`
`foe cen mere eet tereey ee tees Ame
`
`Figure 6.20 I’m going to blame myinability to take a
`straight photo of a glacier on the rocking boat.
`
` 5no 5 8 8 GB
`=e
`
`258 59 \ a8
`
`Figure 6.21 Luckily, iPhoto’s straighten slider lets me
`eliminate the need for the lame excuse.
`
`Chapter 6
`
`Straightening Photos
`Mostof the time, were pretty good at keep-
`ing the horizonlevel in photos, but every
`now and then we messup,as in the picture
`of a glacier in Figure 6.20. Since iPhoto can
`straighten images,it was easy to rotate the
`angle by 1.6 degrees to makeit straight, as
`you can see in Figure 6.21.
`
`To adjust the angle of a photo:
`
`1. Click the Straighten button or press (s) to
`display the straighten tool.
`
`2. Drag theslider to the right to rotate the
`image clockwiseor to theleft to rotate
`the image counter-clockwise, using the
`yellow grid lines as a reference for true
`vertical and horizontal.
`
`3. Whenyou're done,click the X button,
`press (Esc), or switch to any other editing
`feature to save your changes.
`
`V Tips
`
`@ The straighten slider actually zoomsin
`on your photo andcropsitslightly to
`keep the edgesstraight.
`
`m Youcanuse thestraightenslider to tweak
`the angle of a photo up to 10 degrees in
`either direction.
`
`m If 10 degrees isn’t enough (and remem-
`ber that the greater the angle, the more
`iPhoto is cropping), save your changes,
`edit the photo again, and use the
`straightenslider one moretime.
`
`
`
`STRAIGHTENINGPHOTOS
`
`90
`
`101
`
`

`

`
`vY Tips Xue \@N oe
`
`Xno ,@\ oa
`Figure 6.22 The original photo.It’s too dark.
`
`
`Figure 6.23 The photoafterclicking Enhance.It’s a
`lot better.
`
`Editing Photos
`
`Enhancing Photos
`Traditional photo processors learned long
`ago thatfiddling with brightness and con-
`trast and messingwiththecolors could turn
`a plebeian picture into a luminescent photo.
`iPhoto aimsto help you do the samefor your
`photoswithits one-click Enhancefeature.
`
`To enhancea photo:
`
`1.
`
`In edit mode, click the Enhance button.
`iPhoto adjusts several aspects of your
`photo, includingcolorlevels, color
`saturation, and exposure.
`
`ia Press and release
`to toggle between
`the “before” (Figure 6,22—too dark) and
`“after” (Figure 6.23—muchbetter) views
`of your photo.
`
`~ Ifyou like what Enhance has doneto your
`photo, continue working.If not, choose
`Undo Enhance Photo ((Cmd|Z)) from the
`Edit menu.
`
`
`
`SOLOHdDNIDNVHNG
`
`m@ A welcomenewfeature in iPhoto '09 is
`that changes madebythe Enhance but-
`ton are reflected in the Adjust window,so
`you can use Enhanceas a starting point
`for improving photosfurther.
`
`m@
`
`Inmytesting, it appears that Apple has
`significantly improvedthe algorithms
`behind the Enhance button, so it does
`a better job than in previous versions.
`
`m Use Enhance before any other adjust-
`ments, since other changes can result in
`Enhance thoroughly mucking up a photo,
`
`m Don’t assume Enhancewill always
`improve your photo,It’s usually worth
`trying, especially as a starting point for
`additional workin the Adjust window,
`but only you can decideif its results are
`better or worse thantheoriginal.
`
`91
`
`102
`
`102
`
`

