The Magazine for Photographers August 2016

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1 The Magazine for Photographers

2 The Magazine for Photographers CONTENTS AUGUST 4 Color Tinting in Photoshop 17 Circular Polarizer Tips 29 Step by Step: Mirror Image 37 Export Settings 54 (Not So) Smart Objects ON THE COVER A long exposure reveals flowing textures in an Alpine stream. Captured at a focal length of 84mm with an aperture of f/22 and a shutter speed of 1/4th of a second at ISO 100.

3 The Magazine for Photographers FROM THE EDITOR I have the chance to spend time with photographers at a variety of events throughout the year, and of course I receive countless s from photographers as well. All of these interactions provide me with a sense of what challenges photographers are facing, and what they d like to focus on in their photography. More often than not, conversations with photographers end up with me adding items to my ongoing list of topics I d like to cover in future issues of Pixology magazine. This month s issue is no different. The article on export settings in Lightroom resulted from a direct request from a reader of my daily Ask Tim Grey newsletter, and the article on creating a mirror image was inspired by a question about how such a technique could be created. The article on using a polarizing filter came out of a quick question that turned into a bit of a long conversation during a recent photo workshop. I hope you find the articles in this month s issue to be informative and entertaining. And do let me know if there are particular topics you d like to see covered in the future. Tim Grey Editor PIXOLOGY 3

4 Color Tinting in Photoshop How to Paint Color into a Black and White Photo Tim Grey Photographers are familiar with the notion of a photo being either a black and white image or a color image. However, in some cases you can combine both, painting color into a black and white photo to create a unique interpretation of the image. The result is a variation on a photographic image that includes an additional handmade artistic touch. PIXOLOGY 4

5 Beyond Simple Adding color to a black and white photographic image is not anything new, of course. In the early days of photography, for example, various color effects could be created when processing the film or producing a photographic print. A common example would be a sepia-toned effect. The chemicals used to create this effect were originally employed as a preservative to prevent fading of the photo, but it also created a brown color tint in the photo. Most of these color tinting techniques still resulted in a monochromatic image. In other words, instead of a photo consisting of various shades of gray, you might have a photo consisting of various shades of brown, as with the sepia-tone effect. A Gradient Map adjustment layer provides a degree of flexibility when interpreting a black and white photo, but you can exercise greater creative expression by painting color directly on the image. With the advent of software to process digital images, it became possible to tint a black and white photo with any color you could imagine. Many PIXOLOGY 5

6 software tools also include a split toning feature that enables you to add a different color tint for the highlight versus shadow areas of a photo. Taking things a step further, you could even employ a custom gradient in conjunction with the Gradient Map adjustment in Photoshop to create a more sophisticated variation on a split toning adjustment. The Gradient Map adjustment was covered in more detail in an article in the March 2015 issue of Pixology magazine. However, all of these techniques apply a relatively uniform color tint to the image. That could include a single color across the entire photo, or two or more colors applied based on the underlying luminance values in the photo. It is possible, however, to literally paint colors into various areas of a photo with a freehand technique. Convert to Black and White While the technique of painting color into an image will obviously result in a color image, the result is generally best if you start with a black and white photo. Painting with color into an image that is already in full color can be challenging, and won t always produce the best result. If you are starting with an image that is already a black and white image, you ll want to make sure that the image is not set to a monochromatic color mode. For example, you might be starting with a black and white image that is in the Grayscale color mode. If so, you won t actually be able to add color to the photo. To resolve this in Photoshop, simply convert the image to the RGB color mode by choosing Image > Mode > RGB Color from the menu. If you are working with a full color photo, I recommend using a Black & White adjustment PIXOLOGY 6

7 layer to convert the image to a monochromatic version that will provide the foundation for your color painting. To do so, click on the Add Adjustment Layer button (the half-black/halfwhite circle icon) at the bottom of the Layers panel and choose Black & White from the popup menu that appears. On the Properties panel you can then use the various sliders to adjust the luminance values in the black and white interpretation of the photo based on the underlying colors in the image. For example, to lighten a blue sky you could drag the Cyans and Blues sliders toward the right, and to darken a blue sky you could drag those sliders to the left. The first step in painting color into an image it to create a black and white interpretation of the original color photo. Once you have a black and white image that you feel represents a good starting point for the photo, and that image is in the RGB color space, you re ready to start adding a hand-painted color tint effect. PIXOLOGY 7

8 Configure the Tint Layer The primary technique I prefer to use when painting color into a black and white photo involves using a single layer to paint any desired colors into the photo. This provides the flexibility of being able to use a single layer for all of the color you d like to add to a photo. Later in this article I ll also share an alternative technique that involves painting one color at a time using a series of adjustment layers. But for the technique I tend to employ, a single additional image layer is all that is needed. Of course, it is important to configure this layer properly before you get started painting color into the image. The first step, of course, is to add a new empty image layer to be used for the color you ll paint into the photo. A new image layer with the blend mode set to Color provides the foundation for a color tinting effect for a black and white photo. The layer for color painting needs to be above the underlying image layer, as well as the adjustment layer you used (if applicable) to convert the color photo to a black and white interpretation. In general you can simply add the new layer at the top of the stack of layers on the Layers panel. Therefore, you can start by clicking on the thumbnail for the top-most layer on the Layers panel to make that layer active. Then click on the Create a New Layer button (the blank sheet of paper icon) at the bottom of the layers panel. This will create a new empty image layer on the Layers panel. To help avoid confusion when working with a multi-layered image, I highly recommend PIXOLOGY 8

9 renaming any new image layers so it will be clear what those layers were added for. To rename the layer you just added, double-click on the name of that layer on the Layers panel. You can then type a new name for this layer (perhaps something like Color Tint ) and then press Enter/Return on the keyboard to apply the name change. Finally, you ll need to change the blend mode for this new layer to enable the intended color result. By default, a new image layer will be set to the Normal blend mode, which means colors painted onto the layer will completely cover up all pixels in the underlying image. The color tinting technique involves combining color with the tonal values in the underlying image, so that existing texture and detail is retained but a tint of color is added. You can define the properties of a color tint layer in the New Layer dialog, accessible by holding the Alt/Option key while clicking on the Create a New Layer button on the Layers panel. To change the blend mode for the Color Tint layer, click the popup with the default value of Normal found at the top-left of the Layers panel. Then choose Color from that popup. This will change the blend mode of the Color Tint layer to Color, so that the color you paint on this layer will combine with the tonal values of the underlying image. PIXOLOGY 9

