How to desaturate only shadows?

[momentcapture]

Hi Everyone

I'm just wondering it it's possible to desaturate certain areas of an image, either highlights, mid tones or shadows.

What I'm looking to is to selectively desaturate (not completely) the shadows within an image and not based on any particular colour etc.

Anyone have any ideas how to do such a thing?

Thanks

[madclark]

Select>Color Range Shadows, new Hue Saturation layer.

You're welcome.

[momentcapture]

^^^
Thanks very much indeed.

[momentcapture]

Thanks again, below is the 'look' I was trying to achieve.

http://momentcapture.co.uk/jimbo3.jpg

[Flashtones]

Not saying this is a perfect match, but it's done with one HSL adjustment layer and no masking. Just individually targeting the Red, Green and Yellow channels. Worked better in my testing than a luminosity mask.

[onesh0t]

Try:
Duplicate layer
Add mask (white)
Apply image (to the mask)
Blending mode: Multiply
Adjustment layer: Hue/Saturation.
Invert the mask if needed, I can't remember which one targets the shadows.

This method gives you a different selection than madclark's method and is self-feathering.

[P_fuzz]

try a BW layer in softlight mode

[Sergy Manko]

Try adding a Curves Adjustment, blend it to Saturation, and drag the shadows point up, than adjust midpoint down a bit to bring back saturation in midtones.

[momentcapture]

Thanks guy's I'l have to do some experimenting and report back.

Your help has been very much appreciated.

Cheers

[momentcapture]

Originally Posted by Sergy Manko

Try adding a Curves Adjustment, blend it to Saturation, and drag the shadows point up, than adjust midpoint down a bit to bring back saturation in midtones.

Just tried this, it works perfectly.

Many many thanks.

Rhys

[Sergy Manko]

Originally Posted by momentcapture

Just tried this, it works perfectly.

Many many thanks.

Rhys

You're welcome

[kav]

There are a lot of ways. It may involve some fairly simple masking but once you do have a sufficiently smooth mask for the shadows, I would suggest color correcting them to some degree rather than straight out removing saturation. Just to give an example say they're too red. Do your masking, make an adjustment layer (color balance, curves, etc.) bring down the reds in the shadow region with an anchor toward the midtones so as to primarily affect the shadow values. This is to prevent too many issues if you do hit a bit of the midtone as well or if you have any sharp transitions. Sometimes it works better than just lowering the saturation anyway.

[momentcapture]

Originally Posted by P_fuzz

try a BW layer in softlight mode

Thanks, I'v been experimenting with this, and this works well also.

[P_fuzz]

Originally Posted by momentcapture

Thanks, I'v been experimenting with this, and this works well also.

its a pretty good tool to get the desat high contrast look... play around with the layer style options, especially blend if to bring back dark areas!

[andrewrodney]

Duplicating the document, converting that dupe to CMYK and using just a modified black channel (modified by pulling curves on it), then using it as a selection is another way to target just shadows. Once loaded, you can use Hue/Sat or similar to reduce saturation in just shadows from this mask.

[Flashtones]

I don't know why I see the example image so much differently than others:

http://momentcapture.co.uk/jimbo3.jpg

I don't see the desaturation as shadow based so much as specific colors (Red and yellow/green). More like negative Vibrance, or HSL to certain colors while adjusting their luminance as part of the move. But there's no doubt that the lighter tones of green are also desaturated.

Can someone show me what they've gotten with a shadows based approach?