Hi George. I watched a lot of your videos and they are all very great. However this one is a hell of a trick that i am very glad of it. This technique is awesome to retouch portrait. Glad to have found you !
Another excellent tutorial. I have always had difficult cloning skin and making it look natural just using the cloning tool. This frequency separation technique looks so much better. Thank you.
I like that you elaborated more in this video the explanation of why and when to use the texture and color layers. As always, your videos are excellent tutorials with PSE. I also like the fact that you indicate in the titles of your tutorials how far back with previous editions of PSE these techniques will work.
Hi DrinkingStar, Thanks! This Frequency Separation technique can be used in versions of Photoshop Elements going back to at least version 7, I limit my list of versions in the title more by the look of the PSE interface than anything else. In Photoshop Elements 11 Adobe changed the look of the program and simplified it quite a bit. Personally I prefer the older interface, but what can you do when Adobe decides to change? And my biggest complaint still is that Adobe dropped their great Slideshow tool in version 11 and replaced it with something that is practically useless. I keep a copy of PSE 10 on my system just so that I have the older Slideshow tool which is great. George
Thank you so much for your videos. I was so disappointed moving from Lightroom on one computer to Elements (not my personal choice) thinking I was not able to edit how I wanted. I feel like I would never have figured out this layering technique and levels on my own.
Great tutorial George thank you. As a point of interest, I did notice in the first tutorial (Part 1) when you blurred the color layer you turned of the textured layer and the comparison layer relative to the color layers position. In the Part 2 tutorial you blurred the color layer without turning off the two textured layers above its position. Would the blurring effect from the Gaussian blurr be less effective due to the above textured layers being turned on?
Hi Brian, the visibility of the other layers has no effect on the Gaussian Blur which only affects the one selected layer. I turned off the visibility for the other layers in the first video for demonstration purposes only, to more easily show the Gaussian Blur effect. George
Hi George, I learned a lot from the video. Why would you not use the spot healing tool to get rid of the small imperfections instead of the clone stamp tool?
HI Gary, when using the Frequency Separation technique you are taking the color from one area that is correct and putting it onto another small area that does not have the correct color. Keep in mind that when you are fixing color issues with Frequency Separation you are working on the blurry layer and when fixing spot blemishes you are working on a high contrast layer. Since the Spot Healing tool makes color and value adjustments automatically the results are not predictable when using Frequency Separation. If I was not using Frequency Separation to do this type of finishing retouching I would use a combination of the Spot Healing Tool and the Clone Stamp Tool, but with Frequency Separation I would stay with the Clone Stamp Tool. George
Agreed. Though I can TRULY appreciate the thought process here by George... this is way, and I mean way too complicated a process for something in which a 'quick tool' is already created for. I get that this is a deep, more specific way of doing this via the diverse tools available in PSE...but just can't fathom the purpose when so many quicker values in tools are clearly present. Not trying to knock the vid, in fact, I've watched it numerous times in open hope I could see a clear benefit about it. I can't. In the end, I admit it might be me... but great tutorial nonetheless...
Hi Victor, not exactly sure what you are asking. If you are asking about saving the file just use File/Save in the File menu or use the shortcut keys ctrl+s to save. If you are asking if the steps can be saved as an Action, then the answer is no. Photoshop Elements cannot save Actions. If you have Photoshop though you can save the steps as an Action and then use that Action in Photoshop Elements. I will be putting up a video on how to use Photoshop Actions in Photoshop Elements tomorrow. But back to this video, if you have Photoshop already then this project is better handled in Photoshop as it is a much better photo editing application. Personally I love Photoshop Elements for two reasons, its cheap and it is simple. Adobe Photoshop is too expensive for many people and it is insanely complicated. I hope that something in there answers your question George
Hi Annie, you need to select the layers you want to merge for merge layers option to show up. If it still does not show up then hide all of the layers you don't want to merge and use merge visible. Same thing really. George
I appreciate the encore lesson, this is a truly amazing technique! Question, on the color adjustment, if you do not have a good source to clone stamp from, does it work to make a smaller selection area and use a brush with a large feathering? I would think to adjust the opacity to let some detail through would work. With this said, your method should work 90% of the time if not more. Your thoughts??? Rich
Hi Rich, If you don't have a good area of color to copy from then you need to take care of that problem first before starting with this technique. Frequency Separation editing is a final finishing step used to give a portrait or other image that last bit of perfection. Other problems such as color balance and tone should be handled first. On a difficult portrait I would use other techniques to get as close as possible then finish with the Frequency Separation. My order of working on an image would be: Adjust image brightness/contrast Adjust color balance Fix major flaws Then maybe to go Frequency Separation More specifically to your question, you can take this technique to a further step by creating a second blur layer at a higher blur setting and putting that blur layer above the Color layer. Then give that blur layer a Black layer mask which will hide the whole layer, then use White with a soft brush on that layer mask to show that blur through to the image. Take a look at the blog post that I reference on the video support page, he goes into more detail then I did in the video. The larger blur setting on that 2nd blur layer will give you a smoother color area to draw from. And if you really want to dig deeply into this type of portrait editing there are a couple of links in that blog post to other sites/posts with more great info. George
Thanks George, you nailed it for me, my order of work flow was flawed. I went through the process as you recommended and got better results. I usually follow such an order, just jumped the gun on this one. I like the concept and will use it a lot going forward. Thanks for keeping it easy to understand. Thanks again! Rich
I love this technique you just taught. I was wondering if you can also use this trick on males? I have a photo I took of a young man who has bad acne. I don't want him to end up with feminine skin.