10 It is worth noting that you could also hold the Alt key on Windows or the Option key on Macintosh while clicking the Create a New Layer button on the Layers panel to bring up the New Layer dialog. Within that dialog you can specify the name and blend mode for the layer as an alternative to setting the options directly on the Layers panel after creating a layer with the default settings. Paint with Colors With the Color Tint layer added and configured, you re ready to start painting colors into your image. This involves using the Brush tool, so you ll want to select the Brush tool by clicking on the button for the tool on the toolbox, or by pressing the letter B on the keyboard. You can then choose a brush you would like to use from the brush popup, which is the second popup from the left on the Options bar. In most cases I will simply use a standard round brush with a soft edge, using a Hardness value of 0%. However, you might also consider using one of the brushes with a more unique shape, including the various brushes that feature a realistic paintbrush shape to them. The Brush tool can be used to paint specific colors directly onto the black and white version of a photo. On the Options bar you ll also find the Mode popup, which includes a variety of blend modes you can use for the brush strokes you ll paint. You ll recall that the Color Tint layer was set to the Color blend mode rather than the default Normal blend mode. However, in this case you ll want to keep the Brush tool set to the Normal blend mode. In other words, the blending will be the result of the image layer on the Layers panel, with the Brush tool itself behaving normally. PIXOLOGY 10

11 You may also want to adjust the Opacity setting for the Brush tool. Since you ll be painting with a specific color, you can control the overall effect based on the color you ve selected. However, you can also reduce the Opacity setting if you want to tone down the overall color effect in certain areas of the photo, or if you want to blend multiple colors together while painting. You can configure the settings for the Brush tool on the Options bar in Photoshop. The Color Picker dialog enables you to choose the specific color you want to paint into areas of the photo you are adding color to. To select the color you ll paint with at any time, you can click the foreground color swatch for the Color Picker at the bottom of the toolbox. This will bring up the Color Picker dialog, where you can choose the specific color you want to paint with. In most cases a color with relatively low PIXOLOGY 11

12 saturation will wrk best. When you ve selected the desired color, click the OK button to close the Color Picker dialog. At this point you can begin painting with the desired color directly on the image. Because the Color Tint layer is active on the Layers panel, all of your brush strokes will add pixels to that layer, without directly altering the pixels of the underlying image layer. By painting color onto a separate image layer set to the Color blend mode, you can colorize a black and white version of any photo. As you are painting, if you feel you ve made a mistake you can use the Undo command to take a step backward. You can undo the previous step by choosing Edit > Step Backward from the menu. If you prefer to use keyboard shortcuts, you can take a single step backward by pressing Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Macintosh. To take multiple steps backward you can instead press Ctrl+Alt+Z on Windows or Command+Option+Z on Macintosh. PIXOLOGY 12

13 You can also use the Eraser tool as needed to erase any areas where you ve made a mistake in painting on the Color Tint layer. Simply choose the Eraser tool from the toolbox, configure as you would the Brush tool, and paint on the image to erase from the current Color Tint layer. Whenever you want to change the color you re painting with you can again click the foreground color swatch on the toolbox to bring up the Color Picker dialog, where you can select a new color. You can then continue switching among as many colors as you d like in order to create the final color-tinted version of your image. Adjustment Layer Alternative The technique outlined above provides a good degree of flexibility. However, the approach can also be somewhat inefficient, especially if you want to make sure to use exactly the same color in various areas of the image, or you want to change all instances of a given color after the fact. There is another alternative that can provide greater workflow efficiency, but also introduces its own challenges. This technique involves using a Solid Color adjustment layer for each of the colors you want to add to an image. This makes it very easy to change an individual color uniformly in all areas it was used, but it also means you may end up with a very large number of adjustment layers for the image. In other words, this alternative technique is generally best for situations where you want to add a relatively small number of colors to an image. Once again, you ll want to start with a black and white interpretation of the image with the color mode set to RGB, as outlined earlier in this article. PIXOLOGY 13

14 Then, instead of adding a new image layer for purposes of adding the color tint effect, you ll use Solid Color adjustment layers for this purpose. Once again you ll want to add your color layer (or layers) at the top of the stack on the Layers panel. Therefore, start by clicking on the thumbnail of the top-most layer on the Layers panel to make that layer active. Then click on the Add Adjustment Layer button (the half-black/half-white circle icon) at the bottom of the Layers panel and choose Solid Color from the popup menu. A series of Solid Color adjustment layers provide an alternative to painting on a single pixel-based layer that is set to the Color blend mode. This will add a Solid Color adjustment layer, and bring up the Color Picker dialog. You can then select the desired color within the Color Picker dialog and click OK to apply the change. Keep in mind that while selecting a color you will see that color covering up the entire image. This can make it a little challenging to choose the precise color you want to use, but keep in mind you can easily change the color later. After closing the Color Picker dialog you can change the blend mode for the Solid Color adjustment layer to Color, using the popup at the top-left of the Layers panel. This will cause the color for the Solid Color adjustment layer to combine with the tonal values for the underlying image, though that color tint will affect the entirety of the image at this point. To hide the color tint for the overall image so you can then paint the color only where you want it, you ll want to invert the layer mask that is included with the Solid Color adjustment layer. To do so, first click the thumbnail for the layer mask connected to the right of the thumbnail for the Solid Color adjustment layer you ve added. Then choose Image > PIXOLOGY 14

15 Adjustments > Invert from the menu to invert the layer mask to black so that the color effect will be blocked for the entire image. You can now use the Brush tool to paint the color defined by the Solid Color adjustment layer into the desired areas of the photo. In this case you ll need to paint with white to reveal the color in the image. If you make a mistake and want to remove the color from a portion of the image you can paint with black. So choose the Brush tool, configure the desired brush settings, and press D on the keyboard to set the colors to the defaults of white and black. You can press X on the keyboard at any time to switch between the foreground and background colors. Using a series of Solid Color adjustment layers provides an added degree of flexibility in your workflow, but also an added degree of complexity. In this way you can paint with white to reveal the color associated with the Solid Color adjustment layer, and paint with black to block that color. You PIXOLOGY 15

16 can even paint with shades of gray (or at a reduced Opacity setting for the Brush tool) to paint a reduced amount of the color in specific areas. One of the advantages of this approach is that you can change the color for the Solid Color adjustment layer at any time. If you decide the color isn t quite right, you can double-click on the thumbnail for the Solid Color adjustment layer to bring up the Color Picker dialog. When you change the color for that Solid Color adjustment layer and click OK to close the Color Picker dialog, the color will be changed in all areas of the photo defined by the layer mask you ve been painting on. You can also, of course, add additional Solid Color adjustment layers to add additional colors to the palette being used for the photo. In other words, with this approach you will be using an individual Solid Color adjustment layer for each color you want to use in the image, with a layer mask defining where each color is visible. Creative Control Adding a color tint to a monochromatic image provides a new way to creatively interpret the image. By using one of the techniques presented here, you can add tremendous flexibility to the process of adding a color tint, enabling you to paint any color you d like into any areas of the image as you create your own artistic interpretation. v PIXOLOGY 16

17 Circular Polarizer Tips Tips for Using a Filter that Remains Helpful Even with Digital Photography Tim Grey In a world of digital photography and advanced post-processing software, many of the filters we used to put in front of our lenses have been rendered obsolete, or at least much less necessary. Many photographers consider the circular polarizer filter to be included among the filters we no longer need to carry in our camera bags. However, in many cases the effect of a circular polarizer filter can be difficult or impossible to achieve after the capture. Presented here are some tips on making the most of a circular polarizer filter. PIXOLOGY 17

