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Editing the images: step by step.
For each of the following four sequences, Mike begins with the raw camera image and steps through the edits he made to achieve the final image. Many of the steps are repetitive, but each image has its own idiosyncrasies. Before using Photoshop's Diffuse Glow filter, be sure your Photoshop background color is set to white.
Click to view a larger image
Adjusting Exposure and Removing Blemishes
In Photoshop, click, File, Open then select the Image1 to edit from your saved file. Then use the Navigator Dialog Box to enlarge the Image to fill the screen for editing.
Next, adjust the overall brightness of the image using the Levels Adjustment function. Click on Image from the top toolbar, then Adjustments, then Levels.
Next, slide the center arrow to the left to brighten the image and/or slide the left arrow to the right to darken the image until you achieve the desired overall effect.
Once you have the desired working exposure, smooth out the skin tone by clicking on the Eyedropper icon located in the Photoshop palette on the left hand margin.
Move the eyedropper to a middle tone in the area you wish to remove blemishes, then click again and the color will appear in the Foreground Color palette box.
Next, choose a Soft Brush by clicking on the Brush icon in the palette, then select the diameter of the brush from the top toolbar. Experiment with a 200 diameter brush for covering large areas, and a small 45 or 65 diameter brush for smaller areas such as the face.
Next, set the Opacity and Flow of the stroke on the top toolbar to around 25 for each indicator. This will provide a soft flattering effect to the skin tone as you click or drag the Brush over the the desired area that you want to retouch.
After you achieve the desired result on one area, save the file with File, Save As and name it Image1A, then continue and retouch the next area, repeating the process for the legs, arms, face, etc.
Click to view a larger image
Adjusting Brightness and Contrast
Continuing with Image1A, select Image from the top toolbar, then Adjustments and finally Brightness/Contrast.
Move the Brightness slider to the right slightly to around +5, then move the contrast slider to the right until the skin tone “pops” being careful that the skin still looks natural.
Select File, Save As and save the file as Image1B.
Click to view a larger image
Adjusting the skin tone
Continuing with Image1B, from the top Toolbar select,
Filter, Distort, Diffused Glow
Set the Slider to:
Graininess - 0 -
Glow Amount 2
Clear Amount 18
This will add a soft glow to the highlights but the skin tone will appear blotchy due to the increase in contrast between the highlights and shadows.
Then save with File, Save As, Image1C.
Click to view a larger image
Continuing with Image1C, and using same technique as in step 1, select the Eyedropper Tool, and once again point to a midtone on a major area to be retouched (Face, Arms, Legs etc.). Clicking on the Brush Tool, select a soft brush and with the Opacity and Flow indicators both set at 25, smooth out the skin tone of each area by double clicking and moving the cursor over the area until each area has an even natural look. Repeat for each major skin area.
This will add a soft glow to the highlights but the skin tone will appear blotchy due to the increase in contrast between the highlights and shadows.
Then save with File, Save As, Image1D
Click to view a larger image
Smoothing the background and sharpening
For the final edit we will fill in the background of the high key image to make it white without detail and then bring up the color saturation before Resizing and Sharpening with the Unsharp Mask tool.
Continuing with Image1D, from the top toolbar select: Windows, Swatches.
With the cursor, click the White swatch in the palette box and then set both the Opacity and Flow to 100.
Using a Soft Brush size relative to the area to be colored, fill in the White Background until it is solid white without detail.
Next select: Image, Adjustments, Selective Color, and select REDS as the Color Selection. Move the Cyan slider to the left to about -50 or to the level where the skin reaches a nice healthy warm look. Click OK and save the file as Image1E.
Finally, resize the Image by selecting:
Image, Image Size and placing the Pixel Dimensions at Height 600 Width 400 and Clicking OK.
Next, Sharpen the Image by selecting:
Filter, Sharpen, Unsharp Mask. Depending on your likes, set the Amount Slider between 118 and 146, the Radius at 0.8 Pixels and the Threshold at 4 Levels. Click OK and save the File as Image1Final.
Adjusting Exposure and Removing Blemishes
In Photoshop, click, File, Open then select Image2 to edit from your saved file. Use the Navigator Dialog Box to enlarge the Image to fill the screen for editing.
Next, adjust the overall brightness of the image using the Levels Adjustment function. Click on Image from the top toolbar, then Adjustments, then Levels. Next, slide the center arrow to the Left to Brighten the image and/or slide the Left arrow to the Right to darken the image until you achieve the desired effect.
Next go to Image, Adjustments, Brightness/Contrast. Slide the Contrast Slider to the Right to about + 8 to make the Image " Pop " and move the Brightness slider slightly to the Right to bring the image back up to your desired exposure level.
Once you have the desired working exposure and contrast, smooth out the skin tone by clicking on the Eyedropper Icon located in the Photoshop palette on the left hand margin.
Move the eyedropper to a middle tone in the area you wish to remove blemishes, then click again and the color will appear in the Foreground Color palette box.
Next, choose a Soft Brush by clicking on the Brush Icon in the palette, then select the diameter of the brush from the top toolbar. Experiment with a 200 diameter brush for covering large areas, and a small 45 or 65 diameter brush for smaller areas such as the face.