`

`Chapter 6
`
`Reducing Red-Eye
`Perhaps the most annoying thing that can go
`wrong in a photographis red-eye, a red glow
`in subjects’ eyes that plagues flash photog-
`raphy. Thanks to iPhoto’s face-detection
`technology, reducing red-eyeis usually easy.
`
`To reduce red-eye in a photo:
`
`1. Click the Red-Eye buttonorpress (1) to
`openthe red-eyetool.
`
`2. Click the Auto button.
`
`This often fixes red-eye accurately, con-
`verting the red shadesto darkgray.If not,
`choose Undo Reduce Red-Eye ((Cma[Z))
`from the Edit menu and continue.
`
`La Adjustthe slider so the mousepointer’s
`size matchesthe subject's pupils.
`
`> Position the circle over each pupil, and
`click (Figure 6.24).
`
`5 Whenyou're done, click the X button or
`switchto any otherediting feature to save
`your changes.
`
`V Tips
`
`
`
`REDUCINGRED-EYE
`
`
`
`Figure 6,24 If the
`Auto button in the
`red-eye toal doesn’t
`work, adjust the
`slider to match the
`
`mouse pointer’s size
`to the size of the
`pupil, position the
`circle over the pupil,
`and click.
`
`WhatIs Red-Eye?
`
`Red-eye is a phenomenonthat occurs
`in photographswhenlight from the
`camera’s flashreflects off the blood
`vessels in theretina of the subject’s eyes.
`It's worse when theflashis close to the
`lens, with youngchildren, with blue or
`gray eyes (whichreflect morelight than
`darker eyes), and in dim settings.
`
`m™ The Auto button fixes red-eye forall the
`facesit can identify in a photo.
`
`You can reducethelikelihood of red-eye
`occurringin thefirst place:
`
`to toggle between
`@ Press and release
`the “before” and “after” views.
`
`@ The Auto button works best when the
`
`subject is facing the camera directly so
`iPhoto can identify a face.
`
`m@
`
`It’s easier to click the subject's eyes accu-
`rately if you zoom infirst.
`
`@ iPhoto’s technique makes people look as
`thoughthey haveblack eyes, and it won't
`work on green-eye in dogs. You may be
`able to achieve better results in other
`image-editing programs. Also consider
`converting the photo to black-and-white.
`
`92
`
`@ Try to cause the subject's pupils to
`contract by increasing the room light,
`asking the person tolookat a bright
`light right before taking the picture,
`or using a red-eye reduction feature
`in your camera (whichpulses the flash
`before taking the picture).
`
`@ Have the subject look slightly away
`from the cameralensrather than
`directly towardit.
`
`@ Ifyour camera supports an external
`flash unit, use it to increase the
`distance between the flash and the
`
`camera lens.
`
`103
`
`103
`
`

`

`=
`28 & Af os
`
`bt eee§
`
`Figure 6.25 The original photo. Note the jelly smudge
`
`
`on the left side ofTristan’s lips. 22 fis & S88
`
`
`
`
`Figure 6.26 You can see how I’m drawing over the
`jelly smudgewith the retouchcircle.
`
`Coee
`5ne A eS 8o
`
`Figure 6.27 Muchbetter!
`
`104
`
`
`
`SOLOH,DNIHINOLAY
`
`Editing Photos
`
`Retouching Photos
`Cindy Crawford's famous mole notwith-
`standing, many otherwise great photos
`are marred by small blemishes. Perhapsit’s
`a smearofjelly on your toddler's face, or
`someone's chappedlips. Either way, iPhoto's
`Retouchtool can help.
`
`To retouch a photo:
`
`1. Click the Retouch buttonorpress (t) to
`openthe retouchtool (Figure 6.25).
`
`2. Adjust the slider to make the mouse
`pointera size that’s a bit smaller than the
`blemish you're trying to remove.
`
`3. Click and scrub over the blemish, using
`short strokes (Figure 6.26),
`iPhoto blurs the area underthe circle
`pointer, blending it with the surrounding
`colors and textures.
`
`to toggle between
`4. Press andrelease
`the “before” (Figure 6.25) and “after”
`(Figure 6.27) views of your photo,
`
`5. Whenyou're done, click the X button or
`switch to any otherediting feature to save
`your changes.
`
`V Tips
`
`@ For additional accuracy, zoom infirst.
`
`@ Retouchis not a panacea.It can fix small
`blemishes but will make large ones look
`like dust bunnies. It works best on skin.
`
`m Avoid the Retouch tool on sharp color
`edges, such as between Tristan’s hands
`and his blue shirt. When the Retouch
`tool hits edges, it smears the sharplines.
`Luckily, you can always undo mistakes.
`
`m Retouch can be good for taking the flash
`shine off eyes or otherreflective surfaces.
`
`93
`
`104
`
`

