“Discover how to select color in Photoshop using the eyedropper tool, foreground, background and heads-up-display color picker.”
For more check out Julieanne’s blog.
Read more in my Color Adjustment resources.
Learn more in my photography and printing workshops.
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This issue features …
How To Increase Hue Contrast In Your Images With Lab Color Mode.
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Instead of RGB, you can use Lab color mode to increase hue contrast in your images in powerful ways that no other color space offers.
How do you do it?
In Lab color mode use Curves to accentuate contrast by creating s or reverse s curves for the a and b but not the L channels without moving the midpoint.
It’s that simple. (Yes, I promise I’ll expand on this.)
However, when you use this technique there are many details that it pays to be aware of.
When To Use It
While this technique can be used on any image, it’s particularly useful when you are processing files that are predominantly one color – forest greens, oceanic blues, sandstone reds, etc. The resulting hue contrast gives these images more life by making subtle variations in hue more pronounced and more three dimensional by accentuating the differences in hue between highlights and shadows.
Original
Saturation increased
Lab a and b channels adjusted
Comparing It To Similar Techniques
This technique is similar to split-toning or cross-toning images, introducing one color into the highlights and another into the shadows, except that the hues are the captured colors accentuated rather than colors that are arbitrarily added. (For this reason this technique won’t work with black-and-white images.)
This technique is similar to increasing saturation or vibrance, which also makes different hues more pronounced but sometimes intensifies them to the point of making them appear unnatural. By comparison the modest increase in saturation boosting hue contrast in Lab produces is surprisingly naturalistic – and you may choose to keep it or not.
To the untrained eye the differences between this technique and others may seem subtle but once you train your eye you’ll appreciate the color richness it offers; they can approximate but never equal it. It’s like comparing the sound qualities of low and high fidelity audio recordings. Lab offers hi-fi color.
What The Heck Is Lab Anyway ?
“Explore different blend modes that can be used for creative color and tonal edits in Photoshop CC. For more in-depth tutorials, training, techniques and shortcuts for working with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.”
For more check out Julieanne’s blog.
Read more in my Color Adjustment resources.
Learn more in my photography and printing workshops.
It’s insightful to learn about and from the photographers who make the classic photographs.
Here’s a collection of videos on photographers that I’ve enjoyed most.
You’ll find them inspiring!
Where do I recommend you start? With the classics – in red.
Sam Abell | View
Ansel Adams | View 1 | View 2 | View 3 | View 4
Robert Adams | View
Diane Arbus| View
Richard Avedon | View
James Balog | View 1 | View 2 | View 3
Richard Benson | View
Ruth Bernhard | View
Yann Arthus-Bertrand | View
Phil Borges | View
Bill Brandt | View
Chris Burkett | View
Edward Burtinsky | View
John Paul Caponigro | View
Paul Caponigro | View
Harry Callahan | View
Keith Carter | View
Henri Cartier-Bresson | View 1 | View 2 | View 3 | View 4 | View 5
Chuck Close| View
Anton Corbijn | View
Gregory Crewdson| View
Bruce Davidson | View
William Eggleston | View 1 | View 2
Alfred Eisendstaedt | View
Walker Evans | View
Andreas Feininger | View
Robert Frank | View
Adam Fuss | View
Ralph Gibson | View
Laura Gilpin | View
Nan Goldin | View
Emmet Gowin | View
Lauren Greenfield | View
Lois Greenfield | View
Gregory Heisler | View 1 | View 2
David Hockney | View 1 | View 2 | View 3
Kenro Izu | View
Chris James | View
Bill Jay | View
Chris Jordan | View
Ed Kashi | View
Michael Kenna | View
Sean Kernan | View
Andre Kertesz | View
David LaChapelle | View
Frans Lanting | View
Jacques-Henri Lartigue | View
Annie Leibovitz | View 1 | View 2
Sally Mann | View 1 | View 2 | View 3
Arthur Meyerson | View 1 | View 2
Eric Meola | View
Duane Michals | View 1 | View 2
Mary Ellen Mark | View
Steve McCurry | View
Joe McNally | View
Joel Meyerowitz | View
Richard Misrach | View
Cristina Mittermeier | View
Tina Modotti | View
Sarah Moon | View
Edward Muybridge | View
James Nachtwey | View
Arnold Newman | View
Helmut Newton | View
Elizabeth Opalenik | View
Gordon Parks| View
Martin Parr | View
Eliot Porter | View
Chris Rainier | View 1 | View 2
Eugene Richards | View
Sebastiao Salgado | View 1 | View 2
Cindy Sherman | View
Stephen Shore | View
Aaron Siskind | View
Eugene Smith | View
Rick Smolan | View
Fredrick Sommer | View
Edward Steichen | View
Alfred Stieglitz | View
Paul Strand | View
Jock Sturges | View
Hiroshi Sugimoto | View
John Szarkowski | View
Joyce Tenneson | View 1 | View 2
Pete Turner | View
Jerry Uelsmann | View
Nick Veasey | View
Jeff Wall | View
Andy Warhol | View
Weegee | View
Edward Weston | View
Kim Weston | View
Garry Winogrand | View
Dan Winters | View
Huntington Witherill | View 1 | View 2
Art Wolfe | View
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We can all learn a lot from the photographers who make the classic photographs.
