Color Splash in Photoshop

The Color Splash effect in Photoshop is to keep some portions of an image in color while desaturating the rest. There are many ways of doing this. It can also be done in all versions of Photoshop. I have shown how it can be done in a much easier way in Photoshop CS6.

This is a free stock image.

I have kept and also changed the color in selected areas and desaturated the rest of the image.

The tutorial is here

Other photoshop tutorials are here

#photoshop tutorial Cutting out images the old fashioned way

Cutting out images are a necessity but some find it difficult to use the Pen Tool, while not every one has the Photoshop CS5 or 6 to use the Quick Selection Tool. Photoshop has all along had the three Lasso Tools. These used in combination can cut out an image fairly accurately if you know how.

This is an image cut out from its background.

This is the original image.

The tutorial is here

Other photoshop tutorials are here

#photoshop tutorial Altering facial features with selections

Altering facial features may seem to be a difficult proposition. How do you make lips fuller, eyes larger and nose a bit longer without the photoshopping being apparent. It is not a complex job if you use selections only. This can be done in any version of photoshop.

The eyes, nose and lips in this image has been altered without seeming out of place.

This is the original image. Compare the two to see the subtle difference.

The tutorial is here

Other tutorials are here

#photoshop tutorial Colorcast correction in Photoshop CS6

Color casts can be a headache. But it sometimes happens. This can be corrected with Photoshop. That too in a few basic steps.

 This is an image with a yellowish cast.

The yellowish cast has been removed.

This is an image with a reddish cast.

The color cast is removed.

The tutorial is here

Other photoshop tutorials are here

Change Color with Hue/Saturation in PS CS6

Changing Color has just got easier in Photoshop CS6. You can simply target a color and change it.

This is a stock image.

The  red in  the cap can be changds to any color without affecting the other colors.

The tutorial is here: 

Other photoshop tutorials are here

Curves and Cross Processing

Cross processing is something that quite a few like. This is a quick way to achieve a cross processed effect with a Curves and a couple of Solid Color Adjustment Layers. It can be done in any version of Photoshop.

This is the cross processed effect.

This is the original image.

The tutorial is  here

Other photoshop tutorials are here

Lighting Effects in Photoshop CS6 Working With it

The Lighting Effects filter has been completely reworked in Photoshop CS6. It allows more flexibility of use. In case you do not have the Lighting Effects filter it can be downloaded an installed and will work just fine. I will give the link for it. The controls of Lighting Effects look a bit baffling at first, but it is not difficult to use.

This is an image to which the Lighting Effects has been added.

This is the original image.

The tutorial is here

Other photoshop tutorials are here

Oil Paint Filter in Photoshop CS6

The Oil Paint filter in Photoshop CS6 does just what its name sounds -- it gives the effect of an oil painting to images. Earlier this required quite some skill in Photoshop to replicate the effect. With the new filter this has become considerably easier. 

This is the image of a hibiscus that I shot some time ago.

The same image with the oil filter applied.

The tutorial is here

Other photoshop tutorials are here

Levels and Curves in correcting light in an image

The light in an image determines whether it is correctly or under or overexposed. Sometimes it happens that an image is too dark or too bright. Both can be corrected using the Levels and Curves together. The rule of the thumb is to use Levels first correcting as much of the image as possible, then using Curves to finish the job. This is not guesswork, but how to proceed when dealing with under or overexposure. It is not something very difficult.

This is an example of a dark image.

The same image after using Levels and Curves.

The tutorial is here

Other photoshop tutorials are here

Field Blur in Photoshop CS6

The Field Blur is the first of the three new blurs in Photoshop CS6. The other two are Iris Blur

and Tilt Shift Blur

The Field Blur is the simplest to use. It helps in blurring out distracting elements in an image in a few simple steps.

This is a stock image. Attention is divided between the girl and the statue in the background.

The girl remains in sharp focus while the statue in the background is blurred after application of the Field Blur helping the focus to remain on the girl.

The tutorial is here

Other photoshop tutorials are here

Tilt Shift Blur in Photoshop CS6

The Tilt Shift Blur is one of the new blurs in photoshop. You can leave an area sharp very precisely and then fade the blur automatically.

