smadell

I am attaching a macro category called “Seth’s Relighting.” The relighting macro lets you selectively darken and lighten areas of an image to add drama, create areas of interest which draw the viewer’s eye, and make up for flat lighting. It is free for anyone to download and enjoy. The category includes two macros – one for setting up a set of layers and a second which provides on-screen instructions.

The macro sets up a series of adjustments, filters, and masks, all of which are enclosed within a Group. In that way, the effect can be turned on or off by quickly showing or hiding the Group. The various layers inside the group are numbered, indicating the best order in which to use them. There are on-screen instructions (the second macro) as well as a video attached to this post. (Feel free to download the video too, if you’d like.)
To summarize, the layers allow you to darken the overall photo with a Curves layer, then indicate areas that need highlighting. Both the amount of darkening and the amount of lightening are entirely customizable (and non-destructive). The color of the highlight is also editable.

Using the Relighting Macro.mp4 The attached macro category should be imported into the Library panel, using the “hamburger menu” at the top right corner of the panel. The macros were created in Affinity Photo version 2 and, therefore, will not be compatible with version 1.
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 
As with all of the macros that I have submitted over the years, please remember that I am one person working with one computer (and one iPad). I have tested the macros as extensively as I can, and have been using them in my own work for several months now. However, there is no way to have foreseen all possible scenarios that another user might encounter. I believe that the macros function well, although I cannot make any guarantees.
If you like the macro, please keep it and enjoy it. It is free to use in both personal and commercial work. All I ask in return is that you post a comment in the Forum (below this post) and let me know that you are using it and (hopefully) enjoying it. As you continue to get better and better in your editing skills, please try to “pay it forward” by contributing your expertise and your resources to others in the community.
Seth's Relighting.afmacros

I am attaching a macro category called “Seth’s Relighting.” The relighting macro lets you selectively darken and lighten areas of an image to add drama, create areas of interest which draw the viewer’s eye, and make up for flat lighting. It is free for anyone to download and enjoy. The category includes two macros – one for setting up a set of layers and a second which provides on-screen instructions.

The macro sets up a series of adjustments, filters, and masks, all of which are enclosed within a Group. In that way, the effect can be turned on or off by quickly showing or hiding the Group. The various layers inside the group are numbered, indicating the best order in which to use them. There are on-screen instructions (the second macro) as well as a video attached to this post. (Feel free to download the video too, if you’d like.)
To summarize, the layers allow you to darken the overall photo with a Curves layer, then indicate areas that need highlighting. Both the amount of darkening and the amount of lightening are entirely customizable (and non-destructive). The color of the highlight is also editable.

Using the Relighting Macro.mp4 The attached macro category should be imported into the Library panel, using the “hamburger menu” at the top right corner of the panel. The macros were created in Affinity Photo version 2 and, therefore, will not be compatible with version 1.
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 
As with all of the macros that I have submitted over the years, please remember that I am one person working with one computer (and one iPad). I have tested the macros as extensively as I can, and have been using them in my own work for several months now. However, there is no way to have foreseen all possible scenarios that another user might encounter. I believe that the macros function well, although I cannot make any guarantees.
If you like the macro, please keep it and enjoy it. It is free to use in both personal and commercial work. All I ask in return is that you post a comment in the Forum (below this post) and let me know that you are using it and (hopefully) enjoying it. As you continue to get better and better in your editing skills, please try to “pay it forward” by contributing your expertise and your resources to others in the community.
Seth's Relighting.afmacros

smadell  this is Brilliant!  ~ This is the sort of stuff that I needed to get me started.  I couldn't see the wood for the trees for quite a while but this has helped a great deal and yes, I do like the '6 C's'  idea because it's something to keep you focused on and something with a path to travel along.  Thanks again for taking the time to type it all up its sometimes an over used phrase but seriously  ~ I really do appreciate it.

I assume you mean “Fit” view to window (as in Cmd-0), but this behavior occurs irrespective of the number of documents that are open. If you look at the first version of my Tower of London photo, you’ll see that it is the only open document. Also, I almost never use the standard versions of the filters, destructive little beasts that they are, and even when I have to do so, certainly don’t leave them open and just sitting there, unapplied. So, that can’t explain my dilemma.

I am attaching a macro category called “Seth’s Relighting.” The relighting macro lets you selectively darken and lighten areas of an image to add drama, create areas of interest which draw the viewer’s eye, and make up for flat lighting. It is free for anyone to download and enjoy. The category includes two macros – one for setting up a set of layers and a second which provides on-screen instructions.

The macro sets up a series of adjustments, filters, and masks, all of which are enclosed within a Group. In that way, the effect can be turned on or off by quickly showing or hiding the Group. The various layers inside the group are numbered, indicating the best order in which to use them. There are on-screen instructions (the second macro) as well as a video attached to this post. (Feel free to download the video too, if you’d like.)
To summarize, the layers allow you to darken the overall photo with a Curves layer, then indicate areas that need highlighting. Both the amount of darkening and the amount of lightening are entirely customizable (and non-destructive). The color of the highlight is also editable.

