Photo Connected - Photoshop Tips

My friends, I have a time to play with Photoshop (I use Photoshop CS2). I am going to show an easy tip that you can use for uniquely creating postcards, wallpaper, gifts ,etc. I don’t know how to technically call this technique is but I call “Photo Connected”. After you try with the following steps, you can create unique photos like these :)

1. Open your photo.

2. Draw a selection. In this case, I draw small rectangular selection over the giant sculpture face.

3. Save the selection because you will use it later on. (Select>Save Selection)

4. You can name your selection. I name it as “Original Selection”
5. Rotate the selection (Select> Transform Selection)

6. Create a photo frame (Edit>Stroke). I use 20 px stroke, location inside and normal blending mode with 100% opacity.


7. Copy your photo frame layer by pressing CRT+J. So, you will see the duplicated layer (layer1) as picture below.

8. Let drop the shadow to create dimension of photo. Go to layer pallet, click “Add layer style” (f logo) and select Drop Shadow. Then you will see the “Layer Style” and please try to play with parameters and see what effect is until you feel good with it. After you finish this step, you will see the new created photo frame on top of your original image. Then you need to create another photo frames by using the same instructions above.



9. Load selection (Select> Load Selection) so that you can use the same photo frame size. ** Most importantly, you must select the Background Layer.


10. Move the selection the new area. I move it up a bit and repeat from Step 5 to Step 7.


11. This is an easier way to copy later style from “Layer1”. Right click on Layer1 and select “Copy Layer Style” and then select “Layer2”. Right click and select “Paste Layer Style”. Yeah : )



12. Then you repeat steps above again and again until you are OK with your photo. In this example, I create 6 layers total.

13. Let change the background layer. Go to layer pallet and select Channel Mixer as picture below. Check Monochrome Box to create black and white photo style and let try to adjust parameters until you are happy with your black and white black ground. Moreover, you can add new background photo on top of your original background layer.

Oh yeah finish, this is just an example and let try with your photos. It is very fun : )

VisualPhotographer Excellent Photoshop Plug-ins

I just try a new plugins, VisualPhotographer, and I am very surprised how excellent this plug-ins does. VitualPhotograher is one of the most popular and best Photoshop Plug-ins. Many digital photographers commend for its excellent work. You can create professional photos just only one click. There are a lot of styles provided as Film Grain, Soft Focus, B/W, B/W tinting, High Contrast, etc. It can be used with Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro, PhotoPaint and other graphic programs. Moreover, the most important point is “Free”.

Let download this free plug-ins from http://www.optikvervelabs.com/ and extract the plug-ins on the Desktop.

Cut the extracted folder and paste into your plug ins folder. In case of Photoshop, I will paste the extracted file into C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS2\Plug-Ins\Filters

Open your Photoshop and you will see VisualPhotographer in Filter>OptikVerve Labs>VisualPhotographer

You can play and enjoy with it.

Before

After.. take 10 sec to create blur lens photo : )

Correct slanted photos with Photoshop CS2

I just know the easiest way to correct my slanted photos. OK let open your Photoshop (I use Photoshop CS2). Select “Measure Tool”

Draw a line over a horizon in order to measure how much angle tilted
Rotate an image: Image>Rotate Canvas>Arbitrary. The number shown automatically is how much angle titled. Therefore, you do not need to input any values in the box and just click OK

The photo is already corrected but you must crop the photo. Select the crop tool and crop the photo.
You finally get the good photo as below.

(Photoshop) Easy Lomo Style Pictures

This is an original image. It will be changed to Lomo Style in 5 minutes : )
I normally use Photoshop to process my images. OK let start you can see the original image below so I will change it to Lomo like images. Dejavo!

1) Adjust color balance: Lomo images are weird color tone so I will change an original color tone to yellow tone. At this step, you can play with other adjust techniques as levels, curve, etc and you also can adjust color tone. This example I use color balance and adjust images to yellow tone.

2) Create a vignette: This step I will show you how to create a vignette.

2.1) Create new layer
2.2) Select rectangular marquee tool with 100 px feature and normal style and draw the rectangular as show in picture below

2.3) Select Inverse
2.4) Fill with Black Color

2.5) Deselect after filling black color in selection
2.6) Change “Layer1” property to overlay with 80% Opacity. After completion on this step you can see the vignette.

