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Curve for Highlights

published by Kalle Björklid on Sun, 04/01/2007 - 6:03am

Here's a technique for adding perceived contrast and dealing with flat light. As most of the PP-tricks I know, this does not work well with all photos.

1. The starting point

I've done the basic adjustments, but still think the picture looks a bit flat.

2. The higlight mask
The highlight mask is created by creating a new layer with all the previous layers stamped (ctrl-alt-shift-e in Photoshop). Next, desaturate the layer (ctrl-shift-u). Apply levels in order to have only the lightest parts of the the most important part of the image (typically the performer's face) appear as not black.

Here's what I ended up with:

3. The curves layer
Create a new Curves-adjustment layer.
Copy-and-paste the mask created in previous step to the mask of the curves layer (and delete the mask layer).
Adjust curves. Typically, just a single point and a bulge to the left will be enough, as we don't have to care about the dark tones as they've been masked out.

Here's what I ended up with (left) and the original (right) for ease of comparison:

The curve for higlights -action - this will basically help you create the mask.

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Taking & Processing Photographs

Submitted by Rene Damkot on Sun, 04/01/2007 - 8:02am.

For the highlight mask, try Opt-Cmd-~ (probabely CTRL-ATL-~ on windows).

Yet another option: Double clicking the adjustment layer, also allows you to 'Blend if' a layer is above a specific value...
Move the black slider tot the right in this case. Alt click to 'seperate' the slider, so you get a smoother transition.

Submitted by Kalle Björklid on Sun, 04/01/2007 - 8:55am.

René Damkot wrote:
For the highlight mask, try Opt-Cmd-~ (probabely CTRL-ATL-~ on windows).

The problem is that in the Finnish keyboard I have to press "Alt Gr" and a key to get the "~"-character, and ctrl-alt-alt gr-
does nothing :). I guess I could try to switch to another language keyboard settings to record that.

René Damkot wrote:
Yet another option: Double clicking the adjustment layer, also allows you to 'Blend if' a layer is above a specific value...

This allows of course a bit less control and its easier to manipulate the mask (remove some of the highlight areas by painting them black) since you can see the visual representation of what is being done. But good point, as many times there is no elaborate mask-tweaking involved.

http://www.bjorklid.net/
http://www.huumakuva.net/

Submitted by Rene Damkot on Sun, 04/01/2007 - 9:07am.

Kalle Björklid wrote:
This allows of course a bit less control and its easier to manipulate the mask (remove some of the highlight areas by painting them black) since you can see the visual representation of what is being done. But good point, as many times there is no elaborate mask-tweaking involved.

Good point.
If you are using PSCS2, a nice function is Window>Arange>New window for (whatever image you are working on). In the new window, you can Alt-click the mask, so you get a B/W view of it.
That way you see the mask in one window, the image in the other....
Works the same in PSCS3, but if you are working full screen (press f), there is no way to get the two images side by side, apart from pressing shift - f :( (Since PSCS2 opens a new window in 'seperate windows mode' by default, and PSCS3 in the same screen mode you are using)

Submitted by bmoguy on Sun, 04/01/2007 - 10:36am.

One of the articles I read on this suggested a slight Gausian Blur on the mask - just enough to soften details in the mask. Ironically, adding the blur (to layer mask) makes it (final image) sharper.

Basil

gear list

Submitted by Kalle Björklid on Sun, 04/01/2007 - 10:38am.

bmoguy wrote:
One of the articles I read on this suggested a slight Gausian Blur on the mask - just enough to soften details in the mask. Ironically, adding the blur (to layer mask) makes it (final image) sharper.

There's an article for this? :P I wonder how many wheels I've re-invented (not that it's any wonder that someone else has thought about the same things as I have...

http://www.bjorklid.net/
http://www.huumakuva.net/

Submitted by bmoguy on Sun, 04/01/2007 - 10:53am.

Kalle Björklid wrote:

bmoguy wrote:
One of the articles I read on this suggested a slight Gausian Blur on the mask - just enough to soften details in the mask. Ironically, adding the blur (to layer mask) makes it (final image) sharper.

There's an article for this? :P I wonder how many wheels I've re-invented (not that it's any wonder that someone else has thought about the same things as I have...

Not an article per se and not exactly this, I think it was in that video tutorial I got from a post of rene's that I posted in the post of links for techniques you started. It was dealing with blending exposures, but part of that is creating a layer mask to do the blending. This is kind of what you are doing here, but differently. I think it's great to see the different ways to accomplish things. I think the key is creating the layer masks properly, and then they can be used for many different things - I'm sure lots of things I haven't thought of yet. :D

As for re-inventing the wheel, sure there is a ton of info out there, but the trick is finding it and applying it to the types of pictures we take here. I'd rather have it here in a thread where it can be discussed beyond a static article.

Basil

gear list

Submitted by Rene Damkot on Sun, 04/01/2007 - 10:56am.

There is a Quicktime movie here about blending exposures. Kinda the same thing, only opposite ;)

Edit: hey, that's nice: "Warning - while you were typing a new reply has been posted. You may wish to review your post.". POTN should have that :lol:

Submitted by bmoguy on Sun, 04/01/2007 - 11:07am.

The ctl-alt-~ on a duplicate layer, combined with Layer->Layer Mask->Reveal Selection, and levels on the layer mask will get you to same place as Kalle's method for creating the layer mask. I think ultimately as long as ctl/alt/~ is used on a duplicate layer, they are both different paths to the same destination. Am I right with that?

Basil

gear list

Submitted by Rene Damkot on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 1:33pm.

I think so, yes. There is a difference between Cmd/Opt/~ and Shift/Cmd/Opt/~ by the way: I think one selects highlights, the other adds to the selection. If I blend a dark version over an image (to recover highlights), I do it by shortcuts mostly: Open original Open darker version Cmd/A (select all) Cmd/C (copy) Cmd/W (close window) Cmd/V (paste) Cmd/Opt/~ (select highlight) Cmd/Opt/D (feather) Wait for my Mac to catch up with me ;) Click the mask icon Cmd/L (levels) adjust to taste.

Submitted by Trnquill on Wed, 04/04/2007 - 3:56am.

Kalle Björklid wrote:
The problem is that in the Finnish keyboard I have to press "Alt Gr" and a key to get the "~"-character, and ctrl-alt-alt gr-
does nothing :).

Is ctrl-alt-´ the right combination? (´ being the key next to your backspace key, Kalle). I had trouble with similar issue until I figured out I have to use the correct key, not the particular character (~ in this case).

Markus Lehto
Fotoni.org

Submitted by Rene Damkot on Wed, 04/04/2007 - 4:56am.

What's the correct key in your case then? In my case it is the " ` ~ " right next to my left shift key...

Submitted by Kalle Björklid on Wed, 04/04/2007 - 5:44am.

René Damkot wrote:
What's the correct key in your case then? In my case it is the " ` / ~ " right next to my left shift key...

It's the "´ `" key in Finnish keyboard :).

Theres then the "¨ ^ ~" key that I tried to use.

http://www.bjorklid.net/
http://www.huumakuva.net/