Popping Color in Bridge

The first video tutorial I ever uploaded to the web demonstrated the “Old School” way of creating a popping colour effect in Photoshop 7. So I thought it fitting that the first of our new screencasts should feature the same technique but with a twist. You can now create the same effect non-destructively in Adobe Bridge or Lightroom using Adobe Camera RAW. Enjoy!

and finally…

© Paul Hackett 2009

If you wish to try this technique in Adobe Photoshop CS4, then one of my favorite ways to create the effect is by using a Black & White adjustment layer. This gives you the option of fine tuning the Black & White element of the effect whilst still retaining a layer mask for revealing the colour element below the adjustment layer. This kind of effect is a bit over done these days but I think it still has its place if used sparingly and detail shots like this one are good place to tuck it into a wedding album.

© Paul Hackett 2009

Remember to set your (B) brush colour to black to reveal the colour in the background layer or if you go too far, white to hide the colour effect and revert to the Black & White adjustments. As a final finishing touch, you can add a little vibrance (Note the difference between the top shot and below) and and maybe some curves to suit your taste but remember to do them as adjustment layers to keep your pixels intact. The settings of both the Black & White adjustment layer and the vibrance are up to you as each image is different, but on this occasion I lightened the red channel of the Black & White adjustment layer to make the liquid in the glass contrast a little more with the background. Enjoy!

Related screencasts & articles.

• Learn How to Create a Better RAW Image with ACR Camera Profiles Mon 15 Feb 2010
• Creatively Creating Mood with Lightroom Mon 11 Jan 2010
• Bridge the Gap to Lightroom 2 Mon 04 Jan 2010