In this tutorial, we show you how to add life and vibrancy to a landscape photo. Is the grass a little lifeless? Add more green! Is the sky a bit gray? Add more blue!

Download the Sample Image

How to Select and Change Colors

In this tutorial, you will learn how to select and change colors using the Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer.

First, go to “Layers – New Adjustment Layer – Hue/Saturation” to create a Hue/Saturation Adjustment layer. Notice if you move the “Hue” Slider, it will change all the colors in the image.

To select certain colors, click on the drop-down menu that defaults to “Master.” Select the color you would like to edit, then be sure to click on the Eye Dropper to fine tune the color selection. After clicking on the far-left Eye Dropper, click on the color in your image you would like to effect.

After clicking on the color in your image, adjust the “Hue” & “Saturation” sliders to add more color to those areas in your photo.

Repeat these steps for other colors in your image you would like to alter.

How to Select and Change Sky Color

In the first step, you learned how to target a specific color and change it. Now you will learn how to target an area of your photo and add more color.

First, select the Magic Wand Tool and click on the sky in the image. If the entire sky is not selected, try increasing the Tolerance of the Magic Wand Tool.

To include more of the image in the selection, hold SHIFT+CLICK with the Magic Wand Tool to add to the existing selection.

After selecting the sky, create another Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer and click on the “Colorize” box. This will allow you to choose the color of the selected area.

In this example, we add more blue into the sky by adjusting the Hue and Saturation sliders.

Download the Sample Image

The post How to Color Landscape Photos in Photoshop appeared first on PHLEARN.

How to Remove Logos and Branding in Photoshop

Logos and branding can be a distracting element in photos. Also, clients may want logos removed in their images before publishing.

Stock Image websites won’t accept images with logos in them, forcing you to remove logos in photos.

Learn how to remove logos and branding in this episode!

How to Remove Logos (Simple)

If the logo you want to remove is surrounded by a simple background, the best tool for the job is the Spot Healing Brush Tool.

In this example we remove the branding on the truck by created a new layer, selecting the Spot Healing Brush Tool, checking the “Sample all Layers” box on the top of the screen and painting over the logo.

If you find that the edges need a bit of cleanup, this is where the Clone Stamp Tool comes in. Create a new layer, select the Clone Stamp Tool and check “Sample All Layers” or “Sample Current and Below”. Next, open the “Clone Source” window by going to “Window-Clone Source” and be sure to check “Show Overlay” to see a preview of the Clone Stamp Area.

Hold ALT/OPTN + CLICK on the area you want to sample. Then paint over the area you would like to cover. Be sure to line up edges via the preview before painting.

How to Remove Logos (Advanced)

If you want to remove a logo that is placed on a more complex area of your image, be sure to create a selection first.

In this example, both the bottom and the left edge of the truck need to be maintained while removing the logo.

Start by selecting the Polygonal Lasso Tool and create a selection around the edge of the logo. The edge of the selection will be “Hard Edged” and needs to be softened if it is to blend into the rest of the image.

To soften the edge, go to “Select-Select and Mask.” If you are using an older version of Photoshop, this will be called “Refine Edge.”

Change the view settings so you can see the edge in comparison with the rest of the image. Adjust the “Feathering” until the edge of the selection matches the edge of the photo.

After making the selection, you are ready to remove the logo. In this example, we use the brush tool and sample the color of the truck and simply paint over the logo. If this logo is on a more complex background, consider using the Clone Stamp Tool.

In this example, the logo is so close to a surface that it must be removed in two steps. After removing the main area, there is some logo that remains visible outside of the selection.

Inverse the selection by going to “Select-Inverse” or pressing “CTRL/CMD + I.”

After inversing the selection, use the same technique to paint outside of the selection to remove the rest of the logo and maintain a straight edge.

Download the Sample Image

The post How to Remove Distracting Logos in Photoshop appeared first on PHLEARN.

How to Use Graduated and Radial Filters in Lightroom

Lightroom is a great tool for organizing and editing your images. Basic controls like exposure and white balance make changes to your entire image.

