Using brightness and color in Photoshop to enhance your subject

 

 

When capturing a portrait, there are numerous ways to help your subject stand out at the time of capture. You can use a longer lens with a faster aperture to help separate your subject from the background. There are ways you can light a portrait which helps create separation and draw attention to your subject. Whether you employ these or other various techniques in camera, there are also steps you can take to enhance a subject during post-processing as well. Aaron Nace of Phlearn shows off a few ways you can enhance a subject in Photoshop in the video below.

Before getting started, if you'd like to follow along with Aaron using the same image he works on, click here. The general outline of the process starts with using curves and vibrance to add brightness and color to specific areas of the image. After making local adjustments, Nace sharpens the subject while also blurring the background to help bring more attention to the subject. Behind the techniques is the idea that the viewer is drawn more to brighter and more colorful areas of an image. Even subtle adjustments can create a big change in how a viewer sees your image. To learn more and see how to enhance your subject in Photoshop, watch the full video below.

(Via Phlearn)