`

`Chapter 6
`
`Using the Effects Window
`iPhoto’s Effects windowprovidessingle-click
`access to a varietyofdifferent effects.
`
`To
`
`use the Effects window:
`
`1.
`
`Click the Effects button or press ([e]} to
`open the Effects window (Figure6.28;
`next page),
`
`. Click a button in the Effects window to
`apply the associated effect to the current
`photo (Figure 6,29; next page).
`
`Y
`
`Tips
`
`Click the Original button torevert to the
`original look of the photo;this is a fast
`way to undo a numberof changesin the
`Effects window.
`
`For all the buttons other than B & W
`andSepia, clicking the button multiple
`times applies the effect again and again.|
`recommendyou do this because you can
`achieve somereally interesting results
`with multiple applicationsofan effect.
`
`Effect Descriptions
`
`Since the Effects window does a good
`job of showing whattheresult of clicking
`its buttonswill be,refer to Figure 6.28
`on the next page for examples.
`
`@ B& W: Makesthe photo black-and-
`white. Click onceto apply, again to
`remove.
`
`@ Sepia: Makes the photo sepia-toned.
`Click once to apply, again to remove.
`
`@ Antique: Desaturates the color in the
`photo andgivesit a sepia tint for that
`old-time look. Click it multiple times
`to reduce the color saturation and
`replace moreof the color with sepia.
`
`@ Fade Color: Fadesthe color in the
`photo, exactly like moving to the
`Saturationslider in the Adjust win-
`dow to the left. Click it repeatedly to
`removeall color.
`
`
`
`
`
`USINGTHEEFFECTSWINDOW
`
`iPhoto adds a numberat the bottom
`* Original: Returns the phototoits
`of the button to remind you how many
`original look withasingle click.
`times you've clicked, and provides arrows
`so you can reduce the numberofapplica-
`tions of an effect.
`
`Whenyouclick B & W orSepia, iPhoto
`puts a small ON badge underneathso
`you knowit’s on. Click again to remove
`theeffect.
`
`You can combineeffects simply by click-
`ing multiple buttons. For instance, make
`a photolook old by clicking Antique and
`Vignette a few times.
`
`Edge Blur, combined with cropping, can
`be a good wayto focus attention on the
`subject of the photo.
`
`94
`
`@ Boost Color: Increases the color
`saturation in the photo, exactly like
`movingto the Saturationslider in the
`Adjust windowtotheright.Click it
`multiple times to make the photo's
`color truly shocking.
`
`# Matte: Applies a white oval mask
`around the photo.Click it multiple
`times to increase thesize of the mask,
`obscuring moreof thepicture.
`
`@ Vignette: Exactly like Matte, except
`its maskis black, instead of white.
`
`@ Edge Blur: Exactly like Matte, except
`its mask consists of blurred pixels in
`the photo,instead of plain white.
`
`105
`
`

`

`
`mia
`
`Editing Photos
`
`els of Matte and Vignette.
`
`Figure 6.28 To achieve the effects in the photo below,| turned
`on Sepia, boosted the color by 1 level, and applied 5 and 6 lev-
`
`
`
`SNOILdINDS3Q193449
`
`5 a Co
`Rotate
`Crop
`Sualytten
`
`\ ky
`Enhance
`Red-Eye
`
`‘, & Fy
`fRetowch
`Ecce
`Adjust
`
`Done
`
`a =
`
`Figure 6.29 You can apply more than one effect at a time, and some of the effects can be applied multiple times to
`achieve unusual effects.
`
`95
`
`106
`
`106
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`USINGTHEADJUSTWINDOW
`
`Chapter 6
`
`Using the Adjust Window
`The Adjust window enables you to modify
`photosin all sorts of useful ways. Although
`using the Adjust window canbea fair
`amountofeffort,it’s usually worth the
`results.
`
`To use the Adjust window:
`*
`1. Click the Adjust button or press (a) to
`open the Adjust window (Figure 6.30).
`
`2. Drag the varioussliders until the photo
`looks the way you want(see the following
`pages in this chapterfor details).
`
`3. To apply the sameslider settings to
`another image, click the Copy button,
`switch to the other image, andclick
`Paste.
`
`V Tips
`
`m@ Thereis no “right” way to adjust a given
`photoother than whatlooks good to you!
`
`to toggle between the
`@ Pressing
`“before” and “after” views showsyouthe
`view before you started working with the
`Adjust window,not in between the use of
`each individualslider, so it doesn’t help
`discern the effect of a givenslider.
`
`m@
`
`It’s difficult to centera slider, so if you
`decide you don’tlike the effect of one, use
`Undo ((Cmd(Z)) immediately rather than
`tryingto reset it to the middle manually.
`
`@ Click Reset to reset all the sliders to the
`
`middle.
`
`@ Click the X button in the upperleft of the
`Adjust window tocloseit, but note that
`there’s no need to do so unless you want
`to avoid the screen clutter.
`
`96
`
`107
`
`eve teh
`
`¥ Avoid saturating the skin tones
`
`
`
`
`Figure 6.30 Usethesliders in the Adjust window to
`modify the exposure, color levels, sharpness, noise
`evels, and more.
`
`Color Reproduction
`
`I can’t be certain of how thecolors in
`the example photosin therest of this
`chapterwill reproduce onto paper, so
`ifmy comments about what a photo
`looks like and how I adjusted it seem off,
`rest assured that I’m describing whatI
`see on my screen! For moredetails, see
`“Understanding Color Management,”
`starting on page 206.
`
`107
`
`