What if you only want to make changes to part of your photo?

Graduated and Radial Filters to the rescue! Learn how to use both in this free tutorial.

How to Use Graduated Filters

To create a Graduated Filter, first click on the Develop Module and click on the grey rectangle on the top of the right side bar. This will bring up the controls for the Graduated Filter.

To apply a Graduated Filter on your image, click and drag across your photo. To move the Graduated Filter, click the center circle and drag it to the desired location.

Click and drag the outside lines to define the feathering of the Graduated filter, and rotate the center line to rotate the entire Graduated Filter.

Once creating the filter, adjust the settings in the right sidebar. The changes you make will only appear in the filter.

How to Use Radial Filters

The Radial Filter is located to the right of the Graduated Filter and looks like a circe. Create and alter the Radial Filter the same way as the Gradual Filter.

By default, the filter will effect everything outside of the Radial Area, click on ‘Invert Mask’ on the bottom of the Radial Filter dialog to effect the space inside the Radial Area.

Add or subtract from the mask by clicking on the ‘Brush’ option in the Masking section on the top of the filter. Paint areas to include them in the effected areas. To remove areas, hold ALT/OPTN and paint over parts of the photo.

Download the Sample Image

The post How to Use Graduated + Radial Filters in Lightroom appeared first on PHLEARN.

How to Remove Haze in Lightroom + Photoshop

A bit of haze can be beautiful in photos but it can also obscure detail. Adobe recently added the Dehaze filter to remove haze simply.

In this episode, you will learn how to remove haze in Lightroom and Photoshop!

Download the Sample Image

How to Remove Haze in Lightroom

Adobe recently added the ‘Dehaze” filter in Lightroom. Navigate to the Develop Module and scroll down the right sidebar to get to the “Effects” tab.

Here you will find the Dehaze filter. To remove haze, slide to the right, to add haze, slide to the left.

If you find that removing haze makes your image too dark, lighten the shadows in the Basic Tab in the right sidebar.

How to Remove Haze in Photoshop

Photoshop offers the same Dehaze filter, although it is a bit hidden.

To access Dehaze in Photoshop, duplicate the background layer and go to ‘Filter-Camera Raw Filter’. Here you will have access to the same editing tools that Lightroom has to offer, including Dehaze.

Go to the ‘FX’ tab and slide the Dehaze slider to remove haze!

In this example, we also use a Curves Adjustment Layer to brighten the area around the subjects.

Download the Sample Image

The post How to Remove Haze in Lightroom + Photoshop appeared first on PHLEARN.

How to Create a Dramatic Sky in Photoshop

Learn how to enhance any sky by making it more dramatic in Photoshop!

Download the Sample Images

How to Create a Selection from the Sky

The first step in creating a dramatic sky in Photoshop is to create a selection out of the sky, so only the sky is altered, not the rest of the image.

Use the Magic Wand Tool to select the sky. If the Magic Wand Tool doesn’t select enough area, bring the Tolerance higher, if it is selecting too much, lower the Tolerance. In this episode, we use a tolerance of about 30.

Chances are, your entire sky will not be selected with one click of the Magic Wand Tool. To add to an active selection, hold down the SHIFT Key and click another area. You will see a ‘+’ icon next to the Magic Wand Tool Cursor.

To remove an area from a selection, hold the ALT/OPTN key and click on a selected area. You will see a ‘-‘ icon next to the Magic Wand Tool Cursor.

The goal here is to select the entire sky without selecting areas like trees, people, or buildings.

Load the Selection in a Group Layer Mask

After creating a selection of the sky with the Magic Wand Tool, create a new layer and group the layer with itself by pressing CTRL/CMD+G. Then select the group and click on the layer mask icon. The active selection will be translated into a layer mask, revealing only the area that was once the selection.

The reason for making this Group Layer Mask is to restrict any layers inside the group to only show up over the sky. Any layer you place inside this group is defined by the layer mask of the group.

