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Author Topic: How do I get rich, deep blacks...  (Read 27626 times)

Schewe

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How do I get rich, deep blacks...
« Reply #40 on: April 28, 2008, 06:54:24 pm »

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I am new to PS but in one of the Print tutorials, Jeff "punched the blacks by, I believe,  making a selection of the "blacks" and then resetting those pixels to 0.
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Actually i think I used Color Range to select Blacks with a fuzziness of about 40 (I can't remember the number) and either, popped to a new layer set to multiply blend or popped a new Levels adjustment layer where I moved the black clip to 10 or so. Just so you know, they will both do something similar, make the darkest tones that aren't black, closer to black–selectively.
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The View

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How do I get rich, deep blacks...
« Reply #41 on: April 28, 2008, 09:33:06 pm »

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Selective Color works with RGB images.

You get more control with Curves. Selective Color, especially if you choose Absolute instead of Relative, will stop up the shadows quickly.

You can punch your blacks and still retain shadows detail with Curves.

More important, however, was that the original post asked about being able to punch up the blacks in ACR. There are multiple ways to do it in Photoshop, including Selective Color. ACR is more limited in its ability to punch the blacks.

Cheers,

Mitch
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I very much appreciate all the valuable tips and comments!

I actually used the Camera Raw example to describe the problem I was working on.

It was clear to me that the solution had to be done in Photoshop, and I appreciate everybody's very valuable comments.

The reason why I currently use selective color a lot is, that I started out with Lightroom, and got to Photoshop only later.

Mitch, I particularly appreciate that comment about being able to retain more details in shadows when using curves compared to using selective color.

My process is currently using levels first to optimize the "reach" of the histogram, then go to curves to get contrast and exposure in different parts of the images better, and then fade using luminosity blend mode. Then Hue/saturation, after this I go to selective color.

I currently use curves rather conservatively, still gaining experience.

When I get the image back into Lightroom, I can still boost the black slider a bit, and reduce the shadow value. This adds more to the DEPTH OF SHADOWS that I am looking for.

This is my current process (not mentioning sharpening at the end), comments apprciated.

I found that tip with the color range command and the change of the pixel values very interesting.
« Last Edit: April 28, 2008, 09:37:07 pm by The View »
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gmitchel

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How do I get rich, deep blacks...
« Reply #42 on: April 28, 2008, 10:56:58 pm »

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Mitch, I particularly appreciate that comment about being able to retain more details in shadows when using curves compared to using selective color.
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I'm pleased I could help.

You can do the curve to punch blacks in Lightroom.

Just be careful. Inside Photoshop, you can use Blend If settings to protect the extreme shadows when you punch the blacks with a Curves adjustment. With LR or ACR, you don't have that protection. You can inadvertently clip the shadows with a Curves adjustment.

Send me an IM with an e-mail address, and I'll gladly give you a LR preset. I can give you one to punch the whites, too.

I hide in public. LOL. So it's easy to find my e-mail @ The Light's Right. But I don't like posting it in forums. I get enough spam already. (No good deed goes unpunished. LOL)

Cheers,

Mitch
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jbrembat

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How do I get rich, deep blacks...
« Reply #43 on: April 29, 2008, 05:13:04 am »

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I guess the problem is the local contrast.

It completely ruins the smoothness of the image tone. As if the image would break up, and it loses its - how shall I put it - its luminous character

If you want to make black dark tones, you increase the contrast near the dark tones.
The curve I suggested has 3 zones. Just to make it more clear, let me fix some numbers:

  - the first zone (the flat one) ending point is at x=16
  - the second zone (the curve to go from the y=0 segment to the y=x segment) ending point is at x=32
  - the third zone (the y=x segment) starts from x=32 and goes uo to x=255

What is the effect of this curve on the image luminosity ?

- (first zone)  if the luminosity of a pixel is less or equal to 16, the luminosity is setted to 0
- (second zone) if the luminosity of a pixel is in (16,32) range the luminosity is decreased following the curve
- (third zone)  if the luminosity of a pixel is greater than 32 it is untouched

Suppose in your image you have a pixel with luminosity = 15 and a near pixel with luminosity = 35.
In this case the gradient is (35-15)=20.
Whe you apply the curve the resulting gradient will be (35-0)=35.
You have more contrast, but this is exactly what you want.

Changing the values, you can get a different effect.

The smoothness of the image tone may be more or less preserved increasing the second zone going gently from y=0 segment to y=x segment.
If you extend the second zone, you have a smoother increase of the contrast, but more tones are affected. Of course.

You have to tweak the values depending on image.

Remember that a curve is a tonal adjustment that works for all the image, unless you apply it selectively.

Jacopo
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