ModelMayhem.com - new technique: work around brush or D&B in actions

Forums > Digital Art and Retouching > new technique: work around brush or D&B in actions

Retoucher

Posts: 125

Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

Hi all,

Today I'm glad I finally figure out a method to work around brush or D&B or anything in ACTIONS, which I've been wondering for long. When it comes to actions, the main problem is: after playback of an action, you can come back to do some changes(including brush or D&B), but if there's a combine layer somewhere above, all your changes can not influence the final result.

Here's my thought, let me show you with an example: Say my workflow (not an action yet) has a series of steps, in the middle there're 2 layers: the first layer on which I brush something (or D&B or anything similar which will not be recorded in an action), and the second combine layer(by ctrl_shift_alt_E), and then I do an USM sharpening to this combine layer.

Now I'll record an action for all the steps, except I don't brush (or D&B etc.) anything on the first layer, 'coz it can not be recorded; and I'll change the second layer into smart object, before doing that USM sharpening on it. Also I'd like to rename the first layer to be "+++ brush here", and the second layer to be "+++ re-combine this and move USM over", just as markers.

After recording action, I can playback on some photo, after playback, I just hide all layers above the first layer, brush/D&B on the first layer, re-combine layers, change to smart object, then move USM sharpening over to this layer, then hide the second layer, finally unhide all above layers.

The logic is: if later on you change some combine layer, all the ABOVE adjustment layers like curve, HSL, BW, selective color, etc. will not be influenced; only something like sharpening attached to that combine layer will be influenced. So, by changing that combine layer into smart object and move the sharpening over, I can easily keep the sharpening or any adjusting which is NOT an adjustment layer.

Am I clear? Any idea?

P.S. : I made an illustration for this, it's not english interface but you sure can tell what layers they are. Of course hide and unhide layers should be done in the 3rd picture.

Apr 01 16 06:01 am Link

Retoucher

3869283

Posts: 1464

Sofia, Sofija grad, Bulgaria

Sharpening is a destructive process.

Why would you include it in your workflow at all?

Apr 01 16 06:43 am Link

Retoucher

findart

Posts: 125

Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

anchev wrote:
Sharpening is a destructive process.

Why would you include it in your workflow at all?

Sometimes sharpening is needed, for example for some landscape photography. But my point here is : sharpening is just an example for any adjustment other than an adjustment layer.

Apr 01 16 04:47 pm Link

Retoucher

3869283

Posts: 1464

Sofia, Sofija grad, Bulgaria

findart wrote:

Sometimes sharpening is needed, for example for some landscape photography. But my point here is : sharpening is just an example for any adjustment other than an adjustment layer.

I do landscape photography and I never sharpen my images. Sharpening destroys image detail, it does not enhance it. True sharpness comes from the optics, not from digital manipulation.

Anyway got your idea. I don't see it as a new technique but as you ask if it is clear - maybe you better make it more visual if you want to share if someone finds it useful. It's too wordy now and difficult to follow.

As a whole it's one of the workarounds on the fact that Photoshop is not a node based image editor and comes with more limitations due to the linearity of the workflow.

Apr 01 16 05:03 pm Link

Photographer

J O H N A L L A N

Posts: 12221

Los Angeles, California, US

anchev wrote:

I do landscape photography and I never sharpen my images. Sharpening destroys image detail, it does not enhance it. True sharpness comes from the optics, not from digital manipulation.

Yep - a whole lot of people confuse detail and sharpness. Sharpening doesn't increase detail, it just enhances the illusion of detail by enhancing edges of contrast. True detail you get from optics, sensor resolution, and camera's signal path.

Apr 01 16 05:24 pm Link

Retoucher

findart

Posts: 125

Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

J O H N A L L A N wrote:

Yep - a whole lot of people confuse detail and sharpness. Sharpening doesn't increase detail, it just enhances the illusion of detail by enhancing edges of contrast. True detail you get from optics, sensor resolution, and camera's signal path.

Guys we're talking about photoshop, nowadays retouching is becoming more and more important, because, in my opinion, hardware alone can not create enough 3D feeling from a 2D photo, all the techniques like D&B or sharpening&bluring help to enhance the comparison, hence 3D feeling.
In another angle, photograghy is about telling the feeling in the field, no matter how good the hardware is, it's not enough comparing with your feeling. Retouching helps to enhance something, including sharpness, if that something is just your feeling you want to tell.

Apr 01 16 07:19 pm Link

Retoucher

findart

Posts: 125

Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

anchev wrote:

Anyway got your idea. I don't see it as a new technique but as you ask if it is clear - maybe you better make it more visual if you want to share if someone finds it useful. It's too wordy now and difficult to follow.
.

You are right. I added an illustration.

Apr 01 16 10:51 pm Link

Retoucher

3869283

Posts: 1464

Sofia, Sofija grad, Bulgaria

The purpose of D&B is completely different from giving a 3D feeling.

I will refrain from commenting further.

Apr 02 16 03:45 am Link

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