mathematics to describe the vector shapes The Custom Shape tool provides you with a distracting background objects that overlap
that it produces. A vector shape consists number of preset shapes that you can use to its edges.
1
Open the image
2
Choose paths, not shapes
Go to File>Open and browse to before_pent.jpg. Click Open. To make sure the Pen tool draws a path and not a filled vector
The JPEG file will open in the standard Photoshop editor. There shape, go to the Options bar and choose Path from the drop-
are a few distracting elements in the background that we couldn’t down menu. Untick the Auto Add/Delete box. Press Cmd/Ctrl and
avoid capturing, but we can remove them with the Clone Stamp tool the + key to zoom in. Click to place the Pen tool’s first anchor point
to create a cleaner scene. However, to avoid cloning over the car we where the rear wheel intersects the chassis. Click to place a second
need to isolate it. Click and hold the mouse down over the Pen tool’s anchor point near the first. A straight line (or path) will join the two
compartment and select the Pen tool. points together.
136
MAKING SELECTIONS
3
Curve the path
4
Tight or loose
As you place a third anchor point, click the mouse button and To draw a path around the sharper angles of the plane’s
drag at the same time. This summons two bezier curve handles edges, place a few points closer together. Once you get
that enable you to create a curved path between the two anchor to the longer sweeping curves at the top of the car, click to place
points. Don’t worry if the curved path doesn’t follow the edge of the points further apart and drag to make the path follow these curved
car perfectly because you can fine-tune it later. Click to place a fourth contours. The more confident you get with the Pen tool, the wider
anchor point and drag the curve handle to keep the path curving apart the anchor points can be. The bezier curve handles enable you
around the edges of the car. to select complex curved shapes more quickly.
5
Close the path
6
Tidy up the path
Keep clicking to place more anchor points around the edges At this stage, the path won’t be perfect. To refine it, click
of the car. Try to be more precise when placing points along and hold down the mouse button on the compartment
the top and sides of the car, but feel free to place more rough-and- below the Pen tool. Choose the Direct Selection tool. You can now
ready points where the lower section of the car overlaps the grass drag any of the path’s anchor points to fine-tune their positions.
because we won’t need to clone out details in these parts of the Drag the bezier control handles of an anchor point to adjust the
image. To complete the path, place the last anchor point on the first adjacent curved path so that it follows the contours of the car
one you started the path with. more effectively.
7
Turn the path into a selection
To select fiddly edges you may need to use the Add Anchor
Point tool and click to insert more anchor points into the path.
You can then use the Direct Selection tool to tweak the positions and
8 Clone out the background
Choose Select>Inverse to select the sky instead of the car.
Grab the Clone Stamp tool. Choose a soft round tip from
the Brush Preset picker with a Size of 200. Alt-click a patch of sky
bezier curve handles of the new points. Once the path follows the top to sample it. Paint around the top and sides of the car to extend
and sides of the car, click the Pen tool icon. Go to the Options bar and the sky over the unwanted people. The path-shaped selection will
click the Make Selection button. Set Feather Radius to 1.0. Click OK. A protect the car’s edges from being cloned. Sample and paint grass
selection marquee will appear. to create a clean horizon.
137
LENS CORRECTION
BEFORE
Lens correction
Use the Adaptive Wide Angle filter to counteract even
the most extreme unwanted effects of lens distortion
hen you shoot with a wide-angle lens you may Correction filter’s Horizontal or Vertical Perspective sliders.
W notice that the scene’s horizontal and vertical

lines appear curved. This is referred to as
geometric distortion. The amount of lens-induced
The Lens Correction filter is pretty effective, but it has
limitations, especially when trying to counteract the extreme
geometric distortion produced by wide-angle fisheye lenses.
geometric distortion varies from lens to lens (and it also When using the Lens Correction filter, you can speed up
depends on the focal length you’ve used to capture the the correction process using Lens Profiles. These recognise
scene), but these dramatically curved lines can detract from the make and model of your lens by reading the metadata
the authenticity of a shot. Distorted lines that bulge outwards attached to the image, so they know how much geometric
are said to be suffering from barrel distortion, while lines that distortion there will be at any given focal length. The Lens
curve inwards are afflicted by pincushion distortion. Correction filter’s profiles provide a way to automatically
Older versions of Photoshop CS enable you to tackle most counteract geometric distortion such as curved horizons, but
types of lens distortion by using the Lens Correction filter. they can’t deal as effectively with perspectival distortion.
Geometric distortion (curved lines) can be straightened using The more recent Adaptive Wide Angle filter does a much
that filter’s Remove Distortion filter. Perspectival distortion better job of dealing with both geometric and perspectival
– where the lines converge inwards towards the top of the distortion. It does so by providing different tools to the Lens
frame – can also be counteracted by adjusting the Lens Correction filter’s slider-based solution.
138
LENS CORRECTION
Correct perspectival distortion

Use the Adaptive Wide Angle filter to straighten converging verticals
If you shoot a tall building from a low
angle you risk adding perspectival
distortion to the image. By tilting
the camera upwards to capture the
top of the building, you’ll notice that
the vertical walls appear to converge
inwards instead of running parallel with
the edges of the frame.
Photoshop’s Lens Correction filter
can counteract perspectival distortion
in a photo like the one on the right by
letting you drag the Vertical Perspective
slider to the left.
This makes the top of the frame
appear to lean towards the camera,
straightening the converging verticals
so that they run parallel with the
sides of the frame. However, in this
case you’ll need to lose the top of
the building to get the walls looking
straight, which spoils the
composition of the image and loses
important detail. BEFORE
Instead, go to Filter>Adaptive
Wide Angle and use the advanced
correction tools to do a better
perspectival correction job.
In the Adaptive Wide Angle
window, set the Correction menu
to Perspective. Set the Scale slider
to 86% to zoom out and see more
of the edges. You’re now ready to
follow the walkthrough below.
Correct converging verticals
1
Draw constraints
2
Rotate the constraints
3
Scale transform
Grab the Constraint tool. Place a point Click the left constraint line. Drag the Click to draw constraints along any
at the top left corner of the building. white circle to 90°. This straightens warped horizontal lines. About seven
Place another point at the bottom left corner. the building’s left-hand side. Rotate the lines should be enough. Shift-click each
A constraint line joins the two points. Draw other constraint lines to make them 90°. horizontal line to make it run parallel with
two more vertical lines in the middle and one Shift-click a vertical constraint line to set the bottom of the frame. You may need to
at the right of the building. it to 90° automatically. Shift-click vertical lines too. Click OK.
139
LENS CORRECTION
Correct fisheye lens distortion

Straighten curved verticals and horizontals in a fisheye image
BEFORE
Fisheye lenses like the Sigma DG 8mm
f/3.5 EX enable you to capture a much
wider view of a location than you could
with a conventional lens. However,
by using a fisheye lens your shot’s
horizontal and vertical lines will be
warped into curves, creating a circular
shot surrounded by a black border that
features parts of the lens’s interior. The
old Lens Correction filter has an Auto
Correction tab that enables you to use
Lens Profiles to counteract some of the
distortion in a fisheye photo. The Auto
Correction tab’s Geometric Distortion
option can straighten the curved pillars
of this image’s derelict pier, but it will
still struggle to iron out the bend in the
horizon and the pillars will still suffer
from perspectival distortion.
Open a fisheye image and go to
Filter>Adaptive Wide Angle. You’ll
see the camera model and lens
specifications appear at the bottom
left, so we know that the filter is aware
of the distortion produced by the lens
when set to a particular focal length.
To help produce the best results,
set Correction to Fisheye. The black
interior of the lens will be removed
from the edges. Follow the three steps
below, then crop out the edges.
Fisheye corrections
1
Polygonal constraint
2
Go vertical
3
Straighten the horizon
Grab the Polygon Constraint tool from Place the cursor on the left building’s Draw a line that follows the curved
the filter’s mini toolbar. Place four bottom left control point. Shift-click horizon. To help the line follow
points around the corners of the building. to force the polygon’s tilted lines to become the shore, drag the middle control point
Place the last point on the first to complete vertical. This will straighten the building in an upwards. Draw another line to straighten the
the selection. The building’s curved lines will instant. Do the same for the other three distant horizon. Next manually rotate the
straighten. Do the same for the other three. pillars. Select the Constraint tool. image to ensure the roads are not sloping.
140
LENS CORRECTION
Photoshop Anatomy Adaptive Wide Angle

Get to know the Adaptive Wide Angle filter’s powerful tool set
1
2
5
3
6
1 CONSTRAINT TOOL 3 MOVE TOOL 5 CORRECTION
Use this tool to draw a line that follows a curved line in Use this tool to move the image around so that Adaptive Wide Angle knows what lens you used to
the image. Pixels close to the constraint line will then you can see edge detail when you’ve zoomed in capture the image, but you can still give it a hand by
be straightened. for finer control. choosing an appropriate projection map here.
2 POLYGON CONSTRAINT TOOL 4 ROTATE 6 METADATA
Use this tool when straightening complete objects like The Constraint tool has control points that enable To remove distortion effectively, the Adaptive Wide
the pier support struts in this image. Click to place the you to bend or rotate it so that it follows the distorted Angle filter needs to know the focal length and crop
last point on the first to complete the selection. lines more effectively. factor used when taking the photo.
TRANSPARENT
Understanding… EDGES
CHROMATIC Once you’ve used the Adaptive
Wide Angle filter to correct
ABERRATION 3 distortion, you’ll end up with
transparent edges. To extend
less complex areas such
The Adaptive Wide caused by the lens’s as skies and beaches into
Angle filter does inability to focus the blank space, select the
a fantastic job of different wavelengths transparent areas and go to
removing lens- of light on the same Select>Modify>Expand and
induced geometric part of the sensor. choose 1 pixel. Then choose
and perspective To remove them, you Edit>Fill and use Content-Aware.
distortion, but it can’t could use the filter’s This will fill the empty space with
remove other lens- Chromatic Aberration colour and texture.
related artefacts like sliders, but these
chromatic aberration. don’t always work.
There’s a cyan fringe Instead, add a Hue/
clinging to the left Saturation adjustment
of the pillar [1] and layer [3] and set the 2
a magenta fringe menu to Magenta [4].
1
running along the You can then reduce
right-hand side [2]. the Saturation of that
These fringes are particular colour.
141
REFINE EDGE
Refine Edge
Get perfect selections every time, no matter how
complicated the subject, with the powerful Refine Edge tool
any photo-fixing tasks involve However, it’s unlikely that the edges of a Select>Refine Edge, and you can use it to
M making selections. You may need

