| Author | Message | ||
     den Member Username: Den Post Number: 254 Registered: 03-2006 |
Having seen CSpringer’s image solutions a couple of years ago and since on the DPR Retouching Forum in which he has made available to PS users his ‘PWLI & PWLII actions’… I have been working through to a possible PWP variation. This approach to Dodge/Burn provides unique control over the tonality in the RGB color space of an image beyond ‘levels and curves’. When subtlety done, it tends to produce a more contrasted and saturated image and works best for those images that are improved by SoftLight filtering. Methodology: Use the Composite – SoftLight transform in combination with either the Paint Tool or the Misc Tools – Lighten/Darken brushes and a ‘contrast mask’. Method1 – Paint Tool: Starting with a globally ‘levels and curves’ optimized image [see Caution below], create a Copy and ExtractChannel the HSV Value channel. With the Paint Tool brush set to ‘Copy’ mode [OPT default setting] black or white, use the brush switching between black/white and adjusting as needed radius, transparency [70 to 95%, usually 90], and softness [50 to 75%, usually 75]. Paint using multiple ‘strokes’ [mouse drags] or ‘stamps’ [mouse clicks] to lighten and darken areas on the Copy image while it is used as the Overlay image in the Composite – SoftLight transform. The Input image is the optimized image and the HSV,V channel, its Mask. Initially set the Input Mask’s black/white and Overlay amounts = 100%. Monitor painting results in Preview. Lighten and darken changes should initially be aggressive, perhaps appearing stronger then needed in Preview. ‘Control Z’ will delete brush strokes/stamps. When painting is completed, adjust the Input Mask’s black/white amounts [perhaps black=25 & white=75] and Overlay amount [perhaps 90] to preferences in Preview. Click OK, creating the PWL image.  For a slightly different effect and subtle difference, try: Method2 – Misc Tools – Lighten & Darken: Same as Method1 but with the Misc Tools – Lighten & Darken brushes set to ‘mid-tones’ from OPT drop downs, use these brushes switching between Lighten and Darken and adjusting as needed radius, transparency [0 to 25%, usually 10], and softness [50 to 75%, usually 75]. Paint using multiple ‘strokes’ [mouse drags] or ‘stamps’ [mouse clicks] to lighten and darken areas on the Copy image.  Alternates: (1): One could also use the HSV,V channel or the starting image’s Luminosity channel for the Composite – SoftLight transform Overlay image. The resulting PWL image will be less colorful. (2): One could also use the Composite – HardLight transform but I did not pursue this, as things got too surrealistic. Why this works: The suggested approaches makes use of the Composite - SoftLight operation characteristics, the Input image’s tonality, and brush properties. The Overlay image’s 50% tones results in no change to the Input image, greater than 50% tones lighten the Input image, and less than 50% tones darken the Input image in the RGB color space. These characteristics in combination with the Input image tonality and brush properties make it unnecessary to be exact when making brush settings, performing brush strokes/stamps, and ‘staying within the lines. Reference illustration link: SoftLight illustration, scroll down to the Background section. Also, when the Misc Tools’ Lighten and Darken brushes are set to mid-tones, existing black and white tones essentially remain un-changed, changing primarily the mid-tones, raising them or lowering them when painting from SoftLight’s 50% switching tone. See PamR’s DPR Retouching posting here. PWP’s Misc Tools Lighten and Darken brushes are similar. Caution: There is still a known bug as of this posting when using Composite – SoftLight transform operation with 48-bit color images. It is suggested that the starting image be Convert-ed to 24-bit color if otherwise. My experimentation has been performed with 24-bit color and 8-bit BW image versions. There has been no dissatisfaction due to color bit depth deficiencies but then my starting images are generally Canon EOS-350D, Paramter2, sRGB, largest/highest quality JPEG [8-bit, 24-bit color] camera file downloads. These are subsequently post-processed in 24-bit color for inkjet prints no larger than 8x10 inches and/or WEB display. PWL starting image - Left: [The download image was cropped and post-processed using the Lazlo Effect and aggressively sharpened.] Resulting PWL-Method2 image - Right:  _____  A higher resolution of the example image solution is viewable here [bottom image] with a ‘mouse over’ for a comparison with the camera download image. Just having fun with images on a rainy, early Fall day… hope you are too. If there are questions, ask… and as always, looking forward to learning of differing/alternate PWP ‘Painting with Light’ techniques. |