`

`Figure 6.31 The histogram tends toward the left in
`
`
`dark photoslike this one of Halloween pumpkins.
`the right, as in this Golden Gate Bridge picture.
`
`Figure 6.32 In light photos, the histogram moves to
`
`Figure 6.33 In this well-balanced photo, the histo-
`gram is fairly balanced, neither too far right nor left.
`
`108
`
`
`
`
`
`WVYDOLSIHS13A37]JHLONIGNVLSUAGN)
`
`Editing Photos
`
`Understanding
`the Levels Histogram
`
`Sinceall the sliders affect the Levels histo-
`gram at the top of the Adjust window,it’s
`helpful to understand what it’s telling you.
`
`A histogramis a bar chart with each value on
`the horizontal axis representing a brightness
`value (0 equals black, and 100 equals white)
`and the height of each bar representing the
`proportionate distribution of pixels with that
`brightness value. iPhoto’s Levels histogram
`contains three separate graphs, one each for
`red, blue, and green. I like to think of them as
`mountain ranges.
`
`So, if a picture hasa lot of blue init, the blue
`mountain rangewill probably be large, and
`will likely be on theright side (sinceit’s the
`brightest color). The red and green mountain
`ranges mayalso belarge, but will likely be
`further to theleft, since they're being used
`combinatorially to provide the exact shade
`ofblue that you see.
`
`The histogram for a too-dark photowill be
`pushedoverto theleft (Figure 6.31) and
`one that’s too light will be pushedto the right
`(Figure 6.32). In general, a good photo has
`a balanced histogram, with roughly equal
`areas shownoneitherside of the midpoint
`(Figure 6.33). Balancing the histogram is
`a suggestion,not a rule, but keep it in mind
`when you re editing.
`
`Every photo’s histogram looksdifferent, and
`every change you maketo the contents of
`the imagewill change the histogram in some
`way, since it’s merely another wayof repre-
`senting the contentof the photo.
`
`As welookat each of the Adjust controls, I'll
`explain what each does to the histogram so
`you can use them effectively to create bal-
`anced, attractive photos.
`
`97
`
`108
`
`

`

`Chapter 6
`
`Adjusting Exposure
`Exposureis the most fundamental aspect of
`photography,sinceit refers to the amountof
`light that strikes the camera’s sensor. Most
`cameras control exposure automatically
`and do a goodjob, but they can be fooled or
`set wrong, producing an underexposed (too
`dark) or overexposed (toolight) image. If that
`happens, you'll want to use iPhoto’s Exposure
`slider and its Levels (next page)sliders.
`
`To adjust the exposureof a photo:
`
`@ Inthe Adjust window,drag the Exposure
`slider to theleft to make it seem as
`thoughless light hit the camera sensor
`or to the right to make it seem as though
`morelight hit the camera sensor.
`
`What the Exposureslider does:
`
`This photo of the waterfall in Figure 6.34
`is rather underexposed, thanksto incorrect
`camera settings. By increasing the exposure
`in Figure 6.35,I've lightened the photo and
`brought out moredetail.
`
`Increasing exposure generally squishes
`the mountain ranges andslides them to
`the right, and decreasing exposure makes
`them taller and moves themleft.
`
`V Tip
`
`m You maybeable to achieveslightly better
`(or at least different) effects by using the
`white point(left) and midtone(center)
`Levels sliders, along with the Shadows
`slider to boost detail in the darker areas
`of the image,as I’ve done in Figure 6.36.
`
`
`
`ADJUSTINGEXPOSURE
`
`98
`
`Figure 6.34 This photo, taken with incorrect camera
`
`
`settings, is rather underexposed, and thus too dark.
`scene, | brought out some of the detail.
`
`Figure 6.35 By increasing the exposureto lighten the
`
`Figure 6.36 You can use the Levels controls to do
`much of what the Exposure slider does, possibly with
`better results.
`
`109
`
`