18 The Filter As with any filter you place on the front of a lens, a polarizing filter serves to filter certain light, so that only a portion of the light reaching the lens will actually pass through and reach the image sensor in your camera. In the case of a polarizing filter, that filtration is based on the orientation angle for the wavelengths of light reflected from the scene before your camera and entering the lens. In a very general sense, you can think of the wavelengths of light reflected from a scene as being scattered at many different angles. The polarizing filter only allows light wavelengths aligned with a specific angle to actually pass through, absorbing light at all other angles. A polarizing filter alters the light that enters the lens, and can have a dramatic effect on the photographs you capture. The result is to reduce the haze and glare associated with scattered light, so that you are in effect only capturing the light that was reflected directly from your subject toward your lens. The specific result PIXOLOGY 18

19 will vary based on the angle used for the polarizing filter, but this concept can help you better understand the impact of a polarizing filter. For many photographers the polarizing filter of choice is a circular polarizer. A circular polarizer incorporates a linear polarizing filter, which in theory could be used in the place of a circular polarizer. However, the circular polarizer also includes an additional element that helps to compensate for exposure metering problems that may occur if you used a simple linear polarizer. Once attached to the front of the lens, a polarizing filter (whether linear or circular) can be rotated to adjust the orientation angle of the filter, and thus the orientation angle of the filter effect for the light passing through the filter. Exposure Issues You can attach a circular polarizer filter to the front of your lens, and then rotate the filter itself to achieve the desired effect. Because a polarizing filter is actually filtering the light that would otherwise enter the lens, there PIXOLOGY 19

20 is an impact on exposure. In other words, with a polarizing filter on the front of your lens, less light is reaching the image sensor. Therefore, the exposure settings must be adjusted to compensate for the effect of the polarizing filter. In general you can expect a polarizing filter to reduce your overall exposure by about one to two stops. The specific degree to which your exposure is affected by a polarizing filter will depend on the specific angle of that filter relative to the wavelengths of light being reflected from the scene. In other words, there will be a variable effect based on the rotation of the filter. Fortunately, if you are using a circular polarizer, you can still make full use of the exposure metering system in your camera. So while the amount of light reaching the image sensor may be reduced by a full stop or more compared to what would be the case without the filter, you ll still be able to make use of the exposure meter in the normal way even with the circular polarizer attached to the lens. Consider your Angle One of the unique features of a circular polarizer is the ability to rotate the filter to adjust the angle of filtration for the wavelengths of light reflected from the scene you are photographing. It is therefore important to make sure you are carefully adjusting the angle of rotation for the filter to achieve the desired effect. In addition, the behavior of the polarizing filter is affected by the angle from which a light source (such as the sun) is illuminating the scene you are photographing. You will have the greatest amount of scattering of the light, and therefore PIXOLOGY 20

21 A polarizing filter is most effective when the light source is directly to the left or right of your angle of view, with minimal effect when the light source is directly in front of or behind you. the greatest impact with a circular polarizer, if the illumination source is directly to the left or right of the camera. In other words, if you are shooting with the sun at your back, or shooting directly toward the sun, the impact of the polarizing filter will be minimal potentially to the point of being virtually impossible to see in the final image. On the other hand, you can get the most benefit from a polarizing filter if the sun is at an angle perpendicular to the line of the lens pointed at the scene you re photographing. It is important to consider the angle of the sun (or other light source) when initially choosing whether or not to employ a polarizing filter, or when considering how much impact that filter might have. It is also important to fine-tune the angle of rotation for the filter to achieve the desired final result in the image. PIXOLOGY 21

22 Focal Length Issues Because a polarizing filter is filtering light based on the orientation of the wavelengths of light, the angle of rotation of the filter and the relative angle to the light source have an impact on the effect of the filter. For example, with a circular polarizer rotated to a specific angle, if you then rotate the camera to pan across the scene, you ll see a variable effect based on the change in angle of the light source relative to the polarizing filter. When used with a wide-angle lens, a polarizing filter can cause a variable effect across the frame. In this image, for example, you can see that the right side of the sky is considerably darker than the left side. That, in turn, can create an issue when using a wide-angle lens in conjunction with a polarizing filter. With a wide field of view, you may see a variable polarization effect across a scene you are photographing. The sky at one side of the frame may be darkened significantly, while the sky at the other side of the frame is relatively bright by comparison. PIXOLOGY 22

23 In concept that means you should avoid the use of polarizing filters with lenses that have a particularly wide angle of view. For a 35mm camera system, for example, that generally means avoiding lenses with a focal length of less than about 28mm. At longer focal lengths you will generally not see any variability across the frame, but at shorter focal lengths you may see significant variability depending on the angle of light and rotation angle of the filter. Personally, I try to avoid the use of a polarizing filter when using a wide-angle lens. That said, you shouldn t rule out the use of a polarizing filter just because you will be using a wide-angle lens. Some photographers may not mind the tonal gradation across the scene that results from this type of combination, and others may actually like the effect, depending on the circumstances. My recommendation is to be aware of the potential impact of focal length on the results you ll achieve with a polarizing filter, and to consider how you approach the situation based on that information as well as your own personal preference. Drama for the Sky One of the most common reasons photographers use a polarizing filter is to add a bit of drama to the sky. A polarizing filter can help reduce the appearance of atmospheric haze, add contrast to clouds, and darken the overall blue hues in the sky. It is very simple to achieve a good effect for the sky when using a polarizing filter under the right conditions. You will be able to achieve the strongest results when the sun is at an angle perpendicular to the line of the lens, so you ll want to take that factor into consideration when framing up your scene. PIXOLOGY 23

24 It can be helpful to hold the polarizing filter up to your eye as you scan across the scene, rotating the filter to adjust the effect as you visually explore the possibilities. You can then frame the scene with your camera, and adjust the rotation of the polarizing filter to achieve the desired result. I often find that it can be difficult to evaluate the result of the polarizing filter by using the viewfinder display. Instead, I prefer to use the Live View feature of the camera to view a preview image in real time on the LCD display. Naturally, when photographing on a bright sunny day this can be a challenge, but employing a loupe to view the LCD can provide an excellent method for fine-tuning the overall setup for a photograph that makes use of a polarizing filter. One of the more common reasons to employ a polarizing filter is to add drama to a sky, particularly when there are clouds in that sky. Of course, it is worth noting that while producing a dramatic sky is one of the most common reasons PIXOLOGY 24