Hi Susan, this technique will work for either men or women, or horses for that matter. To keep the young man from looking too pretty just don't take the retouching too far and make sure that you don't lose the texture of the skin. You can also try minimizing the acne by using the Hue/Saturation Enhance to tone down the reds in the skin. Just set the drop down to Red and then bring down the settings to help minimze the red, then do the Frequency Separation which should always be the last step. George
Hi, in this video I am using the Clone Stamp tool set at a small size and soft edge. You could also use the Spot Healing brush with Frequency Separation as well. George
Hi Tony, basically you separate out the image into 2 detail frequency ranges. Low frequency is your values and colors, high frequency is your details. By separating the two you can do more precise photo retouching. Here is another video on how to do frequency separation: ruclips.net/video/pV-FVMd27h8/видео.html George
George, I just finished your Elements training paid series. Very informative! One skill I'm still missing after watching every video of yours I can find; How can I change a few strands of grey hair back to the original hair color using Elements 2018? My current subject is a redhead woman w long red hair and just a few individual strands of greys, but unfortunately in certain lighting the greys really pop. I've tried color replacement brush, but can't get it to color just a single strand of hair accurately. I'm guessing there is a separation method using Elements that I'm not aware of? Pls help! Thank you, Jeremiah
Hi Jeremiah, unfortunately there is no way to easily separate out a strand of gray hair to colorize it. This is because gray isn't a color, it is instead a value. If you tried to mask for a value it would mask out loads of stuff on the picture, not just the gray hair. What I would do would be to fix it by hand. Zoom into the spot where the gray hair is and using the Eyedropper tool grab the hair color near the gray hair. Now make a new layer above the gray hair and using a very small brush paint on top of where the gray hair is, you can go a little beyond, it will be ok. You now have a solid color line on top of the gray hair. Next change the blend mode on that layer to Color. That will blend just the color of that stroke into the gray hair behind it, essentially colorizing the gray hair. If your color stroke overlapped into the regular hair behind it you will not see much effect since it will be blending the same color back onto itself. Using the new layer allows you to adjust the opacity of the layer and maybe even change the color a bit or vary the color for a better fix. George
George, your advice & videos have been spot on. I feel like I'm quickly outgrowing Elements and am looking to upgrade. I'm also not thrilled w the Elements Organizer, even w a faster drive installed on my Laptop it still tends to bog down. I do like the general layout of Organizer, being able to click from Organizer into Elements Editor, the search features are nice, and the facial recognition is fairly accurate. I assume the natural upgrade would be to Photoshop CC monthly plan? I've heard the Refine Edge Selection tools are more accurate in Photoshop CC, have you found this to be true? Most plans bundle Lightroom CC which sounds great for batch edits and other features. Do you have any input on this? Would you still keep and use Elements Editor and/or Organizer? My primary photography is "People". Portraits in studio & outdoors w various OCF & lighting, lots of outdoor activities, etc. Facial recognition has been a nice feature, as is the "Adjust Facial Features" tool in Elements. Pending your input and if I do upgrade to Photoshop CC & Lightroom CC, I'm hoping you have a Training Course available?
