4 Photoshop Tips
That Will Change The Face Of Your Pictures (And A Few Extras As Well!)
Everyone and their
mothers are now using Photoshop to manipulate pictures with the sole aim to get
more likes on Instagram.
But they’re
not doing a very good job of it because let’s face it,
Photoshop is a complex tool to master, or is it?
Photoshop is all
about being aware of the right techniques and correct application of said
techniques. The biggest Photoshop mistake – which sometimes
even seasoned designers make – is overdoing it. They use tons of different
editing options; often choosing the wrong one, and eventually ending up with a
doctored image that looks gruesomely wrong to the eye.
If you don’t
want to be that person, be sure to adopt and include our handpicked Photoshop
tips that will come handy the next time you unleash your Photoshop prowess.
Whether you are a
rank beginner or a self-appointed Photoshop pro, here is a list of Photoshop
tips and tricks to add mojo to your images and take them to a whole new level.
Photoshop
retouching tips
Probably one of the
most common uses of Photoshop is for retouching images – mostly
portraits, so much so that Photoshop is almost synonymous for retouching.
Here are two
important retouching tips that can drastically alter an image for the better.
Soften and Smoothen
skin – Want to make the skin of the subject look
healthier, softer and glowing?
If you’re working with
Camera Raw, you can easily soften with the adjustment brush. Another option is
to use the high pass filter to create stunning retouched images that breathes
life into a portrait.
First duplicate the
layer
Then choose the
high pass option from the Filter drop down list. Filter>High Pass and then
key in 9 for the pixel value.
Invert the layer
using Ctrl+I or command if you’re on a Mac.
Hide the layer with
the Add Layer Mask option
Then, using the
Brush tool with the color set to white, start painting over the skin to get a
diffused glow and soft look.
Removing blemishes – Another set of indispensable Photoshop tools that
come particularly handy while retouching portraits are Healing brush, Spot
Healing brush, Patch tool and the Clone stamp.
Both the Healing
and the eponymous Spot Healing brushes will help get rid of spots and even the
surface. They are pretty simple to use with one minor difference; you have to
click Alt and define the area that needs working on.
For undefined
shapes use the Patch tool and with the Clone Stamp you can paint a part of the
image over the other when they are of the same color to get the desired tone
while simultaneously covering a spot or a blemish. A 20% opacity would work
perfectly well as it softens with the details intact.
Or if you want to
get the professional look without countless trials and errors, you can install
a Photoshop plugin that cuts down the work in half and does away with the
convoluted part of retouching through automatic adjustments. Here is a great option and PixelGear 2 is also
currently on discount.
Or even this one is a good alternative. This panel for
Photoshop boasts of all the important tools in one panel along with a number of
Actions that make retouching a breeze.
Quickly improve the
vibrancy of an image
Got a great click
but somehow it looks a little dull? Notch up the vibrancy of the image adding
zing to your image instantly with duplicating the layer> Ctrl+J>Hard
Light.
The overall color
palette of the image would instantly become more vivid and vibrant.
Working magic with
Contrast
A rookie mistake
most amateurs make is using the straight forward option Contrast to their heart’s
content. But this is not only bad for your picture but working only with the
given adjustments is just scratching the surface, you can actually do wonders
to an image just by correctly manipulating the contrast.
Dodging and Burning
– When you are working with black and white images,
and want to bring out a superior feel in it, dodging and burning would be the
perfect way to lighten and darken areas in an image to create a brilliant
contrast.
The dodge and burn
tools are the digital equivalent of the old darkroom techniques and have been
around for decades. Besides playing with the contrast aspect of an image, it
helps to bring focus to where you want.
Here is a good tutorial on the dodge and burn
technique.
If you are serious
about working with contrast in more depth –which by the way
you should if you are serious about Photoshop – but don’t
have a lot of time, check out this Photoshop plugin Contrastica that will
create the perfect contrast balance without charring your blacks and blinding
your whites.
Turning natural
landscapes to ethereal phenomenon
Landscape images
can be breathtakingly beautiful with its natural compositions and vibrant
colors, a good click does go a long way in creating stunning landscape images.
But one that would tug at the right chords need some post-processing magic.
Adding more colors
to the image – Even
after shooting during the Golden Hour, you still might not be happy with the
shot. But don’t delete it yet, you can create an exceptional
one by painting directly on the image.
This works
remarkably well when you shoot sunsets or sunrises, just create a layer and
paint directly across the sunset adjusting the opacity as desired.
Breathing magic to
a picture with the Orton effect – The Orton effect
gives a magical touch to an image by compressing multiple transparencies of a
similar composition together. This does take some practice but the tutorial here explains in
good detail.
For all those
budding and established landscape photographers serious about their craft, this resource would undoubtedly help you create and perfect
those eternal landscape images.
A few quick
Photoshop tips and tricks
-
Does working with
too many layers get distracting? Color code them to avoid mixing up.
-
Want to copy a
layer instantly? Ctrl (Command)+ Alt will do the trick.
-
Ctrl (Command)+Z
would undo a step (yeah you already knew that) but did you know that Ctrl
(Command)+Alt+Z will let you undo more than one step.
-
Transforming
selections is as easy as transforming layers. Go to Select>Transform
Selection> Skew/Warp.
-
Make additional
income by creating and selling Photoshop Actions. If you are not sure where to
start or how to go about it, check out this holistic course at a throwaway price.
Photoshop
is a huge world in itself and while it does take someone years to master it
completely, we do hope these tips did at least equip you with a good
understanding of a few techniques that can transform your work.
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