Photoshop tutorial on cropping, saving, layers, tone

1. 1. Studio photo shoot in class – 6 black and white
edits showing a range of facial features and
camera angles
2. Home photo shoot set for homework – the
same as above
This means you should have 12 edited images in
total which show your experimentation in camera
angle, focus, lighting, mood and atmosphere. Make
each edit count as these are going on your weebly!
TASK 1: COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING STEPS TO A MINIMUM OF 6 IMAGES PER PORTRAIT
PHOTO SHOOT

2. Choosing the right image to edit
Sometimes it can be difficult to choose what image to invest in from your
contact sheet. You are marked on your ability to select the correct image, so
spend some time thinking about it. Below are some tips to help you:
An obvious reject – the
focus is off and so the
intention of the photo to
show details is lost
A better image, however
for the intentions of this
shoot it isn’t right as
there is too much of the
face – but could it be
cropped down? Detailed, in focus where it
should be and shows the use of
aperture, interesting, well-lit
(and obviously edited)

3. Once your
have chosen
your image to
edit, right
click on it
(hold down
ctrl and click
on a mouse
key) and
select open
in Photoshop
CS5

6. This is what the image looks like after opening in black
and white. At this point it is not dynamic enough – there
is not enough contrast (difference) between the darkest
and lightest points and most of it is a dull grey tone – this
is why you need to adjust the colour bars.
This has been changed too much.
Although the freckles have come out
more, the ear and background look
fake and poorly edited – it is too harsh.
This shows more attention to
detail (the freckles and ear, eye)
but still looks reasonably
realistic. Make sure your edits
compliment your image and
show it’s strengths.

7. Click back onto “layers” and select the “levels” adjustment layer. You can use this to make some
final edits to the range of tones you have in your image. This allows you more control over the
highlights and shadows in your image to help create something which is dynamic and
sophisticated.
This is called the
histogram. It shows the
amount of black, mid and
white tones in your image
– notice how at the
moment there is almost no
whites and almost no pure
black tones.
I have dragged the
sliders on the bottom
of the histogram to
create more whites
and more blacks,
increasing the
contrast and making
the image bolder

8. TASK 2: Crop your images to improve
the COMPOSITION
• Apply the following editing technique to all of your black and white images to
show your strength in layout, framing and composition.
Central framing – the focal point
is in the middle of the frame
Rule of thirds – the nose and lips are
all along one of the vertical lines – see
next slide

10. Use “the rule of thirds” for cropping
This is the rule regarding where
to position key bits of information
in your frame so that it feels
balanced and well composed.
This image isn’t actually too bad in terms of
composition, but the chin feels like it is taking
up too much room. By using the crop tool,
you can plan so that your key focal points sit
on one or more of the corners of the
rectangle in the middle of your guide.
Notice how the crack in the lips have been placed
on this cross, a scientific way to organise the
composition of your images
The final image may only seem slightly
different, but it feels more considered and
evenly spread and you will be marked on
how well you recognise these key
compositional details!

11. SAVING YOUR WORK….
When saving in Photoshop you can do this 2
ways:
1. If you have not finished editing and want to
be able to access your layers again, save it
as a Photoshop file (PSD) – WARNING – this
makes the file size considerably large so
only do this when you need to (do this
today)
2. If you are finished and are sure you do not
need to make anymore changes, or are
ready to upload to weebly, save your image
as a JPEG (JPG) – WARNING – although
smaller in size this will compress your layers
and so you will not be able to access them
again