Next, set the Opacity and Flow of the stroke on the top toolbar to around 25 for each indicator. This will provide a soft flattering effect to the skin tone as you click or drag the Brush over the the desired area that you want to retouch.
Save the changes after you achieve the desired result on one area, then continue retouching the next area, repeating the process for the legs, arms, face, etc.
From the Top toolbar, click Image, Save As, and save the file as Image2A.
Click to view a larger image
Continue with Image2A. From the top Toolbar select, Filter, Distort, Diffused Glow Set the Slider to:
Graininess - 0 -
Glow Amount 2
Clear Amount 18
This will add a soft glow to the highlights but the skin tone will appear blotchy due to the increase in contrast between the highlights and shadows.
Next, Crop the image to the top of the hair by clicking on the Rectangular Marquee tool located at the top left of the toolbox on the left hand margin in Photoshop.
This should leave the portion of the image you wish to crop surrounded by the dotted line.
Next, from the top toolbar, select Image, then click Crop. The image will crop to your desired size. Again from the top toolbar, select Image, Save As and save the file as Image2B.
Click to view a larger image
In the final step on Image 2 we will bring out the highlights in the skin tone, make sure the background is white without detail, and Resize and Sharpen the image to a posting size file.
From the top toolbar select Image, Adjustments, Brightness/Contrast and move the Brightness slider to the right to + 11 and click OK.
Again, beginning on the top toolbar, click, Image, Adjustments.
Now move the cursor down the list and click on Selective Color, select REDS in the Color Box, and move the Cyan slider left to between -60 and -70 to bring out the highlights in the skin tone.
On the top toolbar click File, Save As and save the image as Image2Final.
Then continue to work on the Background.
For the final edit we will fill in the background of the High Key Image to make it White without detail and then bring up the color saturation before Resizing and Sharpening with the Unsharp Mask tool.
From the top toolbar select: Windows, Swatches. With the cursor, click the White swatch in the palette box and then set both the Opacity and Flow to 100.
Using a Soft Brush size relative to the area to be colored, fill in the White Background until it is solid white without detail.
Finally, resize the Image by selecting: Image, Image Size and placing the Pixel Dimensions at Height 600 Width 400 and Clicking OK.
Next, Sharpen the Image by selecting: Filter, Sharpen, Unsharp Mask.
Depending on your likes, set the Amount Slider between 118 and 146, the Radius at 0.8 Pixels and the Threshold at 4 Levels. Click OK and save the file as Image2Final.
Click to view a larger image
Click to view a larger image
Adjusting Exposure and Removing Blemishes
In Photoshop, click, File, Open then select Image3 to edit from your saved file. Then use the Navigator Dialog Box to enlarge the Image to fill the screen for editing. Next, adjust the overall brightness of the image using the Levels Adjustment function.
Click on Image from the top toolbar, then Adjustments, then Levels. Next, slide the center arrow to the Left to Brighten the image and/or slide the Left arrow to the Right to darken the image until you achieve the desired overall exposure.
Next go to Image, Adjustments, Brightness/Contrast. Slide the Contrast Slider to the Right to about + 16 to make the Image " Pop " and move the Brightness slider slightly to the Right to bring the image back up to your desired exposure level.
Once you have the desired working exposure and contrast, smooth out the skin tone by clicking on the Eyedropper Icon located in the Photoshop palette on the left hand margin.
Move the eyedropper to a middle tone in the area you wish to remove blemishes, then click again and the color will appear in the Foreground Color palette box.
Next, choose a Soft Brush by clicking on the Brush Icon in the Palette, then select the diameter of the brush from the top toolbar. Experiment with a 200 diameter brush for covering large areas, and a small 45 or 65 diameter brush for smaller areas such as the face.
Next, set the Opacity and Flow of the stroke on the top toolbar to around 25 for each indicator. This will provide a soft flattering effect to the skin tone as you click or drag the Brush over the the desired area that you want to retouch.
Save the Changes after you achieve the desired result on one area, then open the file again and retouch the next area, repeating the process for the legs, arms, face, etc.
From the top toolbar, click Image, Save As, and save the file as Image3A.
Click to view a larger image
Adjusting the skin tone
Open Image3A and from the top toolbar select, Filter, Distort, Diffused Glow Set the Slider to:
Graininess - 0 -
Glow Amount 2
Clear Amount 18
This will add a soft glow to the highlights but the skin tone will appear blotchy due to the increase in contrast between the highlights and shadows. Retouch skin again as discussed in Step 1.
Next, from the top toolbar click on Image, Adjustments, Color Balance and move the Red Slider to the Right to + 22.
Next, again from the top toolbar, click on Image, Adjustments. This time scroll down and click on Selective Color. Select REDS in the Color Box, then move the Cyan Slider to the Left to - 12.
From the top toolbar, click on Image then Save As, and Save the Image as Image3B.
Click to view a larger image
Smoothing out the Background and Sharpening
From the Toolbox on the Left Margin, click on the Eyedropper Tool and move the cursor to one of the Blue Background areas in the Image. Click on it and that shade of Blue will appear in the Foreground Palette Box.