25 photographers employ a polarizing filter in the first place, this is also one of the easiest effects to reproduce in post-processing. You can achieve a result that is similar to what would be possible with a polarizing filter by applying a few adjustments to your photo using a variety of software tools. For example, enhancing midtone contrast and detail with adjustments such as Clarity and Dehaze (found in Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw) can greatly improve the impact of a sky. Taking things a step further you can darken the blue and cyan color values, enhance the saturation for those color ranges, and even shift the hue of cyan colors toward more of a pure blue. With a combination of adjustments based on the specific image you re working with, you can often achieve a result that is very similar to what you could have achieved with a polarizing filter during the initial capture. Boosting Saturation One of the effects of a polarizing filter that seems to be less commonly known among photographers is a boost in overall saturation, especially for foliage in a landscape. The actual boost in saturation is in large part a result of the reduction in haze and glare for the scene. By reducing the amount of reflected light that is scattered from the subjects in your scene, a polarizing filter is enabling you to capture colors that are more accurate and vibrant. To some extent you could achieve similar results in post-processing by boosting the overall saturation of colors. You can improve upon these results by applying specific saturation increases (and possibly shifts in hue values) for individual color ranges. PIXOLOGY 25

26 This type of adjustment can be accomplished with the individual Hue, Saturation, and Luminance sliders in Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw, or with the individual color channel adjustment option in the Hue/Saturation adjustment in Photoshop, among other options with different software tools. However, you will often find that it is difficult or even impossible to achieve the same effect with advanced color adjustments in post-processing as could have been achieved with the simple use of a polarizing filter. A polarizing filter can help enhance the saturation of colors in a photo, in large part by reducing glare within the scene. Whenever the color of foliage in a scene is important to the final photograph, and especially when hazy or overcast weather conditions produce more indirect light illuminating your subject, the use of a polarizing filter can greatly improve the colors in your final photo. PIXOLOGY 26

27 Seeing Through Reflections Just as you can reduce glare with a polarizing filter in order to enhance the saturation of foliage and other subjects in the frame, so too can you use the same effect to reduce the overall appearance of glare for virtually any subject. A polarizing filter can dramatically reduce the effect of reflections in a photo, as demonstrated by this scene captured without a polarizing filter (top) versus with a polarizing filter (bottom). In many cases that reduction in glare can be so significant as to enable you to reduce (or even remove) the appearance of reflections. PIXOLOGY 27

28 When the reflections are particular strong, or if there are multiple light source illuminating the scene, your results may not be as effective as you d like. However, in many cases if you rotate the circular polarizer to the optimal angle, you may be able to completely remove visible reflections from the scene. Removing reflections can be helpful all by itself, such as by creating a more pleasing look for the windows of buildings. But the result can also seem magical in some cases, such as by enabling you to capture images that look right past the reflections on the surface of water to see everything that lies underwater. Potentially Irreplaceable To be sure, many of the effects you can achieve with a circular polarizer filter can be reproduced somewhat easily using various software to process your digital photos. However, some of the more magical effects such as the ability to make reflections disappear simply aren t possible without the use of a polarizing filter. It is because of those types of situations that I still carry a circular polarizer filter on most trips, and why I still put that filter to use on a regular basis. v PIXOLOGY 28

29 STEP BY STEP Mirror Image Tim Grey If you re looking for a unique way to interpret a photographic image, you might consider a mirrored image effect. This technique can quickly (and easily) lead to an eye-catching result that will certainly get attention. Presented here are the steps involved in creating an abstract mirror image interpretation of a photo. PIXOLOGY 29

30 STEP 1 Choose an Image The mirror image effect generally works best with a photo that is already slightly abstract to begin with. That could include a photo where the subject isn t immediately obvious, or example, or a photo with some geometric shapes or lines that will produce a more abstract result. Of course, when in doubt it is best to simply give the technique a try. And after trying this technique with a few images, you ll start to get a sense of what types of photos produce a result you like. The mirrored-image effect generally works best with photos that are somewhat abstract and contain some degree of geometric shapes. PIXOLOGY 30

31 STEP 2 Create a Background Copy For this effect you ll need two versions of the overall image, and part of the effect involves directly altering the pixels for the image. Therefore, you ll want to create a copy of the Background image layer to use as the basis of the overall effect. To do so, drag the thumbnail for the Background image layer on the Layers panel to the Create a New Layer button (the blank sheet of paper icon) at the bottom of the Layers panel. This will create a new layer called Background Copy directly above the existing Background image layer on the Layers panel. The first step in creating a mirror-image effect is to make a copy of the Background image layer. PIXOLOGY 31

32 STEP 3 Flip the Background Copy The mirrored effect presented here is created by flipping a portion of the image. You ll need to decide whether you want to create a mirrored version of the image where the left and right halves of the image mirror each other, or where the top and bottom halves are mirrored. This depends in large part on the overall shapes found within the photo. To actually flip the Background Copy layer (which will be the active layer since you just created that layer), go to the Edit menu and choose Transform. From the submenu that appears, choose Flip Horizontal or Flip Vertical, depending on the direction you want to use for the mirrored effect. After creating a copy of the Background image layer, you can flip that copy to be used as the basis of the mirrored-image effect. PIXOLOGY 32

33 STEP 4 Configure a Marquee Selection At this point the entire image will appear flipped, but soon only half of the flipped image will be visible, creating the mirrored effect. You can use a selection for this purpose, but you ll want to configure the selection tool first. Start by choosing the Rectangular Marquee tool from the toolbox. On the Options bar at the top of the Photoshop interface (below the menu), choose Fixed Size from the Style popup. Then set the values for Width and Height based on whether you flipped the Background Copy layer horizontally or vertically. If you flipped horizontally, set the Width to 50% and the Height to 100%. If you flipped vertically, set the Width to 100% and the Height to 50%. Be sure to include the percent sign (%) when you enter the text, so the unit of measure will be interpreted as a percentage rather as a number of pixels. To create a selection of half the image, you can define a Fixed Size option for the Rectangular Marquee tool with one of the two dimensions set to a value of 50% and the other set to 100%. PIXOLOGY 33

34 STEP 5 Create the Selection With specific dimensions defined, you can create the selection very easily. First zoom out to make sure you can see some of the canvas around the image. Then click outside the corner of the image on the side where you want the selection to be created. For example, you can click outside the top-left corner to select the left or top half of the image (depending on the settings you ve used for the Rectangular Marquee tool). And you can click outside the bottom-right corner to select the right (or bottom) half of the image. Once you ve configured the Rectangular Marquee tool, you can click outside one of the corners of the image to create a selection of half of the image. PIXOLOGY 34

35 STEP 6 Add a Layer Mask With a selection active and the Background Copy layer selected on the Layers panel, you re ready to add a layer mask to create the mirrored effect. To add that layer mask, click on the Add Layer Mask button (the circle inside of a rectangle icon) at the bottom of the Layers panel. A layer mask will be added to the Background Copy based on the shape of the selection you created, and the selection itself will no longer be active. Once you ve added a layer mask, you will have an initial interpretation of your mirror-image photo. PIXOLOGY 35

