CS3 - Color Range tool.

[Dinarius]

I have a few specular highlights in an image, and I notice that if I zoom in to pixel-visible levels, I can select these highlights and ONLY these highlights, using the Color Range tool.

I have the tool set to "Sampled Colors" and Fuzziness set to 35.

a. What does fuzziness do exactly?

b. Now that I have selected the pixels that are highlighted;

(i) If I wanted to reduce their brightness, how would I go about it? A simple brightness adjustment layer, or are their better ways?

(ii) In any reduction that I make can I isolate the RGB values that are effected in any way, so as not to affect other tones?

Thanks.

D.

[Tim Gray]

I don't think there's much you can do to reduce the appearance of specularity, at least in a way that looks natural.  If, for example, the issue is laying down some ink during printing to deal with paper/gloss issues, you don't need to select a color range - just do a curve layer and anchor down the curve very close to the top and pull the top right corner down a couple of points - from 255 255 255 to something like 250 250 250 - if you anchor the curver with some additional points the rest of the image's tonality won't change.

[Dinarius]

Tim,

Thanks for the reply.

I should have said that these are not "specular" highlights are not of the 255/255/255 variety.

They are flared specs of colour on a surface that otherwise looks fine.

While I'm at it, is there a tool that will allow you to select ONLY values within a set range?

I have found that brightness/contrast adjustment layer works reasonably in pulling back the values to levels closer to those around them.

But, Filter/Noise/Median seems to work even better with a radius of about 5.

I want to retain the look and feel that the highlights give. I just don't want them as "loud".

Thanks.

D.

[Dale_Cotton]

Dinarius: the following is in response to your first post. Not sure how it relates to your second, which just appeared as I was about to post this:

When you click OK in the Color Range dialogue you end up with a selection, just as you do with the Lasso tool.

a. What does fuzziness do exactly?

When you click anywhere in the image with the eye dropper tool you're choosing a specific colour (RGB value). All pixels with that identical RGB value are automatically selected. In addition, the bigger the fuzziness number, the more pixels with nearly identical RGB values are added to the selection.

If you switch to the + eyedropper tool the same thing happens but with multiple RGB starting points - whichever points you click on. So, for example, if you click on a red hue first, then on a brown hue with the + eyedropper, and your fuzziness is set to 35, you particular red and similar reds plus your particular brown and similar browns will be included in the selection you're creating.

So far as I can make out, this answers your (ii) as well.

(i) If I wanted to reduce their brightness, how would I go about it?

In many cases all you'll need is the Rubber Stamp tool set to some fairly low opacity. If you want to get really into it, see here: Eradicating Blown Highlights in Photoshop. Speculars are of course a form of blown highlight so the same concepts apply. Tim's solution sounds about the same as the first section in the tutorial.

[Peter_DL]

When you click OK in the Color Range dialogue you end up with a selection, just as you do with the Lasso tool. When you click anywhere in the image with the eye dropper tool you're choosing a specific colour (RGB value). All pixels with that identical RGB value are automatically selected. In addition, the bigger the fuzziness number, the more pixels with nearly identical RGB values are added to the selection.

If you switch to the + eyedropper tool the same thing happens but with multiple RGB starting points - whichever points you click on. So, for example, if you click on a red hue first, then on a brown hue with the + eyedropper, and your fuzziness is set to 35, you particular red and similar reds plus your particular brown and similar browns will be included in the selection you're creating.
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Just as a pure academic remark: When recording such Color range selection as an Action, you will find that it indicates Lab data (even and in particular in RGB mode). Fuziness may be Lab based as well - fwiw.

Peter

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