Next click on the Brush Icon in the Toolbox and the Opacity and Flow indicators along with the Brush Size drop down box will appear just below the top toolbar.
Set the Opacity indicator to 50 % and the Flow indicator to 25%.
Next, from the Brush drop down menu, select a soft Brush at 200 Diameter and in the Blue areas of the background, hold the left pad of the mouse down and scroll over the area, painting in and smoothing out the texture of the backdrop.
Repeat this process in each Blue area of the backdrop at consecutively smaller Brush sizes, 200, then 100, then 60 so you can work the corners and smaller areas until the Blue areas have a consistent texture and color.
Finally, resize the Image by selecting:
Image, Image Size and placing the Pixel Dimensions at Height 600 Width 400 and Clicking OK.
Next, Sharpen the Image by selecting: Filter, Sharpen, Unsharp Mask. Set the Amount Slider at 118 the Radius at 0.8 Pixels and the Threshold at 4 Levels.
Click OK and save the File as Image3FinalEdit.
Adjusting the skin tone
Open Image4A and then from the Top Toolbar select, Filter, Distort, Diffused Glow
Set the Slider to:
Graininess - 0 -
Glow Amount 2
Clear Amount 15 or 17 depending on the amount of Glow you desire.
This will add a soft glow to the highlights but notice that the skin tone appears blotchy due to the increase in contrast between the highlights and shadows. Retouch skin again as discussed in Step 1.
Next, from the top toolbar click on Image, Adjustments, Color Balance and move the Red Slider slightly to the Right.
Next, again from the top toolbar, click on Image, Adjustments. This time scroll down and click on Selective Color. Select REDS in the Color Box, and move the Cyan Slider to the Left until you achieve a healthy, natural skin tone.
From the Top toolbar, click on Image then Save As, and Save the Image as Image4B.
Click to view a larger image
Adjusting Exposure and Removing Blemishes
In Photoshop, click, File, Open then select Image 4 to edit from your saved file. Then use the Navigator Dialog Box to enlarge the Image to fill the screen for editing.
Next, adjust the overall brightness of the image using the Levels Adjustment function. Click on Image from the top toolbar, then Adjustments, then Levels. Next, slide the center arrow to the Left to Brighten the image and/or slide the Left arrow to the Right to darken the image until you achieve the desired overall brightness and contrast.
Next go to Image, Adjustments, Brightness/Contrast. Slide the Contrast Slider slightly to the Right to make the Image " Pop " and move the Brightness slider slightly to the Right to bring the image back up to your desired brightness level.
Once you have the desired working brightness and contrast, smooth out the skin tone by clicking on the Eyedropper Icon located in the Photoshop palette on the left hand margin.
Move the eyedropper to a middle tone in the area you wish to remove blemishes, then click again and the color will appear in the Foreground Color palette box.
Next, choose a Soft Brush by clicking on the Brush Icon in the Palette, then select the diameter of the brush from the top toolbar. Experiment with a 200 diameter brush for covering large areas, and a small 45 or 65 diameter brush for smaller areas such as the face.
Next, set the Opacity and Flow of the stroke on the top toolbar to around 25 for each indicator. This will provide a soft flattering effect to the skin tone as you click or drag the Brush over the the desired area that you want to retouch.
Save the Changes after you achieve the desired result on one area, then open the file again and retouch the next area, repeating the process for the legs, arms, face, etc.
From the Top toolbar, click Image, Save As, and save the file as Image4A.
Click to view a larger image
Smoothing out the Background and Sharpening
From the Toolbox on the left margin, click on the Eyedropper Tool and move the cursor to one of the Brown Background areas in the Image. Click on it and that shade of Brown will appear in the Foreground Palette Box.
Next click on the Brush Icon in the Toolbox and the Opacity and Flow indicators along with the Brush Size drop down box will appear just below the top toolbar.
Set the Opacity indicator to 50 % and the Flow indicator to 25%.
Next, from the Brush drop down menu, select a soft Brush at 200 Diameter and in the Brown areas of the background, hold the left pad of the mouse down and scroll over the area, painting in and smoothing out the texture of the backdrop.
Repeat this process in each Brown area of the backdrop at consecutively smaller Brush sizes, 200, then 100, then 60 so you can work the corners and smaller areas until the Brown areas have a consistent texture and color. Also, again using the Eyedropper, select the from the dark shadow area on the right and, with the Opacity set at 50%, paint the cursor over the area behind Kimberly’s back using a soft brush at 100 diameter and, using a 45 diameter Brush, darken the distracting piece of rug behind her so that it is less prominent.
Finally, resize the Image by selecting: Image, Image Size and placing the Pixel Dimensions at Height 600 Width 400 and Clicking OK. Next, Sharpen the Image by selecting: Filter, Sharpen, Unsharp Mask. Set the Amount Slider between 118 and 145 depending on your desired sharpness. Set the Radius at 0.8 Pixels and the Threshold at 4 Levels.
Click OK and save the File as Image4FinalEdit.
Click to view a larger image
Here are links to full-sized copies of the raw and final versions of each image. You can download these and experiment with the editing procedures outlined here.
down load here