to select a specific part of an
image, such as a bland sky, and
selection you make will be absolutely perfect,
and the Refine Edge dialogue enables you to
fine-tune its shape, width, position as well
fine-tune the edges of a layer mask.
Before the Refine Edge tool was introduced,
to fine-tune a selection marquee you had
replace it with something more interesting, or as softness. to go to the Select>Modify menu and apply
tone down an over-exposed sky without When you make a selection using tools refinements one at a time. The most useful
altering the correctly exposed landscape. such as the Rectangular Marquee or Magic of these were Smooth, Expand, Contract,
Alternatively, you might want to cut out a Wand, you’ll notice that the Refine Edge and Feather. Refine Edge presents all these
model from an image, so that you can button becomes active in the Options bar. options in an easy-to-use window, enabling
composite her into a new background image. The button will also appear if you make a you to apply them interactively and preview
The Tools panel contains several selection selection using menu-based commands the results. There’s also a Radius slider, for
tools, from the handy but basic marquee such as Color Range. As a rule, if a tool adjusting the width of the edge over which
tools to the intelligent Quick Selection creates a selection marquee you’ll be able refinements are applied. Refine Edge has
tool. The selections these tools create are to fine-tune it with Refine Edge. You can also many more tricks up its sleeve, as you’ll
demarcated by a border of animated dashes. call up the Refine Edge dialogue by choosing discover…
142
REFINE EDGE
Replace a background
Use Refine Edge to blend a subject into a new background
When you’re shooting public events, BEFORE
you have little control over your
subjects’ movements. In this image,
the naturally posed soldier looks
good in profile, but the partially
obscured vehicle and figure in the
background are distracting. We
could have repositioned ourselves to
cut out the background clutter, but
the main subject might have moved
by then. Thanks to selection tools
and layers, we can isolate the soldier
from the background, and improve
the composition by dropping in
something more interesting from
another photo taken at the same event.
When you select a person or object,
they can look obviously ‘cut out’ because
they have a hard edge, and by feathering
the edge of a selection you can make
a subject blend in more naturally
and effectively with the new background,
to create a more convincing composite.
We’ll show you how to soften an initial
selection using Refine Edge, and how to
ensure that no tell-tale pixels from the
original background are left clinging to
the outline.
Kick off by opening a picture
containing a figure. Choose the Quick
Selection tool, tick Auto-Enhance, and
brush over the figure to select her.
Create a seamless composite
1
Soften the edges
2
Decontaminate
3
Add a new background
After selecting the figure, click Refine Tick Decontaminate Colors, and set Open a new background image. Go
Edge in the Options bar. Choose the On Amount to 45%: this shifts colours of to Select>All, then Edit>Copy. Target
Black preview, so that you can see the traces the background still clinging to the subject’s the main document, go to Edit>Paste, and
of background pixels. Set Smooth to 11 and edge closer to those of the subject, so move the layer below the subject. Choose
Feather to 2.5 to soften the edges, and set they’re less noticeable. Set Output to New Filter>Blur>Gaussian and set an appropriate
Shift Edge to –15%. Layer with Layer Mask. Click OK. Radius to make the images match.
143
REFINE EDGE
Challenging selections
Select complex edge detail, such as fine hair, using Refine Edge’s Radius options
Some subjects have a mix of edge
detail, with both sharp, well-defined
areas and softer, fine details. Take BEFORE
our studio-shot model, for example:
the outline of her arm and shoulder is
nice and sharp, while her flyaway hair
is much more complex and fine. We
can select the studio backdrop easily
enough using the Magic Wand tool,
but if we use Refine Edge to Feather
or Expand the selection to include
more hair detail, we run the risk of
adding unwanted background pixels to
the well-defined edges.
The Radius slider in Refine Edge
enables you to adjust the width of
the edge over which refinements
are applied, but in older versions of
Photoshop you could only adjust the
Radius of the entire outline. In CS5,
a Smart Radius option was added, and
when you enable this the edge radius
will be adjusted automatically to take
account of the detail in different areas,
so it’ll be narrower where edges are
sharp, and wider where edge detail
is less well-defined. For even greater
precision, you can manually target
problematic areas using the Refine
Radius tool, which enables you to
adjust the radius in localised areas with
a brush. See the tutorial below…
Selecting complex edges
1
Make a selection
2
Refine Radius
3
Clean up the colours
Choose the Magic Wand tool, set Click Refine Edge, and set View to To hide the remaining hints of
Tolerance to 23 and clear Contiguous. On Black. The selected hair will look backdrop, tick Decontaminate Colors
Click the backdrop to select it. Next, take the sharp and jagged. Tick the Smart Radius and set Amount to 60%. Set Output to New
Quick Selection tool and click the Subtract box, and set Radius to 7.5 pixels. Click the Layer with Layer Mask, and click OK. You
from selection button. Brush over the Refine Radius icon. Set the brush Size to can now paste in a new backdrop, and you’ll
background to remove it from the selection. 100, and brush around the edges of the hair. see that the hair has been preserved.
144
REFINE EDGE
Photoshop Anatomy Refine Edge options

Get even more from Refine Edge with our close-up look at its editable options
1
2
3
4
5
1 SMOOTH 3 CONTRAST 5 LAYER MASK
When you select an object, its edges may include Increases the contrast between partially selected If you output your refined selection as a New Layer
jagged or blocky clumps of background pixels. Use this pixels, like increasing the contrast between light grey with Layer Mask you can continue fine-tuning it by
slider to smooth out the edges. and dark grey areas of a layer mask. applying white or black brushes to the mask.
2 FEATHER 4 SHIFT EDGE 6 POINT OF VIEW
Increase the Feather value to soften the edges of the This slider enables you to strike a balance between Choose the View option that best enables you to see
selection. This will help a selected subject blend more revealing edge details and hiding fringes of unwanted the edge pixels, for example On Black if you’re
effectively with its new surroundings. background pixels. trying to select blonde hair.
Understanding…
EDGE 5
DETECTION
3 1
Many selection which refinements
subjects, especially are applied where 4 2
people, have outlines required. Click and
that comprise both hold the brush icon
hard and soft edges. [3] to access the
The Edge Detection Refine Radius tool.
section [1] of the This enables you to
Refine Edge dialogue brush over areas to
enables you to select increase the edge
varied edges more width. If the tool
effectively. If your reveals unwanted
subject’s edges vary background pixels, use
in softness, tick the Erase Refinements
Smart Radius [2]. tool [4] to make the
This automatically edge narrower again.
increases the width Click Show Radius [5]
of the edge over to display the radius.
145
LAYER MASKS
BEFORE
Introducing
layer masks
Combine selected parts of images non-destructively using layer
masks, so you’re free to refine the selections at any time
hotoshop has plenty of tools that After cutting out the sky they will be makes the corresponding pixels on the
P enable you to select parts of

images based on properties such
as colour or tone. In the case of our
permanently deleted from the image layer. If it
turns out that you’ve also selected and deleted
the edges of a building, then you won’t be able
attached image layer 100% solid. The black
sections of the mask make the associated
pixels 100% transparent. You can then paint
starting image, we have a basic sky that can to recover those deleted details. However, by with black or white on the mask to change
easily be selected with a few clicks using the converting a selection into a layer mask you which pixels are visible and which are hidden,
Magic Wand tool. After selecting the unwanted can hide unwanted areas on the attached im- which enables you to refine the results of any
sky we could double click the background age layer without permanently deleting them. selection tool until they are perfect. Unlike the
layer to unlock it and then choose Edit>Cut to This enables you to restore missing details Edit>Cut command, layer masks are
remove the sky. We could then replace the from your image layer. non-destructive. This makes them the key
original sky with something more interesting, Layer masks turn a selection into a black- tool in making more effective selections and
such as a dramatic cloudscape. and-white image. The white part of the mask producing convincing composite images.
146
LAYER MASKS
Photoshop Anatomy Layer masks in action

Hide or show details on an image layer in a non-destructive way
1 SELECTION TOOL
To select the sky in the starting image, grab the Magic

Wand tool from the Tools panel. By holding down Shift
you can click and select most of the sky’s similar- 1 5
looking pixels as a ‘marching ants’ marquee.
2 HIDE SELECTION
6 2 3
After selecting most of the sky you can hide the
unwanted pixels by choosing Layer>Layer Mask> 4
Hide Selection. This attaches a black-and-white layer
mask to the original Background image layer that
hides the selection.
3 TRANSPARENCY
Once you turn a selection into a layer mask, the

masked (or hidden) pixels are replaced by a
chequerboard transparency pattern. You can then drop
another image layer into the background to replace the
sky in these transparent areas.
4 LAYER MASK 5 MODIFY THE MASK 6 REVEAL DETAIL
After converting a selection into a layer mask, the In this example the Magic Wand has failed to select If you want to restore any pixels hidden by the
black parts of the mask hide the corresponding pixels all the sky, so some blue pixels remain after the selection tool’s initial layer mask, set the Brush tool to
on the attached image layer. In this case the sky is mask has been created. By painting with a black white and paint. Hidden details will be revealed. Press
being hidden. The white parts of the mask make the brush on the layer mask you can hide the remaining X to toggle between a white and black brush to show or
unselected buildings on the image layer solid. unwanted pixels. hide the pixels until you’re happy with the mask.
PAINT LAYER
MASKS FASTER
You’re not limited to simply

painting on a mask with a black
or white brush to hide or show
Understanding… pixels. You can quickly hide or
reveal larger areas by making
MASK OPTIONS selections with other tools.
In our annotated screen grab
2 above we used the Brush tool
If you right click a layer it will disappear and to paint black on the mask to
mask, a pop-up menu replace the masked 1 hide the remaining traces of sky.
will appear. Here you black pixels with Alternatively, we could have used
can disable the layer transparent ones. In the Rectangular marquee tool
mask to see the layer’s effect, you would be to select the sky at the top. We
original pixels. A red deleting the unwanted could then click the layer mask to
3
X will appear when image elements target it and choose the Edit>Fill
command to add black to the
the mask has been permanently. You can
selection. This would hide the
disabled [1]. You can also use the powerful
remaining sky more quickly than
turn the mask back on Refine Edge command 4 painting over it. It also ensures
using the Enable Layer to soften the mask
that you don’t miss the corners,
Mask command [2]. or expand its area of which is easy to do when using a
If you choose to apply influence [4]. We’ll brush, especially if the opacity is
the layer mask [3] cover this tool later. set to less than 100%.
147
LAYER MASKS
Make better
layer masks
Create more effective composites and selective adjustments
by adjusting the properties of your layer masks
hotoshop CC has a ‘Select and Mask’ option that
BEFORE
P enables you to refine and improve existing layer
masks with rough or pixelated edges. In fact, it
offers tools that you might be familiar with from
the Refine Mask option in previous versions.
To show you how this works, we’ve created a layered
image montage combining this travel shot with a new and
more interesting sky on the layer below – to try this out
yourself, load up the before_masks.jpg sample file.
This Select and Mask dialog can be used to modify an
existing selection, or to make a new one from scratch. In our
example image here, we’re using the Quick Selection tool to
select the blank blue sky in the top layer (it’s quicker than
trying to select the more complex foreground) to create our
layer mask. It works well enough along the hard edges of the
building, but not quite so well around the irregular outlines
of the trees on the right-hand side.
With the Select and Mask dialog, though, we can not only
preview the new layer mask, but also modify it as we work.
1
Select and Mask
2
Use the Transparency setting
We’ve opened our sample image and you can see the two You can use the Transparency setting near the top of
layers in the Layers panel on the right side of the screen. the Properties panel to show both layers at once. This
We need to mask out the blue sky in the top layer so that the can help you see which areas you need to be masking. We’re
new and more interesting sky underneath shows through. The using the Quick Selection tool to select the sky – we can
Select and Mask command is on the Select menu… then invert this selection to select the building instead.
148
LAYER MASKS
3
Check the edges
4
Refine Edge Brush tool
Once the sky selection is complete, we click the Invert To do this, select the Refine Radius Brush tool from
button in the Properties panel to switch the selection the left side of the Refine Mask window. Now just
to the building. The edges around the roof and walls look brush over the problem areas to refine the selection. If the
fine, but the selection hasn’t worked well in amongst the selection still looks unnatural, try dragging the Shift Edge
branches of the trees alongside – we need to fix that. slider to the left to reduce fringing.
149
MASKS AND MONTAGES
Make a
surreal
portrait
Discover how to shoot and
combine a series of frames to
create a seamless mid-air
self-portrait inspired by Dali
or this tutorial we set out to shoot a mid-air
F self-portrait inspired by an image of Salvador

Dali, taken by one of the greatest portrait
photographers, Phillippe Halsman. Halsman
captured Dali mid-air among flying cats, canvas, chairs and
a plume of water. 28 attempts were needed before the
combination of flying objects looked right, with everything
having to be cleared and reset after each attempt. Here,
rather than doing it all at once, we’ll show you how to
capture several levitating objects separately, then combine
the frames in Photoshop using simple masking and
selection skills. To shoot images for this effect, use a tripod
and keep the focal length, focus point and exposure
consistent. We used a remote trigger to fire the shutter. For
lighting, we set the speedlight to act as a slave, then
synced the camera to a studio flash. After shooting the
portrait, we captured other objects in mid-air, flagging the
light to match the mid-air shot.
150
MASKS AND MONTAGES
MASKS AND MONTAGES
1
Adjust in Raw
2
Paste settings
Once you’ve captured all the objects, you’re ready to combine Back in Bridge, right click the same image and choose Devel-
them in Photoshop. Begin by opening Adobe Bridge, then op Settings>Copy Settings. Next, hold down Cmd/Ctrl and
navigate to the flying object files. Double click the image of the falling click to select all the other files that you’re going to use for the com-
person to open it in Camera Raw. Set Temperature 5400, Tint +7, posite. Right click over them and choose Develop Settings>Paste
Shadows +43, Clarity +30, and Saturation -23. Click Done to save Settings to give all the images the same adjustments you made to
your settings. the first image.
3
Copy the layer
4
Mask cushions
Highlight the flying01 and 02 images in Adobe Bridge, Click the Add layer mask icon at the bottom of the Layers
then hold down Shift and double click them to open them panel, then grab the Brush tool and set the active colour to
directly into Photoshop. Grab the Move tool, check Auto Select black using the swatch in the Tools panel. Using a soft-edged brush,
Layer and Show Transform Controls. Hold down Shift and drag paint over the sofa cushions scattered on the floor in the bottom left
the falling man up to the tab of the other image, then down in to corner of the image to hide them, revealing the empty background
copy it over and align. scene on the layer below.
152
MASKS AND MONTAGES
5
Refine the edges
6
Add objects
Open one of the mid-air objects into Photoshop, then grab the Grab the Move tool and use it to drag the object into the main
Quick Selection tool from the Tools panel. Paint over the object image. Position it wherever you like. If you need to rotate or
to select it (hold down Alt to subtract from the selection if it goes resize it, hit Cmd/Ctrl+T, then use the bounding box (hold Shift while
wrong). Click Refine Edge and set Radius 1px, Smooth 1px, and use the resizing to constrain the proportions). Be mindful, however, of the
other sliders to improve the selection. Choose Output to: Layer Mask way the light hits the objects, and try to keep it consistent with the
and click OK. main image.
7
Convert to monochrome
Add more objects in the same way. Once you’re happy with
the arrangement of the objects, highlight the top layer, then
click the Create adjustment layer icon and choose Black and White.
8 Darken the image
Click the Create adjustment layer icon and choose Curves. Drag
down the curve line to darken the image, then grab the Gradient
tool. Press D to reset the colours, then choose the Foreground to
Adjust the colour sliders to fine-tune the brightness of the Background gradient preset. Drag up from the bottom to darken it.
individual colours to get the look you’re after, or click Auto for Pho- Use separate curves layers to darken the top left corner and lighten
toshop to do it for you. the left side.
153
CONTROLLED BLUR
Improve images with