36 STEP 7 Invert Mask if Desired At this point half of the image will appear flipped and the other half will appear normally, based on the selection you created. If you would like to reverse the effect to create a different interpretation of the photo, you can simply invert the layer mask. First click on the thumbnail for the layer mask to the right of the image thumbnail for the Background Copy layer on the Layers panel. Then choose Image > Adjustments > Invert from the menu to invert the layer mask. You can also use the keyboard shortcut of Ctrl+I on Windows and Command+I on Macintosh to invert the layer mask. In this way you can choose which specific interpretation you want to use for your final mirror-image effect. v You can invert the layer mask for the Background Copy layer to create a mirror-image effect that makes use of the opposite portion of the photo. PIXOLOGY 36

37 Export Settings Understanding the Many Options for Exporting Photos from Adobe Lightroom Tim Grey Because Lightroom employs a catalog to manage your photos, in some ways the process of working with your photos is a little bit indirect. When you want to create a copy of one of your photos to use for some particular purpose, the process generally involves using the export feature. Through the Export dialog in Lightroom you are able to specify the exact details of how the new copies of your photos (or videos) should be created. PIXOLOGY 37

38 Initiating the Process The Export dialog provides considerable flexibility when creating copies of your photos for a wide variety of purposes. Getting started is incredibly simple. All you need to do is select the source images (or video clips) you want to create copies of, and then initiate the export process. You can use any of the methods available within Lightroom to locate the files you want to work with. That includes navigating among folders or collections, applying filters, or otherwise finding the images you want to export. The first step in exporting photos from Lightroom is to select the photos you want to export for a particular purpose. You can then select the photos and videos you want to export. If the you have filtered the photos so the Filmstrip only shows the images you want to export, you can simply use the Select All command. This command can be PIXOLOGY 38

39 found on the Edit menu, or you can use the keyboard shortcut of Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Macintosh. If you want to select a portion of the images that are currently available, you have a couple of additional options. If you want to select a full range of photos you can click on the thumbnail for the first image in the range, and then hold the Shift key on the keyboard while clicking on the last image in the range. If you want to toggle the selection of additional images, you can hold the Ctrl key on Windows or the Command key on Macintosh while clicking the thumbnail for photos you want to add to or remove from the current selection. The Export dialog provides a variety of options related to how the details of the files created as part of the export process. Once you have selected the photos you want to export, you can click the Export button at the bottom of the left panel in the Library module. PIXOLOGY 39

40 This will bring up the Export dialog, where you can adjust the settings for the actual export. All of the export options are divided into categories, with specific settings found within each of those sections. Export Type At the top of the Export dialog you will find the Export To popup. In concept this popup allows you to specify the primary location you want to use as the destination for the files being exported. In actual practice, it functions more as an option for the type of export operation you want to perform. The default option is Hard Drive, which enables you to create copies of your photos and save them to a specific folder location on a hard drive that is currently connected to your computer. This is the setting that most photographers are likely to use most of the time when exporting images from Lightroom. You can also choose to export images directly as attachments by choosing the option from the Export To popup. This will make use of Lightroom s built-in feature to create copies of your photos and send them as attachments. The first decision to make when exporting photos from Lightroom is the type of export to perform, which in most cases will be a simple export using the Hard Drive option. For those who still have a drive capable of writing to optical media (CD and DVD), you can choose the CD/DVD option from the Export To popup so you can burn the exported images directly onto an optical disc. Finally, you may see a series of additional options on the Export To popup, based on plug-ins that are installed on your computer and that are able to make use of the export feature. For example, many software PIXOLOGY 40

41 tools for assembling high dynamic range (HDR) images can be installed as a plug-in for Lightroom, and can then be employed via the export feature. Export Location The first actual section of the Export dialog is the Export Location section. The options here enable you to specify where you would like to copy the files that will be created as part of the current export. The first option within the Export Location section of the Export dialog is the Export To popup. This enables you to specify the general location you want to use as the destination for the files created through the export process. The options on this popup will include common destinations based on your operating system, such as the Desktop and the Pictures folder. You can also the Specific folder option if you want to identify a particular folder as the destination for the export. There is even a Choose folder later option, which will cause Lightroom to ask which folder you want to export to when you actually initiate the export process. This setting is most useful for situations where you will be using a preset to initiate the export process and want to have some flexibility in terms of export location each time you use that export preset. The Export Location section of the Export dialog allows you to choose where you want to save the files created as part of the export process. For many typical scenarios the Desktop option provides a good destination for the images being PIXOLOGY 41

42 exported, so the files will be readily available once the process has completed. Of course, the destination that makes the most sense for a given export task depends on your specific needs and preferences. After specifying the overall location to use as the destination of the exported images, you can also choose to create a subfolder for those exported files. To do so, first turn on the Put in Subfolder checkbox. Then enter the name for the folder you want created in the location specified by the Export To popup. For example, I will often export photos to the Desktop in my operating system, creating a folder that is named based on the project I m exporting the photos for. The next option is the Add to This Catalog checkbox. If this option is turned on, the images you re exporting will also be added back to the current Lightroom catalog. In other words, you ll have additional versions of the source images included within the catalog. As a general rule, I recommend that photographers not make use of this option, as doing so can lead to confusion within your catalog. In most cases the original image within the catalog should be used as the source for any output or sharing. That, in turn, means that derivative images should be used for exporting, and not brought back into your Lightroom catalog. But again, the right answer for you depends on your specific workflow needs. If you have chosen the option to export the photos into the same folder as the original image using the Export To popup, and you have also enabled the option to add the exported images to the current catalog, you will have the option to add the derivative images into a stack with the original. This can help to keep your photos organized if you do indeed create multiple copies of some photos PIXOLOGY 42

43 within your Lightroom catalog. If you enable the Add to Stack checkbox, the exported photos will be stacked with their respective source images. You can also specify whether you want the derivative image to appear above or below the source image within the stack. The final setting within the Export Location section of the Export dialog relates to how Lightroom should deal with a situation where the files you are exporting are duplicates of files that already exist in the export location you ve defined. From the Existing Files popup you can choose whether you want Lightroom to create a new name for the duplicate images, to overwrite the existing images, to skip images that are duplicates, or to ask you during the export process which task you want to perform if there are any duplicates. File Naming The next section of the Export dialog provides options for the filename structure to use for the files created during the export process. Appropriately enough, this section is labeled File Naming in the Export dialog. You can specify a file naming structure to use as part of the process of exporting photos from your Lightroom catalog. The File Naming section provides the exact same options you have for renaming photos during the process of importing them into Lightroom, as well as for renaming photos that are being managed within your Lightroom catalog. Keep in mind, however, that the File Naming options in the Export dialog only relate to the copies of your PIXOLOGY 43

