Photoshop Elements offers good contrast corrections, but sometimes a complete gradation curve is missing – this tool simply allows the most accurate contrast correction. Fortunately, there is the free SmartCurve for the Windows editions of Photoshop Elements. We show you how to retrofit the function and apply it within an image correction. We use Photoshop Elements 11 for Windows, but older versions are also suitable.
Step 1: Vignetting
The picture is crooked and needs to be cropped. However, first edit the vignetting: in Elements, select "Filter, Correct camera distortion" and first switch off the raster. In the Vignette area, drag the Strength control to plus 25 - the dark corners disappear.
Step 2: Add-on module
In the toolbar, remove the straightening tool with the Remove Background option. Pull along the horizon, the image is immediately straight. Go to the Release tool, drag a frame, and then double-click the selection; Elements removes the border.
Step 3: SmartCurve
Tip: You could also do the rotation in the dialog Camera distortion or with the release tool. However, the straight alignment tool is unrivaled convenient. However, do not apply it to an image more than once.
Step 4: White balance
Expand Photoshop Elements with an additional, free gradation curve for flexible contrast correction under Windows. It works with old and new item issues as well as with many other programs. We found a recent version at Fototuning.at
You will receive a zip archive with four individual files. Copy smartcurve.8bf to a directory that automatically scans Photoshop Elements for additional features. In our American Windows 7 machine was the C / Program Files (x86) / Adobe / Photoshop Elements 11 / plug-ins. For other programs and operating systems, the path may change.
Tip: In the Plug-in directory, create a new directory, for example, "Smartcurve."
Restart Photoshop Elements, load your image, and select Filter, easy.Filter, SmartCurve - this is the new feature. Press the Auto button to start the contrast. The skin tones, however, still appear too dark. Therefore, click once on the skin within the preview to create a new touch point in the gradation curve. This point is slightly upward. Now, however, the shadows become too light. Click on the left side of the graph and drag this part back to the diagonal neutral line - the shadows go down. Needle grips disappear by right-clicking.
Tip: When clicking into the image, make sure that none of the three pipettes on the right is switched on.
The smart curve also allows for a standard white balance: Turn on the center pipette and click on an image that should appear neutral gray. If you want to protect the contrast of the contrast, click the Auto button while holding down the Shift key. Turn on the Depths, the dialog box all pixels slipped to pure black with a signal color - you should raise the shadows. The new feature is often slow, and you can preview it only in the dialog, but not in the main program window.
Tip: Right-click on the center pipette to define the tonal value, which is defined as neutral gray.
The blue is not right yet. In the Layers panel, click Create New Fill or Set Level, and then Hue / Saturation. In the channel menu you can activate any color range, for example the red tones. Click the color picker on the left side of the screen and then go to the sky - now the channel pop-up menu displays cyan tones. For a decent blue, drag the shade control to plus 20. Also test a slight increase in saturation. Then, click a skin tone and drag the color slider to the right.
Guide: Photoshop - quick tips and tricks
Step 5: Hue / Saturation
Hint: The processing also colors the jeans here, but this is welcome. If you do not want to change other cyan image parts, paint with a brush and a black foreground color - only edit the hue / saturation setting mask
More short tips
The in-house gradation curve: Photoshop Elements has long been offering its own gradation curve. However, it is severely restricted to other programs and the SmartCurve (steps 2 to 4). Adjust color for skin tone: For images like this, test the "Rework, adjust color, color for skin tone" option. First click into a skin area, then drag on the tan control. The change is subtle, but it may affect the overall image, not just the skin. Repeat comfortably: Press Ctrl + F (on the Mac as always Cmd + F) to recall the SmartCurve dialog box, but with neutral values and not as usual The last used settings. Caution: If you last used a different filter command, Ctrl + F will run this function again - without you seeing and canceling the dialog box. Fast recall: The easiest way to recalculate one or more steps is to use the protocol panel ( Window, log). By "Edit, Back to the last version", you can cancel anything that is not stored, but it is interesting: The log panel shows your last work steps, they can be restored here 2) is hard to find. Simply copy the 8bf file to any other directory, and then log in to Elements. Open the Preferences with Ctrl + K, go to the "Additional Modules" area and click on "Select."
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