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Technique 63

Photoshop CS3
Creative
retouching
It doesn’t matter how
powerful Photoshop is –
great results still depend
on the skills of the user. 01 Every image needs some level of retouching, and this

Per Gustafson shares his one is no exception. Create a new layer and do some painting
with a brush of 20-40% opacity. Then add a small amount of

expert advice for making blur, and play a little with the opacity of the layer. The Smudge
tool is useful for retouching, but works much better on
photographs of people.
mediocre photos magical
In this tutorial I will show you how to create a striking
and highly atmospheric image from a rather ordinary photograph.
I’ll use the standard filters and tools in Photoshop, with no add-ons
or plug-ins. As long as you’re happy to play around and explore the
boundaries in Photoshop, you can make a photo look however you
want it to look.
If you follow the steps in this tutorial and work from the
starting file on this issue’s disc, you’ll begin to look at photographs
in a new light. Some people believe that retouching to this degree is
essentially cheating. But the techniques I’ll demonstrate here will
enable you to get the best results possible from any image. And in
Photoshop there are no rules to break – just different ways to 02 Usually at this point I
accomplish your goals. duplicate the original layer so I can try 03 The image dictates which
out some layer effects on the whole layer effects are best for retouching,
image. You can also resize the image though Levels and Brightness/Contrast
before going any further, though I tend are often useful. Experimentation is key.
to work on an image at the highest One tip is to make adjustments on
possible resolution and export a smaller different layers to achieve violent
version at the end (for uploading to contrasts. I want the sky to really glow,
Flickr, for example). so use five layers here.

Per Gustafson Ericsson. He On the disc


Hailing from currently resides in The file you need to
Sweden, Per is a London. Per also complete this
graphic designer, founded the Swedish tutorial can be found
digital artist, internet media in Disc Contents\
animator and company geidemark Resources\retouch.
photographer. Under gustafson. See www.
the name of pergustafson.com Time needed
Modernstyle he has and www. 2 hours
worked for clients all modernstyle.se.
over the globe, Skills
including adidas, Manipulating
Universal and layers
Using lighting
effects
Getting the best
out of filters
04 The original photograph was taken in daylight and
lots of people are pictured. We want to create some sort of new
world with a magical atmosphere, so let’s paint them out. As
well as using a brush, you’ll probably need the Eraser plus
some blur effects on the hard edges.

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64

05 You need to avoid making the whole bottom section


of the image a solid black. With all the layers visible, select the
lower section of the image with a marquee, and choose
Edit>CopyMerged then Edit>Paste.

06 The bottom section is now in a separate layer. Make it a bit darker using
Brightness/Contrast, then apply Gaussian Blur to ensure that the top half of the image
stands out in comparison.

07 Use the Eraser tool to smear out the edges and make 08 Experiment with brushes, the Eraser and transformations until the bottom
this section blend in better with the rest of the picture. Change section of the image is seamlessly merged with the top half containing the Eiffel Tower
the opacity of the layer to 70% so that some of the sharp image and the sky. Remember that not all of the picture has to be perfectly sharp – it’s okay to
below shows through. blow things up until it’s a little blurred.

10 Now for the sky. Create a layer with 100% opacity and the
layer effect Color. With a big brush paint the blue colour in the outer
09 As this photo was taken on a grey day in Paris, you should add the Sun areas, then green, yellow and finally red in the centre. For a really
as a light source. Create a circle on a new layer and fill it with white. Then use bright light end with white, like in the centre of a fire or an explosion.
Gaussian Blur and choose the Overlay layer effect, and place the Sun at the
horizon as if it’s setting.

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Technique 65

11 To make the transition between the colours 12 To make the colours less extreme you can adjust the
smoother, add Radial Blur with a high Zoom. Do more painting Contrast. I prefer to create another layer with opacity of
and repeat Radial Blur if necessary. A good tip is to duplicate 20-30%, use a layer effect such as Overlay, add a colour and
the layer, add more Radial Blur then Merge the two layers. then play with Hue (Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation).

14 Duplicate the layer and move this new line to another


position. Make the line a bit smaller to get it more into
perspective, and to add depth to the image. Tweak opacity and
add blur if the line is too sharp compared with the sky.

13 To add more life to the photograph create a line of light in the sky. Draw it
vertically with the Pen tool, add Motion Blur then bend it slightly with Filter>Distort>
Shear. Right-click the layer twice to choose the Perspective tool, then move and twist
the line until you’re satisfied.

15 Next, make it look as if light is glowing through the


clouds. Create a new layer and paint some light with a brush at
100% opacity. Vary the size of the brush, otherwise the effect
will look artificial. How much light you add is entirely up to you. 16 A useful tip to really make these light sources glow is to duplicate your new
layer, use the Free Transform tool to make the duplicate smaller, Merge the two layers
and repeat the process a few times. Also experiment more with the Blur options.

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66 Technique

17 Add some more diffuse lights to suggest that light 18 Add Motion Blur to this layer, and use the Free
is coming from above and shining through the clouds. Select Transform tool to position the layer correctly. A layer effect such
areas with the Polygonal Lasso tool and use a brush at 40% as Overlay or Color Dodge can add to the effect, and the layer
opacity to avoid a constant fill. can be duplicated as required.

21 Invert this new layer and add


the layer effect Hue, applying the
19 Copy the light layers, Merge inverted colours to the image. By
them, then use the Free Transform tool experimenting with the opacity or Hue/
to shrink all the lighting effects. Saturation you can easily change the
Sharpen, then experiment with the Free image to any colours you want.
Transform tool or the Distort tool to 20 Finally, select the whole image and choose Edit>
shape them into new light elements. CopyMerged. Then create a new layer at the top of the layer
Add sharp lights close to the horizon stack and Paste.
to increase the sense of depth.

23 When you’re satisfied with your retouching, close the


image down. You’ve now transformed an ordinary photo into
something magical. Go back to it later with fresh eyes, and
don’t be afraid to make further changes if you decide they’re
necessary – every image needs some level of retouching…
22 Save the image as a layered file so you have a backup, then flatten and
tweak Brightness and Contrast as desired. Once that’s done duplicate the layer,
Sharpen and experiment with opacity to soften the effect. Then resize the image to its
final dimensions if you didn’t do so earlier.

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