3) Create Gradient Tone

3.1) Create new layer, “layer2”, between layer1 and Background3.2) Select Gradient tool: I normally use radial gradient tool. You use test any gradient styles and you will get the new look images. Let try
3.3) Select Foreground (White) to Transparent 3.3) Draw the gradient

3.4) Adjust layer property to Overlay with 80% Opacity
4) Adjust background image contrast: Normally I adjust image Curves to S-Curve shape. Anyway, you can adjust until you see the color tone you like.

5) Create darkness to lomo image: You may not do this step if you like your color tone but I like the image looks dark a little bit. Therefore, I adjust brightness and contrast of the image.

WOW!!! you get the lomo image. This is the guideline so you can try and adjust this technique for your images. You can play with adjustment style, brightness ,etc.

Have Fun : )

Before
After

(Photoshop) Infrared (IR) image with Photoshop CS

If you don’t have an IR filter to take IR images, you can use Photoshop CS to create IR images. Let follow these steps:
1. Add channel mixer from layer pallet

2. Mark in Monochrome box and adjust parameters as follows:
Red :+70, Green: +100 and Blue: -84. You can adjust these parameters base on your images. Basically we need to add brightness to foliage and reduce brightness in blue area (sky).

3. Create a duplicated layer by dragging “Background” layer over a new layer icon. Then change a “Background copy” layer to “Screen” mode with 64% opacity in order to brighten green area. This is an optional step. If you feel that the foliage looks bright enough, you can skip this step.
4. Create a new layer and fill the layer with white.
5. Add noise (Filter>Noise>Add Noise). Please ensure to check Monochromatic box. I use 14.58% for Amount of noise. Anyway this is not solid value so you can adjust this value to create grain in your image.
6. Change Layer1 to “Multiply” mode so you will get the IR image yeahh.

7. These following steps are optional. Create a new channel mixer above “Channel Mixer 1” and adjust parameters as follows: Red +90, Green +34 and Blue -2. You will get pink tone IR. Try to play with some parameters in channel mixer so that you will see how beautiful your image is.
8. Let add more effect. Copy your “Background” layer and move it between “Channel Mixer1” and “Channel Mixer2”
9. Then adjust “Background copy2” mode to “Soft Light” mode with 32% opacity.
Wow this is your IR image. This is just a guide line so let adjust parameters to see how your images will be changed.
Another example

(Photoshop) Pencil Drawing

Let draw a picture with Photoshop
1. Create black and white tone by applying Desaturate. (Image>Adjustments>Desaturate)
2. Adjust brightness and contrast (Image>Adjustments>Brightness/Contrast). I use Bright +18 and Contrast +11.

3. Go to history panel and create snap shot.
4. Unsharp mask (Filter>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask) to create pencil texture. I set the parameters are as follows : Amount = 500%, Radius = 2.2 and Threshold = 0.

5. Select “History Brush” with 65% Opacity and select the snap shot channel in History Pallet.
6. Use the history brush to paint over eyes and lips. This step will create shine in eyes and lips.
7. Select “Dodge Tool” and paint all background area in order to lighten background.

8. Use the dodge tool with 20% Exposure to create hair shade and size of the dodge tool can be adjusted depending on area. Draw the dodge tool in the same direction of hair. Apply dodge tool until you feel good with the image.

9. Apply “Grain” into image (Filter>Texture>Grain) with following parameters: 10 Intensity and 45 Contrast.

Wow you get the Pencil Sketch image
Before
After

(Photoshop) Color in Black and White

This technique is frequently used to make an object in your photo look obviously outstanding. Let try.
1. Duplicate Layer by dragging your “Background” layer over new layer icon.
2. Create a path around object. For this case, I select a sunflower as object. You use “Pen Tool” as shown in image below.
3. When you finish creating the path around the object, you can see your working path in “Paths Tab”
4. Hide path by clinking anywhere outside working path layer. You will see the blue selection on the working path layer disappear and the path around the object will disappear too.
5. Desaturate picture (Image>Adjustments>Desaturate) in order to make black and white image.
6. Adjust image curve to make B&W image look brighter.

7. Select “Path Panel”, click at “Working Path” layer, and click the dotted circle to make selection (see image below). Then hide path by clinking anywhere outside working path layer.
8. Cut the selected area.
Yeah finnish

(Photoshop) Season Change Image

Season Change with Photoshop CS

Open your image, add channel mixer and adjust parameters as follow:
Red -50, Green +180 and Blue -50


2. Create a path around my model
4. Make selection around my model with 10 px feature

5. Add layer mask
6 Fill in layer mask in order to hide channel mixer effect and ensure that you use black as foreground.

