› › COLUMN> PHOTOSHOP USER>^ APRIL 2020[ 90 ]
This is already a really good starting point for our image.
We can now take a couple of different approaches to
modify the channel and add or remove unwanted ele-
ments. First, we’ll use Levels to get rid of all that extra
“glow” around the base of the subject. With the Alpha
channel selected, go to Image>Adjustments>Levels.
Grab the dark-gray (shadows) slider, beneath the left
side of the Input Levels histogram, and move it to the right.
Using this slider increases the contrast in the dark side of the
tonal spectrum. For this example, we set it to 90, but you
can adjust it to your preference. You should see all of the
glowing elements in the background disappear as the con-
trast makes them black. If you’re working with a different
image, consider adjusting the white (highlights) slider on the
right side to increase the contrast of the bright tones of your
image. Click OK when it looks good to you.Now, there are elements like the eyelashes and eye-
brows that you might not want in the selection. A few
quick dabs using a soft Brush (B) and black as the Fore-
ground color allows you to remove them easily. This
image on the next page shows where we removed details
from the face and hands.HAIR MASK SUCCESS!
To load this Alpha channel as a selection, just go to Selec-
tion>Load Selection, or hold down the Command (PC:
Ctrl) key and click on the Alpha channel thumbnail in the
Channels panel. Either way, you’ll get an active selection.
Then, make sure you click back on the RGB Composite
channel so you can actually edit pixel values.
Now, switch back to the Layers panel and, with this
selection active, click on the Create New Adjustment
Layer icon (half-black/half-white circle) at the bottom
of the panel and choose Hue/Saturation to change the
color of her hair. A quick adjustment with the Hue and