Photoshop Friday! Photo ShaZAM.

Man, has it ever been a long time since the last Photoshop Friday or what? Hopefully today’s issue will make up for it! :D It’s one you’ll be able to use on everything, because this is the way I process many of my photos, and it’s a nearly UNIVERSAL method for improving the brightness and contrast of your pics, and helping your colors simply POP right out.

Let’s just call it PHOTO ShaZAM. I’m feeling a little retro today. :) But seriously. I took this pic of Ellliott playing in their “Sharkey Pool” today, and made it kinda sing. Like so:

AND, just to up the deliciousness factor a bit, how about we have a little giveaway? My I’m-related-to-her-I-promise relative, Natalie Putnam, is generously giving away one of her sweet handmade Camera Straps to one lucky winner! Keep readin’!

First, though, the tutorial. Learning first. Free stuff later.

Photo ShaZAM. 

My pic looks like this sooc (straight out of camera):

 

It’s ok, right? He’s a sweet fella, and this pic pretty much puts my heart in my throat. But really DECENT pics are the perfect candidates for just a little extra somethin’ somethin’ - which is why this is the ShaZAM.

Ready to see some shaZAM on your own pics?

Photoshop Friday: Photo ShaZAM

1. Okay, the first step in the Shazam is to open that pic. If you’re shooting in RAW (like I do), go ahead and correct your white balance and make the changes you need to, and then bring it in to Photoshop. If you’re shooting in JPG, just open the file. :)

It should be your background layer. Thusly:

Click for Larger 

2. Now right-click on the photo (Background) layer in the Layers palette, and choose Duplicate Layer from the flyout menu. In the little box that comes up, go ahead and rename this layer to Overlay. Click OK.

 
Click for Larger

3. And now you’ll go ahead and right-click on the Overlay layer and choose Duplicate Layer again from the flyout menu. In THIS little naming box, go ahead and rename this layer to Screen. Click OK.

Now you have a stack of three perfectly ordinary layers. And here’s where the shaZAM happens. :)

4. Click on the Screen layer in the Layers palette. In the blending mode dropdown at the top of the Layers palette, set the blending mode of the Screen layer to Screen.

5. Click on the Overlay layer in the Layers palette. In the blending mode dropdown, set the blending mode for the Overlay layer to (wait for it..) Overlay.

Here’s what I get at full strength. Whoa. Talk about overblown.

Click for Larger 

But now! Now come the subtle machinations of a true Photoshop Wizard: playing with the opacity of crazy overblown layers.

6. Play with the opacity of both of these layers until you get a flavor you really like. The interaction between these two blending modes is where the shaZAM happens. The screen layer acts as a brightening agent, and the Overlay layer boosts contrast. Depending on your particular photo and how well it’s exposed, what colors are in it, tonal range, that kind of thing, you’ll need to increase or decrease the blends for both of these.

I ended up with Screen set to 44%, and Overlay set to 65%. And it looks awesome.

Now, one thing I noticed in my particular photo, and something that you might notice in yours as well, is that Overlay tends to boost redness in skintones. So suddenly Elliott looks a bit like he’s been diving in heavily chlorinated water.

A quick fix? Take a soft-edged Eraser tool to the Overlay layer on parts that turn out too red or too contrasty (or if you’re advanced, create a layer mask and mask out these parts). This will show the original photo through.

Click for Larger

After a quick touch on my background layer with the Burn tool to darken up the edges just a hair, and a little Smart Sharpen, I came out with this:

 

ShaZAM!

This technique will improve almost any photo you work it on, which is pretty amazing, considering the variety of photos it’s possible to take. :)  So the workflow here:

1. Open the photo.
   
2. Duplicate the layer twice.
3. Set the top layer to Screen, and the second layer to Overlay.
4. Adjust the opacity of this two-layer combination.
5. Erase out any too-dark or too-red parts of the Overlay layer.
6. Burn the edges of the background layer just a titch.
7. Resize as needed, and THEN run Smart Sharpen (sharpening should always be done last, and always on the photo when it’s at its final size). I recommend a strength of 85%, and then adjust the radius to taste.

Weekend Assignment: Show me YOUR Photo ShaZAM! :D

Okay, now for your assignment, are you ready?

1. Go take a picture. Or I GUESS you could use one you already have. GOSH. (But seriously. The sun is shining. Go take some pics!)