7. Deselect the selection

8. Correct some details by utilizing Brush to smooth an edge of mask. For example, I use brush to smooth edge of her hair and background. Try to adjust with Brush Size, Opacity and Flow in order to correct the detail.
Wow you will get the season change image.
Before
After

(Photoshop) Antique border

1. Canvas Size to add image border. I use 100 px width and 100 px height for my border

2. Duplicate layer

3. Apply Fresco filter (Filter>Artistic>Fresco). Brush Size 10, Brush Detail 10, Texture 3.

4. Apply Spatter filter (Filter>Brush Strokes> Spatter) with following parameters: 25 for Spray Radius, 15 for Smoothness

5. Apply Dark Strokes filter (Filter>Brush Strokes> Dark Strokes) with following parameters : 8 for Balance, 10 for Black Intensity, 0 for White Intensity

6. Select Marquee tool with 15 px feature and draw the selection inside image.
7. Cut area in the selection and you will get the antique border.
Wow, this method is pretty easy :)

(Photoshop) Create Duo Tone Images

1. Grayscale image (Image>Mode>Grayscale) because you can not use “Duotone” mode with RGB Color.

2. Select Duotone (Image>Modes>Duotone)
3. Select Duotone
4. Play with Duotone until you feel good with color tone
Wow you get it !
Moreover you can select Triotone or Quadtone to create new image color. Let try it and you will love it.

(Photoshop) Solarized Images in black and white

Please follow easy steps to create solarized Images in black and white
1. Open image
2. Desaturate image (Image>Adjustments>Desaturate)
3. Add filter (Filter>Stylize>Solarize)
4. Adjust level unit you feel good with it (Image>Adjustments>Levels)
Yahoooo, you get solarized images in black and white tone.

(Photoshop) Soft Lens

This technique is frequently used for portrait images. Please follow the easy steps.
1. Duplicate layer by dragging “Background” layer over “create new layer” icon.

2. Apply filter Gaussian Blur (Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur). I use 11 pixel for blur.

3. Reduce “Background copy” layer to 51% 4. Add layer mask into “Background copy”
5. Use brush to hide blurred area on eyes and lips of a model. I use only 50% Opacity on brush and then paint over eyes and lips to mask the blurred area. You should ensure that your color for the bush is black.
Before

After

(Photoshop) Photo frame with “Stroke” command

This is another way to make the photo frame. The advantages are as follows:
There is more flexibility to modify the photo frame
Preview can be seen before processing
Photo frame can be removed easily
Photo frame can be used with other layer style commands as inner glow.
Etc.
Let try : )

1. Drag “Background” layer over a new layer icon to duplicate layer because “Background” layer can not be modified with layer style command.
2. Play with stroke command (Layer>Layer Style>Stroke).
My parameters are as follows: Size = 40 px, Position = inside, Blend mode = normal, Opacity= 32%, Fill type = color (I select purple). You can see preview on your screen. Let play with parameters until you like your photo frame.

If you want to modify your photo frame, you just only double click “f” symbol in your layer panel.
Or if you want to delete your photo frame, you just only uncheck the Stroke box.

(Photoshop) Easy photo frame

This is an easy way to create photo frame with Photoshop CS.

1. Apply Canvas Size (Image>Canvas Size)
2. Adjust parameters: width = 120 pix, Height 120 pix and white background
Let play with parameters until you feel good with a frame added.
Here we go :)

(Photoshop CS) White balance correction

When you take underexposure images, you can adjust image level to correct the image brightness. Please follow the easy steps.
1. Open an image. You can see that my image is underexposure

2. Select level as shown below
3. Adjust level by sliding a triangle at right side to the edge of level curve. You will get the correct exposure.
Or use white eyedropper to fix the problem.
Point to the area that should be white (For this case, I point to the cloud). You will get the correct image exposure too.
Let see the result :)

(Photoshop CS) Easy Sepia

Let make your images to be Sepia photo. Just only 3 easy steps. Let go!
1. Desaturate image

2. Image>Adjustments>Variations
3. Adjust variation until you like color tone.
4. Yeah you get a sepia image

(Photoshop CS)Easy Toning Image with Hue/Saturation

This is an easy way to change image tone with simple adjustments tool in Photoshop CS. Let try

1. Select: Image>Adjustmens>Hue/Saturation





2. Adjust parameters in the master channel (Hue = -20, Saturation = +20, Lightness = 0) you can see my sunflowers are changed to orange tone.




If you try Blue channel, you will not see any effect because there is no blue in this image.

Moreover if I try to adjust only Reds Channel, only a center of sunflower will be affected because there is red tone in this area.
This is a final image. You can try this tip for toning your image.