By Shutterstock contributor Alexey Stiop
Quality standards in stock photography are climbing ever higher, so having photos that “pop” will help your work stand out and give your portfolio an edge. How can you create the most vivid images while preserving the maximum image quality?
Let’s suppose you’re already following the advice to shoot RAW or, at the very least, turning off in-camera processing of JPEG images. Vibrance and saturation sliders during RAW conversion will only get you so far before you seriously distort pixels and produce massive artifacts.
So you go out and shoot a nicely lit, colorful scene only to discover that once you’ve downloaded and converted the photo, it still looks bleak. What do you do? How do you breathe life back into this meant-to-be-oh-so-beautiful photograph and make it “pop”? Photoshop to the rescue!
Here’s the recipe for making a photo “pop” in Adobe Photoshop without sacrificing image quality.
1. As always, when you’re about to manipulate your image, create a duplicate layer (Ctrl+J/Cmd+J).
2. Convert to LAB mode (Image -> Mode -> Lab color). Don’t flatten.
3. Make sure Layer 1 (the duplicate layer) is selected and go to Channels palette.
4. Select Channel a.
5. Recall Curves (Ctrl+M/Cmd+M or go to Image -> Adjustments -> Curves).
6. Grab the handle in the upper right corner and drag it along the horizontal axis to the left to the first square as shown above.
7. Now grab the handle in the lower left corner and drag it to the right in similar fashion, as seen above. Click OK.
8. Switch to Channel b in the Channels palette.
9. Repeat steps 5 – 7.
10. Select Lab channel. Convert back to RGB (Image -> Mode -> RGB); don’t flatten.
11. Go back to Layers palette and look at your image. Too much? It most likely is. Good thing you did it on a separate layer, isn’t it?
You know what to do now – just lower the opacity of the top layer to suit your taste.
With this method you can quickly lose details in the red tones. An easy solution is to select the color range and mask it out. Go to Select -> Color Range, select your red tone and play with the fuzziness and click OK. Now go to the Layers palette and with Layer 1 selected, click on the Add Mask button while holding Alt. This mask will be saved in the Channels palette. Apply some Gaussian Blur to the mask. You can reduce the mask effect (add some saturation to the red tones) by painting the black areas of the mask with a soft white brush at 30% opacity.
A little productivity tip – you can save steps 1 through 10 as an action and assign a keystroke to it.
And one final word of caution: Remember the main rule of “popping” the image: moderation! It still should look like a photograph, not a cartoon.
View Alexey Stiop’s website at www.bigeyephotos.com.
are registered trademarks of Shutterstock Images LLC
87 Responses
advertising and *********** with Adwords. Well I?m adding this RSS to my email and could glance out for much more of your respective fascinating content. Make sure you update this again soon..
I?m not positive the place you are getting your information, however great topic. I needs to spend some time learning much more or figuring out more. Thank you for wonderful info I was looking for this information for my mission.
Magnificent post, very informative. I wonder why the other specialists of this sector do not realize this. You should continue your writing. I’m sure, you’ve a huge readers’ base already!|What’s Happening i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It positively helpful and it has helped me out loads. I am hoping to give a contribution & assist different customers like its aided me. Good job.
I just like the helpful info you supply on your articles. I will bookmark your weblog and take a look at again here frequently. I’m slightly certain I?ll be informed plenty of new stuff right right here! Best of luck for the following!
more valuable information, good job
Generally I don’t learn post on blogs, however I would like to say that this write-up very compelled me to take a look at and do so! Your writing style has been amazed me. Thanks, quite great article.
Wonderful beat ! I would like to apprentice at the same time as you amend your site, how can i subscribe for a weblog site? The account aided me a applicable deal. I have been tiny bit familiar of this your broadcast provided vivid transparent idea
I’m extremely impressed with your writing skills as well as with the format to your weblog. Is that this a paid subject matter or did you customize it your self? Anyway keep up the excellent high quality writing, it is uncommon to look a great blog like this one these days..
follow you blog. Thank you!
Check this review.
Check this review.
really nice put up, i in fact adore this internet web site, keep on it
Very helpful and informative – thanks!
http://www.makemoneyfastcashclub.com
Your post is Very informative.Definatly will check back.Keep up the good work!
Thanks a lot for sharing this with all folks you actually realize what you’re talking about! Bookmarked. Kindly additionally consult with my website =). We could have a hyperlink exchange arrangement among us
Fine, I’ll bookmark this blog, so I can come back and read more. Thanks!
We’re a group of volunteers and starting a brand new scheme in our community. Your website provided us with useful information to paintings on. You have done a formidable job and our whole neighborhood might be thankful to you.
Its such as you read my mind! You seem to grasp a lot about this, such as you wrote the guide in it or something. I believe that you simply could do with a few p.c. to pressure the message house a bit, but instead of that, this is magnificent blog. An excellent read. I will certainly be back.
Every time I read it, I just get more excited about whats next,it brilliantly.
There’s nthoing like the relief of finding what you’re looking for.
You actually make it appear really easy along with your presentation however I to find this matter to be really one thing that I think I would by no means understand. It sort of feels too complex and very vast for me. I am looking forward to your subsequent put up, I will try to get the dangle of it!
Hi there, simply become aware of your blog via Google, and found that it’s truly informative. I’m going to watch out for brussels. I’ll be grateful when you continue this in future. Many other folks will probably be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
You recognize thus significantly with regards to this matter, made me in my view imagine it from so many varied angles. Its like men and women don’t seem to be interested until it is one thing to accomplish with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs great. All the time handle it up!
I have bookmarked it and I am looking forward to reading new articles.
Thanks for some other informative blog. Where else could I am getting that type of info written in such a perfect way? I’ve a challenge that I am simply now operating on, and I’ve been at the look out for such information.
Hey There. I discovered your blog using msn. That is a very neatly written article. I will make sure to bookmark it and come back to read extra of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I will certainly comeback.
I shall visit your site daily and forward it to my friends.
I simply couldn’t go away your site before suggesting that I extremely loved the standard information a person supply to your visitors? Is gonna be again incessantly in order to check out new posts
You actually make it appear really easy along with your presentation however I to find this topic to be really one thing which I think I might by no means understand. It seems too complex and extremely huge for me. I’m looking ahead on your next publish, I will try to get the dangle of it!
Wonderful beat ! I wish to apprentice even as you amend your website, how could i subscribe for a blog web site? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit familiar of this your broadcast offered bright clear concept
“I had to refresh the page times to view this particular page for some reason, however, the information right here was worth the wait.”
Leave a Reply