Marc Muench's Quick & Beautiful Technique

DavidTO · May 3, 2007

[imgl]http://www.smugmug.com/img/artist-in-residence/Marc-Muench.jpg[/imgl]Here is the place to discuss SmugMug Artist-in-Residence Marc Muench's newest tutorial Quick and Beautiful!

Marc Muench wrote:

Digital cameras always make middle of the day images too bright. I believe these images need more color and depth, requiring a personal touch.

This is a very quick method to darken your digital image and add contrast if need be, in fact once you have done this exercise more than a few times, it should only take a minute. For those who have spent years in Photoshop I still recommend the use of curves layers with layer masks, which is what I will typically use. However, saying that I find this method handy and “Quick” and especially quick to learn.

wxwax · May 3, 2007

I'm loving it.

Thanks Marc!

Andy · May 3, 2007

Well done, clear tutorial, delivering excellent results.

Seamus · May 3, 2007

It works on motorsport also

original processed pic, auto levels, added some contrast and saturation.

and Marc's method

wxwax · May 3, 2007

I play with curves, but this is a great technique for quickly showing you what's possible. I'm going through all my old Moab/Grand Canyon etc. shots and using it, and the results are completely different, much improved.

saurora · May 3, 2007

I needed this tute last night! I am (unfortunately) quite often forced to shoot in the bad light!! I'm looking forward to trying this out and comparing images I just worked up. Thanks Marc!

Marc Muench · May 3, 2007

wxwax wrote:

I'm loving it.

Lookin Good

Just keep in mind, that when shadows block up (become too dark) just paint that area away in the layer mask, thus removing part of the darkening/contrast effect.

I really don't want anyone to slipp over too far to the "DARK SIDE"

wxwax · May 3, 2007

Marc Muench wrote:

Lookin Good

Just keep in mind, that when shadows block up (become too dark) just paint that area away in the layer mask, thus removing part of the darkening/contrast effect.

I really don't want anyone to slipp over too far to the "DARK SIDE"

Thanks, Marc.

SitterS · May 3, 2007

Yes thank you! Have been using it this morning on some pics that needed something extra. Quick and worked great.

Shane

wxwax · May 3, 2007

163 views. :ivar

ian408 · May 3, 2007

I guess I need to suck it up and get PS for my mac now

jfriend · May 3, 2007

How is this technique (overlay layer for added contrast) different than a curve for more contrast.

Is it just an easy cookbook method? Or is it different in some way and does things that a curve can't? The reason why I ask is that it has a lot less control over what tonal regions are affected and by how much so if you already know how to do curves, I'm wondering if there's anything additional to apply here?

Marc Muench · May 3, 2007

jfriend wrote:

How is this technique (overlay layer for added contrast) different than a curve for more contrast.

Is it just an easy cookbook method? Or is it different in some way and does things that a curve can't? The reason why I ask is that it has a lot less control over what tonal regions are affected and by how much so if you already know how to do curves, I'm wondering if there's anything additional to apply here?

If you are used to curves and able to achieve the contrast you intend with curves then I suggest you use them, as I stated in the "disclaimer":D beginning of the tutorial. This is a quick, powerful and EASY TO LEARN method

ratcheer · May 3, 2007

Marc, I had used a similar method many times to reduce contrast by making the top layer an overlay. But it never occurred to change the background layer to an overlay to increase contrast. Kudos!

Tim

PS - Hmmm. I tried it and I think I misunderstood. Are you making the top layer or the bottom layer an overlay layer?

jfriend · May 3, 2007

Marc Muench wrote:

If you are used to curves and able to achieve the contrast you intend with curves then I suggest you use them, as I stated in the "disclaimer" beginning of the tutorial. This is a quick, powerful and EASY TO LEARN method

OK, thanks for the clarification.

Marc Muench · May 4, 2007

jfriend wrote:

How is this technique (overlay layer for added contrast) different than a curve for more contrast.

For what it's worth, The blending mode 'overlay' is a combination of half 'darken' and half 'Lighten' and ignores 50% grey. The percenatage of effected areas increases the further away from 50% grey, thus the lighter and darker areas.

jfriend · May 4, 2007

Marc Muench wrote:

For what it's worth, The blending mode 'overlay' is a combination of half 'darken' and half 'Lighten' and ignores 50% grey. The percenatage of effected areas increases the further away from 50% grey, thus the lighter and darker areas.

Thanks. I knew it was something like that. Knowing there was something in my brain cells about a curve that was similar to the overlay blend mode effect, I found this previous dgrin posting by Rutt which shows a curve that approximates the effect of overlay.

pathfinder · May 4, 2007

jfriend wrote:

Thanks. I knew it was something like that. Knowing there was something in my brain cells about a curve that was similar to the overlay blend mode effect, I found this previous dgrin posting by Rutt which shows a curve that approximates the effect of overlay.

John, rutt's curve was in the "a" color space - that is going to change color only, but not contrast I think..

jfriend · May 4, 2007

pathfinder wrote:

John, rutt's curve was in the "a" color space - that is going to change color only, but not contrast I think..

I didn't realize it was only the A channel. Is there not a similar curve that matches the overlay blend mode for either the luminosity channel or the composite RGB channel?

