Highlight/Shadow tool in Photoshop

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D

06/03/2006 10:03:13 AM · #1

I've been wondering about the Highlight/Shadow tool in Photoshop. What are your thoughts? What's good about it? What's bad about it? Do you use it?

Louis

Nikon D800

06/03/2006 10:07:02 AM · #2

Originally posted by maggieddd:

I've been wondering about the Highlight/Shadow tool in Photoshop. What are your thoughts? What's good about it? What's bad about it? Do you use it?

If you've used it, you've probably noticed that it can both bring up underexposed areas, and tone down very exposed (not blown) areas, so long as there is picture information available. It can be a very dramatic effect, and will particularly improve underexposed images to the point where it seems well-exposed.

It's bad because it can be overdone. As with unsharp mask, it can create "haloes", or ghosting, around the areas it's used on, which give the image an over-processed, amateurish look. Use with restraint and a delicate touch.

maggieddd

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

06/03/2006 10:08:46 AM · #3

Originally posted by Louis:

Originally posted by maggieddd:
I've been wondering about the Highlight/Shadow tool in Photoshop. What are your thoughts? What's good about it? What's bad about it? Do you use it?

If you've used it, you've probably noticed that it can both bring up underexposed areas, and tone down very exposed (not blown) areas, so long as there is picture information available. It can be a very dramatic effect, and will particularly improve underexposed images to the point where it seems well-exposed.

It's bad because it can be overdone. As with unsharp mask, it can create "haloes", or ghosting, around the areas it's used on, which give the image an over-processed, amateurish look. Use with restraint and a delicate touch.

thanks! Yes, I tried it and it seems like an awesome tool but I've noticed that it can also make pictures very noisy.

Message edited by author 2006-06-03 10:09:11.

kenskid

Nikon D700

06/03/2006 10:12:51 AM · #4

I use it mainly when I have a shot that has "shadows" on important parts of the shot. It is very good at taking the shadows out while not increasing the highlights!

It is useful to me in "basic" editing. Why?...Well in basic rules you cannot "mask" nor can you "apply" correction to the image unless it is to the "whole" image. However, using shadow/highlight, you can correct only shadows or only highlights or "both". So in basic challenges, it may give you an "edge" if you have use for it!

KS

Originally posted by maggieddd:

I've been wondering about the Highlight/Shadow tool in Photoshop. What are your thoughts? What's good about it? What's bad about it? Do you use it?

MayaM

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

06/03/2006 10:26:47 AM · #5

If you want to see some of the dramatic effects highlight and shadow can add...see the Landscape Learning Thread. It is now a long tread, but there are some great examples.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

06/03/2006 10:35:18 AM · #6

Originally posted by MayaM:

If you want to see some of the dramatic effects highlight and shadow can add...see the Landscape Learning Thread. It is now a long tread, but there are some great examples.

For the most part, these images on the landscape thread use a technique called "contrast masking" to lighten the shadows and mute the highlights. I don't have CS2 so I don't have the shadow/highlight tool. I had always assumed it was an automated version of contrast masking, but several people have remarked that contrast masking does a more seamless job...

For what that's worth... I'd guess shadow/highlight works very well in moderation, but that in extreme instances other techniques like contrast masking or even a move into HDR compositing may be required.

R.

MayaM

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

06/03/2006 11:34:17 AM · #7

Right Bear, highlight/shadow it is the automated version of contrast masking with a few more bells and whistles built in. To me...contrast masking does not degrade the image like highlight/shadow can.

David.C

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

06/03/2006 02:04:13 PM · #8

FWIW, shadow/highlight seems to stretch the pixel values (much like Levels does), so yes contrast masking does a better job. This isn't based on any knowledge of the inner workings of s/h, just my feeling after having used it and not liked the results. Probably just me not knowing how to use it -- or trying to do too much with it.

Also, the shadow/highlight tool is in CS as well as CS2. :D

David

cheekymunky

Canon EOS-40D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

06/03/2006 02:42:36 PM · #9

I found something on the luminous-landscape (which I cant find again!) that had a similar effect to S/H, but without the haloing, again it had to be used in moderation.

