This tutorial will illustrate every little
step in the hope that beginners will find it more user friendly.
Advanced users can simply read the steps without clicking on the
detailed illustrations. The idea here is to darken the photograph
without destroying desirable tonal characteristics. Have fun.
Be sure to click on the PLUS arrow
so the illustration fills your screen! Otherwise, it will be hard to
read.
1- Here is the original color photograph.
Click on the image to see it 100%.
2- In PS CS3, go to Image - Adjustment -
Black & White . . . . as illustrated here.
3- Now select the High Contrast Red Filter.
4- Duplicate Layer
5- Multiply
6- Select the sky using the
Magic Wand set at 32. Remember to
hold down the shift key as you
add more and more sky parts.
7- Modify - Expand one pixel.
This is always a good idea when separating skies from your photos.
8- Modify - Feather one pixel.
Selections should ALWAYS be feathered to some degree to eliminate
pixel corners.
10- Select - Inverse. This will
now enable you to work on everything BUT the sky. Now we can work on
the foreground.
10- Now Flatten and use the
Dodge tool.
In the Layers pallet select
Flatten. By not flattening before this, it makes it
easier to select areas with the Magic Wand.
For more information on using the Dodge and Burn tools you might
want to review this:
http://dustylens.com/Dodging%20and%20Burning%20for%20selective%20contrast.htm
11- Image - Adjust - Curves
12- Curves. Here is where put in
a gentle "S" curve to enhance the midtone contrast (we steepen the
center part of the curve which increases the contrast there)
13- Deselect. (Keep in mind that
if you choose to go back to Inverse as in step 9 you can play with
the sky portion!)
14- The final image. You can now play with the image even more.
Perhaps adjusting the tonality even further.
The point of the tutorial is simply to show you a very simple
technique. It is up to you to refine it to your own taste. There can
be much more to it! Enjoy.