`

`Editing Photos
`
`Adjusting Levels
`The Levels slider under the histogram gives
`you independentcontrols for adjusting the
`black and white points, which define the
`pixels that should be considered pure black
`and those that should be considered pure
`white. Also useful is the midtone control for
`adjusting the overall brightness within the
`new range.
`
`To adjust the levels of a photo:
`
`@ Inthe Adjust window,dragthe left Levels
`slider to the right to set the black point.
`
`# Drag the right Levels slider to the left to
`set the white point.
`
`# Drag the midtoneslider (the center con-
`trol) left to lighten the photoorright to
`darken it.
`
`Whatthe Levelssliders do:
`
`
`
`$13A37]ONILSNfay
`
`Figure 6.37 All the pixels in this image are huddled
`
`
`together in the middle of the histogram.
`picture a little more depth and darkness.
`
`If, when youlook at a photo's histogram,
`you see a blank space between the end of
`the mountain ranges andthe black or white
`points (Figure 6.37), it’s often safe to move
`thosesliders toward the middleof the his-
`togram,whichis conceptually the same as
`grabbing the edges of the mountain ranges
`andpulling them outto the edges of the his-
`togram.In Figure 6.38, I've movedthe black
`point to the right to deepen the shadows;
`it’s redefining what wasa dark gray as total
`black. In Figure 6.39, I’ve moved the white
`point to theleft to set a new value for what
`should be considered white, thus making the
`water glowabit.
`
`Figure 6.38 By redefining the black point, | give the
`
`Figure 6.39 Then, resetting the white point brings up
`the luminosity a bit.
`
`Moving the midtone slider moves the entire
`mountain rangeleft or right, thus brighten-
`ing or darkeningthe entire image but with-
`out going (much) beyond the new black and
`white points. Play with it to get a feel for how
`it might help your photos.
`
`99
`
`110
`
`110
`
`

`

`
`
`ADJUSTINGCONTRAST
`
`Chapter 6
`
`Adjusting Contrast
`The contrast of a photois the difference
`betweenits darkest and lightest areas. With
`too much contrast, you end up with overly
`dark and bright areas; with too little contrast,
`your photo appearsflat.
`
`To adjust the contrastof a photo:
`
`@ Inthe Adjust window,drag the Contrast
`slider to the left to decrease the contrast
`or theright to increase the contrast.
`
`Whatthe Contrast slider does:
`
`In Figure 6.40, | set the Contrast sliderat
`zero to show how it makesthe reflected trees
`indistinct, withlittle difference between
`the light and darkareas. In Figure 6.41,
`I've maxed out the contrast to bring out the
`blacknessof the tree trunks in the white
`pond,
`
`Most photos won't needsignificant contrast
`adjustments; usually a little nudge will beall
`that’s necessary.
`
`Note how the mountain ranges in the histo-
`gram havebeenflattened and spread out by
`the increase in contrast. If] had reduced con-
`trast, the mountain ranges would have been
`squished in and up instead. Put another way,
`increasing contrastdistributes the pixels
`in the photo overa greater range of bright-
`ness values, whereas reducing the contrast
`increases the numberofpixels within a small
`range.
`
`VY Tip
`
`m@ The Contrastslider is a relatively unso-
`phisticated tool. You're betteroff using
`the black and white pointsliders in the
`Levels histogram to set which colors
`should be considered pure black and
`pure white. Also play with the Definition,
`Highlights, and Shadowssliders.
`
`100
`
`
`in an ice-covered pond becomesflat and indistinct.
`
`Figure 6.40 With the Contrast slider all the way at
`zero, this black-and white photo oftrees reflected
`
`Figure 6.41 By increasing the contrast, | made the
`black trees stand outsignificantly more.
`
`What Else Would I Do?
`
`To sharpenthetree trunks and increase
`the difference between white and black
`even more,I'd bring the black and white
`points in, and movethe Definitionslider
`far to the right.
`
`111
`
`111
`
`

