Adjustment Layers - 3

Adjustment Layers - 3

Learn how to use the next group of Adjustment Layers consisting of Vibrance - Color Lookup.

When to use

These Adjustment Layers are primarily used for adjusting the colors and color grading of images in Photoshop.

Instructions

Setting Up The Space

• To get started, expand the 'Mountain Group' folder to reveal the layers inside.
• Currently, you should have a Smart Object layer on top, and below that will be a regular Raster Image layer of a different photo.
• Since we applied all of our previous adjustments to the layer that was visible (in this case, the Smart Object) we may find that these adjustments don't look as good on the Raster Image.
• Select the 'Mountains' Raster Image and drag it out of the folder, so that it sits above all of the Adjustment Layers. 
• Select the 'Mountain Group' folder and then use the keyboard shortcut Alt/Option+Shift and the right bracket key to select the folder and all four of the Adjustment Layers that are clipped to it.
• With the folder and your four Adjustment Layers all selected at the same time, press Command/Ctrl+G to place them into a new group.
• Rename this group 'IMAGE 1'.

Vibrance Adjustment Layers

• Select the 'Mountains' layer at the top of the Layers Palette and click on the layer while holding the Control Key.
• From the dropdown menu, choose 'Convert to Smart Object'.
• With your newly created Smart Object layer selected, click the Adjustment Layer Icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette and choose 'Vibrance'.
• Using the slider, increase the vibrance in the image and notice that it increases the richness of the lower contrast or more muted tones in the photo.
• Next, use the 'Saturation' slider to increase the saturation in the image. 
• Doing this will increase the overall saturation in the entire photo affecting all of the colors.

Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layers

• Return to the Adjustment Layer Icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette and choose 'Hue/Saturation' from the menu.
• Turn off the visibility of the Vibrance Adjustment Layer by clicking the eyeball next to the layer name.
• You can now use the 'Saturation' slider on the Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer to increase the overall image saturation, similar to what we did previously.
• Move the 'Hue' slider around to shift the colors and see how it affects the photo.
• Next, move the 'Lightness' slider left and right to see how it affects the photo.
• A great feature of the Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer is the ability to Colorize an image. We can do this by checking off the box that says 'Colorize' in the Properties Panel.
• Doing this will create a monochromatic look where you can change the entire photo to a specific tone.
• You can also adjust the saturation and lightness or darkness of the overall look.
• After experimenting with the Colorize option, uncheck the box to go back to your previous settings.

Color Balance Adjustment Layers

• Select the Adjustment Layer Icon again, and this time choose 'Color Balance' from the menu that appears.
• The Color Balance Adjustment Layer allows you to control the Highlights, Midtones, and Shadows of an image with a great amount of precision.
• Begin by changing the 'Tone' to 'Shadows'.
• Increase the amount of red in the shadows by moving the 'Cyan > Red' slider to the right.
• Let's also add some yellow to the shadows by moving the 'Yellow > Blue' slider to the left.
• Next, change the 'Tone' to 'Highlights' and modify the sliders to push the blues and a little bit of green as needed.
• Lastly, change the 'Tone' to 'Midtones' and modify the sliders in order to get the colors to look vibrant, balanced, and rich.
• Turn the visibility of the Vibrance Adjustment Layer back on.
• Doing this will most likely result in an over-saturated image, so we can now reduce the opacity of the Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer to about 75%.

Black & White Adjustment Layers

• Select the top Adjustment Layer, and then click on the Adjustment Layer Icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette.
• Choose the 'Black & White' option from the menu.
• Once you've added the Black & White Adjustment Layer you will see that it just converts the image and all of the layers below into black and white.
• While there are some more interesting presets for this Adjustment Layer, it typically works best when applying a black-and-white adjustment and changing the opacity to find a nice balance.
• In this case, let's reduce the opacity of the Black & White Adjustment Layer to about 12 - 15%.

Photo Filter Adjustment Layers

• Select the Adjustment Layer Icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette and this time choose the Photo Filter Adjustment Layer.
• Under the 'Filter' field you will see that there are a variety of warm and cool filters that can be applied.
• In addition to the presets, you can also choose your own custom filter color by clicking on the 'Color' button instead of 'Filter' and selecting your color.
• The 'Density' option makes the color more or less noticeable and can be a nice way to shift the tones in an overall image to warm it up or cool it down.
• Apply a warming filter to the photo to get more of a warm, daytime look, and then reduce the opacity to somewhere around 50-55%.

Channel Mixer Adjustment Layers

• Select the Adjustment Layer Icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette and this time choose the Channel Mixer Adjustment Layer.
• Under the 'Output Channel' field, you can choose whether you want to target all of the Reds, Greens, or Blues in the image.
• Experiment with the sliders for each of the three color channels to see how each one affects your photo.

Color Lookup Adjustment Layers

• Select the Adjustment Layer Icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette and this time choose the Color Lookup Adjustment Layer.
• In the Properties Panel you will notice that the '3DLUT File' is selected, and next to it is a dropdown menu.
• Click on this menu to view all of the preset LUTs that are available in Photoshop.
• Choose the 'FoggyNight.3dl' file option and notice how it completely changes the overall look of the image. 
• Reduce the opacity of the Color Lookup Adjustment Layer to reduce the overall intensity of the effect.
• Cycle through the Adjustment Layers turning the visibility of each one on and off to see which ones you'd like to keep, and if there are any that you don't want to use you can simply leave the visibility of that layer turned off.
• Once you are happy with how your image is looking, click on the very top Adjustment Layer in your Layers Palette, then hold the Shift Key and select the bottom Adjustment Layer.
• With all of these Adjustment Layers selected at the same time, use the keyboard shortcut Command/Ctrl+Alt/Option+G to clip them to your photo all at the same time. 
• After clipping your Adjustment Layers to the 'Mountains' Smart Object, hold the Command/Ctrl Key and click on the Smart Object layer.
• Press Command/Ctrl+G to place the Smart Object and all of the clipped Adjustment Layers into a new folder and rename it 'IMAGE 2'.

Hints & tips

• When using the Color Balance Adjustment Layer it's best to save the Midtones until last. 
• Downloading LUTs and importing them is a great way to quickly Color Grade your images to get a wide variety of unique looks.
• Using the 'Moonlight' or 'Night From Day' LUT can be very useful for turning a daytime scene into night.