controlled blur
Discover how to improve your photographs by adding
creative and selective blur effects using the Blur Gallery
hen you capture an image on a If you have a tilt-shift lens you can take even effects in camera can be tricky, so we’ll
W digital SLR you can add in-camera

blur effects to enhance your
images. By using a wide aperture
more control over where blur appears in your
images. This specialist lens enables you to
create a narrow band of focus sandwiched be-
demonstrate how to create these effects
using Photoshop’s Blur Gallery. This gives you
more control over the strength and location
setting such as f/2 you create a shallow depth tween two blurred sections. This narrow band of blur in any image, which helps you avoid
of field, for instance. This makes the focal of focus mimics the effect you get when shoot- the hit-and-miss approach of capturing blur
point, such as the face in a portrait, look nice ing a small subject close up, which makes in camera. The Blur Gallery’s Field Blur filter
and sharp, while blurring out the distracting life-size scenes look like scale models. adds a natural-looking lens blur to the entire
background elements. Producing good selective-focus or tilt-shift image. Here’s how…
Overview Create a background blur

Use the Blur Gallery’s Iris Blur filter to reduce the impact of background distractions
4 FALL OFF
You can feather the area between the

sharp and blurred pixels by dragging
1
any one of these four control points.
This enables you to control how gradual
or steep the blend is between the
focused and blurred pixels.
5 LIGHT BOKEH
5
Lens-produced bokeh may feature
artefacts such as clipped (or blooming)
4 highlights. Recreate these effects by
dragging this slider right. The Light
Range slider shrinks or enlarges the
6 3 range of tones with blown-out highlights,
such as on the hand in this shot.
2
6 MORE PINS
Click to place additional Iris Blur pins.

This enables you to take more control
over the strength and location of the
bokeh in any part of the image.
1 IRIS BLUR 2 POSITION PIN 3 BLUR AMOUNT
Go to the Filter menu and choose A control pin will be placed at the You can increase or decrease the
Blur. The top section of the Blur menu centre of the image. Drag the pin to amount of blur by dragging this dial.
features the Blur Gallery – Field Blur, position it over the area that you Areas outside the ellipse will become
Iris Blur and Tilt-Shift. Choose Iris Blur. want to keep sharp. softer or sharper.
154
CONTROLLED BLUR
Photoshop Anatomy Tilt-Shift blur filter

Give ordinary snapshots the look of photos of scale models
2 3 4
1 TILT-SHIFT 4 BLUR BORDER
If you’re already working in the Blur Gallery, click here to Drag this dotted line to create a narrower or wider
activate the Tilt-Shift option, and then toggle it open to access transition between the blurred and focused parts of
the editable properties. Or choose Filter>Blur>Tilt-Shift from the image. You can adjust the top and bottom transition
the main menu bar. lines independently.
2 POSITION PIN 5 FOCUS
As with the Iris Blur, you can drag a pin to fine-tune the position The centre of any blur filter’s ellipse in the Blur Gallery is 100%
of the sharp and blurred pixels in your filtered image. You can in focus. You can make the blur effect seep into the sharper
also drag the pin’s dial to increase or decrease the Blur amount. areas of the image by reducing the value of this slider.
3 ROTATE 6 NOISE
You can rotate a real tilt-shift lens to create a diagonal line of The Noise tab enables you to add image noise that might have
focus that suits your subject matter’s composition. Recreate been blurred by the effects of the filter so that the resulting
this effect by dragging the rotate icon that appears when you image will have noise on top of the blur – just like you’d get with
rest the cursor near a control point. in-camera blur.
155
PHOTOSHOP FILTERS
How to use
plug-in filters
The filters built in to Photoshop are just the start – there’s a
world of plug-in filters that work perfectly with Photoshop
owerful as Photoshop is, there are some jobs it
P just can’t do – or which would be too difficult and

time-consuming to figure out. Adobe happily
acknowledges that there are specialist tools out
there which can do particular jobs better or faster than
Photoshop can, which is why it’s built in support for plug-ins.
These are essentially mini-applications which you can invoke
from within Photoshop and which return a new version of the
picture to Photoshop when they’re done.
There’s a booming market in plug-ins, and for this tutorial
we’re using the Google Nik Collection, which has recently
been made completely free and can be downloaded from
www.google.com/nikcollection. If you’ve never tried plug-ins
before, prepare to be amazed…
The Google Nik Collection, like other plug-in software,
comes with an installer that automatically places the plug-in
files where Photoshop can find them – but make sure no
Adobe applications are running when you install the software
or you’ll get an error message. Most major plug-in collections
these days also work with Lightroom, by the way.
It is possible to make filtered images re-adjustable by
first converting the picture to a Smart Object. For this BEFORE
walkthrough, though, we’ve kept things simple.
1
How to launch installed plug-ins
2
Choose your filter settings
Let’s start off with our sample image, before_plugins. For this walkthrough we’re using the Google Analog
jpg – you can of course try this out with your own shots. Efex Pro 2 plug-in, which offers a vast array of film,
If your plug-in filters have installed correctly they’ll appear to- darkroom and image manipulation effects. This is one of its
wards the bottom of the Filter menu. We’re using the Google Multi-lens presets, which splits the photo up into cells and
Nik Collection, which offers a further sub-menu. recombines them a new arrangement. We’ll click OK…
156
PHOTOSHOP FILTERS
3
Back in Photoshop
4
Blend modes and opacity
Once the plug-in has finished processing the image its The fact that the filtered image is on a new layer
window closes and you’re back in Photoshop. You can enables us to combine it with the original in a variety
see that the effect has been added as a new layer, whereas of ways. Here, we’ve set the blending mode to Linear Light
Photoshop’s in-built filters act directly on the Background and the layer opacity to 50% to create an abstract blend of
layer. We can save the image as it is or go just a step further… the original image and the filtered version.
157
SHARPEN UP IMAGES
Sharpen up
your images
Discover how to make your images appear crisp
and sharp, even those blighted by camera-shake blur
t can be a challenge to get your shutter speed may also induce blur, which is smooth areas, such as in the background of
I images looking sharp. Many digital

cameras have a built-in filter that
blurs the image in an attempt to
more difficult to fix.
Photoshop has sharpening tools that are
designed to tease out detail in a soft-looking
our starting image. You can also introduce
artefacts such as blown-out highlights.
In our first annotation we’ll point out the
avoid producing moiré patterns. This low-pass shot. This post-production sharpening works key techniques involved in using the Smart
(or anti-aliasing) filter can also soften impor- by increasing the contrast around the edges of Sharpen filter to reveal fine details in a soft
tant details and create a photo that lacks details in the image, giving them more impact. photo. We’ll then demonstrate how the Shake
impact. What looks sharp on the camera’s However, when you sharpen an image using Reduction command can counteract motion
LCD screen may turn out to be soft. A slow filters you risk exaggerating picture noise in blur caused by camera shake.
Overview The Smart Sharpen filter

Give details more impact and keep sharpening artefacts at bay
4 AMOUNT
This slider increases the strength of the

contrast adjustment around the edges
of details in the image. This contrast
boost gives fine areas, such as the
eyelashes in this image, more impact
and makes them look sharper.
5 RADIUS
2 1
This slider increases the spread of
the Amount contrast change. A larger
Radius value creates thicker darker
6 and lighter lines that can turn into
distracting halo artefacts. As a rule, stick
4 7 to a maximum Radius of 2.
6 REMOVE
5
3 The most effective sharpening option
in this menu is Lens Blur. The Motion
Blur slider is designed to counteract
camera-shake blur, but it’s never been
very effective. Check out the new Shake
Reduction filter, opposite, however.
1 GET SMART 2 SMART SHARPEN 3 GIVE IT 100% 7 SHADOWS

You can sharpen an image in a non- Photoshop has many sharpening To assess how soft or sharp an image Toggle open this option to selectively
destructive way by turning the image tools. The most versatile can be really is, you need to look at it at 100%. limit the sharpening to the shadows or
layer into a Smart Object. You can summoned by choosing Filter> By default the Smart Sharpen preview highlights. This enables you to target the
then toggle the filter on and off. Sharpen>Smart Sharpen. window will zoom in to this value. areas that need sharpening.
158
SHARPEN UP IMAGES
Photoshop Anatomy Shake Reduction filter

Counteract the length and direction of shake-induced motion blur
1 3
5
4
6
1 BLUR TRACE MARQUEE 4 ARTEFACT SUPPRESSION
Click the pin at the centre of the default blur trace marquee The shake-reduction process can add ugly artefacts such
and drag it to the area that needs to look sharp. The Shake as noise, haloes and repeating edges (ghosting), especially
Reduction filter will then analyse the selected area to determine if multiple blur trace bounds are used. This slider will reduce
the length and direction of motion-blurred pixels. those artefacts.
2 BLUR TRACE BOUNDS 5 SMOOTHING
After launching the filter, Photoshop attempts to work out how This slider enables you to get a balance between smoothing
long and wide the streaks of motion blur are in pixels. If you out sharpening-induced noise in clear areas such as skin, while
spot haloes around contrasting edges, try reducing the amount. preserving details in contrasting edges.
3 SOURCE NOISE 6 ADVANCED OPTIONS
If your photo was captured using a high ISO such as 800 Our two Blur Trace marquees help Photoshop understand
or higher, then you can set this drop-down menu to High to motion blur in different sections of the image. Each white blur
stop noise artefacts from being exaggerated by the shake- trace icon shows the length and direction of a particular Blur
reduction process. Trace marquee’s blur.
159
REMOVE NOISE
BEFORE
Remove noise
from your photos
Smooth out undesirable image noise while preserving
detail throughout the photo using the Reduce Noise filter
hen shooting with a traditional film camera, you sensitive to light, but they add more noise to your digital
W could use film with different ISO speeds to

capture more detail in low-light conditions. The
faster (higher) the film’s ISO speed, the more
files. Digital noise is a bit like film grain, but it’s sharper, uglier
and more distracting. There are two types of digital noise
– luminance (greyscale) and chroma (colour). Luminance
sensitive it was to available light. A fast film enabled you to noise appears throughout the tonal range of the image as
avoid using slow shutter speeds in low light, so you could tiny dots. It can be compared to grain in analogue film, so it
capture detail without the need for a tripod. You could also isn’t as undesirable as chroma noise, which manifests itself
shoot handheld in locations where a flash was prohibited, as multi-coloured speckles. However, you may still want to
such as in a museum or church. However, fast ISO speed film smooth out high ISO-induced luminance noise to get a more
added clumps of grain to your negatives. The higher the ISO pristine digital photo.
speed, the grainier the images would be. When reducing the presence of luminance noise, you have
Digital cameras recreate the traditional ISO film speed to be careful not to blur important details. The Reduce Noise
effect to enable you to capture more detail in low light. filter’s sliders enable you to get a balance between removing
As with film, higher ISO settings (such as 1600) are more noise while preserving detail.
160
REMOVE NOISE
1
Analyse the noise
2
Open the Reduce Noise filter
Open before_noise.jpg. To see the ISO setting used to Grab the Hand tool and drag to examine parts of
capture this image, go to File>Info and click the Camera the magnified image. Noise is especially notice-
Data tab. Here you can see that the ISO speed is 1000, so able in darker smoother areas such as the night-sky. Go to
there will be noise present. Click OK. Double click the Zoom Filter>Noise>Reduce Noise. To see how the sliders work their
tool to display the image at 100%. magic, drop them to 0 to start with.
3
Reduce the colour noise
4
Blurred versus sharp
Colour noise is easy to remove because there’s no risk Drag the Strength slider to 6 to start smoothing out
of smoothing out important detail. Zoom in to 200% the luminance noise. This blurs the noise, but it also
to see the noise more clearly. Drag the Reduce Color Noise blurs our subject’s important architectural details. Drag the
slider to 70% to remove the coloured speckles. This just Preserve Details slider until you get a balance between detail
leaves the luminance noise for us to deal with. and noise. Here, a value of 16% is a good compromise.
5
Before and after
The Sharpen Details slider restores features that may
have blurred. Drag it to 17%. Now that you’ve restored
detail to the image, you can increase the Strength to 7. Click
6 Advanced options
Click the Advanced button. Here you can toggle
through the red, green and blue channels that make up
the colour image. Traditionally, the blue channel is more prone
the preview window to see a noisier before version. Release to displaying noise, so drag Strength to 3. Click OK to remove
the mouse button to see the reduced-noise version. the image noise.
161
MAKING SELECTIONS
162
MAKING SELECTIONS
Quick Mask edits

