A Photoshop question and A touch up question

[scw1217]

I have been reading Martin Evening's book, Adobe Photoshop 6.0 for photographers, and he had an interesting segment on removing fogged film cast from photos. This is where the right or left side of a photograph has a red line. I have several photos that this would be great for, if I can just figure it out. I am relatively new to Photoshop, and my problem is sometimes he says to use a certain photoshop tool and I can't figure out what he's talking about. I will type the paragraph in question and then perhaps one of you can point me in the right direction:

"The exposure is a bit uneven though. It looks a little darker on the fogged, right-hand side. Option/Alt-click the Create new adjustment layer button in the Layers palette. This will create a new adjustment layer, but show the New Layer options dialog where you can check the box which says "Group with Previous Layer. This will make a clipping group of the subsequent levels adjustment with Layer 1"

Okay, my question is what is he talking about when he says "Option/Alt-click" I see nothing called "Option" and just Alt and then click with the mouse does nothing.

2nd question - What is a clipping group?

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Another subject - In a really old photo that has a lot of little white spots over the people. What is the best method for getting them out. Cloning takes tons of time and sometimes leaves it choppy looking to me instead of smooth. I noticed there was a challenge photo with a lot of what I am referring to.


Thanks for any advice I can get. I wish I could learn what to use a lot faster than I seem to be doing. I am achieving some excellent results the hard way, I think. But the layers and masking thing is still going over my head a bit.

Suzanne

[Doug Nelson]

"Option" is the Mac equivalent to "Alt".

A clipping group is an image along with its mask (that determines the 'clipped' area).

For lots of white specks that are whiter than any part of the image, I like using the threshold adjustment on a duplicate layer, then using that as a mask to essentially 'cut out' the specks, to show through another duplicate layer that I've run dust/scratches on. I used this technique in the animated demo I posted here.

And please keep to one topic per thread.

[DJ Dubovsky]

Option/Alt-click the Create new adjustment layer button in the Layers palette. This will create a new adjustment layer, but show the New Layer options dialog where you can check the box which says "Group with Previous Layer.

What this means is that you hold down the Alt button (because you have a PC) and at the bottom of the layers palette you will see a half black, half white circle. That's the adjustment layer. While still holding down the alt and clicking on that circle you will get a list of adjustment choices. For instance, you click on levels and instead of getting an adjustment layer you get a dialog box that allows you to check a box "Group with Previous" which creates a clipping group with the previous layer. That means instead of applying that levels adjustment to all other layers, it only applys it to the layer below it. You will know it's grouped because it will have a little arrow pointing down on the layer in the layers palette.

In the case of your photo, the layer you would group it with is the band of fog you selected and placed on it's own layer so that you could apply the adjustment to only that portion of the image.
Does that help you? If not let us know and we will try to explain it better. It can get tricky sometimes.
DJ

[scw1217]

That makes sense, but what I don't get is that I get the options without hitting the alt key. I have a drop down menu. Is that the same menu he is talking about, or am I totally lost?

I will have to re-read and re-read your message to let what you said sink in about the layer part. That part always sends me for a loop.

Suzanne

[DJ Dubovsky]

Yes, it's the same drop down menu but when you are holding the alt key and click on the item in the drop down menu, you go to a dialog box called "New Layer" that allows you to check "Group with Previous Layer" Where as just clicking on the circle without the alt held down you will automatically bypass that option box and go straight to the adjustment dialog box.

The alt/click option in the book was just a quick key command.
Here's a way to get that same option with out having the confusion of holding down the alt key.

Go to the Layer menu at the top of the Photoshop window and in that drop down list click on New Adjustment Layer. Then choose the adjustment you want from that list and click on it. Now you will automatically go to the "New Layer" option box where you can check the "Group with Previous Layer" option.

That should help clear things up for you.
DJ