Solar Curve

[Cameraken]

Hi

How to make a Solar Curve.

To create a solar curve, add a curves adjustment layer and add 6 equidistant points.
Then drag the first point to 100%, the second to 0% etc. See the picture.

Once the curve is made it can be saved as an ACV file for re-use

This will give your image a really strange look but it also accentuates the highlights and shadows and midtones to reveal things that are normally hidden or don't match.

Uses.
Add it above dodge and burn layers. It really highlights skin blemishes
Add it above a restoration to find missing detail
Add it above cloning to check for variations etc.
It will also highlight banding on gradients etc.

Just toggle the curve on and off as required.

Lots more uses. Please post here if you find it useful or find any other uses for it.


Ken.

[DannyRaphael]

Facinating concept / application of this effect, Ken. Screenshots really helped.

This curve works pretty well if one is in a colorful, abstract art mood, too.

Thanks for sharing this method -- and the inspiration.

~Danny~

------------------

The .zip contains 2 Photoshop actions I just crafted:
* Curve only adjustment layer per Ken's specification
* Arty varuatuib based on the Solar curve

[Cameraken]

Hi Danny.

I almost mentioned the art possibilities with this curve. Great job.

A Solar Curve is an accepted retouching tool. I just thought that it had had very little mention at Retouch Pro and deserved a thread of its own.
I have seen them made with more than six points. But I think six points are enough for most situations.

Ken.

[TheVeed]

I always use a solar curve, it's a great asset. It's very helpful when using D & B and clone/healing

[Cassidy]

Originally Posted by TheVeed

I always use a solar curve, it's a great asset. It's very helpful when using D & B and clone/healing

A description of methodology would be appreciated on this one

[Cameraken]

Hi Cass.

The idea is that this curve will exaggerate differences. So it is useful for finding flaws that are normally difficult to see.
It does take a little getting used to because the image looks so weird.

Here is one use.
Picture 1
Is a red spot on a green gradient (but it could be dust on a background or a pore on skin)
Picture 2
I added a blank layer and cloned out the spot to the best I could do.
Picture 3
I added a solar curve to check my cloning. As you can see there are still some marks left which shows that my cloning was not perfect.
The vertical lines are the 'banding' caused by a PS7 gradient.

So if you want to get things perfect then add a solar curve to check your work.

Hope this Helps.

Ken.

[niloc]

Thank you, a very interesting thread.

[Cuervo79]

Godmother told me about this but I haven't been able to see the actual practical use of this... other than "make things perfect" do clone or healing problems show out on printing? I feel that working with that is overkill.

[Quantum3]

I feel the same than cuervo, but how other uses this weird technique has? What about in D&B? Which of all those weird colors are the midtines?

Thanks for the stuff, it's the first time I see something like this.

[0lBaldy]

You might think it is overkill because your eyes are probably not seeing the minor imperfections.... the printing press will not miss those imperfections, especially when there are gradients of any kind involved! (banding)

[MiningArt]

Thanks for the tip, I can see a lot of applications for photo-art.

[edgework]

If your curve is the top layer, you can retouch below it by setting the clone or healing bruch to Current or Below, and the curve won't affect your work. It's easy to work your imperfections out, once you get used to the bizarre colors. I'll clone until the disparate colors match, then go back with the healing brush to make sure the texture isn't blown out. I always use 10 points; pulls even the closest imperfections apart for easy identification.

[Cuervo79]

Originally Posted by 0lBaldy

You might think it is overkill because your eyes are probably not seeing the minor imperfections.... the printing press will not miss those imperfections, especially when there are gradients of any kind involved! (banding)

That is why I asked in practice what this would help on... Since this kind of curves layer "preset" is rarely talked about in here or in other forums.

I can understand the imperfections arising in gradients were you can see them with the naked eye but let's talk skin with texture. Can this be seen as easily with the naked eye or does the printing press bring it up?

Don't get me wrong I'm asking because I have no idea nor at a quick glance could I see the problem in the gradient the OP posted in the example until you pointed out that you should look for minor imperfections.

