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[ 65 ]- PROTECTING COLORS WHEN USING CURVES
Usually, when you add contrast to an image using a Curves adjust-
ment layer, the saturation levels are affected as well. To add contrast
but protect the saturation of the image, set the blending mode of the
Curves adjustment layer to Luminosity. - USE COLOR LOOKUP TABLES FOR
A CINEMATIC LOOK
Color lookup tables is a very powerful tool when it comes to retouch-
ing. They can give an image a more cinematic look, and are perfect to
use as an overall adjustment in a composite to give all the elements
a more cohesive look. You can even stack a few of them at different
opacities to create your own style. Simply go to Layer>New Adjust-
ment Layer>Color Lookup, and click OK. In the Properties panel
(Window>Properties), try out the different presets in the 3DLUT File
drop-down menu. - THE POWER OF SELECTIVE COLOR
ADJUSTMENT LAYERS
Selective Color is one of the most powerful, yet underrated, adjustment
layers. By using this layer, you can completely transform an image, and
make its colors work more cohesively. It can be used to change, pop, or
correct colors individually. In the Properties panel (Window>Properties),
select the color you want to edit in the Colors drop-down menu, and
then drag around the color sliders. It can also be used to color-grade
an overall image by increasing and decreasing the color values in the
Blacks, Neutrals, and Whites.
80. THE BANANA TOOL
Did you know there’s a Banana tool in Photoshop? To access it,
click-and-hold on the Edit Toolbar icon (three dots) near the bottom
of the Toolbar (just below the Zoom tool), and then click on the Edit
Toolbar option. In the Customize Toolbar dialog, Shift-click the Done
button. Pick a tool in the Toolbar and see the Banana tool magically
appear! (Repeat these steps to remove the Banana tool.) - USE AVAILABLE PIXELS WHEN
WORKING ON COMPOSITES
Building on the same concept as tip #73 on the opposite page, let’s
say you want to place a subject in a background on a grassy area.
Naturally, the grass will cover the bottom part of the subject, such
as the shoes and balloon in this image, so we have to replicate that
in Photoshop to make the composite believable. Instead of adding a
new layer, and trying to match the colors of the grass, try using the
pixels that are already in the image.
With the subject layer’s mask selected in the Layers panel, switch
to the Brush tool (B), and pick a grass brush. Now, press X until the
Foreground color is set to black and start carefully painting where the
grass is supposed to be around your subject’s shoes. [For a more in-
depth look at this technique, check out “The Perfect Selection” in this
issue on page 96 .—Ed.]
ALL IMAGES THIS SPREAD BY GILMAR SMITH, EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE NOTED