What's the deal with adjustment layers?

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

07/01/2011 03:42:35 PM · #1

I get that the changes are non-destructive to the pixels and that the change can be removed but is it necessary to only use adjustment layers for advanced challenge entries? Whether I apply a change directly to an image or use an adjustment layer, the end result is the same, right? The image is still flattened to a jpg so all the work you did to preserve your adjustments are destroyed in the final save. So why do the advanced challenge rules specify using adjustment layer changes only?

Yo_Spiff

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

07/01/2011 03:48:18 PM · #2

You can make the adjustments straight to the pixels if you like in advanced. I usually do it that way. In basic editing rules, the only kind of layer you can use is an adjustment layer, so tricks such as layer blending and various layer based selective adjustments cannot be done in basic.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

07/01/2011 04:04:58 PM · #3

I don't have my computer/photoshop in front of me right now but I suspect that what you are in part saying is that certain tricks aren't available like selective color adjustments when using an adjustment layer which would stay in line with global image adjustments only in basic editing? Therefore adjustment layer changes only is a way to insure legal basic editing i.e. if you can't do it with an adjustment layer then it won't be legal?

Yo_Spiff

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

07/01/2011 04:09:24 PM · #4

Correct. Adjustment layers are legal in basic because they are applied across the entire image and are no different than making the adjustment directly to the pixels. (Except that you can change the adjustment again and again without degrading the pixels underneath)

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

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

07/01/2011 04:12:24 PM · #5

You can use Adjustment Layers in Basic editing challenges with two restrictions: they must remain in Normal Mode, and you are not allowed to use the Layer Mask to select/deselect portions of the picture; the adjustment must be applied uniformly to the entire picture.

Otherwise, you are pretty much free to use anything under the "Adjustments" section to modify/shift the color(s). You can use the "Selective Color" adjustment; you cannot select areas of the picture to which you apply any adjustment.

These restrictions do not apply to Advanced editing challenges.

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

07/01/2011 04:16:39 PM · #6

Thanks Steve. So in reality i can change the pixels directly in basic as long as i follow the basic rules and do nothing different that what could be achieved using an adjustment layer. It might just be me but i find adapting adjustment layers into my workflow to be annoying.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

07/01/2011 04:18:17 PM · #7

Do remember that there *are* things you can do with an adjustment layer, such as using a layer mask, or changing the blending mode from the default "Normal" mode, that are not legal in Basic.

GinaRothfels

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus 8mm f/1.8 M.Zuiko Digital ED Fisheye PRO Lens

07/01/2011 04:38:25 PM · #8

Originally posted by hawkeyefilms:

The image is still flattened to a jpg so all the work you did to preserve your adjustments are destroyed in the final save.

If you save your image as a PSD file, the layers are retained. This can be useful if you want to re-edit your image later, perhaps to improve on things others have commented on. It saves you from having to start the whole editing process over again. You should only ever save as jpg when you have done all the editing you plan to do as each save will reduce image quality.

ScooterMcNutty

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

07/01/2011 04:53:22 PM · #9

as of late, I ALWAYS save 3 files for the final picture or group of pictures.
PSD
Scaled down version for web and challenge submission
and a full size version for printing and or for the client (who is usually a friend of mine)

anyways. Sometimes after i save a basic edit of pictures or even more advanced edits, i like to re-edit or change layers to create different effects. If i understand you correctly, you only save a .jpg version correct? well if you save a .psd, you can easily delete specific layers or 'hide' them to see different versions in PS easily and compare.

:) just my two cents...

adigitalromance

Nikon D750

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

07/01/2011 06:32:09 PM · #10

Originally posted by hawkeyefilms:

...i find adapting adjustment layers into my workflow to be annoying.

There can be a period of awkwardness but I highly suggest making the jump to adjustment layers. For all the reasons listed here and more, they are vastly more useful than making direct adjustments.

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

07/01/2011 06:51:53 PM · #11

Thanks Sofia. I will save PSD files of images when I am unsure of my editing decisions and I save alternate versions out to jpg. So far I haven't done alot of editing to my images and what I do do can be quickly redone. I find adjustment layers annoying because they will affect the whole image which doesn't work for me when building composites. (I do a lot of composite graphic and text work in photoshop for video editing etc) I know i can rectify this with mask layers but I haven't mastered that workflow yet. So usually i just make my change decision and stick with that choice. Changing it later with layer adjustments just dilutes the choice you made in the first place IMO. I guess with time I may adapt my workflow or maybe I should just start taking better images worthy of better PP. I do however want to start using adjustmwnt layers to do non-destructive dodge and burning and I would definitely save PSD's of that work.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

07/01/2011 07:16:55 PM · #12

Originally posted by adigitalromance:

Originally posted by hawkeyefilms:
...i find adapting adjustment layers into my workflow to be annoying.

There can be a period of awkwardness but I highly suggest making the jump to adjustment layers. For all the reasons listed here and more, they are vastly more useful than making direct adjustments.

I recently posted this How-I-Did-This article -- it's done entirely using Curves Adjustment Layers. This example uses the layer masks (not legal for Basic editing challenges), but is still an example of how the use of several adjustment layers lets you achieve things unlikely to occur (or be replicable) if the adjustments were applied directly to the pixels.

BTW, if you consistently do want to apply all adjustments directly to the pixels, you should save the file in TIFF format, not JPEG, to avoid artifacts caused by sequential compression. With a TIFF, you can save with the LZW option enabled if you are really short of disk space, or, if you are using Photoshop CS 3 or later, I believe the maximum-quality JPEG setting is now coonsidered "lossless" as well.

Originally posted by hawkeyefilms:

... I find adjustment layers annoying because they will affect the whole image which doesn't work for me when building composites.

I just noticed this part. Learn to use layer masks to deal with this problem (see link above). Also, note that when you create an Adjustment Layer you can "link" it to the layer underneath -- you can use this to advantage when you've duplicated part of the picture to touch-up or imported another image for compositing.

Message edited by author 2011-07-01 19:21:24.