AV News 191 - February 2013
In the unlikely event of making a complete mess of your work the original layer
permits you to start again without any loss other than to your temper. This may
seem a belt and braces approach but it's better to be safe than sorry. Once
edits have been made to your image save the file as a native PSD thereby
preserving the properties of any 'adjustment layers' which you may wish to
re-edit at a later date. It's also good practice to save your work at frequent
intervals just in case your system crashes or suffers a power loss. Note that
CS6 'File Handling' options in the 'Preferences' menu (Ctrl+K) may be
configured to automatically save your file at either 5, 10, 15, 30 minutes or at
1 hour intervals. This option wasn't available in Photoshop CS5.
To add greater mood to this original image of the Ghost Walk Leader the
background buildings beyond the main figure require significant tonal editing.
This area is first selected, by using an appropriate Photoshop 'Selection Tool',
perhaps the 'Quick Selection Tool'. After making any selection, especially if
it's complex then it's advisable to save the selection along with a selection
mask under a suitable name so that it may be re-applied later if needed.
Complicated images and edits may require several different selections, save
each selection with a recognisable and meaningful name. In this instance the
selection is saved as 'outline' because although it's actually the background
it's also the outline shape of the Ghost Walk Leader. Remember selections
can be inverted (shift+Ctrl+I) which in this instance would de-select the
background buildings and select the outline of the figure.
Our
second
image
shows the 'Load Selection'
box open with the selection
named 'outline' highlighted
in blue. With this 'outline'
selection active i.e. with the
marching
ants
clearly
visible on the layer 1
image, we can now select
an adjustment layer. Note
that having our selection
active will automatically
produce a mask within the 'adjustment layer', any adjustments will be applied
to the selected area only, in this instance leaving the figure unedited.
Correcting levels is usually undertaken first, however in this instance the
levels are not simply to be corrected but the mid-tones are to be significantly
darkened.
Ensure that the selection is active, then create a 'Levels Adjustment Layer'
simply by clicking on its icon. Automatically the properties control box will
open alongside the 'Adjustment Layers Palette'. To darken the background
area drag the 'Black Point' correction arrow (left arrow) to just below the left
(shadow) end of the histogram, then drag the mid-tone arrow to the right until
the best tonal value is achieved by observing the image.
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