Hi Jeremiah, it sounds like you are serious so I would recommend going for Photoshop CC. Lightroom is nice if you do a lot of photography, I consider it almost an interface between your camera and Photoshop. You can do quite a bit of basic stuff quickly in Lightroom and then if needed you can go over to Photoshop for the trickier stuff. Be aware that Photoshop CC is a massive program and you need to make sure your laptop can handle it. Loads of memory, hard drive space, speed etc. Adobe will give you a 30 day test on Photoshop and Lightroom so you can try them out before you purchase to see if they will work for you. I personally have not seen any difference between Refine edge in either program as far as accuracy goes, but the controls are a bit different in Photoshop. I keep both PS and PSE on my work computer just for some of the cool stuff that PSE has that is lacking in Photoshop, like Adjust Facial Features, and all of the included clip art and graphics. For the record I love Photoshop Elements but I do all of my professional work in Adobe Photoshop. I am working on new training for Photoshop CC 2018 right now, followed by training for the latest Lightroom next. George
Thank's George, I really appreciate the timely & informative response. Apologies for the delayed response from me, the last few weeks have been a whirlwind between Holidays & Work. I'm going to try the 30 day trial of Photoshop CC and look forward to your Tutorial!
With photoshop elements you can not make any "actions" yourself. Does an action exist to make the right color and texture layers?? If so, how can I get it??
HI Rob, I don't know of any Actions for doing the Frequency Separation but it really only takes about a minute once you learn the steps. The Elements Plus plugin has a Frequency Separation set up tool as part of its massive list of features. You can find out more about Elements Plus here elementsplus.net/ and here is my review of this plugin ruclips.net/video/4_RCLvvuz_A/видео.html George
I'm curious if the Plus is enough of a boost to Elements to avoid the need for upgrading to Photoshop CC? Did the Plus improve your selection tools, specifically the refine edge tool? From what I've seen on friends Photoshop CC, the selection tool is "smarter" than in Elements.
Hi Jeremiah, really haven't seen a difference in the Refine edge tool between PS and PSE, but people tend to work with smaller and lower resolution images in PSE so it may not look as clean. Really the same thing though. Elements + is a really neat plug in and it adds a lot of power to PSE but it does not bring it anywhere near PS in power. If you are serious you should go for Adobe Photoshop. I will be doing a lot more videos for Adobe Photoshop plus adding in Lightroom into the mix as well this coming year. George
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Hi George. I watched a lot of your videos and they are all very great. However this one is a hell of a trick that i am very glad of it. This technique is awesome to retouch portrait. Glad to have found you !
Thanks Marco! This is a really useful technique for doing those final touches that take a picture from good to perfect.
George
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Another excellent tutorial. I have always had difficult cloning skin and making it look natural just using the cloning tool. This frequency separation technique looks so much better. Thank you.
You're welcome Sandy! This is a very useful technique for final touchups.
George
I like that you elaborated more in this video the explanation of why and when to use the texture and color layers. As always, your videos are excellent tutorials with PSE.
I also like the fact that you indicate in the titles of your tutorials how far back with previous editions of PSE these techniques will work.
Hi DrinkingStar, Thanks!
This Frequency Separation technique can be used in versions of Photoshop Elements going back to at least version 7, I limit my list of versions in the title more by the look of the PSE interface than anything else. In Photoshop Elements 11 Adobe changed the look of the program and simplified it quite a bit. Personally I prefer the older interface, but what can you do when Adobe decides to change? And my biggest complaint still is that Adobe dropped their great Slideshow tool in version 11 and replaced it with something that is practically useless. I keep a copy of PSE 10 on my system just so that I have the older Slideshow tool which is great.
George
Thank you so much for your videos. I was so disappointed moving from Lightroom on one computer to Elements (not my personal choice) thinking I was not able to edit how I wanted. I feel like I would never have figured out this layering technique and levels on my own.
You're welcome Danielle, Elements is really quite powerful if you know the tricks.
George
howtogurus.com
This video is really easy to follow. Thank you.
You're welcome qdvvuis67
George
Excellent!!!!! Thank YOU!
You're welcome Ricardo!
George
Great tutorial George thank you. As a point of interest, I did notice in the first tutorial (Part 1) when you blurred the color layer you turned of the textured layer and the comparison layer relative to the color layers position. In the Part 2 tutorial you blurred the color layer without turning off the two textured layers above its position. Would the blurring effect from the Gaussian blurr be less effective due to the above textured layers being turned on?
Hi Brian, the visibility of the other layers has no effect on the Gaussian Blur which only affects the one selected layer. I turned off the visibility for the other layers in the first video for demonstration purposes only, to more easily show the Gaussian Blur effect.
George
Hi George, I learned a lot from the video. Why would you not use the spot healing tool to get rid of the small imperfections instead of the clone stamp tool?
HI Gary, when using the Frequency Separation technique you are taking the color from one area that is correct and putting it onto another small area that does not have the correct color. Keep in mind that when you are fixing color issues with Frequency Separation you are working on the blurry layer and when fixing spot blemishes you are working on a high contrast layer. Since the Spot Healing tool makes color and value adjustments automatically the results are not predictable when using Frequency Separation. If I was not using Frequency Separation to do this type of finishing retouching I would use a combination of the Spot Healing Tool and the Clone Stamp Tool, but with Frequency Separation I would stay with the Clone Stamp Tool.