This is the crux of my original question around whether the overlay blend mode can do things that a curve can't? Or whether there is a curve shape that does basically the same thing. This is probably more of an esoteric question at this point and I don't want to detract from the simplicity of the original method for those who aren't advanced at curves. Sorry for the distraction.

DavidTO · May 4, 2007

jfriend wrote:

I didn't realize it was only the A channel. Is there not a similar curve that matches the overlay blend mode for either the luminosity channel or the composite RGB channel?

This is the crux of my original question around whether the overlay blend mode can do things that a curve can't? Or whether there is a curve shape that does basically the same thing. This is probably more of an esoteric question at this point and I don't want to detract from the simplicity of the original method for those who aren't advanced at curves. Sorry for the distraction.

If overlay increases contrast as you move away from neutral, then those curves should approximate it. Although I would think it will always look a little different.

PamR · May 4, 2007

To keep file sizes under control (duping the image doubles the file size), just add an adjustment layer (making no adjustments) and set the blending mode to overlay, mulitply, etc. Adjustment layers also come with a built-in mask.

For a quick short-cut, hold down the Alt (win) or Option (mac) key while clicking on the new adjustment layer icon at the bottom of the layers palette. The "New layer" dialog box will open which will allow you to name the layer, choose the blending mode and set the opacity at the same time.

Marc Muench · May 4, 2007

PamR wrote:

To keep file sizes under control (duping the image doubles the file size), just add an adjustment layer (making no adjustments) and set the blending mode to overlay, mulitply, etc. Adjustment layers also come with a built-in mask.

For a quick short-cut, hold down the Alt (win) or Option (mac) key while clicking on the new adjustment layer icon at the bottom of the layers palette. The "New layer" dialog box will open which will allow you to name the layer, choose the blending mode and set the opacity at the same time.

Ye Ha now were smokin

rutt · May 4, 2007

DavidTO wrote:

If overlay increases contrast as you move away from neutral, then those curves should approximate it. Although I would think it will always look a little different.

I derived these curves empirically. I made an artificial image with each input color I wanted on the curve. I applied the overlay. Then I measured the output for each input.

It's not actually that hard to do. Use the color picker to create the input colors you want. Draw an area containing that color. Apply the overlay. Measure.

The point of writing these curves was just to see graphically (and numerically) what exactly overlay blending does.

These days, I just use the overlay blends for portraits and vary the opacity to taste. No reason not to do that with Marc's technique.

Morey · November 6, 2011

not sure I posted correctly
Hi, Marc,

Great workshop yesterday! Thought I'd try out Dgrin and I tried your Q&B technique. Somehow, mine seems a little heavy handed. Any advice? (apparently, Dgrin doesn't allow me to post b4 and after.

thanks,
Sue Thole

BinaryFx · November 6, 2011

It was asked earlier in the topic if blend modes were similar to curves (lacking the flexibility of curves). Mostly, yes:

http://photoshopnews.com/2007/09/05/how-to-express-blend-modes-as-curves/

Sue, the problem with such blend modes is that they can wipe out highlights and shadows. So the best way to deal with them is to either use a layer mask that isolates the midtones or to use the layer option blend if sliders to reduce/remove the highlights and shadows from the blend:

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/blendif.html

EDIT: I forgot to link to the "bell curve" layer mask:

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/howto_midendmask.html

Regards,

Stephen Marsh

Peano · November 6, 2011

A couple of points to clarify some misconceptions:

1. Overlay is not a combination of Lighten and Darken modes. From the Photoshop help files: "Overlay: Multiplies or screens the colors, depending on the base color. Patterns or colors overlay the existing pixels while preserving the highlights and shadows of the base color. The base color is not replaced, but mixed with the blend color to reflect the lightness or darkness of the original color." In short, Overlay is a combination of Screen and Multiply, not Lighten and Darken.

A problem with using overlay as recommended in this tutorial is that the Screen effect will clip many highlights that are correctly exposed. There are other and better ways to increase contrast and color, both globally and locally, but I won’t go into that here. Try the suggested method, but beware of clipping.

2. To apply a different blend mode to an image, it isn’t necessary to duplicate the image layer. That only needlessly multiplies file size on the disk and eats up RAM. Instead, simply open an adjustment layer (curves, levels, hue/saturation, etc.), and change its blend mode to Overlay or whatever you want. That will have exactly the same effect without increasing file size.

Using adjustment layers in this way has a couple of other benefits. 1) You already have a layer mask on the adjustment layer. 2) Depending on what blend mode you're choosing, you can use the adjustment layer to modify the blend mode's effect. Curves is a good one to choose if you need to compensate for too much brightening or too much darkening. Hue/sat is a good choice if the blend mode is one that increases saturation (as both Overlay and Multiply will do), because it allows you to reduce the saturation effect without changing the luminance. Experiment.

Morey · November 6, 2011

Thanks to all of you. I will experiment with the options.

DavidTO · November 6, 2011

Morey wrote: »

Thanks to all of you. I will experiment with the options.

Dgrin only allows one attachment per post, and attachments are pretty brutal on your images (highly compressed). You're much better off linking from another source, such as an online gallery.

You can find more information on how to do this [post=1620124]here[/post].

Morey · November 6, 2011

embedding image
Many thanks for the tip.

Marc Muench's Quick & Beautiful Technique

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