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GreyArea
Joined: 22 Feb 2012
Posts: 20
Location: Yangsan, South Korea
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 Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 1:26 pm Post subject: Soft vs Hard Light: Creating Shadows & Highlights |
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Hey, everyone. Can someone tell me if there's a way to change an image taken with soft lighting so it looks like it was taken with hard lighting? I'm interested in working with black & white images, but I sometimes need to create shadows and highlights where there are none. How can I do that?
Thanks everyone.
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Auieos
Joined: 29 Jan 2010
Posts: 2019
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| Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 2:14 am Post subject: |
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Your best two options to make shadows and highlights harder and softer would probably be.
Image > Adjustments > Shadows/Highlights
Image > Adjustments > Exposure
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GreyArea
Joined: 22 Feb 2012
Posts: 20
Location: Yangsan, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 4:40 am Post subject: |
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Thanks, Auieos. I'll give it a shot. Will that create highlights and shadows where there are none, though?
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thehermit
Joined: 05 Mar 2003
Posts: 3987
Location: Cheltenham, UK
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| Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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Photoshop can only alter or create pixels, in this case it seems that you want to create shadows, it would seem the only way to do this is to build it yourself. How is another thing.
I would go for a gradient fill inside a feathered selection (channel) and build up the effect with a little help from masks. It would help to see the image though or your attempt thus far  Just helps to give direction or advice.
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If life serves you lemons, make lemonade! |
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GreyArea
Joined: 22 Feb 2012
Posts: 20
Location: Yangsan, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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That might work. I'll give that a shot. Thanks.
The images I'm working with are mostly nudes. Can we post those here?
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Auieos
Joined: 29 Jan 2010
Posts: 2019
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| Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 3:56 am Post subject: |
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GreyArea
Joined: 22 Feb 2012
Posts: 20
Location: Yangsan, South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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Perhaps I can use the next best thing. In the image below, for example, what if I want to make it look like the light is coming from the left, but I only want a highlight that goes just along the left edge of both arms and her face? See what I'm saying? Right now, she's got shadows on the right side of her arms and face. I want to extend those shadows left until there's just a highlight on the left side of the arms and face. How can I do that?
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Frank1263
Joined: 09 May 2012
Posts: 221
Location: Spain
PS Version: CS6
OS: Windows 7
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seaco
Joined: 31 Dec 2009
Posts: 729
Location: UK
PS Version: CC
OS: Windows 10
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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If you mean like this then it was all done with a levels adjustment layer then I reduced the saturation a bit and that's it!
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thehermit
Joined: 05 Mar 2003
Posts: 3987
Location: Cheltenham, UK
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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The simple fact is that it depends upon your source material. If you want that kind of image it is not really possible (without looking faked) to do it post process. Good lighting of the subject when shooting is the most vital. Faking light sources convincingly when nature/lighting has determined that shadows fall in a certain way is problematic to say the least.
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If life serves you lemons, make lemonade! |
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