I think it went something like this:
1) duplicate layer
2) grayscale
3) invert
4) Layer mode to "Overlay"
5) reduce opacity to taste

I really like the result, I saved an action for it and I find it quite useful, is it the same as the 'contrast masking' you talk about?

Cheers
MARK

06/03/2006 03:27:06 PM · #10

Originally posted by cheekymunky:

Here is an FYI for DPCers...

The technique we call "Contrast Masking" here at DPC is different from most of the rest of the web even though both address the same goal. That is, you tone down the highlights and brighten the shadows. They just do it with different physical techniques.

The method you describe is what most of the rest of the web calls "contrast masking". The part you left out is that you apply gaussian blur to the inverted "overlay" layer to something like 30-50 I think. Makes that layer blurry. :) It is eqiuvalent to applying a feathering to your "contrast mask".

Technically speaking, neither "contrast mask" method is a "mask" at all as defined in modern image editing software. "Contrast masking" is a terminology carried over from photography before digital came along. In image editors a "mask" is a black and white alpha channel attached to a layer that modifies the visibility of that layer's effect on the rest of the image. They are those white boxes you always see on the right side of every adjustment layer you create and "masks" can be manually added to any other layer as well.

It is all a little confusing. ;)

yanko

Carl Zeiss 50mm ZE f/1.4 Planar T for Canon

06/03/2006 04:42:43 PM · #11

The shadow/highlights tool is also good for creating images that look like drawings since it can flatten the tones in the image. If you are new to it the best way to learn is to experimenting with it. Just like with neatimage and everything else people will try and set boundaries and rules for you. My advice is to just ignore that. You'll never learn anything if you just limit yourself to using "presets" only. My .02 cents.

cheekymunky

Canon EOS-40D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

06/03/2006 04:43:49 PM · #12

Thanks for clearing that up steve! I'll add in the blur as well!

raish

Olympus C-2500L

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

06/04/2006 07:17:45 AM · #13

Originally posted by stdavidson:

The technique we call "Contrast Masking" here at DPC is different from most of the rest of the web even though both address the same goal. That is, you tone down the highlights and brighten the shadows. They just do it with different physical techniques.

The method you describe is what most of the rest of the web calls "contrast masking". The part you left out is that you apply gaussian blur to the inverted "overlay" layer to something like 30-50 I think. Makes that layer blurry. :) It is eqiuvalent to applying a feathering to your "contrast mask".

So does the non-DPC "contrast masking" become DPC "contrast masking" by the added use of gaussian blur, or is the DPC method more radically different?

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

06/04/2006 11:19:24 AM · #14

Originally posted by raish:

So does the non-DPC "contrast masking" become DPC "contrast masking" by the added use of gaussian blur, or is the DPC method more radically different?

That is a good question. Short answer: No, gaussian blur does not make it DPC "contrast masking".

In fact gaussian blur is an area of control, feathering, that it has which the DPC method does not have. That does not imply, however, that it is better.

Both methods have the same general goal to brighten the shadows and darken the highlights but they appear to do it in somewhat radically different ways and are fundamentally different.

I suppose, like a lot of things, one technique might work better in some situations than the other. One method is not "better" than the other.

DPC "contrast masking", championed by Bear_Music, was originally published in a Scott Kelby book, I believe. It fundamentally depends on this mysterious key command - "ctrl-alt-~" (or "Command-Option-~" on Mac). It makes a "feathered highlights" selection. There is no control over what is actually selected or how much feathering there is. It just is what it is. There is no feathering control unlike the non-DPC method.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

06/04/2006 11:29:24 AM · #15

Originally posted by stdavidson:

... this mysterious key command - "ctrl-alt-~" (or "Command-Option-~" on Mac). It makes a "feathered highlights" selection. There is no control over what is actually selected or how much feathering there is. It just is what it is. There is no feathering control unlike the non-DPC method.

Once you've made the selection, can't you feather it some more with the Select > Feather... command?

06/04/2006 11:49:03 AM · #16

Originally posted by MayaM:

You are correct, but the reason for that is the "bells and whistles" allow you to really screw things up if you don't know what you are doing. It gives you far more control over what you can and cannot do with shadows and highlights than DPC's "Contrast Masking" method does. And with control must come knowledge and understanding. It is a very, very sophisticated dialog box. It even includes mid-tone and color adjustments. Why should you have that control when just working on shadows and highlights?

