Hi everybody,

 

From time to time we come across something really useful in Photoshop, stuff that is potentially useful for many but is far from obvious. So this topic is meant for such finds.

 

CROP TO A RATIO IN PS WITHOUT RESIZING:

 

PS5 (and other versions?)

I finally got tired not being able to crop to a certain ratio in PS the way I can do it in Camera Raw, while retaining selected pixels exactly as they were: not resized, not resampled. So it turned out I can! The trick is to put the ratio numbers in Height and Width, say 2 and 3, disregard that you see inches/centimeters (not pixels!), and make sure the Resolution field is empty. Crop to this ratio at will. Voila! Internally, PS will keep your pixels intact but will change the Resolution to some odd number as can be seen on the Image Size screen. If you care you can change the Resolution on the Image Size screen later.

 

Anna

Thanks for that Anna, and for starting this topic; I'm sure we'll get some more useful 'tricks' here. I'll have a think of some of my own to post.

Adrian

Following on from Anna's 'useful tricks' topic, here's a trick that you may or may not know about.

It's a way to use the 'apply image' function as a quick mask. This is how I occasionally use it.

Sometimes I want to add a light source to a part of the sky to suggest the sun is coming from that area, especially when I have actually created the sky from scratch.

Start with adding a new layer, choose gradient tool and select foreground to background. Then choose radial gradient and run this along the part of the sky you wish to lighten. This will most likely 'spill over' into areas, like foreground buildings, that you do not wish to highlight. You could mask this off, but here is a quick and neat way. Add a layer mask to the 'light' layer, then go to Image>Apply image and click OK. The image will appear in the layer mask and act as a mask. Adjust the opacity of the layer to taste.

Adrian

That's great, Adrian, I'll have to keep that in my memory banks...lol!

 

One of the most often used tools for me is the shift key when painting, or cloning, or even using the eraser.

 

Hold down the shift key and you'll get a straight line with all the tools like brush, clone, heal, eraser....click at the start where you want the line, and click at the end where you want it to stop. It comes in very handy when masking!

 

Likewise upping the size of the brush quickly can be done with the bracket key [.

Left [ makes it smaller and Right ] makes it larger.

 

 

Thanks for that tip Mel, I use the shift key to keep my gradient lines straight, I haven't used it on those other tools, will give it a try.

a method i often use is to darken or brighten parts of an image is dodge and burn

 

but what i think even better in many cases is to ad a new,

empty layer and use soft light as blending mode

 

i than paint with a soft black or white brush with an opacity of about 11 to 22 %

 

Leads to good results.

 

If i want to increase the contrats at the same time i play around with the blending mode hard light and overlay too are options to choose here.

 

I use thst so much I made an action that makes the new layer, names it, fills with 50% grey, and changes the blending mode to soft light. Saves me a little bit of time, and it's non destructive, which is the best part!

 

I haven't messed with the blending mode afterward though!

 

Thanks for your input Christoph!

Mel & Christo, have you tried the same but with the layer being a duplicate of the image and painting on the layer matte?? Fun and great results too.

yes is sometimes do, as the brush too can be set to soft light.

 

i seldom do, because of the file size. I tend to keep my layers, and often change opacity afterwards. I cannot edit an image in one session.

I need a fresh view one or two days later ad often adjust opacity or so. therfore i need the layers and smaller files are of advantage to me. Still have no huge NAS

Clyde I haven't, but Christoph's suggestion about file size is a good reason for me not to, sadly my puter struggles with big files.

 

Will give it a go sometime though, thanks!

 

I am a still a real beginner when it comes to Photoshop - I know a few things, but Christoph wanted to ask you about this. I understand of course the process you talk about above- know well dodging and burning from old darkroom days. Would you do this the way you describe over using the dodge and burn 'tools' in the Photoshop main tool box? And why soft light as a blending mode particularly? (sorry....very basic questions I know, I told you I knew nothing :)

Hi Eliza,

i would not say, that i prefer one over the other. They are of different effects ad thereby alternative for different images:

 

The dodge and burn is a fascinating precise editing tool as i can adjust to apply it on dark, lights and midtowns separately. If i need more details, an effect of more detail contrast, i would always use that way.

 

If i am more looking for a light effect means the impact of more brightness (or less) in an area i use the described method of soft light layer.

 

Like Mel i have an action of that to ease my life and i use it very very often instead of a sledghammer vignette to lead the view or to work on areas and their impact.

 

soft light is a method that helps to apply a bit more details again. If you try and change the blending mode afterwards to hard light, or overlay you will see that contrast are much more increased in that modes (often to much). and that it is to obvious in "normal" mode.

 

Mel/Chris

Hello....

You both have my email. When you have some time would you be willing to send me this action...I would like to try this with an action...

Thank you..

Phyllis :)

done

 

i sent you an action with three layers.

 

all 50% gray

 

one in soft light,

one overlay

one in hard light (hope its the english translation,)

 

You can see the different ways of impact on each, and i would seldom use more than one.

 

 

Thank you so much. I have become so accustomed to using the u points in Nik that I stopped a good deal of dodging and burning...inside Photoshop.

 

So I shall try it. You say it is good to bring more light..is that correct?

 

Thanks Phyl

Eliza I think the most important difference between using the dodge and burn tools, and using a separate layer is that the separate layer doesn't mess with the pixels of the image. Hence it's non destructive.

