Selective Photo Filtering
Steve Weinrebe
www.ImagingRandR.comHere are two ways that I use Photo Filters: one, as an adjustment layer, and two, as a selective way to paint the filter onto portions of an image. I'll apply the filtering to this photograph of a café in Florence. The lighting is clearly late afternoon, but there is a cool quality to the light, between some blue skylight filtering in between the columns and the chrome color of the tables. Let's warm the scene up.When I teach Photoshop at my studio there is a moment when I point out my silver-colored case full of color compensation filters. Mostly gelatine squares of color, those filters would add or subtract colors passing through the lens to the film of the cameras I used them with. That case is largely collecting dust now, because of Photoshop's amazing color editing abilities, including the Photo Filter.
Like the traditional filters that I have in the previously mentioned photo case, Photo Filter in Photoshop is something to apply over an image, and so it falls into the realm of color correction. That is why you see Photo Filter as an image adjustment, and not up in the Filters menu.
Use a Photo Filter adjustment layer
Step 1:
Add a Photo Filter Adjustment layer. Choose "Photo Filter" from the adjustment layer menu at the bottom of the Layers palette.
Step 2:
In the Photo Filter dialog, click on the Filter drop-down menu and choose Warming Filter (81). I like the number 81 filter more than the number 85 warming filter because I find the Warming Filter (85) to be too warm in tone. But if a photograph is far from the warm tones you want to achieve, the Warming Filter (85) might do the job. (Note: I have used 81 series, and 85 series, filters extensively over the years and the 81 filter is the one I came to use as my normal lens covering on film cameras (as opposed to a standard UV filter). And so the 81 is the filter I gravitate to when using a Photo Filter adjustment layer.)
Once the Warming Filter (81) is chosen, the Photo Filter dialog box displays the color chip. You could click on that chip to bring up the color Picker to change the color, or you could adjust the opacity slider to add or subtract the density of the color, but do keep "Preserve Luminosity" checked. The default opacity of 25% works well, so I'll click OK to dismiss the dialog. (Note: you can check and uncheck Preview in the Photo Filter dialog to toggle the filter on and off before clicking OK. That way you can try different settings until you like what you see.)
Here is the image with the Warming Filter (81) applied. Compare it to the unfiltered version at the beginning of this tutorial. The scene has much more of a "late afternoon" glow with the filter (er, adjustment layer) applied.
Apply the Photo Filter selectively
Step 1:
If you are following along, first we need to revert the image to the original, so go to the File menu and choose Revert. This reverts your image to the previously saved version of the image.
Step 2:
Add a new layer by clicking the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette.
Step 3:
Change the Layer blending mode to Color...
...and the Opacity to 25%.
Step 4:
Now click on the contextual drop down menu at the upper right corner of the Swatches palette. If you don't see Swatches, go to the Window menu at the top of the screen and choose Swatches; Swatches will jump to the front of its palette group.Then choose Photo Filter Colors from the drop down menu.
You'll be asked if you want to replace the current swatches, or append the new set to the current swatches. Click "OK" to replace the current Swatches. You can always go to the same menu and choose "Reset Swatches" to get back the default set.
This replaces the current Swatches with all the colors available in the Photo Filter drop down menu.
Step 4:
Click the 3rd swatch, which is the Warming Filter (81) color.
Step 5:
Choose the Brush tool from the tool bar, and make certain the brush options (in the Options bar) are set at 100% opacity, Normal blend mode. Paint the color onto the new layer you created. For this photograph I want some specific areas to take on the later afternoon warm glow of the Warming Filter (81) filter color. First I'll paint the color onto the man's hair and shoulders.
Next I'll paint the Warming Filter (81) color onto the highlights of the chrome, so that they look like they are reflecting a setting sun.
While I am painting at 100% opacity, Normal blend mode, the color takes on the characteristics of 25% opacity in Color blend mode, because those are the layer's settings in the Layers palette. Below is the final image.
We could accomplish a similar end by painting on the layer mask of a Photo Filter layer, but actually painting the filter color is a little more intuitive way to work. So next time you take a picture in open shade and it has a blue sky-lit cast, try one of Photo Filter's warming filters to warm the scene up.
Steve Weinrebe:
Mode Studio
Photography © Steve Weinrebe, Getty Images
