My Adobe Photoshop CS3 Workflow

I thought I'd do a quick post on my Photoshop CS3 Workflow - what I do and in what order. I'm no expert, but maybe this could help if you need some ideas for how to manipulate your images.

If you want to have a go at manipulating this image, feel free to download it. (It's zipped up in a Rar file, so you'll need the appropriate software to unzip it.)

Right, lets start! This is a classic type of shot taken from my S5700 on a dull day - little contrast, colours subdued, ok the subject could be more dynamically framed, but its a starting point.

The first thing I try and do is think about what I want to end up with - do I want bright and happy or darker and morose? I think with this subject we'll be going darker, and I want to pull out detail in the sky and wreck, propbably lighten the wreck slightly, emphasise the line leading to the wreck, and vignette everything at the end.

First thing I always do is duplicate the image - "ctrl j". Then I make a new guide - "View", "New Guide". Now depending on if I'm lining up the shot on a vertical (building) or horizontal (horizon) I'll choose the guide accordingly, then drag it up / down / across using the move tool to line it up against what I think should be straight, then I rotate the image - "Edit", "Free Transform" - and rotate the photo by the corners until it looks ok, then click on the tick or press enter / return.

Next we're going to pump in a load of contrast with a curves adjustment layer. Click on the new adjustment layer icon at the bottom of your layers pallet, choose "curves" and opt for strong contrast in the drop down menu. Say ok, then change the blend mode to "luminosity" so the change only adjusts the contrast and not the colours. I then back off the opacity a bit, say 85%. Then I "merge down" in the layers pallete options menu.

Now we're going to recover some of the shadow and highlight detail. Click "Image", "Adjustments", "Shadow / Highlight". In the pop-up box, take the sliders both down to 0, then slide them back a bit until you see the details start to come out in the sky and the shadows. Say "Ok".

Now I'm going to improve the colour. Click "Image", "Mode", "Lab Color". Don't flatten your layers. Now "Image", "Apply Image". Make sure the blend mode is "Soft Light" then choose Lab, A or B, depending which you like, drop the opacity down to about 80%, then say OK. Now go back to RGB with "Image", "Mode", "RGB".

Before we go any further I want to tone down the green algae in the photo. Create a new adjustment layer "Hue / Saturation", choose the yellow channel (I know, but yellow often is the one to use, especially with grass too) and tone down the saturation. Say OK, then merge down.

Now we're going to darken the sky with a Gradient adjustment layer. Press "D" so that your foreground is black, then make a new Gradient adjustment layer. Change the scale to about 50%, reverse the direction, then use your mouse to click and drag the gradient slightly higher into the sky. Click "OK", then change the blending mode to "overlay" or "soft light". Merge down.

Now we're going to lighten the main subject, the wreck, by doing a little painting with light. First we need to duplicate the top layer - "Ctrl J". Next we need to change the blend mode of that layer to "screen."

Ok, so now we're going to add a black layer mask. While holding down the "Alt" key, press the "New Layer Mask" icon at the bottom of the layers pallete. The layer is now hidden. Make sure your foreground colour is white, select the brush tool with a small soft-edged brush, then start painting the wreck, letting the brighter colour through. If you make a mistake, change your brush colour to black and make your correction. Change to a nice big brush and paint in the edge of the beach with long strokes. When you're done, change the opacity to 50% and merge down.

Now we're going to zoom in and get rid of the odd marks on the side of the boat. Use the clone tool - sample with the "Alt" key to the right, then work your way down. Sort out any other little areas that need cleaning up.

The image is looking a little blue, so we'll add a photo filter to warm things up slightly. Click the "New Adjustment Layer" icon at the bottom of the layers pallete, then "Photo Filter". Choose a Warming Filter, maybe 85, and a density of about 30%. When you're happy, merge down.

Right, lets sharpen the image up a bit. Duplicate the layer, "Ctrl J", then "Filter", "Other", "High Pass". Choose a value of about 2.8. Change the blend mode to "Overlay". Merge down.

This is where I remove noise with Noise Ninja - an additional Plug-In for Photoshop that's well woth the cost. If you've got it, it's under the filter menu, profile the image, then apply it.

Another tool in my arsenal is the Flaming Pear Melancholytron Filter. It adds a cool vignette, and I have to admit I'm a bit addicted to it. You just choose the filter, then role the dice (!) until you get the effect you want.

And that's it! A bit stylised, but it gives you the idea of how I go about doing things. Instead of merging down all the time you could keep your adjustment layers open, I merge down because my PC hasn't got much memory and the processor is super-slow.

I picked up this workflow from Scott Kelbys 7 Point System For Adobe Photoshop CS3, well worth the cover price. Thanks! Rob.