Tag: Inspiration

The ability to reproduce detail is one of the essential characteristics that defines the photographic medium. While there are many similarities between the camera eye and the human eye, there are also significant differences between the two. One of the most significant differences is that the camera eye can achieve a much greater area of focus than the human eye can at one time. This has never been more true than today.

Not all white lights are the same. Differences in white light are commonly described by their color temperatures (rated in Kelvin). The lower the number, the warmer the light; the higher the number, the cooler the light. Light temperature has a significant effect on exposure, calibration, printing and display.

The ability to work in specific areas of an image with unparalleled precision and repeatable results, along with the ability to combine multiple exposures seamlessly and flexibly, are two key advances that are propelling the current revolution in photographic practice. Still, selection and masking are topics that plague many longtime Photoshop users. This whirlwind tour will demystify the process and set you well on your way to mastering these essential skills.

Digital imaging offers the ability to define complex contours efficiently and precisely, enabling users to affect an image in very specific areas. What was once tedious and challenging is now quick and easy. Once you learn a few essential selection and masking techniques, few contours will elude your grasp. Before I continue, let me caution you against defining contours too precisely. Remember, contours in continuous-tone images are often quite soft. What’s more, many times photographers simply need to define broad areas to work smooth transitions into surrounding areas. Just because you can define contours precisely doesn’t mean you should, but it’s advantageous to have the option when you need to.

The relationship between highlights and shadows is a critical aspect of any image. Photographers have been trained to become highly sensitized to these relationships. Today, we have more control and greater precision than ever before over these key visual elements using the digital darkroom. In Photoshop, the type of adjustment chosen will provide very specific control. The specificity of an adjustment can be further refined by using a mask. One type of mask yields extreme precision and is derived directly from the light and dark relationships within an image—a luminance or contrast mask.

Smooth transitions. They’re the essence of continuous-tone images. In most cases, you want to preserve them. On occasion, you want to modify them. Sometimes, you want to create them. While gradients can be extremely complex and yield highly sophisticated results, once the basic principle behind them is firmly grasped, they’re simple to create and use. Using the Gradient tool, a gradient is created between the start (where you click first) and end points (where you drag to). The start and end points may be placed anywhere on the canvas. Gradients can be drawn for any length at any angle.

This is the first iteration of a new Digital Photo Pro column from John Paul Caponigro, a master photographer and artist who teaches workshops, writes books and lectures on Photoshop technique. In each installment of (R)evolution, we’ll examine a technique for improving your photographs. By focusing on a single problem in each column, we hope to show you the depth and power of some of the tools at your disposal in Photoshop.

The ability to work in specific areas of an image with unparalleled precision and repeatable results, along with the ability to combine multiple exposures seamlessly and flexibly, are two key advances that are propelling the current (R)evolution in photographic practice.