Photoshop Your Way to Better Photos
Digital photography will never be complete without its partner, the
photo-editing software. There are lots of instant photo editors in the
market, but so far, nothing can beat Adobe Photoshop's popularity. Not
only does Photoshop allow a photographer to create his or her own art,
but the software also turns a ho-hum photograph to an awesome portrait
in relatively easy steps. No wonder Photoshop is a glamour
photographer's best friend. There are a lot of ways that a photographer
can achieve the glamour effect with Photoshop. We have listed here a few
of the most common techniques that glamour artists use to create their
masterpieces.
Dreamy Effect
A dreamy photo has soft edges, flawless luminescent skin, that misty
glow, and fully saturated colors. The dreamy effect is best achieve with
photos that already has a lot of whites, which will create a bright
background that will make the subject pop out. The key here is to apply
just enough blur using the Gaussian Blur to highlight colors and the
shadows while softly fading everything else.
How to create the "Dreamy Effect" in Photoshop
Sepia Toning
The old vintage sepia look has an innate class and elegance to it
that it is among the most widely used effect by glamour photographers.
To achieve the sepia effect using Photoshop, first desaturate and adjust
the opacity of the original photo until you get the desired color
saturation. Also, adjust the hue to a warmer color before applying a
soft light with 50 percent opacity. Then before applying the finishing
touches, set the color to dark brown (3d2703) and then adjust the
opacity again to 30 percent.
How to create the "Sepia Tone" in Photoshop
Simple Black and White
Black and white never goes out of style. It lends a timeless
character to a portrait. No wonder glamour photographers often find
themselves drawn to photos devoid of color. The secret to Photoshoping
black and white pictures with a glamorous touch is to play with
contrasts to accentuate the shadows and then softening them. It's also a
matter of playing with the values.
Hollywood Celebrity Look
At times using Photoshop's magic wand and burning tool can make an
ordinary photo look like that of fashion magazine covers. The trick is
to try to make the hair appear darker and using the burning tool to
paint sophisticated colors on the eyelids and lips. And one may even
change the color of the eyes to complement the hair, the makeup, and
especially the skin tone. You may experiment with different colors to
create that elegant celebrity look.
Basic Retouch
Sometimes photographers take very good pictures and do not want to
make manipulations to maintain the natural beauty of the photo. However,
Photoshop may be used in moderation to enhance the photo such as making
the teeth and eye whites look whiter by painting with a soft brush with
10 percent opacity. Or removing blemishes using the clone tool. Or
smoothing the skin by minimizing "Noise" by selecting "Median" from the
"Noise" filter. As you can see Photoshop offers a wide array of
possibilities for glamour photographers. The only limit is the
imagination. |
