Tutorial 2
Lauren scott shows you how to use Curves in Photoshop for tonal control, to add punch and to enhance portraits
Use the Curves command in Photoshop to add a variety of tonal effects
The Mission
Use a Curves Adjustment layer to adjust the exposure and colour levels
Time needed
20 minutes
Skill level
Intermediate
Kit needed
Photoshop CC
From simple adjustments to creative effects, such as adding light leaks, learn how to use the Curves command to apply a variety of tonal edits. Why not follow the video tutorial on your disc (or online at the link above), too?
You can start this edit in Camera Raw, or head straight to Photoshop. We’re applying our curves as adjustment layers in Photoshop, because this gives much more control over editing each effect. It also means you can quickly delete the layers if you don’t like the result.
You’ll see that the line in the Curves adjustment panel starts as a diagonal, which can be dragged up or down to lighten or darken the image. Each point you click on creates an anchor – it’s important where you place a point, because this determines which part of the tonal range you wish to change. Towards the left targets shadow tones, and the right changes highlights. An S-shaped curve is a classic curves technique for boosting contrast and colour saturation, lending much-needed punch to flat images. The more pronounced the S, the more your image pops!
As well as altering exposure, you can use the eyedropper tool to fix colour casts, edit the separate colour channels, and alter the white and black points.