Help with learning new ps technique!

I've been following the behind-the-scenes videos over at F-stoppers. One of the videos is of a photo shoot where the models look like they're surrounded by lava (click here).

At 4:44 in the video, they have a progression of steps in their processing that I've been trying to simulate, just to learn new things and add tricks to my tool bag. Specifically, the step where they add in the "tone" (where they have a caption "Play with the tones") is where nothing that I'm trying seems to get exactly that effect. (I took screen shots of the video so I could compare apples-to-apples while playing around in ps, since the tone effect doesn't require sharpness)

Anyone have any ideas on what tools I can play around with in ps for that?

yunaiseng wrote in post #10671149
I've been following the behind-the-scenes videos over at F-stoppers. One of the videos is of a photo shoot where the models look like they're surrounded by lava (click here).

At 4:44 in the video, they have a progression of steps in their processing that I've been trying to simulate, just to learn new things and add tricks to my tool bag. Specifically, the step where they add in the "tone" (where they have a caption "Play with the tones") is where nothing that I'm trying seems to get exactly that effect. (I took screen shots of the video so I could compare apples-to-apples while playing around in ps, since the tone effect doesn't require sharpness)

Anyone have any ideas on what tools I can play around with in ps for that?

Tones = curves or levels.

Thank you for that

I actually spent a while playing with different combos of curves, levels, and saturation adjustment layers with different blending modes, but I'm not getting anything satisfactory. Do you have more specific suggestions?

It looks to me as if he also made a mask for her and then applied a lot of blending adjustments to the background. If you want that "look" start by masking off your subject and applying a layer with a "color" blending mode over it (make the color a darker orange). That should get you in the ballpark. Then dodge and burn some more to get it looking more like you want it.

Add new layer, fill with color, change blend mode to either color, overlay, soft light, and pull back opacity. It is the long way of doing what photo filter does instantly but with colors of your choice.


Step 1 and 2. Open image create a new layer.

uhm...i was closely paying attention....to the models LOL....

he says in the comments that he reimported the same image using a different exposure setting.....thats 1 thing he did...

looked like he played with the multiply blend mode to get the darker tone then probably some color balance to give color to the model's skin...if im not mistaken it went a lil bronzy....maybe a lil high pass filter to make it more grungy....

you can try and make a color layer then make it color blend mode then mask....i think he also did some sort of "cover with a black layer then dodge out areas to make the model standout more"

Ah, I think the color layer is the one that I was missing! Thanks for the suggestions! I'll try playing around with that first!

I've found that a lot of Photoshop tutorials seem to either skip gaily past important details, or misname key strokes. It is really difficult sometimes to figure out what they actually mean from what is said/written. You'd think that anyone claiming to be an expert would avoid making him/herself look that stupid.

Lowner wrote in post #10674462
I've found that a lot of Photoshop tutorials seem to either skip gaily past important details, or misname key strokes. It is really difficult sometimes to figure out what they actually mean from what is said/written. You'd think that anyone claiming to be an expert would avoid making him/herself look that stupid.

That's why we have Scott Kelby books!

Lowner wrote in post #10674462
I've found that a lot of Photoshop tutorials seem to either skip gaily past important details, or misname key strokes. It is really difficult sometimes to figure out what they actually mean from what is said/written. You'd think that anyone claiming to be an expert would avoid making him/herself look that stupid.

i think this is more of a "my secret" type of thing thats the reason they go over it in general terms...