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DigPhoto / Shoot Like a Pro! Digital Photography/ King/ 2949-7 / Chapter 8
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Shoot Like a Pro! Note also that the Photoshop Elements Variations filter, as well as similar filters in some other programs, appears at first glance to provide controls for adjusting the amount of red, green, and blue only. But when you decrease red, green, or blue, you simultaneously add the color that’s in the opposite position on the color wheel. In case you’re not familiar with the color wheel: Red is opposite cyan; green is opposite magenta; and blue is opposite yellow. So if you want to add yellow, for example, you decrease blue. If you’re really into digital color manipulation, check out color-effects packages such as those in the Color Efex Pro! line from nik multimedia. I used the Brilliance/Warmth filter, shown here, from the Complete Collection to produce the final image on Page 27 of the color insert, adding a golden glow to the ruins without also toning down the sky. Like most effects filters, the ones in the Color Efex Pro! family are Photoshopcompatible plug-ins; they work with any photo editor that accepts such plug-ins, not just Photoshop. Prices range from $70 to $300, depending on the version of the product you choose. For more information and free demos, visit www.nikmultimedia.com.
Making Gray Skies Blue: Using a Polarizing Filter On days when skies are less than photogenic, you may be able to coax a little more blue out of the clouds by using a polarizing filter. In clear weather, the filter can make blue skies even more so.
Chapter 4 provides a detailed description of how polarizing filters work.
As an example, see Page 28 of the color insert. The top image shows the sky as it really was on the day I took this picture—mostly cloudy, with just the vaguest hint of blue. With the help of the polarizing filter, the lower left image shows a respectable amount of blue. It’s not ideal, but it’s certainly more pleasing than the first image, assuming that you’re not going for that life-is-dismal, all-is-lost mood.
P:\010Comp\VirClass\949-7\ch08.vp Tuesday, June 24, 2003 5:49:26 PM