Make Vaughn Happy

Dear fellow classmates.. and Vaughn. I would like everyone to know I am shooting my first compostie image this Thursday.. so Vaughn don't be pissed. Be happy :).. but to make Vaughn happier I am going to fufill this weeks post with a lesson on lab color since I learned how to do it recently (thanks Vaughn), rulers (thanks Vaughn) and a little filter trick (thanks Tim. )So there are the two weeks I was behind on and one for this week just to catch up. And then I promise (fingers crossed) an composite image for next week. :) Happy days. P.s. If anyone knows how to format this stupid blog thing so that all the pics don't go on the top.. please clue me in.. its really annoying. Also Vaughn it says who posted the post right under the post. ... but for your sake.. im Amanda.  Now for lesson on : LAB COLOR

First you open an image in photoshop.

If this was an HDR image your going to first need to change the image from 32 bits to 16 or 8 bits which you need to go Image>Mode> 16/8 bits (whichever you want). I did 16. 

Next you will need to make a duplicate of you image so go Image>duplicate> then name it whatever you want. 

On the copy go to Image>Mode>lab color.  After you do that go over to the right hand part of the photoshop screen to the little windows that have you layers and click on the "Channels" tab. There should be 4 layers under this tab, Lab, Lightness, A and B. Select the A layer. Then press Apple>M on your keyboard. It should bring up a Curves box. Now pay attention carefully here cuz this might be hard to explain. Mouse to the very upper right hand corner of the curves box and drag that corner over to the left (staying at the top) to the first line where it exactly lines up. Then take the bottom left hand corner and move it over to the right to the first line so that it exactly lines up. Then click ok. Select the B layer and do the same thing. After you have done this make sure the eye is visible on all the layers and go to Image>mode> RGB. Then click "V" on the keyboard . Then hold down the shift key while you drag the lab colored image over on top of the original. It should snap into place. To see the difference lab color made click the eye on or off on the lab color layer. You should notice a huge difference. See my example below. (or above) whereever the silly thing goes. (The lab colored on is the more vibrant one)