Fine-tune a selection marquee quickly and intuitively
by using a brush in the Quick Mask editing mode
fter making an initial selection with one of The Select>Modify commands are useful when fine-tuning
A Photoshop’s marquee tools, you may need to

tweak the shape of the marquee to select your
subject more effectively. You can use the Add to
the selection overall, such as giving it a feathered edge, but
for more control you can try editing it in Quick Mask mode. A
Quick Mask replaces the selection marquee with red colour.
or Subtract from icons in the Options bar to change the way By manually painting with a black or white brush on the mask
the active selection tool behaves. Alternatively, you can adjust you can add to or subtract from the selected areas until the
existing selections by using the Select menu’s Modify selection has been improved. The temporary Quick Mask
commands to expand or contract the selection around the mode is a close cousin to the permanent layer mask. It’s a
edges of the subject. great way to check that your selections are complete.
1
Make a selection
2
Activate Quick Mask
Open your image. Grab the Magic Wand tool. The bird’s To remove parts of the dress from the selection, press
wings is a similar colour to the backdrop, so reduce Toler- Q to turn the marquee into a Quick Mask. Unselected
ance to 23 and click Contiguous to make the tool only select areas appear as red patches. Grab the Brush tool. Choose a
areas that are connected to the sample section. Shift-click to hard round brush tip from the Brush Preset picker. Set the
add all the background to the selection. foreground colour to black by pressing D for default.
3
Edit the Quick Mask
Paint over any areas of the dress that should be
excluded from the selection. These areas will turn red
as you paint. To remove the edges of the wings from the
4 Modify the marquee
Press X to switch the foreground colour to white. Now
you can paint to add bits of backdrop to the selection
(such as the area near the beak). The red patches will
disappear, indicating a selected area. Press Q to exit Quick
selection, hold down Shift and click to place points.
Mask mode and see the modified selection marquee.
163
CONTENT-AWARE
BEFORE
Content-Aware
Clone, move, patch and heal an image the smart
way using the intelligent Content-Aware tools
n this Tool School, we’ll explore ways to make with its surroundings, enabling the tool to take a suitable skin
I tools perform more effectively, thanks to the

Content-Aware option. This intelligent feature can
dramatically speed up your editing. When you
sample rather than an inappropriate eyebrow to place over
the pimple.
The Content-Aware option enables tools such as the Spot
paint with the Spot Healing Brush over an unwanted pimple Healing Brush to become a bit more intelligent, so that they
on a model’s cheek, the tool will automatically sample can perform more effectively. However, even with this IQ
adjacent skin pixels, place them over the pimple and boost they still have their limitations. The Content-Aware
seamlessly blend the join between cloned pixels and their Spot Healing Brush will usually do a decent job of replacing
neighbours. However, if the pimple is too close to a facial a horizontal power cable that crosses a building’s vertical
feature such as an eyebrow, the brush may inadvertently lines with appropriate pixels, but if the cable overlaps a more
sample some hair and place it over the pimple. This forces complex shape, then the sampled and relocated pixels will be
you to undo the edit and switch to its cousin the Healing unlikely to blend successfully with their neighbours. In these
Brush, so that you can manually Alt-click to choose a patch instances you’ll still need the Healing Brush or Clone Stamp
of clear skin to place over the pimple. tools to manually sample more appropriate pixels.
Alternatively, by activating the Spot Healing Brush’s So Content-Aware technology isn’t infallible, but as you’ll
Content-Aware option it will analyse the pimple in context see, they can be very useful when retouching certain images.
164
CONTENT-AWARE
Fix photos with Fill and Patch

Use Content-Aware to remove distracting background objects
Content-Aware commands such as Fill
and Patch can
help you conquer common photo-fixing
challenges. Take a look at our shaggy
dog image. The horizon is tilted at an
angle and there’s a black barbecue
stand cluttering up the background
on the right, distracting the eye from
our canine subject. You could try using
the Crop tool to straighten the wonky
horizon, but this would involve losing
the lower edge of the dog if you need
to retain the shape (or aspect ratio) of BEFORE
the image. Bits of unwanted barbecue
stand on the right would still remain in
the cropped shot, so you would also
need to use the time-consuming Clone
Stamp tool to replace the unwanted
barbecue with clear sections of wall
from the other side of the door.
To remove unwanted objects more
quickly you can combine the powers of
the Patch tool with the Fill command,
especially as both can be made to
be Content-Aware. The Patch tool
enables you to replace the barbecue
with blank bits of wall and then blend
the relocated wall pixels seamlessly
with their new neighbours. You can
then rotate the shot to straighten the
horizon, and use the Content-Aware Fill
command to quickly fill these gaps.
Fill and Patch
1
Draw a patch
2
Straighten the horizon
3
Fill the gaps
Open an image similar to the one above. In the Layers panel, double click the Choose the Lasso tool. Draw a rough
Grab the Patch tool. Set the Patch locked Background layer to make it selection around a transparent corner
option to Content-Aware. Set Adaptation editable. Go to Edit>Transform>Rotate. and its adjacent pixels. Go to Edit>Fill. Set
to Medium. Draw a patch around the Drag the corner handles to an angle of –5.00 Use to Content-Aware. Click OK. This fills the
distracting element. Drag the patch to degrees to straighten the horizon. Your own selection with appropriate bits of
overlap a clear section of the image. image will differ, of course. sandstone and wooden beam.
165
DODGE AND BURN
Dodge and Burn

Get to grips with these versatile tools to tweak
the tones of your photographs with precision
n this Tool School, we look at the versatile Dodge, the print, you needed to protect – or mask – the rest of the
I Burn and Sponge tools. These useful brush-based

tools let you lighten (dodge) or darken (burn)
shadows, midtones or highlights in specific areas,
photo paper with a piece of card. The longer exposure time
would darken the unmasked region.
Cameras use multiple points to assess, or meter, the
offering a quick and easy way to fine-tune exposure-related scene’s lighting. If you shoot a person against a bright sky,
problems and reveal more detail. We’ll come back to the the camera may set the exposure to capture detail in the
Sponge tool in due course, because it’s not a major player brighter areas, so the (darker) person will be under-exposed.
compared with the Dodge and Burn tools. Alternatively, the camera may expose a landscape to capture
The Dodge and Burn tools take their names from detail in the terrain, over-exposing the brighter highlights
traditional darkroom techniques. Negatives were developed and blowing out sky detail. You may find that atmospheric
by shining light from an enlarger onto a piece of light- conditions cause distant features such as mist-diffused
sensitive paper. If you placed a small object between the light mountains to become washed out. The Dodge and Burn
and the paper during the exposure, you could cast a shadow tools let you target and tweak problematic areas to reveal
on a specific part of the print. Since the shaded (dodged) more tonal detail, without adjusting the exposure of the
area received less light than the rest of the shot, it would scene as a whole. The Dodge and Burn tools share a toolbox
remain lighter. To darken (burn) detail in a different part of compartment with the Sponge tool. Here’s how to use them…
166
DODGE AND BURN
Combining Dodge and Burn with layers

Use layer blends to help you employ these powerful tools in a non-destructive way
ike many Photoshop tools,
L the Dodge, Burn and Sponge

tools are brush-based. This
means you can use the
Brush Preset Picker to soften their
edges, more effectively blending edited
areas with their neighbouring pixels.
You can also change the size of each
tool’s tip to make it act upon a larger
region, or fine-tune a smaller section,
with precision. You can also use the
Options bar in order to customise the
way the Dodge and Burn tools behave.
If you want to use the Dodge tool
to lighten an area’s midtones without
over-exposing its highlights – like on
the wall in our monochrome landscape,
for example – then go to the Options
bar and set the Range in the drop-
down menu to Shadows. This will force
the Dodge tool to lighten the darkest
shadow pixels, but leave the lighter
midtones and highlights untouched.
When you use the Dodge and Burn
tools, you permanently change the
contents of the image.
In the step-by-step tutorial below,
we show you how to dodge and burn
a landscape image on a separate
layer, which will give you the freedom
to experiment without permanently
lightening or darkening the tones on the
original shot.
Dodge and burn non-destructively
1
Fill with grey
2
Lighten the landscape
3
Darken the sky
Open a landscape image with exposure Select the Dodge tool. Set Size to Select the Burn tool. Set Size to 700,
problems. Choose Layer>New 300, Range to Midtones and Exposure Range to Highlights and Exposure to
Adjustment Layer>Black & White. Click the to 25%. Click the Overlay layer, then paint 30%. Paint over the sky to reveal some of
Create new layer icon. Choose Edit>Fill. Use over the landscape to lighten its midtones. the over-exposed highlight detail. Switch
50% Gray, and click OK. Now set the grey The low Exposure setting lets us dodge the between the Dodge and Burn tools to lighten
layer’s Blend mode to Overlay. landscape in finer increments. or darken particular features.
167
ADVANCED
EDITING SKILLS
Take things further and learn
how to retouch like a pro and
develop your own style
170 ADVANCED IMAGE RETOUCHING
Learn the tools that the pros use for outstanding
image retouching skills
182 DEVELOP YOUR

EDITING STYLE
Embrace creative freedom and learn to use
experimentation to hone your own signature
168
169
ADVANCED IMAGE RETOUCHING
170
ADVANCED
IMAGE
RETOUCHING
Learn the tools that the pros use for outstanding
image retouching skills
hile the photographer does all the start. It’s now possible to get software
W they can to appropriately expose

