Help with the Luminosity and Color Effect

[ekrieg]

I am trying to do a Luminosity Deep Color Pop that was shared on a photography forum that I frequent. The technique was created using photoshop and involves converting the image to LAB color prior to manipulating. It was suggested that I (being an PSE4 user) should download the HPPE 4.0 free tools to try to accomplish this technique. After reading about LAB color and the separation of luminosity from the A and B channels, I'm assuming that the Luminosity and Color effect in HPPE 4.0 is what I need to use to do this. In the tool description for this effect, it says "Group adjustments (Command/Ctrl+G) to the layer you want to affect to isolate the changes." When I run this effect I get a color layer, a 50% gray layer and a luminosity layer. Do I do my adjustments to just the color and luminosity layers? To adjust the layer I would create an adjustment layer (levels) below the luminosity layer, and then group the luminosity layer with the levels layer? I'm a little confused on how to make adjustments once I run the effect.

Thanks,
Erin

[Richard_Lynch]

I do not know what a Luminosity Deep Color Pop is. I would need to see the instructions.

[ekrieg]

Richard,

The instructions for this technique can be seen at:

http://ilovephotography.com/forums/i...owtopic=227126

Thanks,
Erin

[Michel B]

Seems that the link is broken...
As far as I know, the Lab technique to increase saturation without bad results on highlights and shadows amounts to applying "S" curves to the a and b channels, the result being an increase in midtones saturation, with little or no change to highlights or shadows saturation.
I wondered how to achieve a similar effect with PSE4 and hiddenelements. I got similar results by using the RGB separation tool and applying the same midtone increase in shadow/highlight for each component. You might use a S curve if you have a curves add-on, or an equivalent gradient map.
Using color or luminosity might work, if you use the luminosity layer to create a shadow/highlight mask and apply added saturation to the colour layer... Imagine selecting the middle gray in the luminosity layer with the magic wand tool and creating a hue/saturation adjustment layer on the colour one, the selection being added to the adjustment layer mask.
By the way, Hiddenelements provides shadow or highlight masks, not shadow and highlight mask, which would be ideal here.

[skydog]

I just went to the link and it said it didn't exist.

[ekrieg]

The link is for a website called www.ilovephotography.com. The link works when I click on it, so maybe you have to be a registered member. It's free to register.

[Richard_Lynch]

Originally Posted by Michel B

By the way, Hiddenelements provides shadow or highlight masks, not shadow and highlight mask, which would be ideal here.

New tools coming soon will provide this...and MANY more options.

[skydog]

Actually I did join and I still can find the link. I logged into the site then hit the link and I got this message: Sorry, the link that brought you to this page seems to be out of date or broken. I also did a search for the article: 227126. So please tell me...how you got there.

[Richard_Lynch]

Originally Posted by ekrieg

I am trying to do a Luminosity Deep Color Pop that was shared on a photography forum that I frequent. The technique was created using photoshop and involves converting the image to LAB color prior to manipulating.

I could have swore I posted this already...Perhaps I posted on that other thread where the tutorial was. You can do the technique described, but I am not completely sure of the benefit. The image gets saturated from adjusting the curves, and little more. You can accomplish a similar thing by using Hue/Saturation and pushing the Saturation slider to the right. I'll try attaching some images I used from that original tutorial to show my results with applying Hue/Saturation and Color Balance...

[smak]

If PSE has LAB mode, convert to LAB, open curves > In the A channel, move the bottom left point on the curve to right one grid > do the opposite on the top right point. The curve line is straight and steeper now. Repeat all this with the B channel.
All four points should be moved by the same amount.

This looks a lot like increasing saturation.

[Richard_Lynch]

Smak,
There is no LAB in Elements, but you can work on Color and Luminosity separations in layers. That is what I'd propose to do, but as you say, the result of the LAB change is very much like saturating...and I wonder if the difference is that important.