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Who uses curves?

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fretsonfire

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I am just starting to get into curves, and I think it has incredible potential! First off, I was just wondering who uses curves as a pp staple.

Second, I was wondering if you guys could share where you learned about or how you learned about using curves. Im trying to find an easy to understand book, or article, that can get me into curves, and beyond the basics. I really want to learn how to do this right.
Any help, or opinion is greatly appreciated!

--
http://provethesunshine.smugmug.com/
http://shudderrelease.blogspot.com/
 
fretsonfire said:
I am just starting to get into curves, and I think it has incredible
potential! First off, I was just wondering who uses curves as a pp
staple.
Second, I was wondering if you guys could share where you learned
about or how you learned about using curves. Im trying to find an
easy to understand book, or article, that can get me into curves, and
beyond the basics. I really want to learn how to do this right.
Any help, or opinion is greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...
I wouldn't stay at home without it!

For me, it's the most commonly used tool, in all projects and in a variety of color and blend modes. I strongly recommend that you gain an understanding of how it works as it will open many doors for you.

Here are a few of many ..

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/photoshop-curves.htm
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORM6AZY19pw

This one is good .. scroll down to the 5 curves tutorials
http://ronbigelow.com/articles/articles.htm

Cheers.

GGB
http://www.pbase.com/pictek
 
Curves is very deep and not recommended for Pshop newbies.
Its an easy way to destroy a photo. Learn Pshop "Levels" first.

Levels is a basic fundamental editing tool in Pshop. Learn this and
you'll get a good idea of how "Curves" works later on.

Wayne B.
=====================
fretsonfire said:
I am just starting to get into curves, and I think it has incredible
potential! First off, I was just wondering who uses curves as a pp
staple.
Second, I was wondering if you guys could share where you learned
about or how you learned about using curves. Im trying to find an
easy to understand book, or article, that can get me into curves, and
beyond the basics. I really want to learn how to do this right.
Any help, or opinion is greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...
 
The original poster asked about Curves; he/she said nothing about not knowing Levels or about wanting to learn about Levels.

In any event, the Curves dialog box in Photoshop CS3 has a histogram superimposed just like the Levels dialog box did in earlier versions. So whatever small advantage Levels had in terms of having a histogram display no longer exists.

To the OP, here's my favorite Curves tutorial: http://www.thegoldenmean.com/technique/curves1.html

The site also has a number of other very helpful Photoshop tutorials.
WBirch said:
Levels is a basic fundamental editing tool in Pshop. Learn this and
you'll get a good idea of how "Curves" works later on.

Wayne B.
=====================
fretsonfire said:
I am just starting to get into curves, and I think it has incredible
potential! First off, I was just wondering who uses curves as a pp
staple.
Second, I was wondering if you guys could share where you learned
about or how you learned about using curves. Im trying to find an
easy to understand book, or article, that can get me into curves, and
beyond the basics. I really want to learn how to do this right.
Any help, or opinion is greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Check out the Curvemeister tutorials; you don't need to purchase the plug-in just download the trial version. They used to offer a intensive free class on Curves but I don't know if they still do; I took it about 2 years ago. You can probably find out by poking around their website: http://www.curvemeister.com/tutorials/index.htm
 
Adjustment layers are non destructive to your images and allow a far greater control. you can go back any time during your work flow to change your settings.

If you are going to use curves to add contrast set your blend mode on your curves adjustment layer to luminosity so you don't alter any colour values.

If your want to do some colour correction set your blend mode on your curves adjustment layer to colour.

Less is more.
--
http://www.pbase.com/carrhighlander
 
this is one of the best and most useful threads I have read here. Thanks especially for all of the good links.

Jerry
 
Curves

Best Curves movie:

http://www.totaltraining.com/videos/TOT_0006.mov

See this for the above link:

http://web.archive.org/web/20051225050425/http://www.totaltraining.com/videos/TOT_0006.mov

Setting anchor points and choosing parts of the image one wants to adjust – Cheap trick 1.
Establishing gray point for color cast correction – Cheap tricks 2 and 3.
http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/13811-1.html
more grid lines
http://www.thegoldenmean.com/technique/curves1.html

Curves

http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorial/curves/
http://www.naturephotographers.net/mh0702-1.html
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/command_primer.shtml
http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/photoshop-curves.html

Curves

http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/18118-3.html
http://epaperpress.com/psphoto/index.html
(go to 'color correction' in the left frame, then 'curves'.)

http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/13486-2.html

S-curves samples

http://www.outbackphoto.com/workshop/photoshop_corner/essay_17/essay.html
B&W toning
http://www.butzi.net/articles/toning.htm

http://www.nyphotographics.com/ftppage.htm

Curves adjustment layer tutorial

http://graphicssoft.about.com/library/uc/jwoodscontent/HighlightVignette.pdf

--
Kent

http://www.pbase.com/kentc
tutorial archive:
http://porg.4t.com/KentC.html
 
I use curves all of the time.

But until I knew how to use them, the results were terrible, and so avoided using curves due to the bad results, and even thought that curves had little practical use.

I also recommend Professional Photoshop by Dan Margulis, he strongly emphasizes the use of curves, but how to use them well.

His method is 'by the numbers', in that neutral tones - white, gray, and black - in the original image need to be adjusted by curves so that the RGB numbers of these neutral tones are equal. This is basically an advanced method of ensuring good white balance while enhancing contrast and colors.

Here are the basics: find the brightest white and darkest black that ought to retain some detail, and using curves, adjust the white RGB values so that are equal to 240,240,240 and the blacks so that the values are 25,25,25. (These numbers are approximate and depends on circumstances, but are good starts.) Then find a gray tone and make all of its RGB values equal.

Not only will this give you white balance, it will also increase contrast and colors in your image.

Obviously many or most photos won't have pure neutral tones, so you ought to experiment with curves using suitable subjects. Or you may want to put a specially-designed neutral photo target in the photo to help.

I neutralize maybe more than 95% of my photos, with the exception of photos taken in candlelight or sunsets, where retaining the color of lighting is important.
 
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