How to Add Dramatic Highlights and Shadows

They key to making skies more dramatic in Photoshop is to enhance the detail that is already present in the photo.

The techniques used in this tutorial will apply to any sky!

Let’s start by enhancing the dark areas of the sky. Create a new layer inside the group with the sky layer mask. Select black as the foreground color and use a large soft-edged brush to paint over the dark areas in the sky.

Next, open the Blending Options for the Layer by going to ‘Layer – Layer Style – Blending Options.’ Change the blending mode to either ‘Multiply,’ ‘Soft Light’ or ‘Overlay’.

At the bottom of the Blending Options Panel, there are two sliders labeled ‘Blend If,’ we are going to use the ‘Underlying Layer’ Slider. Hold ALT/OPTN and click on the white arrow on the right-hand side of the slider and drag to the left. This will separate out the two end points and allow for a smoother transition. By sliding the arrows from the right side, you are telling Photoshop to make this layer invisible where the underlying layer is lighter.

To put it all together, the black you painted on the layer is now only visible in the darker areas of the sky, and it is making those areas even darker.

When it comes to adding highlights, simply do the exact opposite.

Paint white over the light areas in the sky, change the blending mode to Soft Light, Overlay, or Screen and click on the black arrows on the left-hand side of the Underlying Layer slider in the Blend If the screen and drag the arrow to the right.

To add some color to the sky, simply do the same thing, only paint with color instead of black and white!

Download the Sample Images

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Learn how to quickly and easily add stars to any night photo in Photoshop!

Download the Sample Images

Use Stock Images of Stars

If you don’t have any star photos of your own, you can always use stock images. Simply type “Stars” into your stock image website of choice and find your favorite photo.

To composite the star photo into your original image, use the move tool and click-and-drag the star image onto your original photo. Resize the stars if necessary, just be sure not to stretch them out.

If the star photo isn’t large enough to fill the entire sky, try duplicating it and moving the layer to fill in the gaps. As long as there aren’t any recognizable patterns in the stars, it shouldn’t be apparent that the photo has been duplicated.

How to Use Blending Modes and Clipping Masks

To make the stars blend into the night sky, change the blending mode of the star layer to “Screen.” Screen blend mode makes anything black invisible, leaving only the light visible, which is perfect for star photos.

If you find that the star image isn’t blending in well, try making the dark areas even darker – making them disappear.

Create a Levels Adjustment Layer and clip it to the star layer by right-clicking on the Adjustment Layer and selecting “Create Clipping Mask.” Now, move the mid-point slider in the Levels Adjustment layer until the stars blend perfectly into the original sky.

Be Sure to Mask the Foreground!

When adding stars to a sky, you want to be sure they don’t show up in front of trees, houses, and mountains.

Create a selection using the magic wand tool of the original sky. The important part of the selection is the area where the sky meets land, don’t worry about getting the rest of the selection perfect. Once the selection is active, click on the layer mask icon to add a layer mask to the star image or group.

Fill in the rest of the sky with on the layer mask and the stars will only be visible in the sky!

Download the Sample Images

The post How to Add Stars in Photoshop appeared first on PHLEARN.

Labels and graphics on clothing can be distracting or unwanted in a photograph. Clients will often want logos removed – especially if they are from a competing brand. Sometimes it is better to remove them completely.

Learn how to remove logos from clothing in today’s episode.

Download the Sample Images

Copy Texture & Patters

At times, logos are placed over textures and patterns on clothing. These textures need to be replaced when removing a logo.

To replace a texture or pattern, look for a similar pattern on another area of clothing.

Create a new layer and use the Clone Stamp Tool to sample the “good” texture and paint it onto the new layer. Be sure that “Sample – Current & Below” is checked in the settings for the Clone Stamp Tool.

Once the pattern has been duplicated to a new layer, transform it into place using CTRL/CMD+T. Try lowering the opacity of the layer to see where it will cover.

If necessary, do this multiple times from different areas of clothing to fully cover the logo.