 

If or when you want to go back to alter the amount of dodging or burning, you can do that on the sep layer, and it means your original is untouched.

 

The main aim of working with layers is to keep your original unmessed-with until you're happy with the final result and you can then flatten it to get your jpg for uploading.

 

Phyl it sounds like you've gotten the actions? Mine is just a simple 50% grey layer in soft light mode.

I have not looked yet....:) I am too busy looking at the publications here...but I will check before beddie time..

 

Phyl

Mel, Chris, Eliza...

This is what I did do before Nik ...

I think it might be what you are doing with the action ..but not sure..

Anyhow I thought maybe if Eliza could 'see' with a video it might help.

 

There are many ways to do just about everything in Photoshop..

The only problem with his method is that if you want to make many many layers with small selections of burning and dodging it gets trikcy..

 

but is is worth a look..It is from Adobe..

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S8C2fDMBWU

there are dozens of ways .-)

 

the new lightroom 5 allows corrections not only as gradient but as circular flexible brush too. all can be adjusted there.

seriously done, much of that might be not necesary any more.

 

but i am used to PS and here i do the most of post processing, the stupid that might be for some. ANd yes this action is a good one for me.

 

Thank you you three :)

 

Phyllis those video links you've sent me before, for Nik Efex, are great. btw - I'm not always lucky with viewing, depends on our line speeds that day .

 

Mel, yes I learned the hard way about layers (or not using them), and now do nothing without duplicating, or adding a new layer. I do most of my editing in Camera Raw, and only bring it into PS for the dodging and burning type stuff...at least have been doing that up until now, but always good to know about new work flows and techniques :)

 

Thank you Christoph for the explanation, I'm going to go and investigate that soft light blending mode now, have an image I'm just not happy with...lets see what I can do with it :)

 

Can anyone recommend a really good - downloadable - book about Photoshop? Or perhaps we can gather together everyone's tips here, it could make a good Tutorial??

Eliza...what do you want to learn? What version of Photoshop do you have?

 

Phyl

 

 

Phyllis that reminds me of a line from one of my favourite movies, The Big Blue, where Jean Reno's character asks Jean Marc Barr,

 

"So what do you want to know?"

"Everything"

"About What?"

"About Everything"..... :)

 

I suppose I just feel that I am missing out, BUT....I should also add that I have a work flow and process that I think does work for me and what I'm doing, be it images for clients or for myself.

 

I also just think it's a matter of first knowing 'the rules', or 'knowing everything' and then after that, you can use - or break- them as you will.

 

I do know about layers, about dodging and burning, all the regular dark room stuff. I have NO IDEA about masks, applying masks... There, that is something I am curious about...what is a mask and how do you do it ? (do you wish you hadn't asked :) xx)

 

I have PS 6

 

Okay ..first that is one of my favorite movies of all time. I have seen it ten times. :))

 

So..I just sent you a link...could you see that page?

 

Probably not because you are not a member..but maybe..I don't know. I wanted you to see the courses they have at NAPP which are free...or CS 6

 

Right now it looks like

Photoshop Basics for Photographers

Photoshop Basics for Designers

Lighrtoom Basics

Portrait Retouching using Lightroom five

Lightroom 5 In depth Editing your photos

Lightroom Five killer tips.

Photoshop CS 6 Up to speed crash course

Down and Dirty Tricks CS 6

Ten things Every Photoshop Designer should know

CS 6 Selections Crash Course

Photoshop The Pen Tool

Four seasons Summer

........Fall

/......Winter

........Spring

Photoshop in depth Fitlers

Photoshop

Retouching techniques for photographers One, Two and Three

Photoshop In depth Camera RAW beyond the basics

Photoshop Camera Raw 7 point system

Photoshop In depth Brushes

Photoshop in depth paths and shapes

Photoshop in depth tools

Photoshop in depth layer styles

Photoshop in depth Interface

Photoshop actions and automations

Photoshop iin depth three d.

Photoshop Blending Modes In depth

Photoshop in depth preferences

Photoshop in depth Channels

Photoshop in depth Layers'

Photoshop in depth Type

In addition many more Lightroom courses..

And one Illustrator course.

THESE ARE FULL COURSES..not short videos..

 

Then there are 67 pages of separate tutorials about six on a page.

 

In addition you get a magazine about 8 times a year..you would get the digital version...unless you want to spend more money for the lovely shinny real magazine..

 

You get discounts...on many things I cannot even list..this is what makes me join every year..I have been a member for a long time..

 

The cost is $99.00 a year and you get a DVD with that . :)

You have a small portfolio there...

and

when you upload an image it will be considered for image of the week. I won once..its very nice to win.

They have 70,000 members.

The discounts are from Apple, B and H, all sorts of plug ins..printing, wacom tablets...etc etc..etc..

 

Yes.. even with some streaming issues...I think you could benefit.

 

I l ove them. :))

Anytime there is a new product like CS 56 they have a Launch Center to go over all the new parts of the product...

Some things you can download...

And there is more I just can't type anymore..sorry you could not see the page..

 

Is it worth it?

You bet.

Phyl

Also some teachers are better than others. Write me again for names..in an email.

Phyl

 

What to say..it is the best bargain on the planet.