I have been often asked why I choose exposure blending instead of using a grad filter on the front of my lens. This tutorial will provide you an answer to that frequently asked question.

Video: Exposure blending vs. Grad Filter

We’ve jotted down the steps for you!

(View the video for full details and explanations)

1. Load two images with different exposures in Photoshop.
2. I’ve added a layer mask added to the top photo to mimic the effects of a grad filter.
3. Disabling and enabling this added layer will make the image look more darker.
4. Unlock the layer mask.
5. Click and slide the Move tool up and down to mimic the effect of the grad filter.

NOTE:  With a grad filter you just have a white to black effect which will then darken everything above the horizontal line evenly.
In the image shown on this tutorial you will see that it darkens the entire top of the image including the rocks. But what we want is to just highlight the sky portion.

NOTE: With exposure blending, you get to choose which portion of the image you want to enhance, brighten or darken. In the video tutorial we just simply combine similar image with different exposure and blend it together, this way we get to highlight or darken areas specific areas only.

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This week’s Photoshop technique can be used to combine and create a real softy dreamy look on your landscapes. This applies different types of techniques that you can combine together in order to achieve a far greater outcome on your images.

This is very good for shots with rays coming through the horizon and a foreground with mossy rocks and any pictures where you can find interesting lights coming through.

Video: Give your photos that dreamy effect using Photoshop!

Here’s a summary of the steps:

(View the video for full details and explanations)

1. Load your photo in Photoshop. I’ve blended three types of exposures in this example.

 Darkening the Image

1. Add a Curves Adjustment Layer.
2. Pull the curve downwards to darken.
3. Enhance the shadows on the image so it will not be all black by using some luminosity technique or by clicking on the little square found on the bottom left hand of the property window of the curves adjustment layer.
4. Then the little square will turn white.
5. Press the Up arrow a couple of times and you will see that the square will move up and there will be changes on the shadows of the image.
6. Using a brush with a black foreground and a 30% opacity level, brush the middle part of the image where the sun rays are coming through the clouds.
7. Toggling between the layers will show you the improvement you’ve made on your image.

Softening the Image.

1. Click on Select- All.
2. Click on Edit-Copy merged.
3. Click on Edit- Paste.
4. This will add a new layer.
5. Click on Filter-Blur-Gaussian Blur.
6. Set the radius to 15 pixels.
7. Set the blend mode to Luminosity.
8. Set the Opacity to 25%.
9. Add a layer mask and using a black brush, brush the image on the important parts of the shot.

Using the Sun blur technique.

1. Add a new Layer.
2. Hold on the Option(Mac) or Alt(Windows) on your keyboard.
3. Sample a bright color from the sky.
4. Set the opacity level to 30%.
5. Use a really big brush stroke and click once on the focal point of the image.
6. Reduce the brush size and click again.
7. Reduce the brush size again and give it another click.
8. If you find it too bright, you can set the opacity level to a lower value.

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This quick video tutorial will show you a technique that’s really useful for making your green grass and trees in your images really pop so it’s going to involve a couple of steps and one of those steps is creating a luminosity mask it’s kind of at the beginner end of the spectrum when it comes to how complicated luminosity masking can get but if you just follow the steps in this video you’ll at least be able to to do this technique and use it on your own images.

Video:Make those Grass and Trees Pop!

Here’s a summary of the steps:

(View the video for full details and explanations)

1. Load your image in Photoshop.
2. Add a black and white adjustment layer.
3. Reduce the sliders for all colours except greens and yellows. `
4. Increase the slider for yellow and green. `
5. Go to the channels panel and press Command (Mac) or Ctrl (Windows) on your keyboard and click on the RGB channel and go back to the Layers panel.
6. Add a curves adjustment layer.`
7. Hide the black and white layer. `
8. Pull the curve upward on the curves adjustment property window, you will notice that only the green and yellowy areas will the change. `
9. Press the Option(Mac) or Alt (Windows) on your keyboard to see the layer mask.
10. Click the brush tool with a black foreground and run it through the areas that you don’t want to be affected by adjusting this curve.
11. Add a Hue Saturation Layer
12. Select Yellow on the drop down menu.
13. Increase the saturation only on the yellows of the image.
14. You can go back and readjust the the curve for the curves adjustment layer to brighten the image even more.

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This week’s Photoshop tutorial will show you how to align handheld bracketed exposures. This is useful for when we take photos that require multiple exposure because the dynamic range in the scene is just too wide to capture in a single frame.

The technique shown in this tutorial will allow you to line those images up so that you can then blend these photos as if you were using a tripod.

Video: Align those handheld exposures using this technique!!

Here’s a summary of the steps:

(View the video for full details and explanations)

1. Load an two exposures in Photoshop.
2. If you simply blend the two images together by using a black foreground colored brush, you will see that the outcome is something that we would not like to have because the images are not lining up properly.
3. Select both layers by pressing shift on your keyboard and clicking on both images.
4. Click on the Edit menu, Select Auto-align layer.
5. Under the Auto-Alighn layers window select Auto , click Okay.
6. It may take a few seconds to align.
7. If you toggle on and off the layer you will see that the images had been aligned.
8. Crop the image to remove unwanted edges.
9. Select the brush tool with a whit foreground.
10. Add a layer mask to the top layer.
11. Invert it by pressing the Command (Mac) or Ctrl+I (Windows) on your keyboard.
12. Select the brush tool with a white foreground.
13. Brush the sky and bottom portion of the image to blend the layers together.
14. Make the necessary layer masking until you have obtained the desired image.

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Today’s video tutorial that will help you adjust the composition of your photos after you have taken it. This tutorial may not be best for a purist photographer as it involves a little manipulation but the result is a better looking images. The techniques I have shown will surely kick start more ideas on how this technique can be used.

Video: Learn how to use the Warp tool in Photoshop!

Here’s a summary of the steps:

(View the video for full details and explanations)

1. Load your image in Photoshop.
2. Drag down the background layer to create a duplicate layer.
3. Go to the Edit menu, select Transform, click Warp.
4. Drag the center portion of the image downwards.
5. It will be a process of trial and error but what is shown in this video is to bring the rock down the portion of the image but keeping it close to its original image.
6. The tiny circles that you will find around the image will allow you to pull it to make more adjustments.
7. Fix any issues on the top frame by moving things around.
8. Click on the original background layer and the duplicate background layer to see the difference on the photo. You can fo back to Step 3 and repeat the process should you find that it still needs a little bit adjusting.

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