This tutorial will show you how to create an effect that will make all your pictures look more dramatic by using Photoshop. This effect is used very often on documentary pictures to emphasize the emotions.
01. Open a picture that has some edge to it – either a very emotional picture or a picture of an old person, since they tend to have that special something in them.
02. Go to Image – Adjustments – Levels and move the black arrow a bit inwards to make the picture a bit darker. Press OK.
03. Then go to Image – Adjustments – Curves and make a small S out of the line to bring more contrast to the picture. Press OK.
04. Duplicate the layer (right click on the layer and choose Duplicate) and go to Image – Adjustments – Black and White and move the values to get a very contrasty black and white. Press OK.
05. Now go to Filter – Other – High Pass and set the value not too high. Press OK.
06. Set the high pass layer to Hard light and lower the opacity. Then take the burn tool, set the strength low 5-10% and go over darker places to darker them even more. Then take the Dodge tool and do the same but this time lighten up the lighter parts.
07. Create a new empty layer (Layer – New – Layer) and go to Select – Color Range, set it high and press OK. Now you have a crazy selection going on.
08. While the selection still on, go to Edit – Fill. A popup opens. There Use: Color and choose a dark green color. Press OK. Now set the green layer to Soft Light and also lower the opacity.
09. Now go to Image – Adjustments – Curves and add some more contrast to your green layer. Press OK.
And your picture is ready to tell a story.
