Using the Photoshop Curves Tool - The Diigo Meta page

• 02 Aug 16
  

  dongzvip

  Photography

  • Similar to Photoshop levels, the curves tool can take input tones and selectively stretch or compress them. Unlike levels however, which only has black, white and midpoint control, a tonal curve is controlled using any number of anchor points (small squares below, up to a total of 16).
  • Recall from the image histogram tutorial that compressed tones receive less contrast, whereas stretched tones get more contrast.
  • The curves shown above are two of the most common: the "S-curve" and "inverted S-curve." An S-curve adds contrast to the midtones at the expense of shadows and highlights, whereas the inverted S-curve does the opposite.

  1 more annotation...

• 02 Sep 15
  

  Photoshop photoshop-curves

• 11 Dec 14
  

  artistlkn

  photoshop photography tutorial curves howto

• 16 Apr 14
  

  Craig Jennings

  Postprocessing Photography Technique

  • compressed tones receive less contrast, whereas stretched tones get more contrast.
  • An S-curve adds contrast to the midtones at the expense of shadows and highlights, whereas the inverted S-curve does the opposite.
  • Curves allows us to better utilize limited dynamic range.
  • Midtone contrast is perceptually more important, so the shadows and highlights usually end up bearing the bulk of this tonal compression.
  • our eyes/brain actually apply a tonal curve of their own to achieve the maximum visual sensitivity over the greatest lightness range. The camera therefore has to apply its own tonal curve to the RAW file format to maintain accuracy.
  • On top of this, each type of digital sensor has their own tonal response curve, and even PC/Mac computers apply a different tonal curve when displaying images (gamma).
  • The key concept with curves is that you can never add contrast in one tonal region without also decreasing it in another.
  • All photographs therefore have a "contrast budget" and you must decide how to spend it —
  • Abrupt changes in slope can easily induce posterization by stretching tones in regions with gradual tonal variation.
  • If you want to increase contrast in a certain tonal peak, use the histogram to ensure that the region of greater slope falls on top of this peak.
  • The exception to the contrast trade-off is when you have unused tonal range, either at histogram edges or as gaps in between tonal peaks. If these gaps are at the histogram's edges, this unused tonal range can be utilized with the black and white anchor points (as with levels tool).
  • If the gaps occur in between tonal peaks, then a unique ability with curves is that it can decrease contrast in these unused tones — thereby freeing up contrast to be spent on tones which are actually present in the image.
  • Performing curves to just the lightness/luminosity channel - either in LAB mode or as an adjustment layer - can help reduce changes in hue and color saturation.
  • In general, curves with a large slope in the midtones will increase color saturation, whereas a small slope will decrease it.
  • Changes in saturation may be desirable when brightening shadows, but in most other instances this should be avoided.
  • Adjustment layers (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves...) can be set to make curves only apply to the luminosity channel by choosing a different blending mode
  • they can also be used on individual color channels as a powerful way of correcting color casts in specific tonal areas.

  15 more annotations...

• 04 Apr 14
  

  vasmancs
  • 
• 17 Feb 14
  

  zenmonkey
  • it affects light's two primary influences: tones and contrast.
  • An S-curve adds contrast to the midtones at the expense of shadows and highlights, whereas the inverted S-curve does the opposite
  • curves tool only redistributes contrast.

  1 more annotation...

• 26 Jan 14
  

  kath660
  • An S-curve adds contrast to the midtones at the expense of shadows and highlights, whereas the inverted S-curve does the opposite.
  • Since actual scenes contain a greater lightness range (dynamic range) than we can reproduce on paper, one always has to compress the tonal range to reproduce it in a print. Curves allows us to better utilize limited dynamic range.
  • tonal curves are required for every image in one form or another — whether this be by our eyes, the film emulsion, digital camera, display device or in post-processing.
  • you can never add contrast in one tonal region without also decreasing it in another. In other words, the curves tool only redistributes contrast.
  • (unless uncommon curves with negative slope are used).
  • unique ability with curves
  • The next example uses a curve to close the tonal gap between the sky and darker foliage.
  • midtones and highlights remain more or less unchanged on the histogram.
  • the highlight transition can be made more gradual by decreasing the curve's slope at the far upper right corner.
  • In general, curves with a large slope in the midtones will increase color saturation, whereas a small slope will decrease it.
  • brightening shadows, but in most other instances this should be avoided.
  • different blending mode (right).
  • make your curves adjustment more subtle. This is accomplished by reducing the opacity appropriately
  • they can also be used on individual color channels as a powerful way of correcting color casts in specific tonal areas.
  • If you do not require precise color adjustments, the curves tool is probably overkill. In such cases a color balance correction would be much easier ("Image > Adjustments > Color Balance..." in Photoshop).
  • "Snap Neutral Midtones" setting under the options button.
  • photos with an overabundance of one color (such as one taken within a forest) should use other methods
  • There may be cases where one would wish to deliberately not use the entire tonal range. These may include Images taken in fog, haze or very soft light as they often never have fully black or white regions.
  • anything which stretches the image histogram increases the possibility of posterization.
  • Always perform curves on 16-bit images when possible.

  18 more annotations...

• 12 Nov 13
  

  iseevisions

  Photoshop tutorial curves

• 21 Jan 13
  

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• 05 Jan 13
  

  ray L

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• 03 Oct 12
  

  I-Chen Liao
  • Midtone contrast is perceptually more important, so the shadows and highlights usually end up bearing the bulk of this tonal compression.
  • our eyes/brain actually apply a tonal curve of their own to achieve the maximum visual sensitivity over the greatest lightness range.
  • tonal curves are required for every image in one form or another
  • Changes in saturation may be desirable when brightening shadows, but in most other instances this should be avoided.
  • Adjustment layers
  • they can also be used on individual color channels as a powerful way of correcting color casts in specific tonal areas.
  • Make sure to apply anchor points along the diagonal for all tonal regions which you do not wish to change.
  • "Snap Neutral Midtones"
  • This works best for images whose average midtone color is roughly neutral

  7 more annotations...

• 18 Sep 12
  

  Cory Roberts

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• 14 Jun 12
  

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  an excellent Photoshop curves tutorial ==> http://t.co/0CIyPCQB

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• 15 May 12
  

  kaatibun

  TUTORIALS: PHOTOSHOP CURVES
  
  The Photoshop curves tool is perhaps the most powerful and flexible image transformation, yet it may also be one of the most intimidating. Since photographers effectively paint with light, curves is central to their practice because it affects light's two primary influences: tones and contrast. Tonal curves are also what give different film types their unique character, so understanding how they work allows one to mimic any film — without ever having to retake the photograph.

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  • Similar to Photoshop levels, the curves tool can take  input tones and selectively stretch or compress them. 
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  The Photoshop curves tool is perhaps the most powerful and flexible image transformation, yet it may also be one of the most intimidating. Since photographers effectively paint with light, curves is central to their practice because it affects light's two primary influences: tones and contrast. Tonal curves are also what give different film types their unique character, so understanding how they work allows one to mimic any film-- without ever having to retake the photograph.

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