George
That's great information. Thanks George!!
: )
Agreed. Though I can TRULY appreciate the thought process here by George... this is way, and I mean way too complicated a process for something in which a 'quick tool' is already created for. I get that this is a deep, more specific way of doing this via the diverse tools available in PSE...but just can't fathom the purpose when so many quicker values in tools are clearly present. Not trying to knock the vid, in fact, I've watched it numerous times in open hope I could see a clear benefit about it. I can't. In the end, I admit it might be me... but great tutorial nonetheless...
really nice video. Can you tell me if we have the option to save in a one action?
Hi Victor, not exactly sure what you are asking. If you are asking about saving the file just use File/Save in the File menu or use the shortcut keys ctrl+s to save. If you are asking if the steps can be saved as an Action, then the answer is no. Photoshop Elements cannot save Actions. If you have Photoshop though you can save the steps as an Action and then use that Action in Photoshop Elements. I will be putting up a video on how to use Photoshop Actions in Photoshop Elements tomorrow. But back to this video, if you have Photoshop already then this project is better handled in Photoshop as it is a much better photo editing application. Personally I love Photoshop Elements for two reasons, its cheap and it is simple. Adobe Photoshop is too expensive for many people and it is insanely complicated.
I hope that something in there answers your question
George
That true. Thanks for answer.
I don’t have merge layer on my version. Should use merge down or merge visible layers?
Hi Annie, you need to select the layers you want to merge for merge layers option to show up. If it still does not show up then hide all of the layers you don't want to merge and use merge visible. Same thing really.
George
I appreciate the encore lesson, this is a truly amazing technique! Question, on the color adjustment, if you do not have a good source to clone stamp from, does it work to make a smaller selection area and use a brush with a large feathering? I would think to adjust the opacity to let some detail through would work. With this said, your method should work 90% of the time if not more. Your thoughts???
Rich
Hi Rich, If you don't have a good area of color to copy from then you need to take care of that problem first before starting with this technique. Frequency Separation editing is a final finishing step used to give a portrait or other image that last bit of perfection. Other problems such as color balance and tone should be handled first. On a difficult portrait I would use other techniques to get as close as possible then finish with the Frequency Separation. My order of working on an image would be:
Adjust image brightness/contrast
Adjust color balance
Fix major flaws
Then maybe to go Frequency Separation
More specifically to your question, you can take this technique to a further step by creating a second blur layer at a higher blur setting and putting that blur layer above the Color layer. Then give that blur layer a Black layer mask which will hide the whole layer, then use White with a soft brush on that layer mask to show that blur through to the image. Take a look at the blog post that I reference on the video support page, he goes into more detail then I did in the video. The larger blur setting on that 2nd blur layer will give you a smoother color area to draw from. And if you really want to dig deeply into this type of portrait editing there are a couple of links in that blog post to other sites/posts with more great info.
George
Thanks George, you nailed it for me, my order of work flow was flawed. I went through the process as you recommended and got better results. I usually follow such an order, just jumped the gun on this one. I like the concept and will use it a lot going forward. Thanks for keeping it easy to understand.
Thanks again!
Rich
The second blur layer helps quite a bit also.
I love this technique you just taught. I was wondering if you can also use this trick on males? I have a photo I took of a young man who has bad acne. I don't want him to end up with feminine skin.
Hi Susan, this technique will work for either men or women, or horses for that matter. To keep the young man from looking too pretty just don't take the retouching too far and make sure that you don't lose the texture of the skin. You can also try minimizing the acne by using the Hue/Saturation Enhance to tone down the reds in the skin. Just set the drop down to Red and then bring down the settings to help minimze the red, then do the Frequency Separation which should always be the last step.
George
Hello, what is the brush your using? Thanks for the video.
Hi, in this video I am using the Clone Stamp tool set at a small size and soft edge. You could also use the Spot Healing brush with Frequency Separation as well.
George
Thanks.
: )
George, great videos...btw, what does frequency separation mean?
Hi Tony, basically you separate out the image into 2 detail frequency ranges. Low frequency is your values and colors, high frequency is your details. By separating the two you can do more precise photo retouching. Here is another video on how to do frequency separation: ruclips.net/video/pV-FVMd27h8/видео.html
George
How is this method different from the script in elements+?
