Street Photography Magazine

where the blur and protected zones begin
and end. The Ellipse and Feather handles
move in sync by default but can be adjusted
separately using the Alt key.
The Tilt-Shift filter simulates the
Scheimpflug effects produced by mechanical
tilt/shift lenses, producing a precisely
defined sharpness gradient that you can
adjust by altering the positions of the tool’s
built-in delimiting lines. You can, in fact,
select a number of points of sharpness for
the Iris Blur and Tilt-Shift filters, although the
more points you set, the less realistic the
results will look.
All three filters can be combined and can
also be enhanced with an additional bokeh
effect. Unlike most other Photoshopfilters, the
Blur Gallery effects cannot be used as smart
filters and consequently cannot be adjusted
later. You can, however, save any sharpness
gradients you set as alpha channels that can
then be loaded as selections and used as the
basis for subsequent adjustments in the
blurred areas of your image

Image Processing

The most obvious change to the program’s
image processing functionality is, once again,
a change in the panel system. The CS4 and
CS5 versions used the Adjustments panel to
select and make adjustments, whereas CS6
has a new, dedicated panel called Properties
for doing the same thing. This panel displays
not only the adjustment layer controls, but

also the 3D controls included with the

Extended version of the program. The panel is

freely scalable and thus adaptable to all

different types of adjustments. All in all, the

user interface has once again become a little

more flexible. The separate Masks panel

(which many users have possibly never found)

is now part of the Properties panel.

The Layers panel has changed visually too,

and now includes an inconspicuous but

powerful filtering tool for locating specific

layers within complex documents. You can

use the tool to find empty layers or ones that

include specific adjustments, blending

modes, text or labels.

The ill-reputed Auto Correct tools – long

considered a ‘no go area’ for serious imaging

enthusiasts – are now editable, making them

a useful starting point for your own, more

complex image adjustments. Auto

functionality is built into the Levels, Curves

and Brightness/Contrast tools, and there is

now an Enhance Brightness and Contrast

option included in the Auto Color Correction

Options dialog.

Another novelty that is sure to appeal to

filter and plug-in lovers is the Color Lookup

adjustment (see the image at the bottom of

this page). This influences image color and

contrast by providing color lookup tables

(LUTs) that replace the original tonal values.

Many video aficionados already use 3D

LUTs to apply preset lighting moods (such as

the ‘HorrorBlue’ or LateSunset’ provided here)

to an entire movie. The options on offer also

Photoshop CS6 | Highlights

The Color Lookup adjustment enables you to make quick global adjustments to the
mood of an image using a range of standard looks and movie-style effects

Image: Paul Piebinga (iStockphoto)

The layer filtering tool makes it quick and

easy to search complex documents for

empty layers or ones that contain specific,

effects, modes, attributes, colors or labels