a subject, by dialling in the right
aperture, shutter speed and ISO,
to use artificial intelligence to identify faces,
which then provide us with the tools we need
to quickly and creatively alter features or poor
some things are out of the control of the posing techniques. In this chapter we’ll look
photographer, even impossible to do in real at some of the most useful advanced features
life. For example, controlling every hair on a used for retouching portraits and landscapes.
person’s head for a neat portrait, or We’ll see when and why you might want to
rearranging the clouds in the sky. use tools like the Clone Stamp, how editing
That’s where some more advanced image Raw images gives us greater flexibility when
retouching skills come in handy. Editing it comes to exposure changes, and make
software is now so intelligent that almost selective adjustments to small portions of
anything can be done. Removing blemishes our photographs to make them stand out
from skin and adding artificial graduated from the crowd. First, let’s take a look at
neutral density filters to bright skies are just retouching portraiture.
Portrait image
retouching
Refined image edits
can help improve
on the work of the
photographer during
the shooting process
Image © Getty
171
Portrait retouching
Learn advanced portrait retouching techniques that not only improve
the finished product, but make it look natural in the process
Retouching isn’t about slimming our figures, giving wouldn’t exist if shooting on another day. Therefore, if up-close, it’s no wonder we can see things like wrinkles,
ourselves bigger eyes or changing the colour of our we don’t or can’t remove these temporary blemishes spots and fly-aways on hair.
hair. Instead, it’s about enhancing the natural beauty with make-up or lighting, we can use retouching We’ll take a look at how to edit the most
of the subject and removing distraction. For example, techniques to take them out. important areas of a portrait; the eyes, the skin
a model is booked in for a photoshoot on Monday So as you can see, it’s not about creating the and the hair, and even tidying clothing. Some
morning but has trouble sleeping the night before, ‘perfect look’ or trying to transform the way people of these tools will be automatic or assisting
they may turn up with heavy bags under their eyes or look into an idealised version of themselves, instead our ability to edit, while others will be manual
extra wrinkles at the sides of their cheeks. Or perhaps it can just be about removing the temporary, and requiring forethought, skill and patience. But each
a subject just so happens to get a spot on their chin revealing the beauty that’s already there. After all, and every edit is manageable to all prospective
on the day of the photoshoot. These things can’t when the bright lights are on, the lens crystal-clear, editors that want to get their hands dirty editing
be helped, and are temporary issues that perhaps and a huge image sensor is recording all that detail portrait photographs, so let’s get started.
RAW sharpening
Sharpening is vital for almost every digital image. Perform it non-destructively in RAW processing
1
Open Camera RAW
2
Adjustment brush
3
The Camera Raw editing window is much Use keyboard shortcut K to select the Erase unwanted mask
more flexible than using Photoshop’s standard Adjustment brush. Then resize the brush Select the Erase radio button at the top of
editing techniques. Camera Raw allows you to edit using the Size slider in the Adjustment panel (or [ the adjustment brush panel and make the
to depth and precision, giving you all the associated and ] keys). Adjust Feather to 50. Boost Exposure brush size smaller, with a Feather of 20 to soften
tools you would use with Camera Raw (even if your by +0.4 with a view to slightly increasing the the brush strokes slightly. Click the Mask button
photo isn’t Raw format). Head to Filter> Camera brightness of the eyes. Place the cursor in the at the bottom of the panel and change the mask
Raw Filter. Cmd & + (Ctrl & + on PC) will zoom in, centre of the pupil and make sure the size of the colour to something vivid, like bright red. Now
do this so both eyes are clearly visible and large in brush perfectly encompasses the circumference remove any part of the mask that does not sit
the window. of the iris. directly over the pupil or iris.
4
New adjustment brush
5
Darken the edges
6
Enhance eyeliner
Click New in the adjustment brush panel to Make a new adjustment brush again and this With a new adjustment brush we reduced
start a new adjustment brush. Reset the brush time reset the slider values, but decrease the Exposure slider by -0.55 and then
so that it fits neatly inside the iris, without affecting the the Blacks to -7. Paint around the outer edge of the painted around the sections of the eyelid that
outer edge of the iris, or the pupil on the inside. Boost iris – this is usually the darker section of the eye contained eyeliner. This helped to darken the
Whites by +40 and paint around the inside of the anyway – and over the pupil. Allow the brush to eyeliner further, giving a truer black around the
pupil to make the colours and fibres in the iris stand feather out around the edges or risk an unnatural eye. This can also be done with coloured eyeliner
out further. You may want to zoom in further on each finish. This helps to define the iris and makes the by going to the Colour option in the adjustment
individual eye to do this more accurately. eyes pop. brush and choosing an appropriate hue.
172
BEFORE
Lack of range
The eyes are clearly
visible, but they lack any
real dynamic range and
don’t draw the attention
of the viewer.
Dodge and
burn for striking
features
The Dodge and Burn tools are a run-off
from film days when photographers were
develop their film and then further process
dark and light areas. Dodging brightens
the image, and Burning darkens. They’re
generally used to highlight certain areas
of a frame, while masking others. These
tools also have the perceived capability
of slightly saturating the areas they
affect, especially the Burn tool,
AFTER so be careful when editing a
Eyes stand out particularly colourful
Here the selective photograph.
adjustments and
boosting of the dynamic
range in the eye make
them stand out in the
overall portrait
173
AFTER
Subtle (re)touch
Spots, a few wrinkles
and some sore skin have
now been removed in
the edit to create a more
flattering photo.
BEFORE
Don’t over-edit
Small and selective Remove dust
edits can help to reduce A useful tool in Photoshop is one
temporary blemishes called Dust & Scratches. Go to Filter>
and enhance the natural Noise> Dust & Scratches to bring up the
beauty of the subject. tool’s window. From here we can set the
threshold and radius of the size of dust spots
or scratches that we want to remove. It adds
a kind of blurred/crystallised effect to the
Editing the skin photograph which is meant to smooth out

any small particles of dust, dirt or scratches
that may appear in the photograph, and
Removing distracting redness and blemishes is easily is particularly useful when shooting
done with the powerful tools in Photoshop portraits with fine jewellery and
easily show up dirt.
2
Eradicate jewellery
1
Remove blemishing The Spot Healing Brush tool is a versatile
3
The first and easiest task is to remove and intelligent tool for removing blemishes, Alleviate eye bags
blemishes from the skin, these are typically but when it comes to the finer details around A great tool for removing the bags under the
temporary marks on the skin that the subject the nose, mouth and eyes it does a poor job of eyes is the Patch tool. In Photoshop it hides
normally wouldn’t have, such as spots, predicting detail correction. Using the brush to under the Spot Healing Brush tool, so click and
scratches, scabs, dirt or unnoticed make-up remove a nose ring here has left the nostril line hold on this until a drop-down window shows the
marks. Use the Spot Healing Brush tool, resize blurred, so we’ll use the Clone Stamp tool to pin- Patch tool option. Select the area around the eye
the brush so it’s slightly bigger than the blemish point an area of the nostril we wish to continue, bags (shown by an outline of marching ants) and
and click on top to remove it. then paint over the affected section. then drag down to the upper part of the cheek.
6
Add a mask
4
Blend skin together
5
Reduce redness Once the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer
Sometimes patching or cloning methods are Redness in the skin can be down to a has been added and modified, we can see
a little harsh, which is sometimes noticeable number of reasons, and might appear in that it affects the whole of the below layer. Select
with the last step to remove eye bags. In that case, small patches or larger swathes. The best way to the mask thumbnail of the adjustment layer (it
select the Clone Stamp tool and set opacity to 20%. prevent this is to add a Hue/Saturation adjustment should appear white by default) then press Cmd
Change brush properties to 0% hardness and choose layer. By reducing the saturation and slightly & I (Ctrl & I on a PC) to invert the colour of the
a large brush size. Clone Stamp from a smooth portion adjusting the hue it’s possible to reduce the skin mask. With the Brush tool selected press D and X
of nearby skin and paint over the affected skin for a tone naturally, but one needs to add a mask to be respectively to get a white foreground colour and
smoother look. Don’t overdo this! selective with the adjustment. paint over the desired area to finish the edit.
174
AFTER
Clean & shiny
Things really shine now,
with the hair neatened,
highlights brightened
and the colour
enhanced, it’s a delicate
and inviting portrait
BEFORE Tidy
Tidying up a scene the clothes
Photographically, this picture is great. The Even with a stylist on-hand to
styling and lighting is nice, but we can still sort out troublesome clothes and
improve things further with a little tidy materials, things still go askew, so use
the Liquify tool to correct this. Head to
Filter> Liquify. From here choose the
Freeze Mask tool to paint over any
areas you don’t want to affect. Then
Editing hair select the Forward Warp tool

and click and drag until the
clothes are bent back
Hair is very difficult to get right straight out of the camera, into shape.
so editing can really kick things up a notch
2
Dodge and burn
1
Remove the fly-aways Emphasise the natural folds and colour
3
First duplicate the main layer, in Photoshop in the hair by Dodging and Burning the Change hair colour
that’s Cmd & J (Ctrl & J on a PC) to make highlights and shadows respectively. Reduce the Go to Select> Colour Range… to bring up
adjustments without altering the original. Next opacity of the Dodge and Burn tools to around the Colour Range window. From here we can
select the Spot Healing Brush tool and remove 20% and use a soft brush for natural, gradated use the Eyedropper tool (automatically selected)
any fly-aways that protrude out from the main effects that mimic how the hair catches the light. to click on the desired colour. If we want to select
body of hair. Don’t remove them all, or the edit Building this up in layers will allow greater flexibility a range of colours, simply hold Shift while clicking
will seem obvious and unnatural. to accentuate the desired areas. and dragging across the colours.
5
Hue/Saturation
4
Hone your selection adjustments
6
Refine the mask
Tick the Localized Color Clusters button After clicking OK on the Colour Range window, Hold Alt and click on the mask of the new
to reduce the selection to colours that are Photoshop will add a mask to the layer. Click on the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer you’ve
near where you made the selection for better hair ‘Create new fill or adjustment layer’ button in the added. This will now reveal the whole mask placed
selection. Now adjust the Fuzziness and Range bottom-right of the layers panel and select Hue/ on this layer. Use the brush to go through and
sliders to control the selected colour range further. Saturation. A new adjustment layer is now added paint out any areas you don’t want to effect with a
Reduce this for a smaller sample size, and increase with that selection masked off. Adjust the Hue and black foreground colour, and use white to fill in any
this for a larger sample size. Saturation of the hair to the desired colour. gaps. Remember: white reveals, black conceals.
175
Landscape editing
Remove distracting details, enhance contrast and colours
and even move objects in your landscape scenes
Much like photographers, cameras aren’t perfect. which if using semi-manual modes like aperture or choosing to do minimal edits like cropping, adding
As wide as their dynamic range is, and no matter shutter priority, can have drastic consequences. contrast or reducing high ISO noise, whereas
how many megapixels the modern digital camera Luckily, the best way to counteract these issues is others transform dull photographs into wonderful
has, every camera still has flaws. There are to shoot in Raw format and process your landscape works of art. Editing landscape photographs isn’t
problems such as chromatic aberration, vignetting, photographs in an editing software like Adobe something to be shied away from, it’s part of the
and clipping to contend with, and then there are Photoshop, Lightroom or another program. From photographic process – as much as developing film
other photographic issues that we miss while here recropping photos, altering colours, increasing in the darkroom was before the advent of digital
shooting. When travelling from location to location localised contrast, even tools used for moving photography. So let’s take a look at some of the
it can be easy to miss changing the white balance subjects in the frame help us to recreate the scene landscape edits you might want to make, and see
when moving from shade to bright sunshine. If as we experienced it in real life during the shooting how we can make the most out of every scene by
light is changing rapidly, light metering readings process. These softwares can be used as lightly combining our shooting and editing processes
can be inaccurate or forgotten about altogether, or heavily as needed, with some photographers seamlessly together.
Essential landscape edits

Use Camera Raw to improve your landscape photographs with greater flexibility
1
Correct the colours
2
Exposure
3
Adjust Shadows
The first thing to do is make sure your colours In the top-right of the Camera Raw window and Highlights
are accurate. Shooting in daylight conditions you’ll see a colourful histogram with two Even though there is no clipping occuring,
you can either choose the preset white balance arrows in the top corners of the graph. Click on and we’ve boosted our exposure to brighten the
Daylight/Sunny, or you can go manual. The colour these arrows to allow colourful overlays to visually shadows we’re still not seeing enough detail there.
temperature of light is measured in Kelvin, and point out where clipping occurs (in both shadows So we’ve boosted our Shadows slider to increase
sunlight sits in the middle of the Kelvin scale at and highlights). Now adjust your Exposure slider this detail in the bottom-half of the frame. We’ve
around 5500K. Turn the Tint slider to 0 to remove until the image is bright but doesn’t clip in either also reduced our Highlights slider to stop the
any colour cast on the scene. direction. We’ve added +0.5 Exposure. brighter areas from becoming washed out.
176
Straighten
your horizon
There’s nothing worse than a wonky
horizon in a landscape scene, and even
worse for a seascape. Luckily, most popular
editing softwares have horizon-levelling tools
to sort that out. They work by allowing the
user to define the direction of the horizon
by drawing out a line on the screen, and
then the software crops in on that image,
rotating it automatically around the
direction of said drawn line. It’s
possible to do this by manually
rotating the photograph,
as well.
6
Boost colour
5
Boost Dehaze Use the Vibrance slider to increase the
4
Increase Clarity Dehaze is normally a tool reserved for amount of colour in the image, especially if
The Clarity slider changes the mid-tone removing haze from scenes by using some some colours are weaker than others. Vibrance
contrast in the photograph – that is, it intelligent calculations based on micro contrast works by boosting weak colours and acts as
increases the difference between light and dark of scenes. However, even though this scene is not a preventative for colour clipping. However,
areas in the middle section of the histogram. We’ve hazy as such, it’s not as impactful as it could be. Saturation uniformly boosts the colour of
boosted this slightly to +10 to enhance the texture By adding a small amount of Dehaze (+10) we can the whole image and if increased enough can
of the craggy rocks in the scene. boost the perceived contrast of the overall photo. introduce colour clipping artifacts.
177
AFTER
Back to
untouched nature
With a combination of
cloning techniques and
an intelligent content-
aware moving tool, the
landscape now looks
less cluttered and
benefits as a result
BEFORE Lens
Intruding elements
Here hikers, rope cordons
corrections
and clouds need to be
All lenses have their own unique
removed and repositioned to characteristics which colour and shape
make this shot work better the light as it passes onto the image
sensor. Some lenses are sought out for these
alterations and are considered beautiful,
whereas other lenses suffer from severe
chromatic aberration or heavy vignetting due to
cheap production. Use the Lens Corrections
option when importing Raw files into editing
Removing unwanted objects software to remove these characteristics