It does the same thing, but you don't have to use Elements+ with this method
George, I just finished your Elements training paid series. Very informative! One skill I'm still missing after watching every video of yours I can find; How can I change a few strands of grey hair back to the original hair color using Elements 2018? My current subject is a redhead woman w long red hair and just a few individual strands of greys, but unfortunately in certain lighting the greys really pop. I've tried color replacement brush, but can't get it to color just a single strand of hair accurately. I'm guessing there is a separation method using Elements that I'm not aware of? Pls help! Thank you, Jeremiah
Hi Jeremiah, unfortunately there is no way to easily separate out a strand of gray hair to colorize it. This is because gray isn't a color, it is instead a value. If you tried to mask for a value it would mask out loads of stuff on the picture, not just the gray hair. What I would do would be to fix it by hand. Zoom into the spot where the gray hair is and using the Eyedropper tool grab the hair color near the gray hair. Now make a new layer above the gray hair and using a very small brush paint on top of where the gray hair is, you can go a little beyond, it will be ok. You now have a solid color line on top of the gray hair. Next change the blend mode on that layer to Color. That will blend just the color of that stroke into the gray hair behind it, essentially colorizing the gray hair. If your color stroke overlapped into the regular hair behind it you will not see much effect since it will be blending the same color back onto itself. Using the new layer allows you to adjust the opacity of the layer and maybe even change the color a bit or vary the color for a better fix.
George
George, your advice & videos have been spot on. I feel like I'm quickly outgrowing Elements and am looking to upgrade. I'm also not thrilled w the Elements Organizer, even w a faster drive installed on my Laptop it still tends to bog down. I do like the general layout of Organizer, being able to click from Organizer into Elements Editor, the search features are nice, and the facial recognition is fairly accurate.
I assume the natural upgrade would be to Photoshop CC monthly plan? I've heard the Refine Edge Selection tools are more accurate in Photoshop CC, have you found this to be true? Most plans bundle Lightroom CC which sounds great for batch edits and other features. Do you have any input on this? Would you still keep and use Elements Editor and/or Organizer?
My primary photography is "People". Portraits in studio & outdoors w various OCF & lighting, lots of outdoor activities, etc. Facial recognition has been a nice feature, as is the "Adjust Facial Features" tool in Elements.
Pending your input and if I do upgrade to Photoshop CC & Lightroom CC, I'm hoping you have a Training Course available?
Hi Jeremiah, it sounds like you are serious so I would recommend going for Photoshop CC. Lightroom is nice if you do a lot of photography, I consider it almost an interface between your camera and Photoshop. You can do quite a bit of basic stuff quickly in Lightroom and then if needed you can go over to Photoshop for the trickier stuff. Be aware that Photoshop CC is a massive program and you need to make sure your laptop can handle it. Loads of memory, hard drive space, speed etc. Adobe will give you a 30 day test on Photoshop and Lightroom so you can try them out before you purchase to see if they will work for you.
I personally have not seen any difference between Refine edge in either program as far as accuracy goes, but the controls are a bit different in Photoshop.
I keep both PS and PSE on my work computer just for some of the cool stuff that PSE has that is lacking in Photoshop, like Adjust Facial Features, and all of the included clip art and graphics. For the record I love Photoshop Elements but I do all of my professional work in Adobe Photoshop.
I am working on new training for Photoshop CC 2018 right now, followed by training for the latest Lightroom next.
George
Thank's George, I really appreciate the timely & informative response. Apologies for the delayed response from me, the last few weeks have been a whirlwind between Holidays & Work. I'm going to try the 30 day trial of Photoshop CC and look forward to your Tutorial!
With photoshop elements you can not make any "actions" yourself. Does an action exist to make the right color and texture layers?? If so, how can I get it??
HI Rob, I don't know of any Actions for doing the Frequency Separation but it really only takes about a minute once you learn the steps. The Elements Plus plugin has a Frequency Separation set up tool as part of its massive list of features. You can find out more about Elements Plus here elementsplus.net/ and here is my review of this plugin ruclips.net/video/4_RCLvvuz_A/видео.html
George
Thank you, George, I installed the Plus and I like it!
I'm curious if the Plus is enough of a boost to Elements to avoid the need for upgrading to Photoshop CC? Did the Plus improve your selection tools, specifically the refine edge tool? From what I've seen on friends Photoshop CC, the selection tool is "smarter" than in Elements.
Hi Jeremiah, really haven't seen a difference in the Refine edge tool between PS and PSE, but people tend to work with smaller and lower resolution images in PSE so it may not look as clean. Really the same thing though. Elements + is a really neat plug in and it adds a lot of power to PSE but it does not bring it anywhere near PS in power. If you are serious you should go for Adobe Photoshop. I will be doing a lot more videos for Adobe Photoshop plus adding in Lightroom into the mix as well this coming year.
George