Using Layers For Photoshop Masking With Color Match

Like most everything in Photoshop, there are so many different ways to create a black and white image from a color negative. And most of them work pretty well.

A problem many photographers face when capturing images of waterfalls is overexposed spots in the photographs. This happens even when the surrounding waterfall location is underexposed. If you’ve ever tried photographing waterfalls, I bet this is one of the problems you face.

Local Adjustments: Once you have the basis for the tonal look of the image then you want to get into working with lightening/darkening, dodging/burning or tweaking the contrast etc. of the image. It is important to get the foundation for the image finishes first however.

Use that old toothbrush to create a variety of effects in your landscape paintings. For example, it’s great for watercolor techniques. I cannot count the times I’ve used an old toothbrush to spatter “snow” onto my winter landscapes. Contrary to what you may have been told, the color “white” in watercolor does serve a purpose. Just make sure it’s opaque white. You can also use it with acrylic paint to create the same effect. In addition, you can use it to spatter small “stones” on the ground, picking up a brownish colored watercolor or acrylic color. What’s more, dab some green paint for splotches of grass and bushes. And, if you load it up with water and spatter into a wet watercolor sky, you can use it as a Data Masking Tool, to give the appearance of “rain”.

When you set your camera to a slower shutter speed, it is very important that you use a tripod. If you don’t, the results of the image you take will appear looking blur.

Channel Mixer: There is also the channel mixer, which allows you to mix the information from each layer in different percentages. I use this technique a decent amount.

Go outside, look around at colorful things, take a 15 minute nap, go to sleep for the night and come back the next day or days later. You need to see the image from a fresh viewpoint that you can only see with some time away. There have been so many times where I have woken up the next day and looked at a black and white that I had spent so many grueling hours on and was shocked to see that it looked terrible!