Begining to use Layers in CS4 - 2 Issues!

net1994net1994 Registered Users Posts: 269 Major grins
edited April 26, 2010 in Finishing School
After quite some time of applying adjustments directly to the photo, I am trying to get the hang of using adjustment layers only. But two things are driving me nuts:

1. Before using adjustment layers, I would often use quick selection to select an area of a photo to run unsharp mask only on this area. However I cannot seem to do this now when using Adj Layers. I tried creating a new layer and then using quick selection to carve out an area of the photo and then run unsharp mask, or (more importantly) noise ninja in only that area. But it won't work. Is this even possible? What am I missing/doing wrong?

2. When using adjustment layers, some critical options do not work. If I try to use Highlights/Shadows adjustment they do not work. Is it even possible to use Highlights/Shadows adjustment with multiple adjustment layers at the same time? What about other changes that are outside of the ''adjustments' panel? i.e. Filters, etc How do I get these to work happily with layer adjustments?

What is the easiest way to make these things work?

Thanks!!


--
My Photography website = Happy time for your eyes:

http://www.paintbypixels.com
Candy For Your Eyes @ Paint By Pixels

http://www.paintbypixels.com

Comments

  • RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,962 moderator
    edited April 25, 2010
    net1994 wrote:
    After quite some time of applying adjustments directly to the photo, I am trying to get the hang of using adjustment layers only. But two things are driving me nuts:

    1. Before using adjustment layers, I would often use quick selection to select an area of a photo to run unsharp mask only on this area. However I cannot seem to do this now when using Adj Layers. I tried creating a new layer and then using quick selection to carve out an area of the photo and then run unsharp mask, or (more importantly) noise ninja in only that area. But it won't work. Is this even possible? What am I missing/doing wrong?

    2. When using adjustment layers, some critical options do not work. If I try to use Highlights/Shadows adjustment they do not work. Is it even possible to use Highlights/Shadows adjustment with multiple adjustment layers at the same time? What about other changes that are outside of the ''adjustments' panel? i.e. Filters, etc How do I get these to work happily with layer adjustments?

    What is the easiest way to make these things work?

    Thanks!!


    --
    My Photography website = Happy time for your eyes:

    http://www.paintbypixels.com
    Those things only work on layers with pixels. Adjustment layers do not have pixels but only change the appearance of the pixels on the underlying layers. Instead of using adjustment layers, you should use ctl-shift-alt_E (or the Mac equivalent) to create a new layer on top of the stack with pixels, then apply sharpening or s/h on that layer. You can also add a mask to that layer to keep the effects local.
    My Pics
  • Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2010
    1. Make a new layer from the background image to do this.

    2. Make sure the background image layer is selected. (or a duplicate of it)
  • net1994net1994 Registered Users Posts: 269 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2010
    Ric Grupe wrote:
    1. Make a new layer from the background image to do this.

    2. Make sure the background image layer is selected. (or a duplicate of it)

    Thanks Ric!! That helped a lot. I can now use quick selections with layers.
    Still have a shadow/highlights question. When I select the 'backround copy' I can run shadow/highlights on the whole image. But this is not an adjustment layer so if I want to go back later after opening the PSD file I won't be able to change the Shadow/Highlights I applied. Correct?
    Candy For Your Eyes @ Paint By Pixels

    http://www.paintbypixels.com
  • Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2010
    net1994 wrote:
    Thanks Ric!! That helped a lot. I can now use quick selections with layers.
    Still have a shadow/highlights question. When I select the 'backround copy' I can run shadow/highlights on the whole image. But this is not an adjustment layer so if I want to go back later after opening the PSD file I won't be able to change the Shadow/Highlights I applied. Correct?
    Why not? The layer is saved.

    This may help you.
  • RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,962 moderator
    edited April 25, 2010
    net1994 wrote:
    Still have a shadow/highlights question. When I select the 'backround copy' I can run shadow/highlights on the whole image. But this is not an adjustment layer so if I want to go back later after opening the PSD file I won't be able to change the Shadow/Highlights I applied. Correct?

