Mark S. Johnson Photography

Photoshop Workbench Volume One is a two DVD set featuring Episodes 1 – 200 of Mark’s world-renowned Photoshop Workbench series. With a selling price of $79.95, you can add this incredible collection to your educational library at a cost of only 40 cents per Workbench ($79.95 for all 200 episodes).

(Read More)

I love the gritty, textured feeling of HDR images, but it’s all too easy to take the look a little too far. Clouds and horizons with giant haloes cheapen the look, and noise in areas where you don’t want it is never desirable. In today’s Workbench, I’ll show you how to combine images that have been tonemapped with different settings to achieve a pleasing overall look. I’ll also show you how selective sharpening can really make an HDR pop from the page. If you’re interested in purchasing Photomatix Pro HDR software, be sure to enter the code “MSJPhoto” to receive a 15% discount. Click here to purchase Photomatix Pro.

Sometimes you find inspiration in the most unlikely places. I was shopping for groceries the other day and I spotted a poster displaying four images and one word that communicated the store’s fundamental philosophy. The simple design and message were beautiful enough to convince me to make them today’s topic. As we build this collage, we’ll get the opportunity to work with smart objects and type in ways that are both unique and highly efficient.

Each time I see a well done found object composite, my heart does a little somersault. I define found objects as any objects, such as leaves or butterflies, or textures, such as rust or peeling paint, that you decide to add to your photographic collection for the sake of compositing.

Combining these objects and textures in creative ways can be immensely gratifying––but make no mistake, this is a creative process. Today’s Workbench is as much about creative process and it is about learning techniques. On our journey, we’ll encounter a variety of useful Photoshop techniques, including refining an edge, using the History brush, adding a drop shadow, working with blending modes, and test-driving color options via a clipped Hue/Saturation adjustment layer.

If you’re seeking a fresh way to present portraits, this simple, yet striking approach may interest you. Begin by capturing two images of the same subject in front of a uniformly colored background with consistent lighting. If you don’t have access to a studio, photograph the subject in front of an uncluttered background that has potential for seamless blending. Capture one image as a full (or almost full) body shot and the other as a close up (head-and-shoulders).

Photoshop’s blending modes are mysterious entities, yet once you get to know them, they expose you to a universe of both practical and creative possibilities. In today’s Workbench, we’ll explore a variety of density correction and tinting uses for four of the modes––Multiply, Screen, Soft Light, and Color. Blending modes can apply to both adjustment layers and pixel-bearing layers. We’ll examine a little of each, starting with adjustment layers.

To learn more about practical color correction uses for blending modes, take a look at Chapter 5 (Color Correction) of my Photographer’s Photoshop CS4 Companion eBook. To explore creative uses for blending modes, check out Chapter 9 (Special Effects).