Shadow/highlight is a powerful feature of CS2 but requires a great deal of knowledge and understanding to use it effectively. I know, I haven't figured it out yet either. ;)

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

06/04/2006 11:59:54 AM · #17

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by stdavidson:
... this mysterious key command - "ctrl-alt-~" (or "Command-Option-~" on Mac). It makes a "feathered highlights" selection. There is no control over what is actually selected or how much feathering there is. It just is what it is. There is no feathering control unlike the non-DPC method.

Once you've made the selection, can't you feather it some more with the Select > Feather... command?

I stand corrected. You can further feather the already feathered selection by chosing "Select->Feather". What that does is spreads out the selection more and can ultimately be used to soften the overall "contrast mask" if that is desired. What you can't do is go the other way and reduce the feathering to increase the effect.

raish

Olympus C-2500L

06/04/2006 12:05:31 PM · #18

Many thanks, but the tilde (~) thing is probably not on the same key on my Scandinavian keyboard. Where is it on the English/American one?

elru21

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

06/04/2006 12:10:28 PM · #19

Originally posted by stdavidson:

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by stdavidson:
... this mysterious key command - "ctrl-alt-~" (or "Command-Option-~" on Mac). It makes a "feathered highlights" selection. There is no control over what is actually selected or how much feathering there is. It just is what it is. There is no feathering control unlike the non-DPC method.

Once you've made the selection, can't you feather it some more with the Select > Feather... command?

I stand corrected. You can further feather the already feathered selection by chosing "Select->Feather". What that does is spreads out the selection more and can ultimately be used to soften the overall "contrast mask" if that is desired. What you can't do is go the other way and reduce the feathering to increase the effect.

Just an idea, but I guess you could go into quick mask and do Filter>Minimum on the highlight selection. It seems like this would reduce the feathering in a fashion, and increase the effect. Or what about Filter>Noise>Median? Both are ways of contracting the selection and smoothing it in some automated way.

I don't think that these ideas work at all in the way that Shadow/Highlight does, I just thought I would throw them out there for the discussion.

Liza

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

06/04/2006 12:13:06 PM · #20

Originally posted by raish:

Many thanks, but the tilde (~) thing is probably not on the same key on my Scandinavian keyboard. Where is it on the English/American one?

On the American keyboard it is the far left key on the top row, just below the "Esc" key (which might not be labeled "Esc" on yours.. LOL!)

Here we type must first hold down the "shift" key and then type the ~ (tilde) character to get it.

Message edited by author 2006-06-04 12:16:43.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

06/04/2006 12:15:28 PM · #21

It's pretty weird, because when you save the Highlight selection (Ctl-Alt-Tilde) what you get is a pretty nice grayscale version of the image, which doesn't react completely normally to image adjustments like Curves.

I'm gonna try this next time I have to make a Color > Grayscale conversion.

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

06/04/2006 12:25:09 PM · #22

Originally posted by GeneralE:

You touched on an interesting debate. Most people call what Ctl-Alt-Tilde does a "feathered highlights" selection. Others call it a "luminosity mask" and not true highlights. I think you just proved them right!

Btw, you can make exactly the same selection by "ctrl-click"ing the RGB alpha channel.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

06/04/2006 12:39:03 PM · #23

Steve mentions that you can't change what's selected in the "cntrl-alt-tilde" process, but there's a way around that:

Make a duplicate layer from BG: go to "image/adjustment" and alter that layer with levels or contrast/brightness: do your cntrl-alt-tilde layers off the altered layer, then toss or make invisible the altered layer and proceed from there. I will frequently do this if I want to increase the contrast or luminosity of an image that is too flat; it can be much more subtle than levels, especially. I'll screen the highlights layer and use multiply or soft light mode on the shadows layer.

R.

Rgarcia

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus M.Zuiko ED 75-300mm f4.8-6.7 II

06/04/2006 12:44:52 PM · #24

I discovered this tool last year with Photoshop CS and I use it a lot!! It didn't take long to came across all the "cons" described in the other posts, but for me it's a very useful tool.
Sometimes you can even use it's "cons" to your benefit!

More details here.