44 images being created during the export process. The original source images being managed by your Lightroom catalog will not be renamed as part of this process. The Filename Template Editor dialog enables you to adjust the overall file renaming structure to be used for the photos you are exporting. If you want to rename the photos being exported, you can first turn on the Rename To checkbox. You can then specify a template to use for the filename structure for exported images. You can modify an existing template by first choosing the desired template from the Rename To popup, and then choosing Edit from the same popup. That will bring up the Filename Template Editor, where you can adjust the structure for the filenames to be used. As you can probably appreciate, it can be helpful to use a filename for each exported image that relates to the purpose of the file you re creating. For example, if you are sending a collection of photos to a client for review, you might want to include your name as well as the name of your client as part of the filename structure, along with a sequence number to ensure unique filenames. It is also important to keep in mind, however, that using different filenames for the images you send to others compared to the filenames for the source image can lead to confusion when the client needs to inquire about a particular image. Of course, this problem can be alleviated altogether by using a file naming structure for all photos within the Lightroom PIXOLOGY 44

45 catalog that will also work well for the photos being exported. In other words, if you don t need to rename photos at all during the export process you can help avoid confusion. If you decide to use filenames for the exported images that differ from those for the source photos in your Lightroom catalog, you may want to use a file naming structure that incorporates the original filename as part of the template. This will enable you to have a meaningful filename for images you send to others, while still being able to easily reference the original images in your catalog. Video Since Lightroom enables you to manage your video clips right alongside your still photos, you may at times want to export video files in addition to photos. There is a separate Video section in the Export dialog that enables you to export video clips if they are among the files selected for export. If you are exporting videos in addition to still photos, you can choose the settings for the export of those videos in the Video section of the Export dialog. The first control in the Video section of the Export dialog is an Include Video Files checkbox. Naturally you will want to turn this checkbox on if you want to export the selected video clips along with any selected photos. You can specify the file type to export using the Video Format popup, and then specify the desired option from the Quality popup. PIXOLOGY 45

46 If you simply want a copy of the original video file exactly as it was captured, you can choose the Original, unedited file option from the Video Format popup. Note that this option will exclude any changes you ve made to the video, such as adjustments applied with the Quick Develop controls or trimming of the video clip. To preserve changes you ve made to the videos within Lightroom, you can choose either the DPX or H.264 options from the Video Format popup. This will cause a new version of the video to be rendered based on the original capture plus the adjustments you ve applied. You ll need to determine the requirements for the final use of the video to choose which option is better. If you choose the DPX or H.264 option, you can also specify a setting from the Quality popup. For the DPX format this will include several frame rate options, while the H.264 format enables you to specify a video quality setting ranging from Low to Max. File Settings In the File Settings section of the Export dialog you can specify the file type and related settings for the photos you are exporting. For photos you have selected for export, you can specify the type of file that should be created within the File Settings section of the Export dialog. The first setting you ll want to consider here is the Image Format popup, with the best choice obviously being dependent on how you will be using the images. PIXOLOGY 46

47 Once you ve selected an option from the Image Format popup, you can adjust other settings based on the selected file type. For example, if you choose to export JPEG images you can specify the overall image quality using the Quality slider, and choose which color space to use from the Color Space popup. For the JPEG file format there is also a checkbox for Limit File Size To that enables you to specify a target file size in kilobytes (KB) rather than specifying a setting for the Quality slider. Setting an option here does not guarantee the files will be of a specific size. Rather, this serves as something of a shortcut to the Quality slider, which will be disabled if you enable the Limit File Size To checkbox. You can also choose to export the selected images as Photoshop PSD, TIFF, or Adobe DNG files, or as the original file type by selecting the applicable option from the Image Format popup. Note that if the original capture is a proprietary RAW capture and you have applied adjustments or added metadata, an XMP sidecar file containing the information about those updates will be included with a copy of the original capture. Image Sizing In the Image Sizing section of the Export dialog you can specify the overall size for the photos being exported, provided you chose something other than Original from the Image Format popup in the File Settings dialog. The first step is to turn on the Resize to Fit checkbox in the Image Sizing section if you d like to export files with pixel dimensions that differ from those of the original capture. You can then choose an option from the popup to the right of the Resize to Fit checkbox to specify PIXOLOGY 47

48 You can specify the specific resolution settings for the images being exported in the Image Sizing section of the Export dialog. how you want to describe the desired size for the images. Most of the options simply provide different ways to describe the overall pixel dimensions of the files to be created, such as Width & Height, Dimensions, Long Edge, and Short Edge. You can also choose to specify the output size with options for Megapixels and Percentage. Once you have specified how to describe the output size, you can then enter the appropriate values. For example, if you have selected the Long Edge option you can enter a value (such as 1500) in the text box and choose a unit of measure (such as pixels ) from the popup. You can also specify a value for Resolution, again choosing a unit of measure from the corresponding popup. Note that there is also a Don t Enlarge checkbox. With this option turned on, any images that are smaller than the dimensions you ve defined in the Image Sizing section will remain at their native size, rather than being enlarged. Output Sharpening While you aren t able to see a preview of the final effect, it is possible to apply some sharpening to the images you are exporting from Lightroom. In the Output Sharpening section of the Export dialog you can specify if you want to have sharpening applied to all of the photos being exported. To apply sharpening first turn on the Sharpen For checkbox. Then select the output PIXOLOGY 48

49 type from the popup. The Screen option is for images that will be presented on a monitor, digital projector, or other electronic display. For images that will be printed you can choose Matte Paper or Glossy Paper from the popup based on the type of media the images will be printed to. Once you ve specified the type of output, you can choose Low, Standard, or High from the Amount popup. There is no preview of the effect, which makes it a little challenging to choose the best option. With some trial and error you ll get a sense of which option works best for you, but in general the Standard option is relatively safe. Metadata Your photos contain considerable metadata right from the time of capture, and of course you can add a variety of additional metadata within Lightroom. You don t necessarily want all of that metadata being included with the files you re exporting, however. In the Metadata section of the Export dialog you can specify which metadata to include in the exported images. The first option is an Include popup, with several options related to the metadata you want to include. When exporting photos from Lightroom you can choose which metadata values you want to have included in the exported copies of the photos you have selected for export. The Copyright Only option will of course only include your copyright information (if applicable) within the metadata for your photos. The Copyright & Contact Info Only option will PIXOLOGY 49

50 include your contact details (if applicable) along with any applicable copyright data in metadata for the photos. The next option is All Except Camera & Camera Raw Info. As the name implies, this will include all metadata values for the images, with the exception of the details about camera settings recorded by the camera and the adjustments settings you ve applied through the Develop module. Finally, there is the All Metadata option, which will cause virtually all metadata to be included in the exported images. The only exceptions would be Lightroom-specific features, such as Pick and Reject flags and membership in collections. Below the Include popup there are three checkboxes that provide some additional control over how metadata is handled. If you turn on the Remove Person Info checkbox, the keywords created to define people who appear in your photos based on the People view will be excluded from the metadata in the exported images. Similarly, turning on the Remove Location Info checkbox will cause location information based on embedded GPS metadata to be excluded from the images created during the export process. The final checkbox in this section determines whether hierarchical keywords you ve defined for the images being exported (if applicable) will be included within metadata for your photos. Keep in mind that a limited number of software applications support a hierarchical structure for keywords, so just because you enable this option doesn t mean that all software will correctly display the hierarchies for any keywords included in your exported photos. PIXOLOGY 50