    Yes, you are correct. But if you feel the need for this, you can convert the layer to a smart object (in the Layer menu) before you apply s/h. When you re-open the file, you can click on the s/h component in the layer palette and tweak your settings.

    I usually don't bother with smart objects. As long as you do s/h on a copied pixel layer (and don't delete the source, which for me is usually the background layer) you can always discard the adjusted copy, make a fresh copy and do it again. On my machine, converting to smart objects is not instantaneous, and since I generally don't touch my pics once I have processed them, it isn't worth the time to convert.
    My Pics
  • colourboxcolourbox Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2010
    net1994 wrote:
    2. When using adjustment layers, some critical options do not work. If I try to use Highlights/Shadows adjustment they do not work. Is it even possible to use Highlights/Shadows adjustment with multiple adjustment layers at the same time?... if I want to go back later after opening the PSD file I won't be able to change the Shadow/Highlights I applied. Correct?

    Both of these are possible with Smart Objects. You can stuff multiple layers into a Smart Object and run Highlight/Shadow on the S.O., which will both apply them to all and also allow you to double-click the effect to adjust it later.

    However, to achieve all this, Smart Objects are very computationally expensive. They make your files bigger, they eat up more RAM and CPU, they slow things down. Fine on a fully tricked-out Photoshop computer with the RAID swap and everything, but probably aggravating on an older or low-end setup. This is part of the reason that, like Richard, I don't use smart objects at every opportunity. Only when I must have their benefits.

    I love the nondestructive stuff but sometimes it's better to get it right and call it done.
  • net1994net1994 Registered Users Posts: 269 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2010
    colourbox wrote:
    I love the nondestructive stuff but sometimes it's better to get it right and call it done.

    OH MY GOD, where was this common sense last night when I tired to figure this out for 2 hrs on one photo!!!!

    BTW, my new PC is pretty 'tricked out.' Built in Jan for pretty much photoshop. Intel i7 Quad core CPU, 6 GB Ram, Intel Solid State Hard drive Pretty smokin fast.

    Who knows, maybe I'll try smart objects at some point. But, if I can just make a single adjustment with Sh/Hi on a background copy and later on I don't like it, can I just delete the copy-thus removing the Sh/Hi, without wipeing anything else out?
    Candy For Your Eyes @ Paint By Pixels

    http://www.paintbypixels.com
  • Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2010
    net1994 wrote:

    BTW, my new PC is pretty 'tricked out.' Built in Jan for pretty much photoshop. Intel i7 Quad core CPU, 6 GB Ram, Intel Solid State Hard drive Pretty smokin fast.
    I have the i7 Core 950 with 12gb of tri-channel memory. PS CS4 is the only program that makes it work. Just because you have 4 cores (8 logical cores) doesn't mean much unless you are multi-tasking. Most programs can only use one or two of the cores at a time.

    Since you have a solid state drive you should have PS write to another drive as a scratch disc. SSDs have a finite amount of read/write cycles. This will pretty much explain all from a hardware point of view.
  • RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,962 moderator
    edited April 26, 2010
    Ric Grupe wrote:
    Since you have a solid state drive you should have PS write to another drive as a scratch disc. SSDs have a finite amount of read/write cycles. This will pretty much explain all from a hardware point of view.

    Hmm....I think I'm going to have to disagree with Ric on this one. Photoshop scratch space is the perfect use of an SSD, where speed is of the essence. If it ever wears out, a replacement will cost one fourth the current price for twice the storage. In any event, with 6 GB of RAM, unless you are doing monstrous things in PS, you probably don't touch the scratch drive very often.
    My Pics
  • Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited April 26, 2010
    Richard wrote:
    Hmm....I think I'm going to have to disagree with Ric on this one. Photoshop scratch space is the perfect use of an SSD, where speed is of the essence. If it ever wears out, a replacement will cost one fourth the current price for twice the storage. In any event, with 6 GB of RAM, unless you are doing monstrous things in PS, you probably don't touch the scratch drive very often.

    Maybe so...but I think a dedicated drive for PS scratch disk is still a good idea. HDs are cheap...SSDs ain't.
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