Below is the fourth installment of the Adobe Photoshop Mega Series . Today's topic is color grading and cinematic color correction, one of the most interesting and artistic aspects of Photoshop .
Adobe Photoshop (Part 4): Color Grading and Color Correction Give Ordinary Photos a Cinematic Look
Written by : Team Daily Tech News
Website: Tech News 24
Assalamu Alaikum. In the last three parts of the Photoshop series, we have learned in detail about the interface, selection and face retouching. In today's part, we will learn how to bring the magic of color to life in a simple photo. Have you ever wondered what it is about movies or photos of great photographers that catches our eye? The answer is color grading .
The right use of color can change the story of a photo. Just as a bluish color image conveys sadness or a cold atmosphere, a little yellow or orange hue brings warmth and joy to the image. In today's mega guide, we will learn how professionals play with color in photos.
Chapter 21: What is the difference between color correction and color grading?
It is very important to understand the difference between these two things before starting work.
- Color Correction: This is the process of correcting the mistakes in the image. For example, if the image is too dark, increasing the light, making the white part truly white (White Balance), and restoring natural colors. This is a technical task.
- Color Grading: This is an artistic process. When the color is changed to give a particular 'mood' or 'feel' to an image after everything is in order, it is called color grading. For example, giving the entire image a slightly cinematic blue or golden look.
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| Color correction creates the foundation of the image, and color grading makes it attractive. |
Chapter 22: Concepts of Hue, Saturation, and Luminance (HSL)
To work with color, you need to understand three words:
1. Hue: This means the name of the color. For example, red, blue, or green. Changing the hue can turn red into blue.
2. Saturation: This is the intensity of the color. Increasing the saturation makes the color very dark, and decreasing it makes the image gray or black and white.
3. Luminance: This is the brightness of the color. It determines how bright or dark a particular color will be.
Chapter 23: Camera Raw Filter is the most powerful weapon
The most modern and easiest way to do color grading in Photoshop is the Camera Raw Filter (Shift+Ctrl+A) . It works much like the mobile app 'Lightroom' but has much more power.
- Basic Panel: Exposure, contrast, and white balance are adjusted from here.
- Curve Tool: This is the perfect tool for controlling the light and shade of the highlights, midtones, and shadows of an image.
- Color Mixer: Here you can change the hue and saturation of each color separately. For example, if you want, you can only make the green of the grass yellow, but the color of the human skin will remain the same.
Chapter 24: Color Balance and Color Lookups (LUTs)
Color Lookup is a magical option for quickly creating cinematic looks in Photoshop .
1. Click on the 'Adjustment Layer' icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.
2. Select Color Lookup.
3. Here you will find many pre-made styles or LUTs (e.g. Teal and Orange, Moonlight). Selecting one will change the color of your entire image with one click.
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| Teal and orange are the most popular color grading styles in Hollywood movies. |
Chapter 25: Step-by-Step Guide: How to Do Cinematic Color?
Let's look at the practical steps to turn a simple image into a cinematic one:
Step 1: Convert the image to a Smart Object (right click > Convert to Smart Object). This will not damage your original image.
Step 2: Go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter.
Step 3: First, go to the 'Basic' tab and increase the Shadows of the image a little and decrease the Highlights a little. This will bring back the details of the image.
Step 4: Go to the 'Color Grading' tab. Here you will see three wheels—Shadows, Midtones, and Highlights.
Step 5: Drag the Shadow wheel a little towards blue or cyan. And drag the Highlight wheel a little towards orange or yellow. This will create a nice dramatic contrast in your image.
Step 6: Finally, go to the 'Calibration' tab and increase the saturation of the Blue Primary and Green Primary. See, your image now looks like a movie frame!
Chapter 26: Using Selective Color
Sometimes we only need to work on a specific color. For example, you want the red dress on the model in the photo to be a little darker but the background should remain the same.
- Go to Adjustment Layer > Selective Color.
- Select 'Reds' from the 'Colors' dropdown.
- Now move the cyan, magenta, and black sliders to enhance the color of the shirt to your liking.
Chapter 27: Maintaining the right skin tone—the biggest challenge
We often make a mistake when color grading—while changing the color of the entire image, we also turn people's skin blue or green. This looks really bad.
- Tips : Always pay attention to the skin tone of the person when color grading. If the skin tone changes, use a layer mask and brush to remove the color effect from the person's body. This will give the background a cinematic look but make the person look natural.
Chapter 28: Unique Looks with Gradient Maps
If you want to give a vintage or retro look to your image, you can use Gradient Map .
1. Go to Adjustment Layer > Gradient Map.
2. Select a gradient of two colors of your choice (e.g. dark blue and light orange).
3. Change the layer's Blending Mode to Soft Light or Overlay.
4. Lower the opacity to 20-30%. You will see that the image has a nice artistic look.
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| It is possible to bring a premium vibe to images by using gradient maps. |
Chapter 29: 3 Important Tips When Color Grading
1. Don't overdo it: Color grading should not ruin the original look of the image. Increasing the saturation too much can hurt your eyes.
2. Check the histogram: Look at the graph in the corner of the image. If the graph is too far to the right or left, you will know that the light details in the image are being lost.
3. Look at the work of others: Study the color palettes of professional photographers on Pinterest or Behance . Try to understand what colors they use together.
Color grading is a skill that will set you apart from the crowd of thousands of ordinary editors. In today's mega tutorial, I have tried to highlight every nuance of cinematic color grading. Remember, color grading is not a fixed formula, it depends on your taste.
If you find this tutorial useful, please share it with your friends. If you have any difficulty understanding any part, let us know in the comments. Daily Tech News and Team Tech News 24 are committed to making you a skilled freelancer.
In the next episode, we'll learn how to manipulate the sky and combine multiple images to create a fantasy world. Until then, enjoy the magic of color!
Thank you ,
Team Daily Tech News
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