51 You can apply a watermark to all photos being exported in the Watermarking section of the Export dialog. Watermarking If you d like to include a visible watermark for the photos you re exporting, you can configure the options for that watermark in the Watermarking section of the Export dialog. This is the exact same feature you ll find elsewhere, such as within the Slideshow and Print modules. To enable the watermark feature, start by turning on the Watermark checkbox. You can then choose a watermark from the corresponding popup. If you haven t yet defined your own watermark you can choose Edit Watermarks from the popup. This will bring up the Watermark Editor dialog, where you can define and save your watermark. The resulting mark will appear uniformly on all images created during the export process. Post-Processing The Post-Processing section of the Export dialog provides you with the opportunity to specify what action (if any) should be taken when the Export operation is complete. By default when you export photos from Lightroom and the process is completed, you ll simply be right back where you left off in Lightroom and nothing else will happen automatically. However, there are also some options for specific actions to be performed once the export is completed. These options are found in the Post-Processing section of the Export dialog. You can choose the applicable option from the After Export popup. The default setting is Do nothing, PIXOLOGY 51

52 which as noted above will cause no additional action to be taken once the export is complete. You can also choose to browse the exported images through your operating system by choosing Show in Finder (for Macintosh users) or Show in Explorer (for Windows users). If you select this option, as soon as the export is complete a window will open in your operating system showing you the location of the files that were just exported. You can also specify an option to open the exported images into a supported application. This will generally include Photoshop, for example, and possibly other software that has been installed as a plug-in to Lightroom. Saving a Preset If you export photos with specific settings once, there s a reasonable chance you ll want to export other photos with the exact same (or nearly the same) settings at a later date. If so, it can be incredibly helpful to save a preset for the export settings you ve just defined. If you will be exporting additional photos with the same basic settings in the future, it can be very helpful to save a preset that preserves those specific export settings. After establishing the desired settings, you can create a new preset by clicking the Add button at the bottom of the Preset section on the left side PIXOLOGY 52

53 of the Export dialog. When you click the Add button a dialog will appear where you can enter a meaningful name for the export preset and also choose which folder (group of presets) you want to save the new preset in. If you want to create a new folder for this new preset, you can choose the New Folder option from the Folder popup to define that new folder. You can then click the Create button in the New Preset dialog to save your new preset. In the future you can export other images using those saved export settings very quickly and easily. Simply select the photos to be exported, bring up the Export dialog, choose the desired preset, and click the Export button. Fast Derivatives When you have established all of the desired settings in the Export dialog for the currently selected photos, you can click the Export button at the bottom-right of the Export dialog to initiate the export process. All of the selected images (and video clips) will be processed based on the settings you ve established, creating derivative images perfectly suited to your intended output. v PIXOLOGY 53

54 (Not So) Smart Objects Tim Grey Why Smart Objects in Photoshop Often Aren t Smart Enough for Every Workflow Need Photoshop includes a powerful feature called Smart Objects that can add considerable flexibility to your workflow. Among other things, Smart Objects enable you to revisit your Adobe Camera Raw adjustments for RAW captures, and apply filter effects in a non-destructive way. The problem is, Smart Objects aren t as smart as they seem at first glance, which has led me to avoid the use of Smart Objects in most cases. PIXOLOGY 54

55 Understanding Smart Objects A Smart Object is essentially an embedded or linked component within a layered file in Photoshop. You can think of a Smart Object as providing a way to include an image element within a document in Photoshop, without having to render the result as an actual pixel layer. The explanation in the preceding paragraph probably sounds a little abstract, and for good reason. Smart Objects represent a somewhat sophisticated feature in Photoshop aimed at adding flexibility and power to your workflow. A few examples may help provide a better understanding of Smart Objects, and why they may appear to offer great advantages for your workflow. RAW Workflow When you open a RAW capture in Photoshop, you ll first be given the opportunity to refine the adjustment settings for the initial processing of the RAW capture into actual pixel values. In other words, the Adobe Camera Raw dialog will appear, enabling you to apply adjustments as part of the process of converting the capture data from the image sensor in your camera into actual pixel values that Photoshop can work with. One of the options available when processing a RAW capture is to create a Smart Object for that RAW capture without a layered image in Photoshop. You can think of this option as enabling you to work with the RAW capture in Photoshop without actually processing that RAW capture to rendered pixel values. In practice what that means is that instead of having a Background image layer as the basic PIXOLOGY 55

56 starting point for your work in Photoshop, you ll have a Smart Object. Even better, if you later decide you want to make changes to the original settings you used to process the RAW capture in Adobe Camera Raw, you can double-click on the Smart Object on the Layers panel to bring up the Adobe Camera Raw dialog. At that point all of the adjustment settings you applied to the RAW capture initially will be right where you left them, and you can refine those settings to change the appearance of your image in Photoshop. It is like being able to go back to Adobe Camera Raw at any time and change your mind about the adjustments you want to apply to the original RAW capture. When you have opened a RAW capture as a Smart Object in Photoshop, you can return to the Camera Raw dialog to refine the original adjustment settings at any time simply by doubleclicking on the Smart Object layer thumbnail. You can create a Smart Object for a RAW capture when processing that capture with Adobe Camera Raw, or when sending a RAW capture to Photoshop from Lightroom. PIXOLOGY 56

57 If you re using Adobe Camera Raw to process the original RAW capture, you can create a Smart Object for the resulting image through the Workflow Options dialog. To bring up the Workflow Options dialog, click the summary of the conversion settings for the RAW capture shown below the preview for the photo you re working with. In the Workflow Options dialog you can turn on the Open in Photoshop as Smart Objects checkbox. The Workflow Options dialog available from within Adobe Camera Raw provides you with the option to open a RAW capture as a Smart Object in Photoshop. If you are sending the RAW capture to Photoshop from Lightroom, you can create a Smart Object with a variation on the process of sending the RAW capture to Photoshop. The normal workflow for sending a RAW capture from Lightroom to Photoshop is to select the image and go to Photo > Edit In on the menu, then choose Edit in Adobe Photoshop from the submenu. To PIXOLOGY 57

58 create a Smart Object as part of this process, you will still go to Photo > Edit In on the menu, but then choose Open as Smart Object in Photoshop from the submenu. Once you have opened a RAW capture as a Smart Object, you will still have all of the power of Photoshop at your disposal. In addition however, you can double-click the Smart Object layer on the Layers panel at any time to bring up the Adobe Camera Raw dialog and adjust the RAW-processing settings for the RAW capture. Smart Filters You can open a RAW capture as a Smart Object in Photoshop from Lightroom by choosing the Open as Smart Object in Photoshop option from the Edit In menu. In addition to the flexibility for processing RAW captures that is enabled through the use of Smart Objects, you can also apply a wide variety of creative or corrective filters to your photos with a similarly flexible non-destructive workflow. This is a variation on Smart Objects that is referred to as Smart Filters. PIXOLOGY 58

