Some Regularly-Used Photoshop Features

September 4, 2011

Some Regularly-Used Photoshop Features

     These are some features of Photoshop that I use more than others. For today's instalment, I thought that I would present them to you. Most of these features appear in Photoshop Elements, which is the much less-expensive version of Photoshop. Also, PaintShop Pro3 by Corel (only for PC with 32 bit capability) may also have these features, and this program is also very inexpensive.

1. Puppet Warp

Puppet warp allow you to correct distortion or to create distortion.

It's most likely called "puppet warp"  because when you activate the function,

a mesh appears all over the image. You then can add "pull points" and adjust the image

like a "puppet" by pulling on "strings" - in this case they're actually pushpins.

You first have to make a duplicate layer

You need to then create a duplicate layer

You then acticate the "puppet warp" command

You then add "pushpin points, by simply clicking your mouse.

Each click adds a point to which you can stretch or shrink the position.

Here's the final result.

You will be asked first to flatten the layers

2. Image > Adjust > Shadow/Highlights

This is 1 of my most-used Photoshop commands.

I use it to reduce "hot-spots" or highlights, while at the same time "bringing out detail in the shadows".

The above image is the opened untouched image.

You Command menus and sub-menus

Your adjustment menu after the initial command (shadows/highlights) is opened

The result.

Notice that you can now see much better into the dark areas or "shadows".

3. Another example of the Shadows/Highlights command

The wild goat in Hawaii was photographed on a cloudy day in my visit to Hawaii last year. This correspondingly resulted is a low contrast and poor detail in the shadow areas.

Contarst can be adjusted in your camera, but I prefer to do it in Photoshop.

Here is the command menu

Here I've added a value of 14 for added contrast

The result, with a bit of "highlight/shadow" thrown in.

4. Sharpen Command

When you photograph animals, you get so excited, that you forget certain to do certain things.

I should have increased my ISO and then used a faster shutter speed.

Because I didn't, there is some "softness" to the fine-looking bird.

I used the "sharpen" command to try and remove some of the "softness".

The above image shows you the adjustments that I did.

Here is the final result.

The wing and breast of this bird is now better-focussed than before.

5. Layering and Erasing

Normally, when you have a wide spread of highlights and shadows, you try and use the HDR (High Dynamic Range) command in Photoshop. Unfortunately, that doesn't always work, and you get too much noise!

What you can do is to photograph the scene or item using the same f-stop, but changing shutter speeds.

Also, you'll use a tripod, so that overlapping (layering) images will be identical, but for their exposures.

Image 1 of 3

You can also "purposely" use layering when you might have only 1 studio light, 

or if 1 studio light burns out when you are working with 2 lights.

Image 2 of 3

Image 3 of 3

This is the normal HDR menu and command

This is the final HDR result. 

Notice the blue discoloration in the left rear wooden rim.

Also, the background has plenty of distracting "noise" (undesirable detail resulting from bad underexposure or long exposures or HDR).

Here is the final result using layering, and carefully erasing 1 top image portions in order to present the details in the underlying layer or image.

There is not "noise", and the result is quite good!