Tuesday, October 21, 2014

CoffeeShop Photoshop/PSE Tutorial: Gorgeous Autumn Colors Made Easy!


I had so many great comments about my newest action, Autumn Pop, that I decided to follow it up with a step-by-step tutorial on my two favorite ways to enhance fall colors using Hue/Saturation.  These are both very simple and effective methods and can be as subtle or dramatic as you want.



Webucator has posted a free YouTube video tutorial using the techniques I discussed in this post and you can go watch it here.  :-)


This is the "before" image from Pixabay.  I don't have many of my own photos to use in this tutorial as in this part of Texas leaves usually turn brown and fall off which makes for dull fall images.

I overdid the edits in this tutorial so you can easily see the difference on your computer/phone screen.  You can edit with a much more subtle hand.  :-)

Master Hue Saturation Tutorial:


This method is quick and easy and really enhances red.  Simple add a Hue/Saturation layer and only adjust the Master mode.  Dial down the Hue (-3 to -20) and dial up the Saturation (5-30%).  Play with both of these settings until your fall colors look gorgeous.


I like to add a bit of contrast, so I added a Levels adjustment layer on top in Soft Light blending mode and dialed up the midtones (middle gray slider, 1.00 to 2.39 in this screenshot) until my image looked bright.  If you don't move the middle slider to the left your image might look too dark.

This image is finished, but I have another method that selectively enhances both the red and yellow.

Red and Yellow Hue/Saturation Tutorial:


This method is much more dramatic and I love it.  Add a Hue/Saturation layer and select Reds and dial up the Saturation to taste.  I used 47% in this screenshot.


Next select Yellow and dial up the Saturation to taste.  I used +38% on this image.


I like to add a bit of contrast, so I added a Levels adjustment layer on top in Soft Light blending mode and dialed up the midtones (middle gray slider, 1.00 to 2.39 in this screenshot) until my image looked bright.  If you don't move the middle slider to the left your image might look too dark.

I love these methods and usually try both on an image to pick my favorite.  This is such an easy way to edit your fall images you might not find it necessary to use an action.  ;-)  Once you add your layers you can click and drag them on your other images to batch edit.

Here are all of the edits. I hope you have fun playing with your fall photos.  Please post your before and afters on my Facebook page, I love to see what you have done!


Do you want to download my favorite CoffeeShop PSE/Photoshop Actions and Lightroom Presets or Design Elements in one convenient zipped file AND help support this blog? Just click here for my action pack or here for a download of some of my most popular design elements, storyboards, and textures.

For complete info on installing all of my actions, click here.

7 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for the great tutorial! I liked seeing a quick way to make fall colors pop. What had me going, "Ohhhhh, what a great idea!" was the sentence where you mentioned dragging the hue/sat layer, etc., and doing batch editing. Thanks for sharing that thought, too!

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  2. Thanks so much for the tutorial!!! Keep the tutorials coming:)

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  3. Any advice on how to edit my kids photos in a fall setting without getting them to look orange

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    Replies
    1. You need to paint on the layer masks to remove some of the extra orange.

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  4. I just posted a tutorial on removing color casts from the skin! Color Cast Tutorial

    Rita

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  5. Thank you for the tutorials. I have benefited from them greatly.

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Rita