Question on use of layers in advanced

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

04/13/2014 04:01:49 AM · #1

hello, hope's everyone of good cheer.

i just wanna to make sure if this is legal in advanced editing. though i think it is based from my understanding of the rules, i think clarification would help me best.

for example, there is a hot area in an image, to be more specific in the nose sometimes it gets overexposed; or some areas with extreme reflections from direct sunlight, instead of using the burn tool to 'tame' it, can we use:

new layer
paintbrush very lightly(23% opacity, 10% flow) the hot area to 'tame' it or make it less distractive.

this is working within the "clone out incidental power lines, twigs, dust specks, stray hairs, and similar minor imperfections within any capture used" principle i suppose.

since we did not:
"move, remove or duplicate any element of your photograph that would change a typical viewer's description of the photograph (aside from color or crop), even if the tool is
otherwise legal, and regardless of whether
you intended the change when the
photograph was taken."

and did not

"create new image area, objects or features (such as lens flare or motion) that didn't already exist in your original capture(s)."

i think this is allowed when used in a very subtle way (but what do i know :D ).

please enlighten me. thank u so much and i want to say that i really enjoy these exciting challenges ^_^

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

04/13/2014 08:48:51 AM · #2

yes.

pamb

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II

04/13/2014 09:23:17 AM · #3

Originally posted by Mike:

yes.

Ha! That's priceless.
Just clone the bloody thing out. (This is not to be construed in any way, shape or form as actual advice to which you should pay attention)

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

04/13/2014 10:04:34 AM · #4

Melvin, you can burn it down (what you're suggesting) or you can borrow some texture from an adjoining area and clone it down (what Pam's suggesting); both are legal.

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

04/13/2014 10:46:01 AM · #5

thanks! actually i tried burning and cloning but when i zoom in or out, the 'definitions/stamps' are noticeable :(. my skills arent that great on burning highlights that it turns out to be noticeably edited. when i use layers it is way more subtle and more 'controllable' whether zoomed in or out. i can even decrease the opacity to make it least visible. i actually just want to make few highlights 'just' less of a distraction. personally when i compare burning/cloning/layer, for me layers has the most subtle effect in taming highlights that is within my skills :( :( :(

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

04/13/2014 11:08:13 AM · #6

Originally posted by lovemelvin:

Try copying the layer you are going to work on, then do the cloning on there with a feathered stamp, then fade the opacity of that layer with the layer opacity slider to mute the effect :-)

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

04/13/2014 11:12:17 AM · #7

thanks bear! thanks everyone.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

04/13/2014 11:16:27 AM · #8

Believe it or not, I've only recently* learned how to use a gray layer for non-destructive Dodge/Burn applications (Bear can explain it better than I), which lets you try different amounts of change without affecting the original pixels, so you can always start over.

Another way I use layers to fix small problems (such as a shiny nose) is to select that area, copy to the clipboard, and then immediately use "Paste-Into" to put the copy back into the same position. You can then edit the copy, repeat/start over if you make a mistake, and it only increases the file size by the amount of the pasted pixels.

*I've been using Photoshop since before the first commercial release, when it came with a scanner we were using, but I only read a decent explanation of how to do it a week or so ago ... :-(

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

04/13/2014 11:51:12 AM · #9

thanks General.

i haven't heard of the gray layer for non-
destructive Dodge/Burn applications huhu :(.

i tried burning my sepia image but it made the area noticeably gray :(

Bear, where can i find the feathered stamp?

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

04/13/2014 12:18:36 PM · #10

Originally posted by lovemelvin:

"Gray Layer":

"Layer>New>Layer>" then in the dialogue box that pops up "Mode>Overlay" and then check the box "Fill with overlay-neutral color (50% gray)" and click "OK" - you now have a new layer above your other image layers: paint with black, it gets darker underneath, or paint with white and it gets lighter. Use the paintbrush tool, adjust opacity and feathering in the tools bar along the top.

"Feathered Stamp":

When you have the healing brush or the spot healing brush selected, in the tools bar along the top, on the left, you can adjust the size and feathering ("hardness") of the stamp just like it was a brush. 100% is hard-edged, back off the percentage and it gets softer and more feathered.

Message edited by author 2014-04-13 12:26:14.

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

04/13/2014 12:22:25 PM · #11

the best approach i found for taming highlights is to clone the skin tone you want over the area on another layer and the pull the opacity of that layer down. use dodge and burn of top of the to resculpt the shadows to make it look more natural.

Message edited by author 2014-04-13 12:22:47.

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

04/13/2014 12:24:46 PM · #12

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by lovemelvin:
thanks General.

i haven't heard of the gray layer for non-
destructive Dodge/Burn applications huhu :(.

i tried burning my sepia image but it made the area noticeably gray :(

Bear, where can i find the feathered stamp?

Working on a reply, hang on

if you use the traditional dodge and burn you run the risk of desaturating the area, which is where the sponge in the dodge and burn tool box is helpful. if you use a gray layer and set your blend mode to soft light you dont get so much of the color desaturation

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED

04/13/2014 01:56:36 PM · #13

Thanks so much

Bear_Music and

Mike very much appreciated!

tanguera

Nikon D750

04/13/2014 04:48:13 PM · #14

Another possibility is to select and copy the area you want to edit then, using the clone tool on "darken", select an area with the tone you're going for on the original layer, then switch to the copy layer and brush on there. It will only copy the darker tones from the source into the target area.