2. Work some SHAZAM on it, as explained above.

3. Post the shazam, or a layout made with the aforementioned shazam, somewhere online, such as a your favorite gallery, your blog, mayhaps the General gallery at JessicaSprague.com? You know, anywhere. Even Photobucket. Even Flickr. Go for it! :D And mentioning where you learned about the Shazam would be really cool as well, of course.

4. Come back over here, right here to this post, and leave a comment. Perhaps even paste in the link where you posted your shazam.

And the reward! Win a new camera strap!

I’ll draw a random name at 9:00 p.m. on Monday night, July 14, at 9:00 EDT, and the winner will receive a brand-new camera strap created with love by my I’m-related-to-her-somehow relative, Ms. Natalie Putnam! How cute is this?!

 

You can pick out any of the straps in her store for your very own, IF you practice the ShaZAM, post it, and then comment RIGHT HERE before Monday (oh, and if your post # is drawn, of course).  And the relative part? Okay, we worked this out at one point. Natalie is ny brother’s wife’s sister’s mother-in-law’s daughter. Or my brother’s wife’s sister’s sister-in-law. Right? Right. And get this other craz-i-ness. Natalie is ALSO my mom’s brother’s wife’s sister-in-law’s daughter.. okay, now I’m just making this up. But I’m SERIOUS about the first part.

Okay, friends! Let’s see some ShaZAM!

Can’t wait!

p.s. I’ll only count links in the randomness, so if you have other comments/questions feel free to post ‘em!

Update on Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 01:50PM by Jessica

To answer a couple of questions:

 1. This works in every version of Photoshop, and probably any other graphics program that has layers. No special version-specific stuff here. :)

2. Scrappydeena asked:

I do have a question Jessica….would it be correct to flatten the image before applying smart sharpen or should we do smart sharpen on the background layer and then flatten?

I flattened everything onto its own layer JUST before saving it out, and then ran the Smart Sharpen. Thank you for pointing this out - I didn’t mention the flattening.

4. Several people asked how to use the Burn tool.

It’s grouped with the Dodge tool, and makes your image darker in the areas you use it. Select it, and then make sure you have a large soft brush selected in the Options Bar. I would use Midtones and about 50% opacity to start out with, and then just click and drag the brush around the edges to darken. I focused in the corners of my image, and then lightly touched along each of the sides. Because this image is so bright, I didn’t want to overdo the darkened edges.

3. J asked:

I love it! Question - I am trying to replicate exactly what you did on your photo, step by step, but no matter what I do, it doesn’t come out identical. The overall glow effect and flawless skin tone seems impossible to achieve. Is there some of fine tuning that differs from program to program that would make the same picture come out different even though I follow the same steps to a T?

I was working with straight-out-of-the camera, full-resolution files when I did this, which would make a difference because there’s more data to play with. You’re also dealing with differences in monitors, as well as which color space you’re in. But the basics of the technique wouldn’t change between programs.

Comments

[Amber]

Thanks for the tip! Here's my assignment: http://67.228.211.226/cpg/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=0

[Cassie]

I didn't really get the erasing an burn par, but I tried the other steps. Here's my first try.

http://cassie-d.blogspot.com/

[Sarah Schwerin]

Thanks so much for the tutorial Jessica! I gave it a go and posted the results on my blog here:

http://mycreativeexistence.blogspot.com/2008/07/messing-with-photoshop.html

Looking forward to more "Photoshop Friday" techniques in the future!

[kristin]

I love shaZAM! It was my first project using the Photoshop Fridays, and I think it's just so fun!
Here is a link to my take on shaZAM! I tried two, but really love the one of Morgan best! Thanks Jessica!
http://mytwobabesdesigns.blogspot.com

[debi]

Thank you for another wonderful tip Jessica! I actually Shazamed cell phone photo that my DIL sent to me of her and my little grandchildren. LOVE how it came out! I posted it over in your gallery: http://jessicasprague.com/cpg/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=0

debi

[Paula Campbell]

I love love love this easy technique. Those camera straps are definite eye candy. Pick me pick me! - Sunday is my BDay :o) Here's my SHAzam:
www.campbellsillustrated.blogspot.com

[Michelle]

Fabulous tutorial!!
Here's mine-
http://67.228.211.226/cpg/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=0

[Paula Campbell]

I didn't get my link right before, so here's mine: http://campbellsillustrated.blogspot.com/

[Krista]

This was such a wonderful tutorial. I can' believe all of the difference. I put this pic on my blog to show all of my friends that are always looking for stuff like this!! http://sahlink.blogspot.com/2008/07/great-tutorial-on-how-to-make-pictures.html AND That camera strap is GORGEOUS!

