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:

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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.

 
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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

[Barb A]

just wanted to pop in and say that this is a GREAT tut!!!! Now to find the time to try it out!!

Thanks for all you do!!

[Erin Grotegut]

Strange...

My link takes you to whatever pic was most recently uploaded... Here's a link to the actual pic on your General Gallery:

http://tinyurl.com/6o4259

and on my blog: http://www.inkysmiles.blogspot.com

[Jen (ABCmomof4)]

Thanks Jessica!! I'll use this trick often!!! I LOVE those straps! I'll keep my fingers crossed! Here's the link to my blog http://www.wolfffpack6.blogspot.com

[Susanna]

I still have to master playing with this, but even just spending 30 seconds, I got an amazing difference. You can check out my blog post at http://www.cardoftheweek.com/2008/07/shazam.html

[kristen]

love it...need to find a better pic to use it to it's full potential...i also need to re-fresh my burn tool and smart sharpen skills! http://s83.photobucket.com/albums/j314/kwordo/?action=view&current=070108tylersoccer04.jpg

[Kim]

Thanks Jessica, this is just what I needed to fix some over exposed shots of my daughter!! Thanks again!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimthomas/sets/72157606109622892/

[Trina]

I have posted once already but I wanted to posted again with my link to my myspace where I loaded it.
Here is the link:
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.editAlbumPhoto&albumID=2006534&imageID=26930480&MyToken=afba61d0-29f7-44ee-8844-d5b66ef0c165

I also posted it on a CT team site that I'm on but it's only for CT members. I just had to share this amazing tutorial.

[Amy L]

Awesome PS Friday! Mine is in the general gallery as js.com. Been thinking about Gomer Pyle since I read this, as "ShaZam!" was his favorite expression. A good ole Alabama boy!

[Trina]

Ok Jessica somehow my very first post has someone else pic.... so this post is a correction post to make sure I have the correct pics for me.

Here is my before pic link in the gallery:
http://67.228.211.226/cpg/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=1

Here is my after pic link in the gallery:
http://67.228.211.226/cpg/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=4

and I also posted on my mypace about this amazing tutorial.
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.editAlbumPhoto&albumID=2006534&imageID=26930480&MyToken=afba61d0-29f7-44ee-8844-d5b66ef0c165

Sorry for so many post. I apologize. I hope this is correct.

Thank you again for all your amazing tutorials you provide for us.
I'd luv to win the strap as a late B-day gift. Hubby just got me a new camera for my B-day.

[Nicole]

THis is a fabulous tutorial.I do have one request though. Are you able to better explain how to "burn" the edges using PSE? I love that look and have always wondered how to do it.

Thanks

[Tonya]

I love using this effect, I also use the soft and hard light blending modes as well.

Here's mine!

http://theregularfamilyblog.blogspot.com/

[Beth Nixon]

Just a FYI . . . I posted my before and after at flickr (linked above) and a group saw my after and asked my photo be added . . . the description of the group?

"Share pictures that make you happy"

Thought it was perfect!

[Corie in Indy]

I have been DYING to know how you photographers get such fantastic skin tones! Thank you SO much for sharing! I posted a couple of examples of how I used this on my blog: tellyourstory.typepad.com. Thanks again!

[Alyson]

Thanks! I used it on a few photos and it works great! I posted on my blog, but it's private, so giving you the link wouldn't be any good. That's a really cute camera strap.

[mariap]

great tutorial! great strap!

[Deb]

Great technique!
I hope that I'm attaching the link correctly from where I uploaded the picture into the general galley.
Keeping my fingers and toes crossed.
http://jessicasprague.com/cpg/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=1

[Carrie]

I love this technique. Your picture is awesome. Thank you for this FFF. Here is my sample:

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

Carrie

[Tya]

Here's my shaZAM photo.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24896040@N06/sets/72157604667956181/detail/

I took this photo this morning before I left for work. Then read your article today about PSE. I knew this would be the perfect photo to try this on. Thank you for teaching me another trick with this program.

[Anke]

Here is my link, this was awesome!!! Thanks so much

http://www.jessicasprague.com/cpg/displayimage.php?album=43&pos=0

[Joan]

What a great tutorial. I'm posted in the General Galleryhttp://www.jessicasprague.com/cpg/displayimage.php?pos=-17808.

Please pick me.

[Michelle]

Hi Jessica,
I just found your site and it's fabulous!
Here is my Shazam'd photo.
Michelle
http://michellebowley.blogspot.com/2008/07/fresh-cuts-is-introduced-to-circle.html

[Penny]

Love the technique. It's just what I need to brighten my photos. Thanks so much!!
http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=269553&ppuser=32292

[Tanya]

GROOVY TRICK! Love it! Thanks!
http://itanya.blogspot.com/

[mugsbigsis]

Here's mine. http://www.designerdigitals.com/ddgallery/showphoto.php?photo=67885 I saw this one the message board at Designer Digitals. I don't usually like to mess with photos, but this was fun! Thank you for your tutorial. :O)

[mugsbigsis]

I did a second one. :O) http://www.designerdigitals.com/ddgallery/showphoto.php?photo=67886 I posted at Designer Digitals where I read about the Shazam Method on the message board. Really fun tutorial! Thank you!

[Jessica C]

This was awesome! And so simple! Stuff like this is why we all love you so much. :)

Here's my attempt:
http://jesscabrera.wordpress.com/2008/07/11/photo-shazam/

[Amy Hoogstad]

I LOVE PHOTOSHOP FRIDAYS:) You're the best, Jessica!

Here is mine: http://kahoogstad.blogspot.com/2008/07/photo-magic.html

[Michelle]

Hi Jessica!
Thanks so much for this Photoshop tip. I'm starting to dabble in digital scrapbooking and you are my go-to-girl for everything Photoshop--thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, and here's my shaZAM: http://onceuponastamp.blogspot.com/2008/07/photoshop-friday-with-jessica-sprague.html

[wendy]

Here is my link! I love your photo editing tips! Thanks!

http://www.jessicasprague.com/cpg/displayimage.php?pos=-17831

[Amy]

Jessica - great technique. Did mine with an old photo from 2004. I posted in the JS general gallery. Thanks!