and provide as neutral, and flat an
image as possible from which
Learn how to retouch a landscape photograph like a pro to edit.
2
Non-destructive Cloning
There is a way to use the Cloning tool to
1
Clone Stamp tool remove objects, like these hikers, from a
The quickest, and possibly the easiest, way to scene while still being able to change your mind
3
remove unsightly objects from your landscape later on in the edit process. Make a new layer Spot Healing Brush tool
photographs is to use the Clone Stamp Tool. Select (Cmd, Shift & N on a Mac or Ctrl, Shift & N on a This tool is so powerful, it’s not just good for
the tool and Alt & click on a clear area of similar PC) then select the Clone Stamp tool. Click the portraits but landscapes, too. Easily remove
colour and texture, then drag the cursor over the drop-down window under Sample and choose rope fences with the Spot Healing Brush tool with
area you wish you alter before letting go of Alt. Current & Below. Now Alt & click a clear patch the Type set to Content-Aware. The software will
Then click and drag to cover it up. This however of landscape, keep Alt depressed and move the then intelligently fill in the area with surrounding
is a destructive way of editing, meaning you can’t cursor over the people to non-destructively clone textures to create a seamless fill that looks realistic
change it later after you’ve made more edits. them out on a new layer. without creating repetitive patterns.
5
Content-Aware Move tool
6
Make everything
Photoshop CC’s intelligence almost knows non-destructive
no bounds, with the use of the Content- It’s possible to make any changes desired
4
The Patch tool Aware Move tool you can select an object and non-destructive by simply duplicating the original
With the Patch tool selected, draw a selection place it anywhere else in the scene. All while letting photo layer. Cmd & J on a Mac, or Ctrl & J on a PC
around your unwanted area. Then click inside the software do the heavy lifting of masking the with the original layer selected will see a duplicate
the area and drag it to another section of your scene. old area and ensuring the moved select blends layer created just above it. Now you can make as
The tool will draw textural detail from that new area in with the environment. It’s not perfect, though, many destructive edits as desired, without losing
and place it in the selected area. Be careful not to use and struggles when the target background colour the original version. This can also be done using the
this on edges of the frame as some artefacts will occur. differs from the sample’s background colour. History panel, by traversing through edit-by-edit.
178
AFTER
Crystal-clear landscapes
Our main subject, the cliffs, are
now clearer and the whole scene
is brighter and more impactful.
Enhancing seascapes
Learn how to retouch your long exposure
seascapes to create dynamic photos
1
Lighten dark areas
The first thing we did to enhance this seascape is to lift the shadows of the
darker cliff edges that were facing away from the sun. Using an adjustment BEFORE
brush to select only the cliff face we reveal textural detail in the main subject. Out from the shadows
If your software supports this, tick the ‘Auto Mask’ button to allow automatic The cliffs are in darkness as they cast their own shadow,
selection of similarly coloured/shaded areas, this helped us make a neat so need boosting in exposure and tonal contrast.
selection of the rocks.
Vignetting
Using post-crop vignetting in
the editing software of your choice
will darken or lighten the edges of
your frame and help draw the eye of the
3
Graduated neutral viewer into the centre of the photograph.
2
Improve sunset density filter If a scene is predominantly bright, use
In this shot the sun is setting camera-right, There’s some strong distant haze in this a lighter vignette, and vice versa. Use
which provides some warm tones in the seascape, something which most shy away from. controls like Feather and Roundness
upper-right of the frame. But the only area that it But instead, here we’re leaning in to this with some to adjust the transition or
is affecting is the top of the cliff, near the patch of overexposure to turn the drab grey-ish highlights blurriness of the vignette and
grass. So to bring back the colour we saw while into bright whites for a punchy, summery feel. manipulate its shape.
shooting, we’ve added a weak orange colour overlay We’ve increased the Whites slider by +20, the
and increased the highlights to make the sunlight Highlights by +5 and even added some Saturation
seem warmer and brighter. to improve the colour through the haze.
5
Crop out the boring bits
4
Avoid Clarity on water
6
The default crop size of the full-frame DSLR Remove foreground haze
Clarity sliders increase midtone contrast, and sensor we used was 3:2, which gives it a tall Haze in the distance of this shot conveys a
are useful for highlighting textures and edges appearance when shooting in a vertical orientation. sense of depth along the coastline. However,
of subjects. However, this photo was taken with a The interesting part of our seascape subject is near the haze in the foreground obscures the beauty of
30-second-long exposure in order to blur the sea the centre of the frame, with a large portion of the the subject. We’ve reversed the conventional usage
water into a glossy sheen, so we want to avoid using bottom part of the frame looking rather dull. We of the neutral density filter by increasing the White
Clarity on the water. By using a selective adjustment chose to crop from the bottom, and a little from the slider and removing the Haze in the foreground
brush we can boost the clarity of the craggy rocks left and top, to make the composition stronger in the below the horizon line higher up. This helps draw
and grassy top while leaving the water untouched. centre of the frame. attention to the sea and cliffs nearer the camera.
179
Advanced editing tips

There are some tools so powerful and intelligent that
they should be used precisely and sparingly
1 Sharpening Bright halos around a subject are a giveaway

sign the editor has overdone their sharpening
Take any photo into your favourite editing
software and increase the sharpness
intensity up to the max. Zoom in on the
photo and you’ll quickly see how the
difference between light and dark pixels
along defined edges in the photo have
been dramatically contrasted. The whites
are extremely white, and blacks extremely
black. This often produces a halo effect
around the subject and is a sign that
the scene has been oversharpened. No
amount of post-processing sharpening can
save an unsharp image, but it can be used
to enhance already-sharp areas into crystal
clarity. The key here is the term areas.
Unless the entire image is in perfect focus,
we usually want to have some degree of
control over where the sharpening takes
place, in portraits this is reserved for the Above Above
eyes, and in landscapes we might assume Sharpen the eyes Seascape
this is the foreground. By only sharpening The eyes, and sometimes nose and mouth, are the Don’t sharpen blurred movements like long exposures of
slightly, and in selective areas we can save most important areas to sharpen, as this is where our the sea, we want them to remain blurry and silky, so mask
photographs from looking amateurish. eyes are naturally drawn to first in a portrait any sharpening to static subjects
2 Cutting out
For when you need to replace
the background entirely
Backgrounds often don’t serve the right
purpose, perhaps the weather was bad,
or there was no cloud cover to make the
photograph interesting enough. Whatever
the reason, sometimes we need to swap
out the original background in order to
put a new one in. That’s where the Quick
Selection tool comes in. It intelligently
selects areas you want while clicking and
dragging around the photograph, and
allows you to place a mask on the layer
to remove it. We can use this to change
backdrops from portraits or to change
skies when the light just isn’t playing ball.
Above
Cutting out people Above
The Quick Selection tool makes short work of this black studio Swapping skies
backdrop as it clearly identifies the contrasted edges of the It works a little harder to select skies, especially when there are jagged
model and draws around her horizons to move around, but a smaller brush usually does the trick
180
3 Create artificial blur

Make your own blur quality for more
creative portraits and landscapes
Sure, we can never sharpen an
unsharp image, but it is possible to
add blur after-the-fact and make it
look convincing. There are plenty
of ways to do this, for example,
adding a tilt-shift effect blur will
make even the largest scenes
appear miniature due to a forced
perspective of a shallow depth of
field. Other blur techniques like Iris
blurs make portrait more creative
by blurring non-essential areas Above Above
of the frame, and even adding a Iris blur on portraits Tilt-shift blur on landscapes
sparkle of light to bokeh-laden By blurring around the edges of the face, our eyes are being drawn to the Adding a tilt-shift blur and a little masked gaussian blur around the sea
areas of the frame. sharper areas of the frame, namely, the subjects face stacks, you can trick the viewer into believing this is a small-scale scene
Lightroom
4
Left
Batch processing
By selecting multiple images,
Use Lightroom’s powerful editing tools to settings can be synchronised to as
process images in batches many other photos as you like in the
same catalogue
Since Lightroom’s earliest days, it has been useful for batch-processing multiple
images to apply identical edits to a series of photographs. However, Lightroom
CC now offers even more powerful editing tools, with adjustment brushes and
retouching tools to help with single images. This may mean that you can remove
blemishes from portraits and apply that to several images from the same burst
(if the subject hasn’t moved) or you may wish you apply the same exposure and
Left
colour processes to a batch of landscape images of the same scene. Either way, Seeing the results
Lightroom is now so flexible and user-friendly with its non-destructive abilities, Click through left and right to see
that many photographers and editors have made the switch, or prefer to use the batch processed effects on
Lightroom over Photoshop, the latter reserved for layered editing on occasion. If other photos, they will even apply to
editing Raw images, its capabilities stretch further by easily manipulating up to five photos in different orientations
stops of exposure detail in photographs. This, in turn, impacts the way you shoot.
For example, the ability to boost exposure by five stops means photographers can
now underexpose low-light scenes handheld to retain sharp detail, and then use
Lightroom to expose the image properly later.
5 Face-aware Liquify
Photoshop uses artificial intelligence to identify faces in photos
Photoshop’s Face-aware Liquify tool
can identify and plot out defining
features on a portrait (so long as
the subject’s face is clear) ready for
editing using sliders. It does it quickly
and automatically so all the user has
to do is adjust the slider controls.
This makes quick retouches such
as eye shape, nose height and face
width quick and easy without the
need for advanced cloning and path
drawing for masks to make things
seem natural. The sliders only adjust
features slightly, but depending
on the portrait in question, these
parameters can still be overused, Above Above
with some areas (especially around Eyes and nose Mouth and Face Shape
lips) succumbing to pixel-stretching, Parameters such as eye and nose height, size and width A smile can be thrust upon the subject, and even their entire head
making things look fake. help to finely adjust features widened or narrowed, depending on the user’s wishes
181
DEVELOP YOUR EDITING STYLE
182
Develop your
EDITING
STYLE
Embrace creative freedom and learn to use
experimentation to hone your own signature
or many photographers, post- become overly preoccupied with finding a style,
F
processing is a fundamental step especially as a beginner, devising a balance
in the finalising of an image, but is of exposure, colour and detail that best suits
not necessarily a desirable artistic your favoured shooting style will help you
opportunity. For other creatives however, photo develop a sense of creative identity. This can
editing has become the dominant stage in the have commercial benefits if you are able to
production of their signature photographic demonstrate that you can introduce unique
style, with the majority of work done at the ‘looks’ to potentially formulaic image setups. The
computer, rather than behind a camera. Some initial stages of this process are not without their
may dispute that this stretches the definition challenges however, as without care it is possible Individual
character
of traditional photography too far, yet with to override an existing style that has merit but Using the multitude
care and consideration we can create images is as yet under-developed, thereby inhibiting of software features
that would otherwise be impossible using the evolution of the photographer’s technique. available today,
traditional photographic methods. With so many Over the following pages we will discuss the photographers have
never had greater
photographers producing imagery, this can core areas on which we can focus to identify our
opportunities to
be beneficial for introducing unique qualities creative likes and dislikes, and in turn, define produce images
to otherwise similar compositions of already the parameters for crafting an individual editing that convey their
well-studied subjects. While it is possible to style with intrigue and character. creative vision
© TJ Drysdale
183
Work with exposure

Discover how altering global and local brightness can vastly
change the appearance of an image
Digital photography has made exposure exposing the highlights with the single aim of favour a bias of brighter or darker tones. The
management easier than ever, aided largely by avoiding all clipping can result in a dulled image, former situation produces high-key images,
the efficiency of modern sensors and image- lacking in pure whites. In these cases, slight which are popular for lifestyle and advertising
processing engines, which are capable of overexposure can add a bright, lively feel which photography. Try pushing the exposure slider in
capturing detail in tones many EV stops apart. adds appeal to the composition. When looking to your RAW editing software to the right, to brighten
However, it is not always to an image’s benefit develop a unique editing approach, it is useful to the overall frame, then work with the Highlights
to aim to capture every possible detail. While a consider how you would like to use brightness to or Curve controls to selectively clip the brightest
uniform histogram would indicate a technically control where the viewer looks within the frame. areas. Inversely, pull the Blacks slider further to
accurate exposure, this may not be able to convey Differential brightness has a strong impact on the the left, to introduce some dark base tones, lower
the atmosphere of the scene. For example, a lack direction the eye travels across the composition the exposure and brighten the upper highlights,
of truly dark shadows means there is very little and in turn sets the overall tone for the image. to increase contrast. This creates a moody
‘weight’ to the image, which appears washed out When observing the online portfolios of atmosphere which can produce an effect similar
as a result. Similarly, there are occasions where photographers, it is often clear whether they to shooting at night.
Add greater impact