After copying the texture from one area to another, you may need to alter it slightly. Use a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer to change color and lightness. Use a Brightness/Contrast Adjustment layer to lower contrast and darken a texture.

To make an adjustment layer only effect the layer underneath it, right-click on the adjustment layer and click on “Create Clipping Mask”

Don’t forget the Brush Tool!

When working with large patches of color, sometimes the best tool for the job is the Brush Tool. While it is not great for replicating patterns and textures, it can be used to quickly color large areas.

Start off with a small brush and remove just the logos by sampling the colors around it (ALT/OPTN+CLICK to sample). When you are done painting the smaller areas, make the brush large and soft-edged and paint in to blend the colors in with the clothing.

Download the Sample Images

The post How to Remove Logos from Clothing in Photoshop appeared first on PHLEARN.

How to Add Fog & Light to Photos in Photoshop

Learn how to add a bit of mystery to your photos by creating fog and light beams from scratch!

Bonus: Download the custom brush and image used in this tutorial.

Create Fog Using a Custom Brush

Fog is surprisingly easy to create in Photoshop, provided you have the right resources.

First, download the Phlearn Fog Brush below. After downloading, double-click on the .abr file to load it into Photoshop. Select the Phlearn Fog Brush by first selecting the Brush Tool (B) in Photoshop, then right-click to bring up the list of available brush presets. The Phlearn Fog Brush will be at the end of the list.

While using the Phlearn Fog Brush, try changing the brush size to approximate different types of fog. Also, start by using brush flow around 30% to get a natural appearance. If you find that the fog has too much detail, simply add a gaussian blur to the fog layer.

How to Create Light Beams

In order to give this image a bit more life, we are going to add beams of light coming from the disco ball.

To create beams of light in Photoshop, start by creating a new layer and painting random patches of white with the brush tool. These random patches of white will serve as ‘locators’ for the next step, applying a radial blur.

The goal is to make the random patches of white into streaks, and to do so, apply a radial blur. Go to ‘Filter – Blur – Radial Blur’ and choose ‘Zoom’ under ‘Blur Method’. Adjust the amount of zoom to 80 and choose a center point for the zoom blur by clicking on the ‘Blur Center’ graph. This filter does not give you a live preview, so you have to guess where the center of the zoom blur will be.

If you get the center wrong, simply undo your blur and re-do it again, this time moving the blur center. Once you are satisfied with the blur center, you can adjust the amount of blur.

Now you have a zoom blur coming from the center of the Disco Ball

Download the Phlearn Fog Brush & Sample Image

Click the link below to download the fog brush and sample image used in this tutorial.

The post How to Add Fog & Light in Photoshop appeared first on PHLEARN.

How to Refine and Cull Images in Lightroom

In the age of Digital Photography, it is common for a photographer to take hundreds if not thousands of photos during a photo shoot.

Once the shoot is over, it is up to the photographer to choose the best images to deliver to clients or display in their portfolio.

How does a photographer select the “best” photo out of thousands?

Learn how in today’s episode!

Think of Culling as a Series of Steps

Culling a set of photos is done in a couple of different steps. In each step, the selected images are refined to include only the best photos.

Rather than trying to choose the “best” photo from thousands, it is better to pick the 100 best. Then out of those images, choose the 25 that really shine. Then compare those 25 to see which ones are the winners.

To cull photos quickly and efficiently, follow these steps.

1) Choose Picks

This process should be very quick. Trust your gut instincts here and go with the photos that get an immediate reaction. In this stage, aim to look at each photo for less than 3 seconds.

Double-click on the first image to make it full-screen, then use the left and right arrows on the keyboard to scroll through images.

When you see a photo you like, press ‘P’ on the keyboard to flag it as a PICK.

Do this all the way through a series of images. Try repeating this process again to see if you missed anything in the first round.

2)Refine by Pick and Add Star Ratings

The next step is to show only the images you “Picked” in the first round, and refine them from there. T show only the Picks, click on the “Attribute” icon in the top of the Library Module. Click the white flag to filter by Picks.