[cricket1961]

It's an invaluable tool for finding all that is mentioned above and for masking uses.
Don't limit yourself to just one version of the Solar Curve. Where one Solar Curve might show you nothing wrong, another can easily point out problematic areas.

Chris

[KarimNassar]

very interesting thanks for sharing

[bakerser]

Originally Posted by cricket1961

It's an invaluable tool for finding all that is mentioned above and for masking uses.
Don't limit yourself to just one version of the Solar Curve. Where one Solar Curve might show you nothing wrong, another can easily point out problematic areas.

Chris

Thank you for making an extremely key point with use of these.

[Jixxy]

Interesting tip. hadn't heard of doing this before.

[Isedo]

Great post guys, can anyone post more exemples in beauty retouching and explain which is the way doing more than one solar curve? I mean how to decide how to make it?

Thanks

[Isedo]

Here is my fast try, it's a very interesting technique. Need to study it little bit more.

Starting to remove shadow with clone tool that is under the curves layer, to much flat for now but it's just an exemple of what we can do with it.

[namphoto]

I got to school as a photographer but every time in class (we have seven hour classes) and I'm editing with solar curves, people look at me and think, 'wow that's a stupid photoshop effect'. But that's okay, because there ignorance is my bliss. Moral of the story? I don't know..

[Quantum3]

Originally Posted by namphoto

I got to school as a photographer but every time in class (we have seven hour classes) and I'm editing with solar curves, people look at me and think, 'wow that's a stupid photoshop effect'. But that's okay, because there ignorance is my bliss. Moral of the story? I don't know..

HAhaha... I must say it happens to me the same thingin many ways. Ones was when I went to a film seminar dictated by a very important photography director who cannot remember its name but the place was full of people, around 200, and the photography director (the old guy) started to talk very bad about digital technology and also, from a very ignorant point of view, misleading all those film students so I grabed a microphone and informed him about digital, but he didn't listen to me and he was unrespectful, therefore, all the film students laughed at me, so I felt like those avangarde guys which brain is beyond the others minds and the like. A bit of food for the ego, haha... Just let them laugh in their ignorance while I'm stepping very fast or somethng like that (sorry my grammar, but I think you get the point haha).

[Kermy]

yep you may think your retouch is perfect but whack a solar curve on and you'll see all the bits that really aren't perfect. also always cycle through your channels when retouching. if something is a miss on a certain channel but the image looks fine with all channels on, the chances are this error will show up when printed...

[Quantum3]

Originally Posted by Kermy

yep you may think your retouch is perfect but whack a solar curve on and you'll see all the bits that really aren't perfect. also always cycle through your channels when retouching. if something is a miss on a certain channel but the image looks fine with all channels on, the chances are this error will show up when printed...

Solar Curve is a really interesting topic that I would love to understand, but cannot find a way to use it.

[Kermy]

What I'm going to say is probably technically inaccurate but its the way i use a solar curve. Its not something that you utilise in the final image - its a checker. Its an adujustment layer that I place on, especially in portraiture, when smoothing out skin to see if I am acutally evening out the tones. I don't have one handy but if you use, and I'd recommend any one of Godmother's before and afters. Place a soloar curve as described by Cameraken and you'll see just where the evening out has taken place. Its really a checker adjustment layer that you turn on and off intermittently while you are retouching. You kinda see all the 'invisible' bits that your eyes can't pick up, but its those bits that when tackled will make all the difference to your image...

[Quantum3]

Originally Posted by Kermy

Its really a checker adjustment layer that you turn on and off intermittently while you are retouching.

Ah, yes... That's the thing I needed to know! Thanks Kermy!

[Isedo]

Originally Posted by Kermy

yep you may think your retouch is perfect but whack a solar curve on and you'll see all the bits that really aren't perfect. also always cycle through your channels when retouching. if something is a miss on a certain channel but the image looks fine with all channels on, the chances are this error will show up when printed...

Yeah, since I discovered this techinique i have a lot of different curvers in my preset I made and mu workflow changed a lot, you really can't see some hidden textures in the image if you don't use solar curves.

Thanks Cameraken for starting this thread!

Martin