I am struggling with how to take the blue cast out of snow that its captured in sunset (just after sunset) pictures using photoshop. I have tried using the quick selection tool but somehow I've gotten vertical rows that are protected from being selected. Does anyone know what I have done to have these protected rows? And is there any easy way to lighten snow in photoshop?
In Photoshop? I assume you want to keep the blue of a sky and perhaps other blues. There are a number of ways. Here's just one. Not sure what you were trying to do with the Quick Selection Brush.
!. Duplicate the image onto another layer. Right click on the background in the Layers Panel and select "Duplicate Layer."
2. On this new top layer, Open up the Camera Raw Filter. Filter | Camera Raw Filter. On the HSL Tab, fourth one from the left, choose the Saturation tab and pull the Blue slider, perhaps the Aqua one too, to the left far enough to remove the blue cast you don't like. Click OK when done.
3. That will effect all the blues of course, and you might not want to operate on them all in the final result So we'll mask our way to success. That was the point of doing it on a separate layer.
4. On this top layer again, hold the ALT and choose "Add Layer Mask" from the bottom of the layer panel. It's the third button in from the left. A black highlighted rectangle will appear, and it will look like the top layer is no longer showing.
5. On the tool bar on the left, choose white for foreground painting, the third icon from the bottom. Then choose the brush tool towards the top, and select a suitable brush size, from the top options bar towards the left is easiest. Then with the black mask (still) selected on the layer panel, paint with the brush on the image where you want the de-saturation to reappear.
6. If instead, you can "mask in" the whole top layer, Click Add Layer Mask without the Alt, and paint on the while mask with a black brush. Depends if you want the effect on most of the image, or just a small piece.
You can operate similarly with Adjustment Layers (Add Adjustment Layer) masking them in or out on the background. But operating with the whole Camera Raw works most naturally for me and there is so much more you can operate with..
@frankhymus Thanks Frank....in reading thru your instructions this seems to be the fix I am looking for. I was trying to select just the snow and it was making me a little nutty! Thanks! I'll try out your instructions!
@dianen I find using the automated selection tools awkward and not very flexible most of the time, and like I said, I find it easier to operate on the whole image and mask in/out the effects I want. Good 'shopping!
@frankhymus Great tutorial Frank. I was going to try this out but I don't seem to have the option to select Camera Raw in filters. I shoot in RAW and Jpeg and can open all RAW images and adjust settings there but then I cant open them after the duplicate layer. Any suggestions welcomed!!
@k1w1 It does show up in the Filter menu but is greyed out? Sometimes PS needs a little synchronization, so make sure the layer is correctly highlighted, selected and visible. Also certain esoteric image modes (Lab I know) are not supported by ACR.
@frankhymus frank....thank you! I didn't manage to do it quite as you suggested. as I couldn't find how to get to the camera raw settings just like @k1w1 (i can only seem to find that when I first open the photo...I'll look into it and figure it out though! it is something I've been wondering about anyway!) And I can't even really tell you how I did it but I did use the brush to select the snow and then correct the blue cast. I know you said this was the harder way but its the way I was able to do it! So I'm thrilled! Here is my original shot!
@frankhymus And here is my color corrected version! it's not perfect but I'm just so happy I figured out how to do this! Photoshop is becoming less intimidating but still confusing at times!!
@dianen@k1w1@frankhymus Ladies and Frank - Camera Raw as a Filter option was introduced with PS CC (the subscription version) it is not available as a filter in CS6 or earlier versions.
@dianen@vignouse@dianen OK, the Camera Raw Filter only in CC. Thanks Richard, how soon i forget. So then if you don't have it, or have Elements, you'll use Adjustment Layers and masks. But it's exactly the same principle, add a layer, operate on that - Camera Raw Filter, Sharpen, Blur, any of the Adjustment Layers, anything actually - and then selectively add it in or take it out via a mask. And optionally soften the effect by dropping down the opacity of the layer.
For the blue haze removal it would be the Hue/Saturation layer. Select the "Blues" from the the second drop down box and then pull the saturation to the left. There is a mask (white - positive) already on the layer so you can paint out the effect in black, or simply delete the mask, add back a black one and paint on it in white to add back the effect.
@vignouse@dianen@frankhymus
Thank you. That's how I make adjustments now but thought there might be an easier way. Maybe it's time I moved myself to a little creative cloud :)
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!. Duplicate the image onto another layer. Right click on the background in the Layers Panel and select "Duplicate Layer."
2. On this new top layer, Open up the Camera Raw Filter. Filter | Camera Raw Filter. On the HSL Tab, fourth one from the left, choose the Saturation tab and pull the Blue slider, perhaps the Aqua one too, to the left far enough to remove the blue cast you don't like. Click OK when done.
3. That will effect all the blues of course, and you might not want to operate on them all in the final result So we'll mask our way to success. That was the point of doing it on a separate layer.
4. On this top layer again, hold the ALT and choose "Add Layer Mask" from the bottom of the layer panel. It's the third button in from the left. A black highlighted rectangle will appear, and it will look like the top layer is no longer showing.
5. On the tool bar on the left, choose white for foreground painting, the third icon from the bottom. Then choose the brush tool towards the top, and select a suitable brush size, from the top options bar towards the left is easiest. Then with the black mask (still) selected on the layer panel, paint with the brush on the image where you want the de-saturation to reappear.
6. If instead, you can "mask in" the whole top layer, Click Add Layer Mask without the Alt, and paint on the while mask with a black brush. Depends if you want the effect on most of the image, or just a small piece.
You can operate similarly with Adjustment Layers (Add Adjustment Layer) masking them in or out on the background. But operating with the whole Camera Raw works most naturally for me and there is so much more you can operate with..
Hope that helps and is what you want.
For the blue haze removal it would be the Hue/Saturation layer. Select the "Blues" from the the second drop down box and then pull the saturation to the left. There is a mask (white - positive) already on the layer so you can paint out the effect in black, or simply delete the mask, add back a black one and paint on it in white to add back the effect.
Thank you. That's how I make adjustments now but thought there might be an easier way. Maybe it's time I moved myself to a little creative cloud :)