For today's technique scrap we are going to be using deep shadowing for a pop. Adding shadows can make a huge difference to photos and elements. Here are 2 examples: PHOTO plain, boring straight out of the camera vs deep shadow POP ELEMENT absolutely beautiful original element vs deep shadow to match photo There are TONS of ways to go about this. I'm going to give you 3 ways, but please feel free to use whichever method works for you. 1. CURVES- the easiest way of adding a pop is to add an "S-curve" curve layer. Pull down on the shadows (the left most 1/4 on the grid) and up on the highlights (the right most 1/4 on the grid). Notice that the middle of the curve stays in the center of the grid. **NOTE: this option is NOT available in PSE** 2. LEVELS- using the levels layer adjustment, you can play around with the sliders for the shadows (black triangle), grays (gray triangle) and the highlights (white triangle). Play around until your image pops! Here is what it looks like in PSE: (Thanks Christa!) 3. BURN TOOL- the most precise, yet the most labor intensive method is but using the burn tool to manually darken the shadows. IMPORTANT: Make sure you are on the burn tool (looks like a hand making an O) and that your range at the top is set to SHADOWS. You can also adjust the exposure based on heavy you want to make changes. TIP: I start low on the exposure (~20-25%) and then go over the areas more than once. Here is what it looks like in PSE: (Thanks Christa!) ***NOTE**** FOR NON PS/PSE USERS: if all else fails....just use a soft black brush at like 10% over the shadowy areas Here are today's instructions: Please post your completed layout in The Lilypad gallery. GALLERY RULES: Layouts must contain at least 50% TLP products. (Templates count as 15%.) Uploads must be less than 250k. List all credits; no off-site linking allowed. Create a layout that you LOVE that shows at least 1 PHOTO and 1 ELEMENT that you have used deep shadowing to add pop. I can't wait to see everyone's take. You have 48 hours to finish your pages. Layouts are due Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 2pm Eastern time. Please load you pages to THIS gallery and post them below. Have fun!!!
Deep shadow adjustments: Curve adjustment done on Sequins, and green paper matt Level adjustment done on photo Shadow Burn adjustment done on ribbon
mine, I decided to do it first lol. Thank you it was fun. I think I will do another one, where I can play more around with the actual photo. My before and after
I am so sorry to have missed the chat. DH was visiting with his mom, but he showed up 2 minutes before the chat started and wanted to run errands with me. We didn't get home until after the chat was over... Here is my final, I adjusted the photo, the main title, and the wooden heart. Here is the original with "no pop" :
Here's my after page. I put a lot more shadowing around the small picture to make it stand out and lots of shadowing in the seaweed at the bottom. Here is my page before I added all of the shadowing.
Thanks for the inspiration and the tutorial. It's a small edit but with great result. Here is my page here is the before. I used Curves adjustment on the photo and the blue flower
my final page, used a bit of levels and curves on the photo and burn tol on two of the top flowers over the photo: original page:
Here's mine. I did a levels adjustment on everything including the blended paper. I especially like how it popped the squirrel.
I didn't know this technique, but I LOVE it! I guess I will use some other times, thanks for teaching me Here's my page here it is before editing:
Great Sloooowwww Scrap Challenge...I Am All Too Familiar With This Technique...This Is Something That I Do Soooo Very Often To Most Of My Layouts...I Often Find The Elements Or Photos Are Just Too Light Or Not Dark Enough & I Am Pretty Much Used To Figuring Out How I Want It To Look...Hopefully You Can See What I Did In My Layout... *I Adjusted The Black & White Photo & The WA:"It's A Brand"...Along With The Yellow Clock & Star & The Eye Brad... *For My Enough Is Enough Layout-I Used: *Brand New Day/Tropique/Petal/What Do I See?-All By Lynn Grieveson *A Whole Mood-Bella Gypsy(1) *Boho Sunshine-Kim Jensen(1)
I applied the CURVES technique to three photos and 3 foliage elements. I usually use levels, so this was a fun challenge for me. There is just a subtle but rich difference (at least on MY screen). Hope you can see it too. Before: After shadowing with curves: Credits in Gallery: https://the-lilypad.com/forum/galleries/08-19_deepshadowpop_garden.403751/
Thank you very much for this technique, I do occasionally tweak my photos but not using those tools. I used levels and curves on the photo, and curves only on the flower: This is real life by AnnaB posted Aug 30, 2019 at 8:06 PM Before edits:
Ok, I am having a problem....after I edit my levels (PSE18), I merge my layers and try to copy and paste onto a new page....it comes out black & white!?! What do you think I am doing wrong? *** Never Mind, I think I figured it out! ***
I had some problems but used levels on photo and some elements, but also drop shadows to get this how I wanted it to be.
Before Levels and Curve: After Levels and Curve I also used curves and levels on the cluster on the photo and some burn on some of the papers behind the photo.
I will add my 'before' and credits as soon as I can (even if you can already see something, since I use the 'level' option on one of the hearts); thank you Farrah! p.s. I really don't like this page and I will 'fix' it for sure!! :/
