Oftentimes a vignette is used in photographs for visual impact - simply use the oval tool with a very soft feathering and fill a new layer with black. Adjust the opacity according to your taste, usually 20%-30% seems to work well. Make sure to set the layer under the curves layer, otherwise the vignette will have a different color cast.
To get the richest blacks -darkroom like- use the "Selective Color" tool in a new adjustment layer and pump up the blacks by a few percent. Sometimes I'd use this to open up the whites too.
Some photographs require much more work with masked curve layers or a dodge/burn layer.
<< Black And White Processing 02
Comments (6)
Mark,
You probably wrote like 600 words total for this processing tutoral but I learned more in that than in several months of trying to figure out how not to lose tonal range in PS. Thanks for sharing your secrets! :)
Posted by dario | July 16, 2006 1:45 PM
Posted on July 16, 2006 13:45
Hey, I`m still on page one...
This is a one year class, right?
Thanks, Markus. I might come up with a few questions later... OK?
Posted by alfred | July 23, 2006 1:57 PM
Posted on July 23, 2006 13:57
no problem, I'm glad if I can help -
yeah, this is an extended program :P
Posted by Markus Hartel | July 23, 2006 5:50 PM
Posted on July 23, 2006 17:50
No cure, no pay - right?
Posted by alfred | July 28, 2006 4:33 PM
Posted on July 28, 2006 16:33
no, but u can buy me a beer :D
Posted by Markus Hartel | July 28, 2006 5:29 PM
Posted on July 28, 2006 17:29
Extremely helpful tutorial. I'm also loving your grain files - well worth the small price. Thanks for both. -Amin
Posted by Amin | May 22, 2007 9:16 AM
Posted on May 22, 2007 09:16