4 Photoshop Tips That Will Change The Face Of Your Pictures (And A Few Extras As Well!)

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.