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View Full Version : Photoshop CS2 Tutorial : The VELVIA Look


jayhan
03-16-2007, 06:48 AM
Many people would wanna have a try to obtain that vibriant and vivid colors of a Fujifilm's Velvia... especially on landscape shots where you can get nice beautiful fresh green and that magnetic blue sky which you seem to have you eyes stuck on to. Here's a little guide on how you can achieve that look with your digital images.

1. Firstly, you would obviously need to have a properly exposed photo. This is particularly true for landscapes since you need to get a good exposure on the skies as well as the foreground. Use a CPL and ND grads whenever possible, otherwise any VELVIA technique also wont be able to help. :P

Ok, now just open up the image you wanna edit, and make a duplicate layer out of it - just like shown in the tutorial pic below.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f44/jayhan78/uploads/1_resize-1.jpg

While the new duplicated layer is being selected, create a new adjustment layer for modifying the color channel. You can do this by going to LAYERS --> NEW ADJUSTMENT LAYER --> CHANNEL MIXER. Just like shown in the next image. A settings menu will pop out asking you to name the new adjustment layer etc etc. Leave these alone. You probably wouldn't wanna mess with these - at least not yet. Once you clicked OK, the channel mixer menu will appear.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f44/jayhan78/uploads/2_resize-1.jpg

Here are the settings you will need to make to achieve the VELVIA outlook. There are 3 outputs: RED, GREEN and BLUE. Under each output, key in the values (at the slider scale or numerical input) with the following:

OUTPUT : RED
RED = 150%
GREEN = -25%
BLUE = -25%

OUTPUT : GREEN
RED = -25%
GREEN = 150%
BLUE = -25%

OUTPUT : BLUE
RED = -25%
GREEN = -25%
BLUE = 150%

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f44/jayhan78/uploads/3_resize-1.jpg

Then click OK! Job done! You have your VELVIA on your screen now!

Well since some people may like the output of such tweaks, while some may find it a little bit too extreme on the vividness, these values can always be tweaked.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f44/jayhan78/uploads/4_resize-1.jpg

One of the techniques I find it simple to use is to adjust the opacity of the channel mixer adjustment layer, to let the original colors blend it and come to live a little bit more. This also gives the photo a little bit more of a natural feel to it. Apart from that, you can also try tweaking the channel mixer adjustment values as well for each output. Example: if you find the blue is too blue for your liking, tweak it down to RED=-12%, GREEN=-12%, BLUE=125% on the BLUE OUTPUT.

Have fun trying this out! :D

JackJack
03-16-2007, 06:57 PM
Thanks for the tips. And with the tips provide, I did this:bouncing:

Before
http://i1.photoblog.com/photos/6092-1173623778-2-l.jpg

After
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y201/LanEvoX/VELVIAIMG_5958.jpg


Just a few step and the picture completely look different now :angelgrin:

ShaolinTiger
03-16-2007, 07:00 PM
Very nice results Jack2, very nice tutorial Jay! Will try it on some landscape picture later.

JackJack
03-16-2007, 07:07 PM
Very nice results Jack2, very nice tutorial Jay! Will try it on some landscape picture later.

hehehe! going to be busy now:D

Freaky
03-16-2007, 09:12 PM
Wow... i like this...

Must create a droplet for this...

jayhan
03-18-2007, 03:53 AM
ahhh what kinda droplet freaky??

just wanna warn that this post processing technique is "dangerous" on human skin color tones. so you might wanna clone out and remove them on the layer mask. :P

ckchowov
03-19-2007, 07:48 AM
Aiseh...i dun have CS2...

Ming
03-24-2007, 04:19 PM
I used 140 and -20 instead for Channel Mixer

Before
213

After
214

blur
04-11-2007, 11:52 AM
woot~woot!! This tip is awesome. I tried with this (coupled with some tweaking of levels & curves as well) :

Before
http://crappypix.meendee.com/pm/lgk_cloudybeach_b4.jpg

After
http://crappypix.meendee.com/pm/lgk_cloudybeach_after.jpg

Cool :cool:

ddkwh
04-11-2007, 02:40 PM
nice tutorial mate. looks like i've got some playing around to do tonight. :redface:

mitmivec
04-11-2007, 03:23 PM
good tutorial

keep up the good work :) :drunk:

sE_vIxEn
04-12-2007, 12:20 PM
ooooooooh, i got some Sekinjang pictures that seems suitable to go thru this PP. will try it out later. :)

ted
04-12-2007, 12:36 PM
Very nice results Jack2, very nice tutorial Jay! Will try it on some landscape picture later.

Thnak you, just the tweaks i am looking for for some outdoor portraiture series that i planned to do lah :D

mamakap
04-12-2007, 05:25 PM
waaa master ted had spoken... :D

noordin
04-12-2007, 06:27 PM
Thanks for the tutorial, jay. Will try it later. :thumbs_up:

calvaryzone
04-12-2007, 11:49 PM
great stuff. will try it out later.

jayhan
04-13-2007, 01:44 AM
Glad you guys find this posting informative and helpful. :)
Just to remind, be careful with skin tones with this PP technique.

Have fun and good luck. :D

sE_vIxEn
04-13-2007, 02:33 PM
mine turned out weird... hmmm... :?

greEn-V
04-15-2007, 12:39 PM
Before
795

After
796

ykgen
04-15-2007, 12:58 PM
can someone try it on portraits.. i'd like to see how is the result, which jayhan said it is dangerous

noordin
04-24-2007, 05:24 PM
can someone try it on portraits.. i'd like to see how is the result, which jayhan said it is dangerous

For me the skin tone in portraits must be natural. Therein lies the problem. Using the method as in landscape will change the skin tone unless that's the effect you want it to be.

jayhan
04-24-2007, 05:59 PM
Noordin : That can be easily solved. Layer mask out the skin part to reveal the orginal (or the prefered skin tone layer) - and you get a vivid colors while maintaining the au naturel skin tones ;)