Now only the images you ‘Picked’ in round one will be visible.

Next, further refine the images by assigning them star ratings. For Aaron’s workflow, he uses 5 Stars for images that make the cut, and the others don’t get stars.

In this step, try using Survey Mode by selecting the images you want to look at and press ’N’.

3) Assign Color Ratings

The last step is to show just the Picks and the 5 Stars and give the images color ratings. Use the Attribute tab in Library Module to select just these images.

To refine your selection based on just a few images, use Compare Mode ‘C’ to show images side-by-side and choose your favorites.

When you have your favorite selected, give it a color. In this example, we tag the image with RED by pressing 6 on the keyboard.

Now you have a process for refining images to just your favorites!

The post How to Refine and Cull Images in Lightroom appeared first on PHLEARN.

How to Work Faster & More Efficiently on a Mac

Recently I was using a friends brand new Mac and I couldn’t believe how difficult it was to navigate well. I offered to change a few settings on his computer and after we finished, workflow became lighting fast.

Knowing I make tutorials on YouTube, he said “You gotta make this into a tutorial”. So here it is.

In this video I will show you how I have my own computers set up to work faster and more efficiently.

If you have tips on increasing speed and efficiency, share them in a comment!
– Aaron Nace

General Preferences & Settings

There are many things you can do with the general settings on your Mac, here are the settings I recommend.

Mouse/Trackpad Tracking Speed – Go Lighting Fast!

It may be a little tough in the beginning, but I highly recommend setting your Tracking Speed on your mouse or trackpad as high as you possibly can. Then in a couple of weeks, try making it even faster.

Here is why – the faster the Tracking Speed, the less you have to move your hand to navigate your computer, this means you can get from one side of the screen to the other FASTER!

Hide the Dock

I suggest making the dock as small as possible and checking the box – Automatically hide and show the Dock.

When you need to access the Dock, simply bring your cursor to the bottom of the screen.

Congrats, you have just freed up 10% of your screen!

Mission Control & Hot Corners

Mission Control is one of the best productivity tools a Mac User can use. Mission Control allows you to use multiple desktops and quickly see and organize what is on each desktop.

For instance, you can have your internet browser open in full screen on one desktop, and Photoshop opened in full screen on another desktop – all while using the same monitor.

I have found that the easiest way to access Mission Control is through setting up a Hot Corner.

To set up Hot Corners, open the Mac Preferences and go to Mission Control. Click the ‘Hot Corners…’ button on the bottom left of the dialog box.

Here you can turn the corners of your screen into a shortcut. You have many options here, my preference is to set up the top right corner as “Mission Control.” This way, any time you bring your cursor to the top right of the screen, Mission Control opens and you can see all of your apps and desktops in one view.

Once you are using Mission Control, add more desktops by clicking the + Plus icon on the top right of your screen. Drag apps to the new desktops and use Mission Control to switch to the desktops.

You can also use keyboard Shortcut CONTROL + LEFT ARROW / RIGHT ARROW to cycle through desktops.

Apps for Efficiency

There are many apps that will increase efficiency on your Mac, in this tutorial we cover two of my favorite apps – “Better Snap Tool” and “Daisy Disk”

Better Snap Tool

The Better Snap Tool (Available in the App Store) allows you to snap windows to different part of the screen quickly and easily.

How often have you wanted two webpages open side-by-side on your screen? Better Snap Tool makes this very easy, just click and drag one window to the left side of the screen and the other to the right.

Need to make a window full-screen? Just drag the window to the top of the screen.

Daisy Disk

Daisy Disk (Available in the App Store) displays all of the files and folders on your computer in a visual layout. The layout looks like a pie chart, making it easy to see what files and folders are taking up more space on your computer.

There is also a built-in tool for removing any files or folders you don’t want, simply drag them to the bottom of the window.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are great time-savers. Instead of browsing through menus, simply press a few buttons and get the job done!

