> PHOTOSHOP USER>^ FEBRUARY 2020[ 58 ]
THE AIRY FILM LOOK
The next look we’re going to create is a more high-
key, flat, and airy look that’s often associated with
the “Instagram look.” For this, we need to create
a gap on the left side of the histogram, which will
make the blacks look more washed out and lighter.
Again, we could use Levels, Curves, or Exposure
for this, but to make it more interesting, let’s use the
Exposure adjustment, which I personally use when-
ever I want to achieve a similar look.Step One: Start by either opening a new image, or
turn off the visibility of your previous Levels adjust-
ment layer, and turn the Black and White fill layer
back on. Then, create an Exposure adjustment on
top of the layer stack by going to Layer>New Adjust-
ment Layer>Exposure. Click OK.Step Two: Here, we’re going to work with the Off-
set slider first. Start moving it to the right and a slight
gap will show up on the left side of the histogram.
This indicates that the blacks are getting brighter.
Move it to a position where it feels nice and airy,
and a bit flat—something that feels pleasing.Step Three: Then, you can flatten this a bit more
by lowering the Exposure slightly. This creates a
small gap on the right side of the histogram, as well,
which means that the whites are getting darker.
These two sliders almost introduce a foggy, but
detailed atmosphere to the image.Step Four: Lastly, to tie it all up, we need to use
the Gamma Correction slider. Moving it to the right
moves all the values slightly to the left. Continue
shifting them until you find something pleasing,
probably when the histogram values are centered in
the Histogram panel. This balances it all out.
Done! This style can be used to emphasize open
spaces, and to give a filmic vibe to photos without
going overboard.As you can see, knowing more about the his-
togram can help you make educated decisions
about your stylistic contrast choices. With what
you’ve learned in this article, you can dream up
or re-create any style that you like with the power
of the tonal adjustments and histogram. Now go
and move mountains! n AfterBefore