Photoshop Tutorial Using Layers - READ FIRST! Basics Masking & Opacity Adjustment Layers Merging Techniques Saving & Copying Exposure Using Levels Curves for Exposure Contrast/ Brightness Curves for Contrast Dodge & Burn Color Balance Color Balance Levels for CB Curves for CB Hue/ Saturation 1 Hue/ Saturation 2 Replace Color Painting Color Cast Separating Out Magic Wand Masking Selections New Layer Grouping Layers Epson Printing Tutorial

Bair Art Edition's Tutorial on: Adjusting Color & Exposure In Adobe Photoshop Color Adjustment: How I Think Levels Should Be This page does NOT reflect how Adobe Photoshop displays the Levels control panel. This is solely a demonstration of how the author understands the levels tool, and the histograms of the individual channels. What I have done is given color values to the histogram, so the amount of information at a tonal level is also colored the same color as that value. For the full RGB, it would look like this: Each channel has a histogram. This graph represents the amount of information (amount of the image) that has certain values of that color. These values range from no contribution of that color, to a full contribution of that color. This is how I see it: Using Cyan to demonstrate the lack of Red Using Magenta to demonstrate the lack of Green Using Yellow to demonstrate the lack of Blue Now Let's See What Happens When you Move the Sliders The following will demonstrate what is, in effect, happening when you move the "white" or "black" slider in a channel. Without moving the slider: After moving the slider: This shows how a predominantly Yellow-cast is subdued, and the information recorded in the blue channel is now redefined. The place where image information tapers off, is now the pure Blue point. And this is what, in effect, happens when you move the mid-point: I know that was an extreme shift, but as you can see, much more of the image will receive green light than did before the slide. And as a result, less of the image has Magenta values (which is, in all practicallity, the lack of Green). The following are the sections of this module: Color Balance and White Balance - An introduction to this module. Covering the basics of these two concepts, including a basic explanation of color and light. Using the Color Balance Tool - A nice tool for correcting global color casts. This is not as powerful as using levels when it comes to White Balance, but is better for color adjusting specific tonal ranges (shadows, midtones, highlights). Using Levels to Correct White Balance - how to powerfully correct for white balance as well as fine-tuned color balance. Using Curves for Color Adjustment - Here we go with curves again! The extremely versatile, yet hard to become accustomed to, tool. Using Hue/Saturation for Color Control - Basics - Covers what This tool can do generally. Using Hue/Saturation for Color Control - Advanced - A highly under-used tool for how powerful it can be in doing selective color adjustment that by-passes the crossover problem! Replacing Color - The final word in color adjustment! When all else fails to work, and crossover seems unbeatable, this tool takes the cake. The only drawback is that it isn't available as a layer. Painting Color Casts The ultimate way to change a color! This technique will become your best friend. It allows tou to change color casts in specific locations and to precise degrees. All images © 2008 Masterlab Copying is Prohibited Feel free to give us feedback on this, or any page. Contact us at heath@masterlabdigital.com and include the subject heading as "tutorial". Also, feel free to link to this site, and use any information for personal and/or commercial use. However, any reproduction of the information in this tutorial, including electronic publication, is prohibited without proper notification and citation of this site. This includes crediting our site and a link to this page in a conspicuous position relative to the copied information. - Stephen Bair, Utah Wedding Photographer For the most comprehensive, and step-by-step guide to our services, read and fill out our ordering and submission checklist. Phone: 801-484-1028 Fax: 801-467-2729 E-Mail: heath@masterlabdigital.com Mail: BAE c/o MasterLab, 2992 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84115 © 2008 Masterlab