Make Your Image Pop

By David Rosenthal. Often a very good photo is ruined because it lacks "pop". This is a way of saying that the image looks flat and boring. I'm going to use this image to show how to quick ...

2009-02-15T00:26:27Z

Digital Grin
By David Rosenthal. Often a very good photo is ruined because it lacks "pop". This is a way of saying that the image looks flat and boring. I'm going to use this image to show how to quick ...

First, let's get ready. If you go to your Photoshop preferences, you'll see an option for Cursors. Select that option, and the window will open up, giving you many options. We're just goi ...

2009-06-08T20:59:31Z

Digital Grin
First, let's get ready. If you go to your Photoshop preferences, you'll see an option for Cursors. Select that option, and the window will open up, giving you many options. We're just goi ...

OK. Now we need to find the black point and the white point. We do that by using Image>Adjustments>Threshold. This dialog pops up. Slide the control all the way to the left, until eve ...

2009-09-03T08:27:33Z

Digital Grin
OK. Now we need to find the black point and the white point. We do that by using Image>Adjustments>Threshold. This dialog pops up. Slide the control all the way to the left, until eve ...

Adjustments>Threshold. This dialog pops up. Slide the control all the way to the left, until eve ..." title="OK. Now we need to find the black point and the white point. We do that by using Image>Adjustments>Threshold. This dialog pops up. Slide the control all the way to the left, until eve ..." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" />

You'll start to see little pixels of black show up. Ignore these, as they aren't relevant yet. We're not looking for the absolute blackest pixels, we're looking for the first area of deep, d ...

2009-09-03T08:19:45Z

Digital Grin
You'll start to see little pixels of black show up. Ignore these, as they aren't relevant yet. We're not looking for the absolute blackest pixels, we're looking for the first area of deep, d ...

As you move it farther, you'll start to see the man's hat to take shape. Shift-click in the black of the hat, leaving a marker. This one is labeled number 1. You can have up to 4.

2009-09-03T08:10:36Z

Digital Grin
As you move it farther, you'll start to see the man's hat to take shape. Shift-click in the black of the hat, leaving a marker. This one is labeled number 1. You can have up to 4.

Now slide the control all the way to the right. As you move back to the left, you'll see these dots show up. Ignore these. They are called specular highlights. They are not meaningful for th ...

2009-06-08T12:53:18Z

Digital Grin
Now slide the control all the way to the right. As you move back to the left, you'll see these dots show up. Ignore these. They are called specular highlights. They are not meaningful for th ...

So, as we move on, the next area that shows up is the man's shirt. Place a marker in the white here, too. Remember: shift-click. Why do we select this area? Because it is the first signific ...

2009-06-08T20:59:29Z

Digital Grin
So, as we move on, the next area that shows up is the man's shirt. Place a marker in the white here, too. Remember: shift-click. Why do we select this area? Because it is the first signific ...

We set the black and white points in the curves dialog box. Go to: Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Curves, and this dialog box opens up. There are 3 eyedroppers. Double click on the one on ...

2009-09-03T07:29:58Z

Digital Grin
We set the black and white points in the curves dialog box. Go to: Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Curves, and this dialog box opens up. There are 3 eyedroppers. Double click on the one on ...

New Adjustment Layer>Curves, and this dialog box opens up. There are 3 eyedroppers. Double click on the one on ..." title="We set the black and white points in the curves dialog box. Go to: Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Curves, and this dialog box opens up. There are 3 eyedroppers. Double click on the one on ..." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" />

By default, this eyedropper is set to the blackest black possible. We don't want this, we're going to work with it at R7G7B7. So in the R,G, and B fields change the values to 7. You make th ...

2009-06-08T12:21:00Z

Digital Grin
By default, this eyedropper is set to the blackest black possible. We don't want this, we're going to work with it at R7G7B7. So in the R,G, and B fields change the values to 7. You make th ...

Now you're ready to mark the black point. The black eyedropper should still be selected. Place your cursor directly over the marker you left before on the man's hat. You'll know that it's di ...

2009-09-03T08:01:54Z

Digital Grin
Now you're ready to mark the black point. The black eyedropper should still be selected. Place your cursor directly over the marker you left before on the man's hat. You'll know that it's di ...

Now we're going to set the white point. Create another adjustment layer for the white point. Remember, Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Curves. When the curves dialog opens, double-click on ...

2009-09-03T07:43:02Z

Digital Grin
Now we're going to set the white point. Create another adjustment layer for the white point. Remember, Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Curves. When the curves dialog opens, double-click on ...

New Adjustment Layer>Curves. When the curves dialog opens, double-click on ..." title="Now we're going to set the white point. Create another adjustment layer for the white point. Remember, Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Curves. When the curves dialog opens, double-click on ..." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" />

Making sure the white point eyedropper is still seleccted, click on the 2nd marker that you left, on the man's shirt. Again, click OK in the curves dialog, and save the new target colors ...

2009-09-03T09:46:39Z

Digital Grin
Making sure the white point eyedropper is still seleccted, click on the 2nd marker that you left, on the man's shirt. Again, click OK in the curves dialog, and save the new target colors ...

Take a look at the curves dialog here. There is a line running at 45°. This is the curve. When it's straight it's telling you that what goes in, is what comes out. The curve is not changing ...

2009-09-03T08:18:02Z

Digital Grin
Take a look at the curves dialog here. There is a line running at 45°. This is the curve. When it's straight it's telling you that what goes in, is what comes out. The curve is not changing ...

In the case of this image, the focus of our interest is the man's face. So that is where we want to have the most contrast. I've place markers on his face to show the shadow and highlight ...

2009-09-03T10:05:12Z

Digital Grin
In the case of this image, the focus of our interest is the man's face. So that is where we want to have the most contrast. I've place markers on his face to show the shadow and highlight ...

So now you've got two new points in your curve. All you need to do now is to make the line between the two steeper. Experiment with it, and see what looks good to you. This type of a ...

2009-09-03T07:39:06Z

Digital Grin
So now you've got two new points in your curve. All you need to do now is to make the line between the two steeper. Experiment with it, and see what looks good to you. This type of a ...

And here's the result. Better, eh?

2009-09-03T08:59:01Z

Digital Grin
And here's the result. Better, eh?

Here's an animated toggle to show you how far we've come from the start. The compression that I had to do to animate it is evident, but you still get the idea!

2009-06-11T04:10:57Z

Digital Grin
Here's an animated toggle to show you how far we've come from the start. The compression that I had to do to animate it is evident, but you still get the idea!

As you go along, it helps to label your work in a way that you will understand if you ever come back to the file at a later date. Here are my layers that I created for this tutorial, as an ...

2009-09-03T09:39:38Z

Digital Grin
As you go along, it helps to label your work in a way that you will understand if you ever come back to the file at a later date. Here are my layers that I created for this tutorial, as an ...