[Kim Bolyard]

Signed me up for that drawing...love the camera straps. Here is link to my Shazam photo in the General Gallery at Jessicasprague.com

http://jessicasprague.com/cpg/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=0

peace
Kim

[Heather M.]

Oh man, what a cool and SUPER easy tip! I love it!
Here's mine:
http://heathermoll.typepad.com/photo_a_day/2008/07/playing-with-gr.html
Thanks so much for sharing!

And I was JUST looking at Natalie's gorgeous camera straps the other day - seriously! I love that so many of them are double sided and such gorgeous fabric!

[Elizabeth]

Posted my ShaZAM at Jessica Sprague General Gallery.

Love this and plan to use it a LOT.

[Mozer]

Here's mine:
http://www.designerdigitals.com/ddgallery/showphoto.php?photo=67854&nocache=1

[Becky in VA]

Thank you so much for this post - it really brightened my day as you will read on my blog. Hope you are having a great day too!

http://beckywillats.blogspot.com/2008/07/it-certainly-feels-like-im-getting.html

[Gina]

Love the tip and love the camera strap! You can check mine out at
http://cherish-photography.blogspot.com/

[RENÉE]

It worked out wonderful!! Thank you so much for the tip. I posted the before and after on my family site.

http://www.ourfamilynews.com/livesoftware/pictures.asp?sitename=themuirfamily&category=All

[Trude]

I totally just got my strap from Natalie this week! How funny you should mention her - we're on the {we are} storytellers CT together. :) Thanks for sharing this awesome effect!

[Julie]

Thanks for another great technique, super fast and easy! WOO HOO! Love it and would love a cute camera strap too. Thank you, thank you!

http://www.jessicasprague.com/cpg/displayimage.php?pos=-17751

[Sunny]

Great technique. Here's mine: http://www.viovio.com/photos/image/937779/23649

[Chris B]

Mine looks better in person than it does online. Thanks for the great tips! I would absolutely love to win a camera strap. I don't have one at all right now (I know, bad girl!).

http://www.gottapixel.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/118915/ppuser/14729

[Susan Strizich]

WOW - This was fun and so quick! Thanks!
Posted @
http://suzyscrapbook.blogspot.com/

[Jennifer]

http://67.228.211.226/cpg/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=0

Thanx Jessica! This is great!! And not terribly time consuming which is even better.
Thanks soo much for sharing!!!

The camera straps are way neato! Pick me! Pick me!
What a great way to add some ShaZAAAM to boring old camera.

Jennifer

[MommaC]

[IMG]http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l20/MrsCabreraNKids/changingoftheflags.jpg[/IMG]

I LOVE this! It worked great for this photo of my son changing out the flags at my grandfathers grave

[Jennifer]

Ok Im new at this uploading thing. I cant edit my comment! I just realized the link I put up was to the Public Gallery in general not to my specific upload so here goes again!!

Sorry!
http://www.jessicasprague.com/cpg/displayimage.php?pos=-17752

[SarahT]

I just got me a brand new SLR camera and this would be sooooo perfect! Awesome tutorial! Love it! So easy and adds so much ShaZAM to your photo. I just love PhotoShop Friday!

Here is my ShaZAM link:
http://www.jessicasprague.com/cpg/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=0

Oh I hope I win...thanks for the opportunity and Have a Great Day!

Blessings,
SarahT

[Tara]

Thanks so much for this tut, Jessica!!! I loved doing this with my pic and I can't wait to try it out with all the others (although tackling thousands of pics seems COMPLETELY overwhelming!!).

Thanks for the chance to win!!!

Here's my blog post with my "ShaZAM" pic!!
http://taracooper.typepad.com/my_digi_life/2008/07/awesome-photo-editing.html

[Scrap Evangel]

Hi there,
Thanks for the lesson. I've posted my assignment here:http://scrapevangel.blogspot.com/2008/07/thanks-jessica.html

[Sabrina]

Here is mine! http://scrappinsabrina215.blogspot.com/

This is GREAT!!! I always wanted my photos to look better now they do. Pick ME!!!

Sabrina

[Becca]

I really liked how you posted your 'right out of the camera' shot - it makes me good that your photos are 'normal' too :) You just always make them look so great!

I 'played' and will keep trying this technique on other photos - thank you!

http://www.cbstephenson.com/?p=363

[Anna M.]

Here is my shaZAM. I did a couple of them. On the last one I used you Eye pop technique too. Thanks.

http://moorecentralcali.blogspot.com/

Anna M.