Curves tip for a soft effect
Aug 19, 2022 17:44:46 #
I just saw this and gave it a try. Start with the typical three points and adjust as seen here. Also slightly bring up the black point in the lower left corner.
Aug 19, 2022 18:00:34 #
Aug 19, 2022 18:10:00 #
Aug 20, 2022 03:17:43 #
The steepness of the line indicates the amount of contrast. A curve like that takes contrast away from the darks and adds it to the brights. In this kind of shot the detail that you want is mainly in the brights.
This example is a good reminder that softness isn't just about what the lighting is like at the bright end. It's obvious that if the brights are too contrasty the light is going to be harsh, but you can also lose softness by having the darks too contrasty, and it's often the case that contrast in the darks is expendable, as this example shows.
This example is a good reminder that softness isn't just about what the lighting is like at the bright end. It's obvious that if the brights are too contrasty the light is going to be harsh, but you can also lose softness by having the darks too contrasty, and it's often the case that contrast in the darks is expendable, as this example shows.
Aug 20, 2022 06:40:40 #
Craigdca wrote:
I just saw this and gave it a try. Start with the typical three points and adjust as seen here. Also slightly bring up the black point in the lower left corner.
It would work better if the highlights were not already blown.
Aug 20, 2022 09:52:45 #
Aug 20, 2022 11:15:40 #
Aug 20, 2022 20:45:21 #
Craigdca wrote:
This is the original version.
The Shadows/Highlights control does much more than that if you want.
Aug 21, 2022 00:00:04 #
Fotoartist wrote:
The Shadows/Highlights control does much more than that if you want.
I can see how that improves the details. Sometimes I’ve used a masked layer for “burn” curve with soft light to bring out details in bright areas.
Thanks
Craig
Aug 21, 2022 19:57:19 #
I use Curves all the time. The effect of the Shadows/Highlights adjustment can be achieved in Curves but S/H is more user friendly in its own interface.
Aug 21, 2022 21:39:12 #
Fotoartist wrote:
I use Curves all the time. The effect of the Shadows/Highlights adjustment can be achieved in Curves but S/H is more user friendly in its own interface.
That’s good to hear you say that you use the Shadows and Highlights sliders. I use them as a quick adjustment but your recommendation puts them in a higher ranking for me. Thanks for the advice
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