59 While the term Smart Filters is used to describe the use of filters in this way, you re still actually dealing with a Smart Object. In other words, if you don t already have a Smart Object as part of how you processed the original RAW capture, you ll still need to create a Smart Object in order to apply a Smart Filter. Fortunately, that process is very straightforward. For example, if you have a Background image layer rather than a Smart Object, you can convert that layer to a Smart Object. Start by selecting the applicable image layer on the Layers panel, and then choose Filter > Convert for Smart Filters from the menu. Click OK in the confirmation dialog (if applicable), and the currently active layer will be converted to a Smart Object. You can apply a filter with greater flexibility by making use of the Smart Filter option, which enables you to leverage a Smart Object for the purpose of applying a creative filter to a photo. You can then apply a filter to that Smart Object layer in the normal way, and the filter will automatically be applied as a Smart Filter. For PIXOLOGY 59

60 example, if you wanted to apply the Oil Paint filter as a Smart Filter, at this point you could choose Filter > Stylize > Oil Paint from the menu. When you choose to apply a filter in this way, the normal dialog for that filter will appear so you can adjust the settings for how the filter should be applied. When you re finished adjusting those settings, simply click the OK button to apply the effect. When you apply a filter as a Smart Filter, a separate filter layer will be added to your image, with a layer mask that can be used to apply the effect selectively to portions of the photo. Normally the process of applying a filter to an image layer would cause the actual pixels on that image layer to be changed. In other words, the process would not qualify as a non-destructive workflow. Thanks to Smart Objects, however, you can apply filters with great flexibility using a non-destructive workflow. If you decide you want to change the settings you used for a given filter applied as a Smart Filter, you can double-click the name of the filter you applied, which is connected with the Smart Filters object that appears below the Smart Object layer on the Layers panel. This will bring up the original dialog for the filter you applied, with all of the settings just as you left them. You can refine those settings and click the OK button to apply the changes. The Smart Filters object will also include a layer mask automatically, so you can mask areas of the filter effect. By default the layer mask is filled with white, so the filter you ve applied will affect the entire image. However, you can paint with black to block the effect in certain areas of the image if you d like, painting with white again to reveal the effect in areas of the image where it had been hidden. All of the other ways you can work with layer masks can also be employed for the Smart Filter as well. PIXOLOGY 60

61 Thanks to Smart Filters, you can apply a wide variety of creative (or corrective) filter effects with tremendous flexibility. Layer Problems So far the benefits of Smart Objects that we ve explored have indeed been beneficial. However, there are some potential problems you ll want to be aware of if you plan to employ Smart Objects in your workflow. One of the key features of a Smart Object is that you re able to make changes to that Smart Object at any time with great flexibility. I ve provided a couple of examples of how you can make use of Smart Objects in the sections above, but there are other possibilities as well. You can, for example, apply transformations to a Smart Object an infinite number of times without degrading image quality, because the work is being performed in a non-destructive way relative to the original source for the Smart Object. There are other potential workflow advantages as well, such as being able to modify a linked source file and have the changes automatically reflected in every image in which the source file is used. But that flexibility can create some challenges in your workflow, especially if you favor a non-destructive layer-based workflow. And of course, if you re interested in using Smart Objects in the first place, there s a good chance you are already a fan of a layer-based workflow. Because you can revisit a Smart Object at any time and make changes to the appearance of the image represented by that Smart Object, the use of Smart Objects in a layer-based workflow can actually be problematic. PIXOLOGY 61

62 Let s consider a very basic example that illustrates the potential pitfalls of employing Smart Objects in your workflow. If you ve processed a RAW capture as a Smart Object, among that many adjustments you might apply are color balance adjustments through the use of the Temperature and Tint controls. For the sake of providing a clear example, let s assume you have initially interpreted the photo with a very strong blue color cast. When using Smart Objects, it is important to keep in mind that any work performed on pixel-based layers will not match the overall photo if you later make changes to the Smart Object layer. You then perform some image cleanup work in Photoshop, taking advantage of the advanced Content Aware technology available with the Spot Healing Brush tool (among other tools and features). Being an advocate of a non-destructive workflow, you perform this cleanup work on a separate image layer dedicated to that purpose. Later in your workflow you decide that you aren t happy with your original color interpretation of the PIXOLOGY 62

63 RAW capture. So you double-click on the Smart Object layer to bring up the Adobe Camera Raw dialog and shift the Temperature value toward a much warmer (more yellow) value. At this point you would probably be very happy with the color of the underlying photo based on the Smart Object created from your original RAW capture. However, you will no longer be happy with your image cleanup work, because that work will no longer match the underlying image. In this example, when you were cleaning up areas of the photo, the pixels created as part of that process were based on the Smart Object. In this example, that means the cleanup pixels would be predominantly blue. However, you ve since shifted the color of the underlying image to a more yellow value, so the blue cleanup pixels don t match the underlying image anymore. Not So Smart In many cases Smart Objects aren t quite as smart as we d like them to be. This is especially true with a layer-based workflow, where new pixels might be created based on existing pixels, including pixels that are actually part of a Smart Object. By being aware of the limitations of Smart Objects in Photoshop, you can of course work around these issues for the most part. For example, you can wait until you re completely sure about the adjustments and effects you ve applied through the use of Smart Objects and Smart Filters, before you start applying other pixel-based adjustments such as image cleanup work. Hopefully some day the Smart Objects and Smart Filters features in Photoshop will PIXOLOGY 63

64 be upgraded to true genius status. In the meantime, my preference is to avoid the use of Smart Objects and Smart Filters whenever possible, and to be cautious in my approach when those features provide a valuable benefit I don t want to miss out on. v PIXOLOGY 64

65 The Magazine for Photographers About Tim Grey Pixology magazine is published electronically on a monthly basis. For more information, visit: To contact the publisher: Tim Grey 243 5th Ave #131 New York, NY tim@timgrey.com Tim has authored more than a dozen books and hundreds of magazine articles on digital imaging for photographers, and has produced dozens of video training titles on a wide variety of subjects. He publishes the Ask Tim Grey newsletter in addition to Pixology magazine, and publishes video training through GreyLearning. Tim teaches through workshops, seminars, and appearances at events around the world. Follow Tim Grey at: Copyright 2016 by Tim Grey. All Rights Reserved. Every attempt has been made throughout these articles to distinguish proprietary trademarks from descriptive terms by following the capitalization style used by the manufacturer and marking those marks as either a trademark or registered trademark. All trademarks and registered trademarks included in this book are the property of their respective owners. The publisher has made best efforts to prepare this magazine, but makes no representation or warranties of any kind with regard to the completeness or accuracy of the contents herein and accept no liability of any kind including but not limited to performance, merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose, or any losses or damages of any kind caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly from this book.

66 A long exposure produces interesting textures in a fast moving Alpine stream. Captured at a lens focal length of 70mm with an aperture of f/8 and a shutter speed of 1.5 seconds at ISO 100. PARTING SHOT

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