`

`leaves distracts a bit from Tonya’s face (especially
`
`
`when the Adjust windowis closed).
`but that’s not the effect | want either.
`
`Figure 6.43 Reducing the color saturation of the
`photo causesit to become almost black-and-white,
`
`saturation, | focus on Tonya’s face while making the
`photo look as though it’s from the 1970s.
`
`112
`
`
`
`NOLLVUNLYSONILSAlay
`
`Editing Photos
`
`Adjusting Saturation
`The saturation of a photo is a measure of
`howintensethe colors are. Highly saturated
`colors are said to be deep, vivid, or rich,
`whereas desaturated colors (think pastels)
`are often thoughtof as being dull, weak, or
`washedout. That's not to say that oneis bet-
`ter than other; it depends on what you want.
`
`To adjust the saturation of a photo:
`
`@ Inthe Adjust window,drag the Saturation
`slider to the left to makethe colors
`weakeror the right to make them more
`intense.
`
`Whatthe Saturationslider does:
`
`In Figure 6.42, Tonya has bright green leaves
`in sunshine behind her, and they distract a
`bit from herface. So | decreased the color
`saturation quite a lot in Figure 6.43. But
`since I wanted to decrease the saturation
`of only the background,in Figure 6.44 |
`selected the “Avoid saturating the skin tones”
`checkbox, which returns Tonyato herorigi-
`nal color and makes herface stand out.
`
`This checkbox, which is new in iPhoto ‘09,
`is absolutely brilliant, andit lets you use the
`Saturation slider in many moresituations
`than before, when iPhoto would have made
`skin overly gray or shockingly ruddy.
`
`Whenyouincrease saturation, the mountain
`ranges moveto theleft (the picture gets a
`little darker) and they tend to separate,since
`each color has more independent brightness
`values (the reds are redder, the greens are
`greener, andthe bluesare bluer).
`
`If you decrease saturation, the mountain
`ranges moveto the right (the picture gets
`lighter) and overlap more. Decreasing the
`saturation entirely causes the mountain
`rangesto overlap entirely, giving you a mono-
`chrome image.
`
`101
`
`112
`
`

`

`Chapter 6
`
`Adjusting Definition
`New to iPhoto ‘09 is the Definition slider,
`which helps you bring outdetails and
`increase contrast in automatically selected
`portions of a photo. Its effect is often worth-
`while, but almost alwaysfairly subtle.
`
`To increase the definition of a photo:
`
`@ Inthe Adjust window,drag the Definition
`slider to the right to increase contrast
`and pull outdetails.
`
`Whatthe Definition slider does:
`
`The photo of milkweedfluff in Figure 6.45
`is interesting largely becauseof thedetail
`of each individual seed pod. By moving the
`Definition to the right, I was able to make
`the edges ofthe hairs moredistinct, as in
`Figure 6.46. ['m not sure how muchofthis
`you'll be ableto see in the print book, but the
`effect is definitely noticeable in iPhoto when
`I press andrelease the Shift key to compare
`versions.
`
`WhatI like about the Definitionslider is
`that it almost always helps photos that
`would benefit from additional detail. The
`main place I've found the Definitionslider
`to be unhelpfulis with faces, particularly
`close-ups. In that situation, the additional
`detail tends to emphasize skin blemishes.
`Nonetheless, I encourage you to try the
`Definition slider when you're workingin
`the Adjust window,justto see if it will help.
`
`Moving the Definition slider to the right
`slightly flattens and spreads outthe histo-
`gram’s mountain ranges, but, as you'll see
`if you try it, not by a huge amount.
`
`
`
`ADJUSTINGDEFINITION
`
`
`fuzzy, but there are details that could be pulled out.
`
`Figure 6.45 This photo of milkweedfluff is a little
`
`Figure 6.46 Maxing out the Definition slider increases
`the detail a bit, without causing any other problems.
`
`What Else Would I Do?
`
`If] wanted to increase detail even further,
`I could increase the sharpnessfor the
`entire photo,Plus, raising the Shadows
`slider would bring out more detail in the
`darker portion of the photo.
`
`102
`
`113
`
`113
`
`

`

`Figure 6.47 The whitecaps on the ocean waves are
`
`
`overexposed and washed out in this photo.
`
`Figure 6.48 By dragging the Highlights slider to the
`right, | can darken the waves enough so that their
`details become visible, all without affecting the rest
`of the photo.
`
`What Else Would | Do?
`
`Using the Shadowssliderwill bring out
`a bit moreofthe detail in Tonya’s and
`Tristan’s faces, bumpingup the Definition
`slider adds a bit more contrast in appro-
`priate spots, and sincethis is actually a
`croppedportion of a larger photo, using
`the Reduce Noise slider smooths out the
`red in Tonya’s shirt.
`
`Editing Photos
`
`Adjusting Highlight Detail
`Adjusting the exposure of a photo lightens
`or darkensthe entire photo. But when you
`havejust a portion of the photo that’s over-
`exposed, you can use the Highlightsslider to
`darken just those too-bright spots, increas-
`ing the detail in thoseareas.
`
`To adjust the
`highlight detail of a photo:
`
`@ Inthe Adjust window,drag the Highlights
`slider to the right to darken the bright-
`est spots while leaving the darker spots
`alone.
`
`Whatthe Highlights slider does:
`
`If you look at the ocean wavesat the top of
`Figure 6.47, you can see that the bright sun-
`light caused them to be overexposed, as the
`cameratried to keep the exposure correct for
`the foreground.By dragging the Highlights
`slider to theright, I darkenedjust the over-
`exposed parts, as you can see in Figure 6.48.
`
`Try usingthe Highlights slider whenever you
`have a photo whereonly partsofit are over-
`exposed, or where adjusting the exposure
`would messup darkareas.
`
`Whenyouincreasethe highlight detail,
`you're flattening the higher mountain peaks
`at theright (light) end of the histogram while
`largely leaving the left (dark) end alone.
`
`103
`
`
`
`
`
`1IVLIQLHDIMHDIPONILsnfay
`
`114
`
`

