Practical Photoshop September 2022

Like many photographers, I probably spend more time in Camera Raw than I do in Photoshop. Adobe’s raw processor is where many of us feel most at home while editing our photos – but there are lots of tips, tricks and shortcuts that can make things even more enjoyable, as we reveal this issue. james.paterson@futurenet.com www.digitalcameraworld.com DOWNLOAD THE PROJECT FILES To download this issue’s files, type the following link into your web browser on your PC or Mac: https://bit.ly/pho_138 FIND US HERE… http://bit.ly/practweet http://bit.ly/pracface Also available on: http://bit.ly/pp_pocketmags http://bit.ly/pp_app_store http://bit.ly/zinio_pp…

01 CLEVER AUTO SETTINGS The Auto button at the top of the Basic Panel (Cmd/Ctrl+U) can be a great way to kick-start your image editing: it employs machine learning to intelligently correct your photo by comparing it to thousands of other similar images. What’s more, you can apply auto settings to individual tonal sliders in the Basic Panel by holding Shift and double-clicking on the slider, or auto-correct Temperature or Tint in the same way. 02 LEARN CURVES The Curve is the most powerful tonal tool in Camera Raw, yet it can be tricky to master. To get a better idea of how it works, grab the Target Tool from above the curve box, then drag left or right over part of the image. Points will appear along the curve line (shadows on…

WATCH THE VIDEO https://bit.ly/3QucX36 The latest updates to Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop include an exciting new approach to using presets. By building artificial intelligence into presets, Adobe has taken things a step further. Available in Camera Raw, Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic (v11.4), the new Adaptive Presets are powered by machine learning. They work in a similar way to normal presets – but, rather than altering the entire image, they zero in on either the subject or the sky in an image, before applying tailored tonal effects to that specific area. Additionally, a new control lets us fine-tune a preset’s strength, and new premium preset sets offer a host of effects tailored towards different subject matter. With these latest improvements, Adobe continues the trend in implementing AI into its applications. Aided by machine…

WATCH THE VIDEO https://bit.ly/3por7Xw Famous locations like the Colosseum in Rome are both easy and difficult to photograph. Easy because – well, look at it: it’s incredible. Difficult because this site attracts people by the thousands every day, so it’s hard to find an angle that isn’t swarming with people. This is where a strong neutral-density filter can be a huge asset. It allows us to take minutes-long exposures, which means that people moving through the frame don’t register in the image. What’s more, it can create lovely motion blur in the clouds, which serves both as an eye-catching visual and an visual metaphor for how this grand structure has stood for millennia while activity buzzes all around. But how strong is strong? 10 stops is a popular strength, but sometimes…

1 STURDY TRIPOD The camera needs to be still for several minutes, so a tripod is a must. We need to remain in place for a while, so set up in a spot that won’t get in the way of passers by or other photographers. If a tripod isn’t practical (or permitted) in the location you’re visiting, you could use a wall or your bag. 2 NEUTRAL-DENSITY FILTER A 16-stop ND filter like our Formatt-Hitech Firecrest stretches your exposure times to minutes. In bright sunshine, a 1/500 sec shutter speed becomes two minutes 11 seconds (compared to just two seconds with a 10-stop ND): a good length for blurring clouds and removing passers by. 3 PEOPLE AND VEHICLES One of the benefits of shooting long exposures in busy spots like this is that people or…

01 TAKE A TEST SHOT Before you attach the filter, take a test shot to work out a normal exposure of the scene. Use whatever exposure settings you’re comfortable with – a good option is Aperture Priority with ISO 100, aperture f/8. This is a good time to experiment with compositions and fine‑tune your framing. 02 LOCK THE FOCUS The 16-stop ND filter is almost opaque, so once it is in place on the lens, you won’t be able to focus or compose through the viewfinder. Get the focus correct now, then switch the lens to manual focus to prevent it from hunting. Fit the filter, making sure not to nudge the tripod out of place, and block the viewfinder to stop light leaks. 03 USING A 16-STOPPER A 16-stop filter is suited to shooting…