Curves

Tripping on Arbitrary Maps

Submitted by deke on 1 December 2008 - 5:18pm.

 Colleen and David Futato and I are in the final death throes of Photoshop CS4 Channels & Masks One-on-One. I'm sitting here working on the introduction to the final lesson, Lesson 12, "Masking the Tough Stuff." By way of demonstrating arbitrary maps, which can be quite useful for "throw down" masking, I assembled this nifty composition. It's a photo from David Politi subject to two varieties of arb maps, one applied using Gradient Map and the other with Curves. Isn't she pretty?

It has nothing whatsoever to do with masking -- just introduces a topic -- but I'm rather transfixed with it at the moment. Takes me back to my teónanácatl-tinted halcyon days. So naturally I had to share.

Anyway, we're shooting to get the book to the printer any day now. We'll keep you apprised. Read more » 

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The Fake HDR Portrait Technique, Revealed

Submitted by deke on 13 October 2008 - 1:41am.

As those of you who know a thing or two about what goes on 'round here know, last week's dekePod was devoted to the topic of faking an HDR portrait. As usual, the technique flew by in the blink of a bug's eye. A really scary, creepy bug's eye. Which is the idea, of course. Few know this, but dekePod won this year's Nobel Prize in Subliminal Anti-Training. (They give out that particular award in a tiny, dimly lit room off the janitor's closet, so it's not widely covered.)

But anti-training doesn't always work. In fact, one study suggests it kills roughly 1 out every of 16 lab rats. (Thankfully, we haven't heard of any human fatalities--yet.) Which is why I offer this traditional step-by-step description, as it applies to my youngest son, Sammy, who quite obviously really enjoys his ice cream.

Sam becomes HDR Read more » 

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Photoshop CS3 Lab box art
Amazon.com

Photoshop Lab Color

Based on the device-independent CIE specification from 1976, Lab color is frequently misrepresented as a techy, labor-intensive color space. In fact, Lab color performs certain types of color modifications more quickly and with better results than RGB. In Photoshop CS3 Mastering Lab Color, Deke McClelland explores how to use Lab color "to make bad photographs great and great photographs even better." He demonstrates image manipulations that are best suited to Lab, and walks through a typical, non-destructive Lab correction. Read more » 

List price: $99.95USD
Photoshop CS3 1on1 box art
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Photoshop CS3 One-on-One

Welcome to the most far-reaching training on Adobe’s flagship image editor, Photoshop CS3. Hosted by award-winning author and Photoshop Hall of Famer Deke McClelland, Photoshop CS3 One-on-One is your opportunity to delve headlong into the new Photoshop with a seasoned, knowledgeable guide by your side. Complete with task-based projects and work-along sample files, this is the ultimate insider’s guide to Photoshop CS3. Read more » 

List price: $149.95USD