PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
Improving an Image Using Photoshop

BY DAVE WORTHINGTON

This is not meant to be a full Photoshop Tutorial, it’s just an insight showing my way of working with an image until it fits what I had in my mind when I set up the shot.

The numbered stages below show how I worked the image from its RAW file capture, converted into a Tiff in Fuji Raw file Converter.

STAGE 1 – Original image as converted with no adjustments at all. This is how it was captured on the day. The image was taken using a Fuji S2 Nikon Zoom Lens at ISO 200, 1/500 sec at f5.6 with no flash or supplementary lighting. A rough crop was made for convenient web viewing.

STAGE 2 – Image converted to black and white, and Auto Levels selected in Photoshop

STAGE 3 – Image cropped to correct verticals and to remove distractions to the left of the shot.

STAGE 4 – Building cloned to remove distracting sky/highlight.

STAGE 5 – Couple selected with lasso tool and invert selection made. Background levels reduced to darken (darken to taste!).

STAGE 6 – Selective areas darkened further i.e. distant building and right hand edge.

STAGE 7 – Edges all around the image vignetted to concentrate interest/add atmosphere.

STAGE 8 – Image Sharpened (sharpening turned off in camera).

STAGE 9 – Key line added and image “mounted”.

STAGE 10 – Colour balance adjusted to 5 RED to give image a warm tone. Spotting and minor alterations to finish. I would print the final image using a Fuji Frontier printer on to glossy paper.

Please send any comments to Dave