Making the most of Highlights

If your image has some subtle highlights that you want to make really stand out but not blow out you can try this simple method
-Make a merged copy above your retouching layers
-Make a color range selection of the highlight areas-turn off localized clusters
-Make a new adjustment layer>solid color set the RGB setting to R=252 G=252 B=252 so that this highlight area will not be lost on printing
-Highlight your mask
-Set your history to the current state
-Fill the Mask with black, CTRL+Backspace
Paint with the history brush to reveal only the areas that you want to. The history brush will not allow you to reveal any parts of the image that were not part of the original selection area.
-ALT+click on the mask to see the mask in your work space. You can blur the mask to create a softer edge to the new highlight
-lessen the layer opacity if you find that the highlight is too aggressive

Digital Powder-High radius Low amount skin softening

To obtain a smooth look to the skin, to tighten pores, but maintain highlights somerimes you need a coat of digital powder.
-Above your retouching layers crated a new merged copy CMD+SHIFT+ALT+E
-Go to Filter<Blur<Gaussian
test to find an amount that evens out the skin-then cancel
-Go to Filter<Other<Highpass and anter the amount that you found in your test of the blur filter make sure that this number is divisable by 3.
-Go back to  Blur <Gaussian and enter an amount that is 1/3 of the number that you used in the high pass filter.
-Invert your layer CMD+I
-Change the blend mode to Linear Light
-Go to thr FX menu<Blend Options<Blend if
To deal with the off-set
-  Go to This Layer-ALT+Click on the highlight slider to separate and drag almost to the end around 17
-Underlying Layer-ALT+Click on the shadow slider to separate and drag the slider up towards the top almost to the end
-Create a new layer mask filled with black to reveal the new softer skinwhere you want it.
-Create a new merged layer
-CMD click on the mask to load as a selection
-CMD+SHIFT+I to invert the selection
-CMD+X to cut out the selection
-Go to the filter menu< Sharpen<Unsharp Mask<Amt=10 Radius =50
Discard the progress layer from below as you will not need it any more.

The eyes have it!

If you compare the eye on the left, with only basic touch ups, with the eye on right you will notice that it has lost some very pink veins and some reflections as well as gained some eyelashes. Here's how it happened


The clean up of the eye itself was basic starting with creating a new layer then using healing brush as well as the brush tool with the white of the eye color chosen to heal and paint over the veins.You want the final product to be clean but not without shape or texture.


The pupil had a slightly irregular shape by using the marquee selection tool, selecting a portion of the pupil, copy paste Shift CMD+C, CMD+V onto a new layer , rotating it >Edit>Transform >Rotate, covering the irregular portion with the new regular shape.Alt+click on create layer mask to create a mask filled with black. Paint with white over the area that you want to reveal.


To create the new lashes:


Make a selection around a good lash or section of lashes.
Copy paste-Shift CMD+C ,CMD+V
create a layer mask filled with white
paint out extra information with the brush tool using black.
Change the layer blend mode to darken.
Delete the mask
Turn the layer into a smart object.
Select the layer with the new lash on it.
Move the lash to a new location using the move tool>V
Hold down the alt key to copy to a new layer.
Use the transform tool CMD+T warp to curve the lashes into appropriate shapes.


Repeat the last 3 steps until you have enough lashes

Soft Proofing for your Blurb Book

All ,All file must be in Sr
• Duplicate Image >Image>Duplicate (as reference)
• Go to View>Proof Set-Up>Custom
• Find Appropriate Printer Profile (Blurb)
• Work through Dialog Box
• Preserve RGB Numbers (Off) What your file will look like if you print in
Color Workspace not Printing Profile.
• Black Point Compensation (On)
• Simulate Paper Color (On)
• Simulate Black Ink (On)
• Fix your file Image> saturation, curves etc,using copy as reference
-All files MUST be sent to Blurb as sRGB files