Andrew Kirby describes his post-
processing workflow for introducing
the eye-catching contrast that is
his signature
While strong contrast, featuring deep shadows
and bright highlights, is a popular strategy for
producing images with impact, this look does
not suit every scene. As Andy demonstrates
here, reversing the usual process and carefully
1
Original image
2
reducing contrast can produce an attractive The magic of light
filmic effect. Here’s the photo straight out of camera. My The most important part of photography is
‘go-to’ street photography lens is a 35mm 1.4. light. I increase the exposure, shadows and
Prime lenses are great for street photography as they whites, while reducing the highlights and blacks. The
simplify the process and make you compose with most powerful tool is the Point Curve. This allows you
your feet and get close. I usually slightly underexpose to control the light and darks to create atmosphere
my images and shoot wide open at f1.4. and it’s a vital part when creating film simulations.
3
Colourful characters
4
The right effect
Depending on the colours in the photo I I make a few final tweaks to slightly increase
© All images Andy Kirby
adjust the hue, saturation and luminance the clarity and add a discrete vignette, to
of each colour individually in order to enhance draw the eye to the subject. On occasion I’ll also play
key colours and reduce distracting ones. This is with split tones. Most commonly I will set highlights at
another key part of creating a unique visual style 60 and shadows at 210, with a very slight saturation
and mood. on either or both.
184
Pro focus
Andy Kirby types such as Kodachrome. I try to
go my own way and not worry too
www.mrkirby. much about what others are doing.
photography The greatest challenge is time – you
Instagram: need a lot of it to get to a point
where things start coming together.
@mrkirby. Many people ask about my editing
photography style, believing there is some secret
sauce. It’s just trial and error and the
final result is a very minimal process.
“My main influences are Vivian Maier, Fred My editing style is to simply enhance
Herzog, Saul Leiter and Joel Meyerowitz. the image – processing takes no
My editing style is influenced by film more than 1-2 minutes.”
FADED SHADOWS UNEVEN BRIGHTNESS

By inverting the traditional
(VIGNETTE) Above
Focus attention to where
S-shaped curve, a distinctive Make it obvious
you want viewers to look by
faded look can be introduced Subtlety does not always benefit an image, especially
experimenting with exposure
to shadow areas when trying to define a clear style. Ensure an intended
gradients across the frame
effect cannot be overlooked, to grab attention
Experiment
with contrast
Decide on the perfect balance of
highlight and shadow detail for
varying atmosphere
The standard practice when adjusting the
contrast of an image is to set the Black
and White points, to ensure no highlight
or shadow clipping occurs, and then find
the best balance of tones between these
extremes. However, this can produce a
highly standardised look. Consider where
intentional clipping may be permissible or
even desirable, to generate a high- or low-key
LOWERED style. The advisable approach is to ensure
CONTRAST, good detail is captured across the tonal
HIGH COLOUR range, in-camera, while shooting RAW files,
Since contrast and
colour are often to offer the maximum flexibility in software.
related, try unlinking Set the Blacks and Whites first, then adjust
them. The results the Shadows and Highlights sliders, to tailor
may not always be your intended effect.
natural, but will
hold attention MAINTAINED
DARKNESS
To maintain
atmosphere, keeping
accurate dark tones
can be a way of
introducing a theatrical
feel to an image
185
Use creative colour Pro focus

Play with colour bias to find the perfect mix of tones
for your photographic signature
Colour balance is another area of photo editing through spatial separation. This can be achieved TJ Drysdale
that is often governed by a subjective definition by using Photoshop brushes or the Adjustment tjdrysdale.com
of correctness. While a truly colour-corrected Brush in Lightroom, to paint additional colour over
image will be devoid of a warm or cool bias, with isolated zones. This affords the photographer total Instagram:
neutral tonality in each of the shadows, midtones control over where in the frame different colour @tjdrysdale
and highlights, this will not guarantee a successful appears, providing the freedom to style each shot “Before photography came along, my
file. As is the case when working with exposure, appropriately. Alternatively, Split Toning – adding first love was actually filmmaking. Once
a photo can only be considered correct if it differential colour to highlights and shadows photography entered my life, I quickly
fulfils its intended function. Once brightness has – creates a chromatic juxtaposition based on tried to take the looks of some of my
been decided on, colour adjustment will likely brightness. While classic Split Toning, commonly favourite films and apply them to my
be the next stage in devising a novel processing involving the addition of blue tones to shadows, is images. Colour influences my style
workflow. Global colour will often not be the a long-established technique, there is an almost greatly – I’ve long been inspired by the
focus of experimentation during this process, as unlimited scope for trialling new combinations beauty of 19th century paintings and I
the effect of altering the overall colour cast may of colours. Often this can produce usable results, really try to achieve that look in most
be too strong for refined manipulation. However, although it can sometimes be helpful to have a of my photographs. I just love how the
deciding on the appropriate colour theme for particular influence in mind. For example, cinema artists used colour to create the scene. I
your shot will lay the foundations for the final is a significant reference for current and evolving pay a attention to each and every colour
style. From this, it is possible to predict how more processing styles. By studying how contrasting in my photographs. It can take years to
targeted alterations will impact on the mood of and complementary colours are used together in develop your own style – the challenge is
the shot. Local colour changes will introduce some poster images and on-screen, a photographer can remaining patient.”
contrast of hues within the frame, adding depth learn to adapt various mixes to a range of subjects.
CONSIDER ALL TONES UNCONVENTIONAL TONING

To push a theme or colour Some colours are
bias, apply devised editing naturally more appealing
processes to each of the to the human eye. Work
shadows, midtones and with lesser-used colours
highlights in turn to produce washes of
artificial toning
MATCH
COLOUR
AND DETAIL
Decide whether you
CONSIDER COLOUR RANGE would like these
Expand or restrict visible aspects to dominate
variances in colour to produce or compete for
an inclusive or unnaturally viewer attention
weighted palette
186
Master targeted
colour processing
TJ Drysdale guides us through
his usual processing workflow, for
dramatic yet natural colour
1
Colour casts
I typically
apply the Paint
Bucket tool as
my first step. I
find a colour
within the image,
apply it to a new
layer, change the blend mode to Soft Light to
cast an overall warm hue to the image and
lower the opacity, to make the effect gradual.
2
B&W layer
3
Levels adjustment
4
Color Lookup
Next I add contrast using a Black & White I’m almost satisfied with the colours I have, but Using Color Lookup, with the Candlelight.
adjustment layer. I’ll often play with the reds and I definitely want to add a little more pop to the CUBE option, creates a warm atmosphere
yellows to add drama. I create a vignette with the Elliptical image. I use the Levels adjustment layer to add a little and adds a matte finish. Using the mask, I’ll erase this
Marquee Tool, and change the blend mode to Soft Light. more life to the image. effect on the subject, as I want her to stand out.
All images © TJ Drysdale

5
Selective Color
6
Curves adjustments
7
Luminosity curve
My last step in the colouring process is to use I use Curves to brighten specific areas of the I create another Curves layer and change the
the Selective Color adjustment layer. I mostly image. For the curve, I drag up in the centre blend mode to Luminosity. I drag down in the
use the red and yellow sliders to bring out more detail to brighten, add one more point a little higher up the centre of the curve until I reach my desired look. I finish
in the foliage. curve and drag it up to create contrast. by erasing the effect in areas I want to stand out.
Perfect fine colour control Master the main Photoshop colour adjustment tools
X3 © Peter Fenech
SELECTIVE COLOR Despite being an often BLEND MODES While not an immediately CURVES FOR COLOUR The Curves dialogue
overlooked tool, Selective Color is a highly obvious choice for colour correction, setting is incredibly versatile. Modifying each Channel
capable option for customising the balance entire layers or, often more usefully, brushes individually allows the user to split tones
of targeted colours within an image. A slight to different blend modes is a highly precise between highlights, shadows and midtones
change to the hue of a single colour can way of mixing colours to form novel effects, in an unstepped manner, providing almost
produce a unique look. and the baseline for a signature theme. unlimited opportunity for unique grading.
187
Adapt for
the scene
Edit for subject content
and luminosity
The photographer should essentially have one of
two aims when deciding how to edit an image:
to either correct or create. Some images have a
very simple function – to provide a photographic
record for example, and in these cases technical
precision is the primary value. For shots like these,
a neutral colour balance and centred exposure
would be the goal. When a photographer is
attempting to create a discernible style however,
© Andy Kirby
pushing image parameters to their extremes

is usually the best strategy for identifying their
artistic likes and dislikes, from which they can
build a replicable processing recipe. Far right
Repetition is a key characteristic of a successful Broad
editing style, as only when a similar look can be exposure
For images with
applied to multiple images can a common theme a wide range of
be recognisable across a portfolio. However, it is brightness, you
also important to establish how best to introduce must consider
these characteristics to each scene, on an how this will dilute
or concentrate
image-specific basis. Applying a blanket process your chosen
to every image is not advisable, since the range editing effects
of highlights and shadows and the ambient
Right
colour balance will differ from location to location,
Consider
meaning that some files may appear over- content
processed while others will be lacking in effect If your style involves
strength. Although the basic actions will remain boosts to certain
colour channels, be
the same, customisation will help to ensure
aware that some
that your style fits with any subject or lighting scenes may have a
condition. bias towards those
Sometimes this in itself can help a colours already
photographer find the core structure for their
editing regime. It is a common practice to adopt
certain colours and exposure work for different Edit for mood Try unique combinations of brightness/colour
types of scene – subject context, environment
Often colour and brightness conditions have common associations in the minds of
and age all have styles that viewers have become
viewers, most commonly warm colour with greater exposure and cooler hues with
accustomed to seeing. Modern architectural shots
darker tones. This is because of frequent real-world conditions. This provides an
often receive greater contrast for example, while it
opportunity to try creative, unexpected combinations.
has become popular for golden-hour landscapes
to feature expanded dynamic range. Therefore, it WARM AND
is useful to try inverting settings in order to yield BRIGHT AND DARK Another
novel results. COOL Generating inverse colour-
Pairing contemporary subjects with classic a lighter frame by exposure pairing,
effects could be the catalyst for a more surreal increasing exposure, this image
method, as would using cross-processed then introducing has a warmer
toning for natural landscapes. Employing or enhancing high tonality, but
common techniques in new contexts can reveal Kelvin colours, lower brightness,
extraordinary and unexpected impact to which can produce a creating tension.
© Peter Fenech
© TJ Drysdale
your audience is drawn, purely because they are unique wintry This look can be
unable to identify why your images look different and tranquil either tranquil or
to the multitude of similar photographs they may atmosphere. unsettling.
have recently observed.
188
Edit for
composition choice
Identify when and how to
adjust your editing workflow
based on your approach to
in-camera composition
How you choose to arrange the elements
of your frame directly influences how the
out-of-camera file appears. Your selection
of angle, perspective and focal length
must all be taken into account when
starting to build a repeatable sequence
of software adjustments.
VISIBLE LIGHT SOURCE If you’d like to

shoot towards the light and incorporate it
within the frame, choose to either recover
highlight detail, or follow the inverse
procedure and bleach information from
the extremes of the tonal range. This will
ensure an intentional appearance and
create a satisfying exposure balance.
POSITION OF SUBJECT With human

vision, there is a bias of attention towards
the centre of our field of view. Consider
how realistic you want your images to be
and decide on how much enhancement
the periphery of your shot requires.
STRONG COLOURS When shooting

brightly coloured objects, experiment
with matching other composition
X3 © Peter Fenech
elements. Choose to equal the saturation

for an even colour theme, or derate other
areas for stronger contrasts and tighter
focus on key zones of the scene.
© TJ Drysdale
189
FOCAL LENGTH CHOICE