Here’s a list of links to collections of my favorite quotes by master photographers.
You’ll find them inspiring!
Photographers pick their favorite quotes by other photographers.
Sign up for Insights to find out when new content becomes available.
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I have been fortunate to have had a number of wonderful conversations with many remarkable photographers. As a peer, I share a common experience and speak a common language that many people who speak with artists do not and this is reflected in the kinds of questions and answers that guide our way deeper into seeing.
Photographers
Amy Arbus
Richard Barnes
Richard Benson
Barbara Bordnick
Gary Braasch
Christopher Burkett
Harry Callahan
John Paul Caponigro
Paul Caponigro
Keith Carter
Brad Cole
Tillman Crane
Robert Farber
Lee Friedlander
Adam Fuss
John Goodman
Emmet Gowin
R Mac Holbert
Ryszard Horowitz
Jim Hughes
Gordon Hutchings
Kenro Izu
Christopher James
Stephen Johnson
Michael Kenna
Sean Kernan
Julieanne Kost
Eric Meola
Arthur Meyerson
Richard Misrach
James Nachtwey
Elizabeth Opalenik
Olivia Parker
Moose Peterson
Chris Rainier
Edward Ranney
John Reuter
John Sexton
Craig Stevens
Jock Sturges
Joyce Tenneson
George Tice
Jerry Uelsmann
Cole Weston
Huntington Witherill
Video Conversations
Sean Duggan
Steve Johnson
Sean Kernan
Arthur Meyerson
John Sexton
Joyce Tenneson
Huntington Witherill
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John Paul Caponigro
Phil Borges
Paul Caponigro
David DuChemin
Sean Duggan
Mac Holbert
Sean Kernan
Jay Maisel
Eric Meola
Arthur Meyerson
Chris Orwig
Chris Rainier
Seth Resnick
John Sexton
Joyce Tenneson
Vincent Versace
Huntington Witherill
Core Questions
What’s the best thing about photography?
What’s the worst thing about photography?
What’s the thing that interests you most about photography?
What’s the thing that interests you most about your own photographs?
What’s the thing that interests you most about other people’s photographs?
Who were your early photographic influences?
Who are your photographic influences now?
Who were your early non-photographic influences?
Who are your non-photographic influences now?
What’s the most inspiring work of art you saw recently?
What’s the best thing about gear?
What’s the worst thing about gear?
How do you know when an image doesn’t work?
How do you know when an image is good?
How do you know when an image is great?
What’s the most useful photographic mantra?
Do you practice another art form? (If so, which?)
What benefits do you get from (this/these) other art form/s?
What was the most significant visual moment in your life?
Which was the most important image to you that got away?
What failure did you learn the most from?
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
What’s the thing you most hope to accomplish?
If you had to do it all over again, what would you change?
If you had another life to live a completely different life, what would you choose to do?
What are the most important questions to you?
Optional Questions
What’s photography really all about?
How did photography change the world?
How did photography change your world?
Who were the most important photographers?
Who are the most important photographers working today?
What’s the best thing about influence?
What’s the worst thing about influence?
What’s the best thing about our times?
What’s the worst thing about our times is?
What keeps you up at night?
What gets you going in the morning?
What’s your favorite movie?
What’s your favorite book?
What’s your favorite piece of music?
What’s your idea of perfect happiness?
What is your greatest fear?
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Who is your favorite hero in fiction?
Who are your heroes in real life?
Which living person do you most admire?
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
What is your greatest extravagance?
What is your favorite journey?
On what occasion do you lie?
What do you dislike most about yourself?
What is your most marked characteristic?
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
What is your greatest regret?
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
What’s your most treasured possession?
What is your favorite occupation / past time?
What do you most value in your friends?
What’s your motto?
What other talent would you most like to have?
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
What is it that you most dislike?
How would you like to die?
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You’ll be inspired by these great photographers and these collections of their classic photographs.
Robert Adams
Richard Benson
Harry Callahan
Julia Margaret Cameron
Edward Curtis
Elliot Erwitt
Walker Evans
Rober Frank
Lee Friedlander 1 & 2
Josef Koudelka
Joel Meyerowitz
Duane Michals
Arnold Newman
Olivia Parker
Irving Penn
John Pfahl
Sebastiao Salgado
Charles Sheeler
Aaron Siskind
Fredrick Sommer
Edward Steichen
Alfred Steiglitz
Paul Strand
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Peter Turner
Brett Weston
Edward Weston
Gary Winogrand
We can all learn a lot from the photographers who make the classic photographs.
They’re inspiring!
Photographers pick their favorite quotes by other photographers