Tutorial By: Michelle Johnson from My Two Seasons
The Solid Color Adjustment Layer is a versatile tool to create a variety of different effects for your photos. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to use solid color to manipulate the tones in shadows, and then add in some vintage haze using the Levels Adjustment. I’m using Photoshop Elements here, but these steps translate into the full versions of Photoshop as well. Let’s get started!
Step One – First we’re going to create a Solid Color Adjustment Layer. Click on the black and white circle at the top of your layers palette (bottom of the layers palette for full Photoshop) and select Solid Color.”
Step Two – Select a light purple color. I chose #b290e1. You can experiment with different colors to get different effects. I like to use periwinkle blue and light pink sometimes. Click OK.
Step Three – Next, we’re going to change our blending mode to Pin Light. This is going to change the tones in our shadow areas. Right now it looks pretty crazy, but we’ll take care of that in the next step!
Step Four – Now change the Opacity to around 25%. This will tone down the crazy color and create a nice cool color effect.
Step Five – Let’s add in a teeny bit of vintage haze now. Click on the black and white circle at the top of your layers palette and select Levels.
Step Six – In the Channel drop-down menu, select Red. In the Output Levels box, click on the left-hand slider and drag it to the right until you reach the setting of 7.
Step Seven – Go back up to the Channel drop-down menu and select Green. Click on the left-hand slider and drag it until you reach about 4.
Step Eight – One more time, go back up to the Channel drop-down menu and select Blue. Click on the left-hand slider and drag it until you reach 2. Click OK.
The final image:
And that’s it! Using the Solid Color Adjustment Layer is a super simple way to add in some drama to your photos!
Now go try this out! Post it on your blog or flickr and leave a link in the comments here if you’d like… I’d love to see what you come up with!
Also, a little reminder… My Blossom Workshop at Love That Shot is starting on Monday, July 26th and there are still a few spots left. If you would like to learn more about flower photography, this is the perfect class for you. Be sure to click on the flyer below for more information!
Michelle Johnson is a professional photographer and stay-at-home mom to two sweet little strong-willed girls who keep her on her toes! She is the co-founder of Love That Shot, a website for photographers with tutorials, workshops and fun products! You can follow Michelle at her blog, My Two Seasons, on Flickr and Twitter!
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Here is my try at it! I LOVE THIS TUTORIAL!!! Thank you! You are helping me feel like a better photographer every time!!
http://angiearmsphotography.blogspot.com/2011/07/i-heart-faces-tutorials.html
RT @AdobeElements: Learn how to change tones and shades in your photos – http://bit.ly/dr76sX
RT @AdobeElements Learn how to change tones and shades in your photos – http://bit.ly/dr76sX
RT @AdobeElements: Learn how to change tones and shades in your photos – http://bit.ly/dr76sX
I decide to play around with this. A few hours later and I had this: http://onethousandwordshome.blogspot.com/2010/07/sorbet-makes-for-sweet-shots.html
Brenda recently posted..sorbet makes for sweet shots
Great tutorial, thanks for share Michelle! ^_^
Great tutorial, thanks for share Michelle!^_^
Another great tutorial! Thanks, Michelle!
Michelle Pixie recently posted..Chasing My Tail
Very easy to read and understand tutorial. Except, I really prefer the “before” photo.
LisaBE recently posted..Over My Head
Great tutorial, Michelle!! Can’t wait to try it out!
keli recently posted..you capture – black & white
this was an awesome tutorial!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elliebphotography/4818958386/
I loved it and can’t wait to try again!
http://threebeautifulchildren.blogspot.com/2010/07/adjusting-solid-color-in-pse.html
Thanks so much! I love that vintagey look and being new to photoshop and photography I have been dying to learn how to do it.
Wow, thanks! Ha, I went to school for graphic design (and therefore in theory I should know this stuff) but you’ve managed to teach me something I didn’t know. Very easy to understand. Thanks!
Wowzers, this is an awesome tutorial! I’m going to play around and I’ll come back and post a link to a pic I used it on soon
Thanks so much!!
Okay so I found this really interesting! I played around a bit and here is what I did!
http://photographyfromleslie.blogspot.com/2010/07/recent-tutorial-on-i-heart-faces.html
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