• Switch Apps – CMD+TAB
• Cycle through Desktops – CONTROL+LEFT ARROW / RIGHT ARROW
• Spotlight – Search any app or file on your computer – CMD+SPACEBAR
• Close Window – CMD+W
• Close App – CMD+Q
• New Window – CMD+N
• New Tab – CMD+T

The post How to Work Faster & More Efficiently on a Mac appeared first on PHLEARN.

How to Add a Colored Background to a Portrait it Photoshop

Add a splash of coor to your photos by replacing the background. Learn how to quickly add a colored background to any portrait in Photoshop!

How to Cut Out the Subject

When cutting a subject out of their background, there are different techniques based on the complexity of the background. If the subject is photographed on a simple Background similar to the image in this tutorial, simple Selection Tools like the Magic Wand Tool will work well.

For complex Backgrounds, we recommend using the Pen Tool.

Click Here for a Tutorial on the Pen Tool!

After making a rough selection of the subject in a photo, use the “Select and Mask” Tool to refine the edge of the selection.

Add a Splash of Color to the Background

Once the subject is cut out from the Background, the possibilites are endless. From here, you can add another photo as the Background of a photo, or a simple colored background to simulate a studio photo.

To create a colored background, go to ‘Layer – New Fill Layer‘ and choose a Color. Place this layer below the layer with the subject and the new Color will appear behind the subject.

To add a bit of realism, add a Vigentte to the borders of the photo. Go to ‘Layer – New Adjustment Layer – Hue/Saturation‘ to create a Hue/Saturation. Lower the Lightness and Saturation then use the eliptical Marquee Selection Tool to create a selection around the center of the image and fill the selection with black. To make the Vignette more realistic, add a Gaussian Blur to the Layer Mask.

The post How to Add a Colored Background to a Portrait appeared first on PHLEARN.

How to Cut Out Hair with the Brush Tool

When cutting a person out of their Background, hair is often the hardest area to master. Learn how to create custom Brushes and use them to cut out hair in today’s episode!

Hair Vs. Body

It is helpful to think of cutting a person out in two different parts — the Body and the hair. Cutting out a subject’s Body is relatively easy, though it may take some time. For best results, we recommend using the Pen Tool.

Click Here for a Tutorial on the Pen Tool!

Because hair contains fine detail, it is best done with Selection Tools or the Brush Tool, as taught in this tutorial.

How to Create a Custom Brush

The first step in cutting out hair is to create a custom brush that looks like a single strand of hair. Everyone has different hair, so each brush is unique to the individual being cut-out.

In this example, we start by creating a single “Hair” which is just a brush stroke with a very small diameter to simulate a hair.

Once a single brush stroke is created, it is time to turn it into a Custom Brush Shape. Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool and create a square selection around the hair by holding SHIFT+CLICK-DRAG. Fill the square selection with white and move it behind the layer with the Hair on it. Center the hair in the white square by clicking on the Pen Tool, then the Alignment Controls on the top of the Screen.

After the hair is centered, keep the selection of the white square active and go to “Edit – define brush preset” and give the brush a name. This will create a brush with the shape of a hair, next it is time to define the custom brush characteristics in the Brush Menu.

Defining Custom Brush Characteristics

To open the Brush Menu, go to “Window – Brush.” In this advanced menu, you can control many characteristics of a brush, including shape dynamics, Scattering, rotation and Size. For best results, mix and match settings to simulate natural Hair.

Try adding Size Jitter, Angle Jitter, Scattering, and Roundness Jitter.

Painting Hair on a Layer Mask

After creating the “Hair Brush,” it is time to paint on the Layer Mask to reveal the hair. In this example, we cut out the subject’s Body with the Pen Tool first, then painted in the Hair with the custom brush.

Keep in mind, hair changes size and direction on different areas of the head. The Custom Hair Brush can be rotated in the “Brush Tip shape” dialog in the “Brush Menu.” Change Brush size using the open and close brackets “[” “]”

Download the Custom Hair Brush

The post How to Cut Out Hair with the Brush Tool in Photoshop appeared first on PHLEARN.