How much of the scene is DETAIL FREQUENCY
included in your shots will Flat areas such as the sky need to
impact the distribution of be treated more subtly than zones
subjects in the frame, dictating of high frequency detail, which
how you crop and process the are at lower risk of noise or colour
periphery of the composition breakdown. Adapt accordingly
COLOUR RANGE
Wider shots demonstrate
a more noticeable gradient
in required white balance,
as areas of varying
distance from the light
source are shown. Be
mindful of this when
establishing colour themes
LOCAL BRIGHTNESS
Wider perspectives also illustrate greater
variances in scene brightness, which
may influence how you choose to make
local adjustments. Do you want to even
out exposure or embrace contrasts?
File format is another consideration – while
Edit for shooting style it is advisable to shoot RAW images, especially

if you have the long-term intention to apply
significant processing, some photographers
may have to shoot JPEGs, such as wedding
Learn to view your approach to shooting and or sports professionals, who require large
editing as interconnected processes image bursts at high frame rates. Editing with
this in mind will help refine your process and
An often forgotten aspect of developing a in software. If, for example, a photographer reduce file damage, due to over-editing of the
reliable editing process is the need to build prefers lower-contrast scenes, such as those ‘lossy’ format. It can be useful to learn to shoot
this around your approach to shooting images under overcast natural light, then it makes with the final edit pre-visualised, as this will
in the field. If a photographer attempts to edit little sense for them to make extensive ensure you have captured enough tones to
an image in a way that visually contradicts the global boosts to contrast. Similarly, should a work with later; however, during the process
look and feel of the content of a photograph, landscape photographer favour shooting in of devising a style, use your shooting
this can create an uncomfortable mismatch, misty conditions, in order to capture delicate preferences as a reference. Observe your
which makes their artistic intent unclear. colours, it is not advisable that they add a choice of white balance and base further
Shooting approach in this context refers to large amount of saturation, for risk of breaking colour adjustments on strengthening that
a preference for longer or shorter exposures, the tones of the image. The dissonant bias. Then consider the balance of shadows
brighter or darker frames, focal length choice, relationship that these processing techniques and highlights – begin by darkening or
shooting angle and so on. All of these facets have with the scenes to which they are being brightening images with shadow or highlight
define the digital information present in the applied limits the attractiveness of the final dominance respectively, pushing your camera
outputted file, which must be appreciated image, but also the adaptability of the style to work choices to the extremes, to see if that
when deciding how best to handle this data others in a portfolio. produces the end product you envisioned.
190
“STEP UP
PROCESSING”
An effective idea is to base
initial editing tests on your
shooting preferences. Identify
which parameters made you
feel your images were worth
keeping when out with your
camera, and amplify
those in software.
© Peter Fenech
© TJ Drysdale
Above right
Integrated approach TIME OF DAY
Think of the in-camera and software stages of image Consider how the intensity and colour of
creation as a single process, to foster a forward- light found at your preferred shooting time
thinking mindset to exposure and colour choices will impact on the depth of highlights and
shadows in your images
Achieve processing
consistency
CAPTURED EXPOSURE
Develop a reliable style that can Align your approach to
be easily replicated, regardless of exposure adjustment
tonal complexity with your intended image
brightness at the moment
One of the reasons new photographers of capture. RAW files
struggle with the concept of defining are flexible, but keep
their editing style is that they allow their brightness close to that
captured in-camera
approach to become too complex. While
LIGHTING DIRECTION
applying many techniques and editing Whether you prefer to
actions will generate new looks, it is easy shoot into the light with
to lose track and then re-create these later. TARGET DETAIL the source behind you, or
If you aimed to create a silky, diffused perpendicular to the light
Restrict your use of presets or techniques
© Peter Fenech
effect in-camera, using long exposures direction, be aware of

to only one or two per image, at least for example, don’t attempt to extract how this affects detail
initially, to streamline your workflow. too much detail in post-processing, to and micro exposure (e.g.
maintain file integrity rim highlights)
191
Incremental evolution
Developing a unique style you
are happy with takes time
and experimentation. Often
photographers will build up
their ‘look’ in stages
© TJ Drysdale
Essential style
development solutions
Master a new processing style today by using
these ten professional tools and techniques
It is true that developing any complex use of these features in their workflows as signature. For effective results that are
process involves trial and error, patience and a matter of course, as they recognise the notably different from the work of other
a little luck, but it is possible to streamline importance of reproducibility in marketing photographers, thinking at a local level, rather
the process to make the experience more their photographic styles. than global image editing, will offer more
precise and creatively fulfilling. Photoshop, Beyond the most commonly used opportunities to craft looks that are not easy
Lightroom and other similar editing suites applications, satellite software – such for your competition to emulate.
incorporate features for speeding up as third-party plugins – are tailored to When trying to produce anything
common steps and saving sequences of generate specific effects that cannot be new, thinking unconventionally – using
related actions together, so that exposure easily simulated using standard Photoshop existing resources in new ways – will provide
fixes, detail extraction and colour grading techniques. Adding these to your arsenal of a catalyst for individuality. Here we explore
effects can be introduced in a more reliable processing tools will help add sophistication some easy ways to get started in customising
way. Professional photographers include the and unique character to your editing the appearance of your image portfolio.
192
COMPILE MOOD BOARDS Gather together MAKE PRESETS In Lightroom or Camera CREATE VIRTUAL copies A highly useful
colours and textures that appeal to you, along Raw, save all of the current slider positions feature of Lightroom is the function to create
with images featuring possessing styles and settings choices by making presets. Name duplicates of edited images within a Catalog.
you admire. This can be done with physical the preset using a standardised system – These can be used to make multiple variations
materials, but more usefully, create swatches such as image content, style appearance or of editing processes, without having to save
in Photoshop by sampling colours in finished image name – for easy identification. Create multiple files. Versions are also grouped
images. These will provide the inspiration for a new preset for every major change in your together in the Catalog, so it is easy to decide
your personalised colour and toning mode. style, so you have one for any situation. which you prefer during the review process.
REVERSE YOUR SETTINGS An effective CREATE ACTIONS When using Photoshop, SHOOT RAW Adopting a RAW workflow is
strategy for overcoming a creative block is save regular processes in recorded sequences arguably the most important step wherever
to invert your common preferred setting to be applied to similar images. Actions allow extensive editing is involved. It allows greater
combinations. If you usually apply positive complex edits to be quickly re-created in a changes to be made without file corruption,
Clarity in Lightroom, try using a negative single click, without having to navigate to so the photographer can essentially perform
setting to soften detail. If you usually favour and manipulate individual tools. Usefully, it whatever actions are required to achieve
lower contrast, try working with greater tonal is possible to download actions from online their vision. Shoot with your preferred white
spacing to see how this impacts your subject. resources, to help get you started. balance and tailor colour and exposure later.
USE PLUGINS Employ additional software,

such as the DxO Nik Collection or Topaz
suite, for specific effects. While it may not be
necessary to use a plugin filter all of the time,
shooting and editing to allow its use can be a
route to a particular style. Apply to new layers
to permit local application.
© TJ Drysdale
USE LOCAL ADJUSTMENTS The Adjustment UTILISE MULTIPLE TOOLS The most PICK THE RIGHT SUBJECT Often editing
Brush and Gradient Tool in Lightroom and popular styles are those that are difficult style is formed around favoured photographic
Camera Raw, plus the use of layer masking to break down and replicate. Successful subjects, but for a digital photographer it is
in Photoshop, all allow edits to be made to photographers often employ more than one possible to begin with a target processing look.
smaller areas of the frame. Perfect your ability software tool to achieve their look, obscuring Adapt what you shoot to match – if moody,
to introduce subtle detailed processing for the process behind the effect. This also cinematic editing is what you desire, capture
added individuality. enables more precise alterations to be made. the correct lighting to allow for that style.
193
Fairytale lighting
Maintaining a regular shooting
style can help you overcome
many problems at the editing
stage. With experience you’ll
be able to identify potential
© TJ Drysdale
challenges in the field, making
style execution easier
Overcome common challenges

Identify and address the potential mistakes and sidestep
predictable difficulties during style development
Arguably the biggest problem with Your recipe doesn’t work on all images A well-established process may fail to produce
attempting to develop a personal editing the effect you expected. This may be due to the differing range of tones in your shot.
style is that every digital photographer is Solution: Create a shadow, midtone and highlight version of your ‘normal’ editing recipe,
using the same types of software, plugins with adjustments made to compensate for the native brightness and contrast of a file. If
and apps to create their processing recipe. one preset fails, try another variant.
As enormous as Photoshop is as an editing
suite, there are only a limited range of You can’t exactly re-create your style Frustratingly it is possible to find that no matter
tools that are commonly used to produce what you try, you can’t precisely introduce the same effect on two images.
certain effects. This means that, while we Solution: Check the embedded camera profile in your RAW file has not been changed
can try to adapt these features around our and that all Photoshop defaults are the same. Ensure all sliders are set to zero or their
images, there will always be a point where default positions.
we experience a plateau of ideas for creating
something new. When this occurs, the best You regularly lose image data If your chosen processing technique pushes shadows
strategy is to think outside the box and and highlights to their extremes, you may find that one or more colour channels become
devise novel ways of employing the well- clipped, causing printing problems later on with areas of missing detail.
used functions. Solution: Capture more tones than you need by shooting bracketed exposures. By
Due to these difficulties, it is important shooting over and underexposed files you have extra image data to work with.
that we also turn our attention to avoiding
any additional mistakes and challenges that You experience back-compatibility issues You may find that after opening an image
we may be failing to recognise, in order to in an older or newer version of software, that your ‘look’ is not accurately represented,
simplify our editing workflows and create necessitating complex adjustments.
a baseline image from which to build a Solution: Save files in the most universal format, such as TIFF, to future-proof images. If
creative masterpiece. using Photoshop, opt for this over PSD as the latter arguably has more limited longevity.
194
196
Image Editing PAGES OF
ESSENTIAL
ADVICE
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Master the basics of both

Lightroom and Photoshop,
and then move onto more
complex retouching with
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» Discover essential editing techniques » Find out how to erase unwanted elements
» Merge mutliple exposures for detailed shots » Learn how to retouch portraits and hair
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Image Editing

Discover how to perfect your

Retouch to Perfection Get Organised Improve Workflow

Future plc is a public Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne

38 IMPORT YOUR PHOTOS 62 REMOVE SENSOR SPOTS

44 HOW TO PUT A 74 MASTER THE HSL PANEL

52 USE SMART PREVIEWS 88 SHARPEN UP

56 CROP & STRAIGHTEN 92 CAMERA CALIBRATION

114 110 THE POWER OF 146 LAYER MASKS

116 120 ADJUSTMENT LAYER

MASKS IN ACTION 160 REMOVE NOISE

182 DEVELOP YOUR

mage editing, in regards to photography,

I is the process of manipulating a

Adobe Photoshop Photoshop is the best-known image-editing

Affinity Photo A powerful and cheaper alternative to Photoshop,

Capture One Pro A strong Raw photo editor with an efficient

Developed by Phase One, Capture One is compatible

Luminar 3 Pexels Portraiture 3

Image file formats

Common mistakes when

Right Far right

Adding too much clarity An increase in midtone contrast

Far left Left

Vignetting everything in Lightroom Too much colour

Above Above Above Above

e often talk about ‘essential’ techniques in

W the context of both taking photographs

Work with RAW

Black and White Lacking contrast

3 Achieve balanced colour

4 Apply noise reduction in RAW

One of the main reasons images can lack depth is

When to use Photoshop

6 Work with brushes

7 Try advanced selection techniques

Reﬁne Edge dialogue Key selection tools

Having the ability to edit individual

In scenes with strong contrasting colours, global

Experiment with blend modes Expert retoucher TJ Drysdale (tjdrysdale.com) provides

Multiply Screen Soft light Luminosity

9 Blend your exposures Opposite

Work with 32-bit ﬁles

Use luminosity masks Balanced and natural

The manual blending method

The brightest areas of

Advanced skin retouching Right

38 IMPORT YOUR PHOTOS INTO

40 INTRODUCING THE LIBRARY MODULE

42 SORT AND RATE YOUR IMAGES

43 FIND IMAGES WITH KEYWORDS

44 HOW TO PUT A NAME TO A FACE

45 TAG YOUR IMAGES WITH

46 QUICK PHOTO FIXES

48 INTRODUCING THE DEVELOP MODULE

52 USE SMART PREVIEWS

54 MAKE BASIC COLOUR ADJUSTMENTS

56 CROP & STRAIGHTEN YOUR

58 REMOVE LENS DISTORTION

62 REMOVE SENSOR SPOTS

64 DODGE AND BURN

68 EDITING WITH AUTO MASK

70 THE GRADUATED FILTER TOOL