`

`
`
`
`
`ADJUSTINGSHADOWDETAIL
`
`Chapter 6
`
`Adjusting Shadow Detail
`Whereasincreasing the highlight detail
`helps photos that are overexposed inplaces,
`increasing the shadowdetail improves
`pictures that have too-dark areas mixed with
`properly exposed sections. Again, simply
`increasing the exposure wont work because
`that would blowout the already-light areas.
`
`To adjust the
`shadowdetail of a photo:
`
`@ Inthe Adjust window,drag the Shadows
`slider to the rightto lighten the too-dark
`areas while leaving brighter portions of
`the photoalone.
`
`What the Shadowsslider does:
`
`The problem with Figure 6.49 is obvious—
`the hillside is bathed in shadow, but because
`the cameraset its exposure based on the
`sunlit buildings,the hillside is too dark.
`
`By dragging the Shadowssliderto the right
`a fair amount, I can throw some morelight
`on the darkerareas of the image, increasing
`the detail significantly, as you can see
`in Figure 6.50.
`
`The lesson to take away from thisis that the
`Shadowsslider can rescue photosthat lose
`detail in the dark areas whilestill having
`some bright spots.
`
`Whenyouincrease the shadowdetail, you're
`moving the mountain peaks ontheleft
`(dark) side of the histogram towardthe right
`(light) side while leaving the right end alone.
`
`
`from the right, the hillside is bathed in deep shadow.
`
`Figure 6.49 Because the low sun has been blocked
`
`Figure 6.50 By dragging the Shadowsslider to the
`right, | can increase the exposure on just the shad-
`owedhillside, without blowing out the properly
`exposed buildings or sky.
`
`What Else Would | Do?
`
`Using the Definition slider would bring
`out a bit more detail on the hillside, and
`increasing the saturation would makethe
`green grass and bushesa bit morevivid.
`
`104
`
`115
`
`115
`
`

`

`
`
`
`Figure 6.51 The fine detail in the rusted metal and the
`wire suffers a bit from too much blur.
`
`Figure 6.52 Radically increasing the sharpness
`brought out the fine edge detail in the rusted metal.
`
`What Else Would | Do?
`
`A small increase in saturation might help
`a little, and using the Definition slider
`would bring out even moreof the texture
`in the metal. Raising the Shadowsslider
`would also reveal a bit more detail in the
`darkerareas.
`
`116
`
`
`
`SSANdUVHSONILSNfay
`
`Editing Photos
`
`Adjusting Sharpness
`Manyphotosareslightly blurry due to
`motion of the subject or the camera. You
`can use the Sharpen slider to increase the
`sharpness—the contrast between adjacent
`pixels—andthus sharpenthe perceived
`focus of the photo (sharpeningthe actual
`focus can be doneonly with the cameralens,
`andit’s too late for that).
`
`To adjust the sharpnessofa photo:
`
`# Inthe Adjust window,drag the Sharpness
`slider to theright to increase the sharp-
`ness of the image.
`
`What the Sharpnessslider does:
`
`The photoin Figure 6.51 is a picture of an
`old, rusted pail next to somerusty wire. I had
`good light and managed to hold the camera
`still, but there was still a little more fuzzi-
`ness than I would haveliked. So I increased
`the sharpnessquite a lot in Figure 6.52, and
`I hope you can see that the result is more
`sharply defined edges and textures on the
`rusted metal. I find that many photosare
`similarly improved by increased sharpness.
`
`It’s a little hard to predict exactly what
`changes to the sharpnesswill do to the
`histogram’s mountain ranges, but in general,
`increasing the sharpness tendsto “erode”
`them away, making them shorter and wider,
`whereas decreasing the sharpness makes
`them taller and narrower.
`
`V Tips
`
`@ Be careful when increasing the sharpness
`on photos that contain a lot of mostly
`solid colors, since the increased contrast
`between adjacentpixels will make those
`previously solid colors appear blotchy.
`
`@ Inearlier versions of iPhoto, you could
`reduce the sharpnessofa photo. Use the
`Reduce Noiseslider for that now.
`
`105
`
`116
`
`

