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Tutorial question
mcsdigital
Registered Users Posts: 3 Beginner grinner
I need some help with Making Your Image "Pop" Part 1, I went through the tutorial and can't seem to make it work in my CS3. I set the black point in curves like instructed then drag the curve back to 45 degrees and then click on black sample image to set black point dropper, but when I click on my black point rgb lines move around messing up the color tremendously.
Any ideas what I'm doing wrong, assuming it's me?
Any ideas what I'm doing wrong, assuming it's me?
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I'm not sure I'm following you here. Try changing the blending mode of the curves adjustment layer to luminosity. That should reduce the color distortions.
Oh--I moved this to the Finishing School forum.
I'll give that a try, and thanks for moving this to finishing school forum.
I tried changing adjustment layer to luminosity and still no good. Has anyone followed the Making your pictures Pop 1 tutorial? I must be missing something. I tried it with the online picture and it worked, when I choose my own pic it doesn't work.
Can you post screen shots of the before, after and the curve settings themselves? That could help figure out your problem.
I have a pretty good guess
First, this tutorial was created prior to CS3, and there are a few extra display options that may be causing some grief. But before we get to that, let's confirm a fundamental assumption for this to work at all.
You must have a point that is truly black and a point that is truly white (or should be).
Black and white are just different ends of the spectrum but both are neutral points, i.e. the color is equal parts Red, Green and Blue. When you are finding the lightest and darkest spots on the photo using Levels->Threshold (particularly when choosing the lightest point), be sure that it is supposed to be white and not just a light shade of something else (e.g. if the lightest spot on the photo was a person's very light blond hair). This will definitely cause a color shift.
So lets assume you've did choose the white and black points correctly. From here, you should:
1. Create your first Curves adjustment layer as per the tutorial. At the bottom of the screen, click on the Curve Display Options button (if you don't already see all the options). Click off "Channel Overlays". The curve dialog screen should now look more like the tutorial as we proceed forward.
2. Click on either the Black Point eyedropper or the White Point Eyedropper and click on the appropriate spot on your photo. You should see a contrast change, but not a color shift, if you've chosen your points correctly.
The tutorial has you create 3 separate layers. You can follow this format or do it all on the same Curves adjustment layer. Works the same.
3. Either on a new adjustment layer (or the same one) click on the other Eye Dropper Point and click on the other selected spot on your image.
You have now set your White and Black point and the photo should now have more pop.
You indicated that you then drag the curve back to 45 degrees. This is where i think the train went off the track ... You should have only clicked on two points, a black and a white, each with a different eye dropper. No dragging of curves
The last step in the tutoral is the only point where you are moving the curve line. It adds further contrast ("pop") to a selected midtone area. In the tutorial, it focuses on the mans facial area. In a landscape, it might be a colored rock area or a foliage area. It's up to you to identify what area you'd like a bit more "pop" and find that area's lightest and darkest point.
If you choose to do this all in one adjustment layer, be sure that you deselect your last used eyedropper (you don't want to accidently set a new white or black point based on one of the midtone colors!).
You are simply adding two points on the 45 degree line that represents the lightest and darkest point for that color area. the goal is to make the line between these two points a BIT steaper.
You simply click and drag the point closest to the bottom left DOWN (just a bit) and the point closest to the upper right UP (just a bit). You have created the Classic S-Curve.
Your work is done.
Hopefully you can follow this
Let us know if you have success.
HTH,
www.digismile.ca