This is a stock image.

The girl remains in sharp focus as also the area around her. The top of the trees have blurred so has it slight;y at the bottom. There are some bokeh among the leaves. This is possible with Tilt Shift Blur.

The tutorial is here

Other photoshop tutorials are here

Iris Blur in Photoshop CS6

The Iris Blur is a new blur in photoshop and a very useful one. You can selectively leave a portion in sharp focus and gradually blur the rest something that a telephoto lens does in a digital camera.

This is a stock image.

The eyes and lips remain sharp, while the rest of the face has gradually blurred. This is the effect with the new Iris Blur in Photoshop CS6.

The tutorial is here

Other tutorials are here

Adaptive Wide Angle Filter in Photoshop CS6

Some images taken with a fish eye lens can be great. But what if you want to want to straighten the curved lines in  a photo taken with a fish eye lens. This can be done with the Adaptive Wide Angle Filter available in Photoshop CS6.

This is a photo taken with a fish eye lens.

The Curves have been corrected with the Adaptive Wide Angle filter.

The tutorial is here

Other Photoshop tutorials are here

Content Aware Move Tool in Photoshop CS 6

Content Aware is not new to Photoshop CS, but its has been taken places in Photoshop CS 6. Earlier a selection had to be made (it still has to be) then quite some other things had to be done for content Aware to work. In Photoshop CS 6 it is much more simpler. You just make the selection and move it where you want it and Photoshop does the rest.

This is a stock image.

The girl has been moved to the right with the help of Content Aware Move Tool.

The tutorial is here

Other photoshop tutorials are here

Radial Blur Special Effect

You can use the Radial Blur filter in Photoshop for a great effect without much effort. It can be done in any version even Photoshop7 and works with all images.

This is a free stock image.

This is the effect that can be created with the Radial Blur.

The tutorial is here

Other photoshop tutorials are here

Brightening and Sharpening in Lab Mode

Some images may not turn out crisp and sharp and may look washed out. There is a very easy method to brighten and sharpen image in Photoshop in Lab Mode with a Curves Adjustment Layer and Unsharp Mask.  The method works for all images.

This is the processed image.

This is the original image.

The tutorial is here

Border with Layer Mask

A texture and an image together with a Black Layer Mask and a selection can create a simple special effect in Photoshop.

You can create a see through border like this with this tutorial here

Other tutorials are here

Layer Mask How to Use It

Layer Masks are of two kinds -- White and Black. The White Reveals and the Black hides in Photoshop. You can also fill with gray to reveal partially. This is a Layer Mask tutorial with the advances made in Photoshop CS5. There are a number of advantages that were not available earlier. So if you are masking the old fashioned way, here is how to do it differently and more quickly and easily.

These are two stock images.

A composite image made from the two with masking. The tutorial is here

Other photoshop tutorials are here

Layer Mask refining

When a portion of an image is masked out jagged edges can be left behind which will be apparent when zooming in. There is a way to refine the Layer Mask in Photoshop so that this is removed and two different images seem as one even while zoomed in.

This is a composite image. The model and the background are different images.

The two different images from which the composite image has been made using a Layer Mask.

The tutorial is here

Paste into Layer Mask

The Paste into Layer Mask is a tweak that can increase highlights naturally in images with a couple of Blend Modes thrown in in Photoshop. It is not difficult to do and works with most images.

This is the processed image. 

This is the original image.

The tutorial is here

Other photoshop tutorials are here

Sharpening in Lab Mode

You can add sharpening to images in controlled amounts unlike using the Sharpen filters in Photoshop. The Lab Mode allows you to do this. You can also subtly shift the focus of an image with controlled sharpening.

This tutorial will work with all images.

The tutorial is here

Other tutorials are here

Image and Text

Image and Text go very well together in Photoshop. This is a refresher tutorial on the Text Tool in Photoshop.

You can create effects like these.

The tutorial is here

Other tutorials are here

Painterly effect with Photoshop

A painterly effect is an effect that looks like painting with a brush. There are many ways this can be done in Photoshop. I will show you the one that is most simple and can be quickly done. 

This is the painterly effect.

This is the original image. The photoshop tutorial is here

Other photoshop tutorials are here