`

`Figure 6.53is a photo of the indoor track
`in Barton Hall, at Cornell University. Because
`of the high ceilings and poorlighting (for
`photography), there is quite a lot of noise
`in the solid colored areas of the track, even
`though I wasable to avoid blurbyresting
`the camera onarailing in the stands.
`
`
`
`REDUCINGNOISE
`
`Chapter 6
`
`Reducing Noise
`Photos taken in lowlight conditions can
`suffer from noise, which most commonly
`appearsas spots or blotches within areas
`of solid color. Since we expect areas of solid
`color to be, well, solid, the blotchingis quite
`off-putting.
`
`To reduce the noise of a photo:
`
`@ Inthe Adjust window,drag the Reduce
`Noiseslider to the right to reduce the
`noise and smooth out blotches.
`
`What the Reduce Noiseslider does:
`
`With the Reduce Noise slider, I was able to
`smoothout the blotches in the red of the
`track and the greenofthe infield, as I hope
`you can see in Figure 6.54.
`
`You'll know if you need to use Reduce Noise
`by the blotchesin large areas ofsolid color,
`but expect it most commonlyin pictures
`takenin lowlight conditions.
`
`Reducingthe noise in a photo causes the
`mountain ranges to adopta picket fence
`look, trading their relatively smoothlines
`for a jagged, up-down, up-downdisplay.
`
`106
`
`117
`
`
`light conditions.
`
`Figure 6.53 The red of the track and the green of the
`infield show quite a bit of noise thanks to the low
`
`Figure 6.54 Reducing the noise with the Reduce
`Noise slider blurs the noisy bits to make the end
`result smoother.It will be hard to see the difference
`
`in photos that are so heavily reduced.
`
`What Else Would | Do?
`
`Thelighting conditions in this photo are
`extremely odd, so I would bump up the
`shadow detail, and increase saturation
`a bit too. Note that I would not use the
`
`Definition slider, since it will make the
`solid colors blotchier, as it attempts to
`create more detail.
`
`117
`
`

`

`
`striking by increasing the blue in the sky.
`
`Figure 6.55 There’s nothing really wrong with this
`photo, but | got the idea that | could make it more
`
`Figure 6.56 Lowering the temperature caused the
`slight oranges and pinks from the sunset to be cooled
`down with the addition of blue, making for a more
`interesting photo.
`
`WhatElse Would | Do?
`
`Aboutthe only thing that would behelp-
`ful for this photo would beto increase the
`saturation a bit to make the remaining
`sunsetcolors in the center pop.
`
`
`
`aUNLVAAdW3]ONILSNlay
`
`Editing Photos
`
`Adjusting Temperature
`The temperature of a photo refers to your
`perception of which wavelengthsoflightillu-
`minate the scene in a photo. That’s a round-
`about wayof saying that the Temperature
`sliderlets you adjust the colors of a photo
`from cool(bluish) to warm (yellowish).
`
`To adjust the temperature of a photo:
`
`# Inthe Adjust window,drag the
`Temperatureslider to theleft to make
`the colors cooler and bluer or the right
`to make them warmer and moreyellow.
`
`Whatthe Temperatureslider does:
`
`Figure6.55is a picture of a sunset, with
`plenty of warm pinks and oranges, and while
`there's nothing wrong with the photo, I won-
`dered if cooling it down would make it more
`interesting, By decreasing the temperature a
`lot in Figure 6.56,I've turned the entire sky
`a deep blue, making moreof a contrast with
`the black trees in the foreground.
`
`AlthoughI'm seeing color problems less fre-
`quently with modern cameras,it’s mostlikely
`that you'll need to adjust the temperature
`of artificiallylit photos. Indoorlighting may
`give a yellow cast whereasflash lighting may
`provide a bluish cast.
`
`When you decrease the temperature,asI've
`done here, the green mountain range stays
`put, the blue mountain range movesto the
`right to increase the amountof blue in the
`photo, and the red mountain range moves
`to the left to decrease the amount of red.If
`you increase temperature, the red mountain
`range movesto the right to increase the
`amountofyellowin the photo, and the blue
`