> PHOTOSHOP USER>^ OCTOBER 2020[ 64 ]
- GRADIENT TOOL FOR FAUX SUNSET
To add a bit of whimsy and watercolor to otherwise blown-out skies, use
the Gradient tool (G) set to the Foreground to Transparent preset and
the Linear Gradient icon in the Options Bar. Click on the Foreground
color swatch near the bottom of the Toolbar to open the Color Picker,
choose a sunset hue of pink or golden tones, and click OK. Drag out
a gradient from the top of the image to somewhere below the horizon.
For added dimension, before you draw your gradient, click on
the gradient preview thumbnail in the Options Bar to open the Gradi-
ent Editor, and click to add additional color stops along the bottom of
the gradient ramp. Double-click the color stops to change their col-
ors. Click OK, and then draw your gradient. Adjust the layer Opacity
to your liking for more subtle or dramatic results. - SELECT SUBJECT AND COPY TO NEW LAYER
TO ADD REALISTIC SKIES
At the end of my evening shoots, I often take a purposely out-of-focus
shot of the sunset to save for future use. If I’m editing a session that’s
devoid of any texture in the sky, then I have an entire gallery of sunsets
in various tones that I can apply to the images. One of my best tips
for effortlessly adding skies to portraits is to go to Select >Subject,
and press Command-J (PC: Ctrl-J) to copy the subject(s) to a new
layer. Next, I add the replacement sky to a new layer, and drag that
layer below the copied subject(s). Reduce the Opacity of the sky layer
as necessary. Then add a layer mask, and use the Brush tool (B)
with a soft brush set to black to paint away any unwanted sky that’s
overlapping background areas. - BRING OUT THE SUN WITH RADIAL GRADIENT
To add some soft sunlight to an image, use a radial gradient. Go to
Layer>New>Layer, click on the Foreground color swatch near the bot-
tom of the Toolbar to open the Color Picker, choose a golden sunshine
color, and click OK. With the Gradient tool (G) set to the Foreground to
Transparent preset and the Radial Gradient icon in the Options Bar, drag
from outside the image down to the desired area to create a one-half orb
of golden sunlight. Reduce the layer Opacity to your liking, and use the
Move tool (V) to adjust the gradient’s placement as needed. - SOFT LIGHT BLENDING MODE ADDS
CONTRAST AND COLOR PUNCH
Easily increase the contrast and saturation of an image so that the col-
ors are more vivid and eye-catching by using the Soft Light blending
mode. Press Command-J (PC: Ctrl-J) to duplicate your Background
layer, and change the blending mode of the copied layer from Normal
to Soft Light in the drop-down menu near the top left of the Layers panel.
Adjust the Opacity to taste. - ADD FAKE BOKEH WITH LAYER BLENDING
If you love the look of bokeh, those pleasing out-of-focus points of
light that are achieved with a shallow depth of field, and want to create
that look in postprocessing, you can do so easily with layer blending.
The first thing you’ll need is a bokeh image (either one you’ve already
shot, or a stock image you’ve purchased; simply search for “bokeh
backgrounds”).
Once you have the bokeh image you wish to apply, open it in Pho-
toshop, and then use the Move tool (V) to drag the image over your
subject as a new layer. The layer to which you wish to add the effect
should be beneath the bokeh layer in the Layers panel. Click on the
bokeh layer in the Layers panel to make it active, and change its blend-
ing mode from Normal to Screen (near the top left of the Layers panel).
Screen will remove the dark areas of the layer, and the bright bokeh
lights will emerge.
For a more intense effect, press Command-J (PC: Ctrl-J) to
duplicate the bokeh layer. Add a layer mask to the bokeh layer(s),
select the Brush tool (B), and paint with a soft black brush to remove
areas where the effect isn’t desired.