Image optimization in week two

I think for these posts I will continue to focus on Photoshop.  I’m certainly learning a lot beyond this software (and about completely new topics like HTML/CSS and Acrobat), but it’s what I find most fascinating.

This week, I’ve learned more about the general ways to improve a digital image.  So I’m going to compare the new steps I’ve learned with the old way I was doing things; hopefully it will help me better absorb the information.  (Note: I’m sure this will continue to be revised as my knowledge of Photoshop evolves.  Nothing here is set in stone!)

Steps For Image Optimization

Step 1
Old (7.0):
Before anything else, I cropped and rotated the image with the Crop Tool (if needed).

New (CS4):
This step is the same, except now I know about the Ruler Tool, which allows me to draw a line across whatever I think should be horizontal in an image, then have Photoshop automatically rotate my image to make that line flat (by using Image>Image Rotation>Arbitrary).  Then I proceed with cropping.

Step 2
Old (7.0):
I continued by adjusting the Levels, using just the histogram that pops up with this tool to set my black points and my white points.

New (CS4):
Now I set the Levels with an Adjustment Layer, which means (unlike the previous way of doing it) I can go back and reset the black and white points I choose. The other nice thing about using an Adjustment Layer is the ability to add a Mask and block out areas of the image you do not want Levels (or Color Balance, Curves, etc.) to change.

I also hold down the Option key when setting black and white points now.  This changes the image display so I can see how the black and white areas of the image are being affected as I move the sliders.

Step 3
Old (7.0):
I made any changes to the colour balance with Levels, moving the black, white and gray point for each of the three colour channels (red, green, blue) to achieve the desired correction.

New (CS4):
I’ve learned that I can instead use Color Balance (as with Levels, added as an Adjustment Layer), which provides me with a better way to view the balance of each tonal range in the image (shadows, midtones, highlights).  However, the Levels route is still a valid way to do this step.

Step 4
Old (7.0):
I duplicated the background to create a layer for increasing contrast with a Blending Mode of Overlay, Hard Light or Soft Light (depending on the image) and an Opacity well below 100% to soften the effect.

New (CS4):
While the above action still works well for me, I can also use Curves (again, added as an Adjustment Layer) to give me more control over the contrast in the picture.

Step 5
Old (7.0):
I increased the colour of the image with a simple boost to the Master Saturation in Hue/Saturation.

New (CS4):
Now I can use Vibrance (as with everything else so far, added as an Adjustment Layer) to enhance the colour using Saturation (as I would normally) but also Vibrance, which specifically enhances the intensity of the less saturated colours more.

Step 6
Old (7.0):
I removed any problem areas from the image using the Healing Brush Tool or the Patch Tool.  I also lightly brushed over some facial features with a matching skin-toned colour (and brush Opacity set around 20%) to conceal things like sweat (as it hides the glare).

New (CS4):
The above still applies, but now I also apply the Clone Stamp Tool and the Spot Healing Brush Tool, which are other effective ways to not only remove unwanted parts of the image, but to smooth over the removal as well.

Step 7
Old (7.0):
I enhanced certain elements in the image.  For instance, I highlighted eyes by selecting them and sharpening them with Unsharp Mask or highlighted the colour of a flower by selecting it and increasing the Saturation in Hue/Saturation.

New (CS4):
These are still valid tricks, but I can also make a duplicate layer of just the eyes or the flower and paint on that layer with any number of brush Blending Modes like Color or Color Dodge or Saturation to make my enhancement (the plus of this way: I can then adjust the effect with the Opacity of the layer).

Step 8
Old (7.0):
I duplicated my background to create a layer for an edge burn with a Blending Mode of Linear Burn or Color Burn (depending on the image) and an Opacity well below 100% to soften the effect.  I used the Lasso Tool or Magnetic Lasso Tool to draw around the area I did not want to burn (generally with a Feather of 50-200px), then cleared that area.

New (CS4):
While this has not yet been covered in my classes, I imagine the better way to do this would be to create a Mask on that layer, so the amount of adjusting that can be done later is maximized.

Step 9
Old (7.0):
I finished by sharpening the image using Unsharp Mask, generally falling somewhere between a Radius of 1.0-3.0 and an Amount of 30-90.

New (CS4):
This step is the same, except now I know this can be more effective (and less noticeable, if that makes sense) with a low Radius (0.5, for example) and high Amount (like 250).  I’ve also learned – in instances where I want to sharpen only part of the image, which is often the case – that the Quick Selection Tool is indeed a very quick way to select the object I want to bring more into focus.

Image comparisons

I’m no expert at this point (clearly), but you can see improvement (I hope) with the following image comparisons.  The first comparison is an image manipulated in Photoshop 7.0 with the “old” rules vs. the same image from 7.0 manipulated further in Photoshop CS4 with the new rules.  (Unfortunately, I did not have the original to start from and show a full comparison, but you get the idea.)  The second comparison in an image straight from the camera vs. the same image optimized in Photoshop CS4.

Manipulated in Photoshop 7.0 with "old" steps

Manipulated more in Photoshop CS4 with new steps

Straight out-of-camera shot

After image optimization in Photoshop CS4