Project five: Adobe CC
A little local knowledge
James Patterson shows how to target areas of a landscape with Photoshop tools and make powerful local adjustments
BEFORE
AFTER
The Mission
– Use adjustment layers and masks in Photoshop to selectively enhance your landscapes
Time
– 20 minutes
Skill level
– Beginner
Kit needed
– Photoshop CC
VIEW THE PROJECT VIDEOS ONLINE www.bit.ly/NPhoto120
One of the main challenges with landscapes is in balancing out bright skies with darker landscapes, especially if – like here – the foreground is in deep evening shade. Let’s be honest, when editing a landscape like this, where the contrast between land and sky is too great, many of us might simply lift the Shadows and drop the Highlights. It’s a quick fix that may help to pull detail out of the lightest and darkest portions of the frame, but can also lead to an image looking over-processed, almost HDR-like. Sometimes it’s better to take a targeted approach.