Using the Relighting Macro.mp4 The attached macro category should be imported into the Library panel, using the “hamburger menu” at the top right corner of the panel. The macros were created in Affinity Photo version 2 and, therefore, will not be compatible with version 1.
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 
As with all of the macros that I have submitted over the years, please remember that I am one person working with one computer (and one iPad). I have tested the macros as extensively as I can, and have been using them in my own work for several months now. However, there is no way to have foreseen all possible scenarios that another user might encounter. I believe that the macros function well, although I cannot make any guarantees.
If you like the macro, please keep it and enjoy it. It is free to use in both personal and commercial work. All I ask in return is that you post a comment in the Forum (below this post) and let me know that you are using it and (hopefully) enjoying it. As you continue to get better and better in your editing skills, please try to “pay it forward” by contributing your expertise and your resources to others in the community.
Seth's Relighting.afmacros

I am attaching a macro category called “Seth’s Relighting.” The relighting macro lets you selectively darken and lighten areas of an image to add drama, create areas of interest which draw the viewer’s eye, and make up for flat lighting. It is free for anyone to download and enjoy. The category includes two macros – one for setting up a set of layers and a second which provides on-screen instructions.

The macro sets up a series of adjustments, filters, and masks, all of which are enclosed within a Group. In that way, the effect can be turned on or off by quickly showing or hiding the Group. The various layers inside the group are numbered, indicating the best order in which to use them. There are on-screen instructions (the second macro) as well as a video attached to this post. (Feel free to download the video too, if you’d like.)
To summarize, the layers allow you to darken the overall photo with a Curves layer, then indicate areas that need highlighting. Both the amount of darkening and the amount of lightening are entirely customizable (and non-destructive). The color of the highlight is also editable.

Using the Relighting Macro.mp4 The attached macro category should be imported into the Library panel, using the “hamburger menu” at the top right corner of the panel. The macros were created in Affinity Photo version 2 and, therefore, will not be compatible with version 1.
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 
As with all of the macros that I have submitted over the years, please remember that I am one person working with one computer (and one iPad). I have tested the macros as extensively as I can, and have been using them in my own work for several months now. However, there is no way to have foreseen all possible scenarios that another user might encounter. I believe that the macros function well, although I cannot make any guarantees.
If you like the macro, please keep it and enjoy it. It is free to use in both personal and commercial work. All I ask in return is that you post a comment in the Forum (below this post) and let me know that you are using it and (hopefully) enjoying it. As you continue to get better and better in your editing skills, please try to “pay it forward” by contributing your expertise and your resources to others in the community.
Seth's Relighting.afmacros

I am attaching a macro category called “Seth’s Relighting.” The relighting macro lets you selectively darken and lighten areas of an image to add drama, create areas of interest which draw the viewer’s eye, and make up for flat lighting. It is free for anyone to download and enjoy. The category includes two macros – one for setting up a set of layers and a second which provides on-screen instructions.

The macro sets up a series of adjustments, filters, and masks, all of which are enclosed within a Group. In that way, the effect can be turned on or off by quickly showing or hiding the Group. The various layers inside the group are numbered, indicating the best order in which to use them. There are on-screen instructions (the second macro) as well as a video attached to this post. (Feel free to download the video too, if you’d like.)
To summarize, the layers allow you to darken the overall photo with a Curves layer, then indicate areas that need highlighting. Both the amount of darkening and the amount of lightening are entirely customizable (and non-destructive). The color of the highlight is also editable.

Using the Relighting Macro.mp4 The attached macro category should be imported into the Library panel, using the “hamburger menu” at the top right corner of the panel. The macros were created in Affinity Photo version 2 and, therefore, will not be compatible with version 1.
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 
As with all of the macros that I have submitted over the years, please remember that I am one person working with one computer (and one iPad). I have tested the macros as extensively as I can, and have been using them in my own work for several months now. However, there is no way to have foreseen all possible scenarios that another user might encounter. I believe that the macros function well, although I cannot make any guarantees.
If you like the macro, please keep it and enjoy it. It is free to use in both personal and commercial work. All I ask in return is that you post a comment in the Forum (below this post) and let me know that you are using it and (hopefully) enjoying it. As you continue to get better and better in your editing skills, please try to “pay it forward” by contributing your expertise and your resources to others in the community.
Seth's Relighting.afmacros

Your brush itself is set to Soft Light blend mode. It should be set to Normal. (I’m not referring to the Layer blend mode, which you have also set to Soft Light. Rather, you have set the brush to Soft Light in the Context Toolbar.) Note that Soft Light provides a rather muted effect when used on a High Pass layer. This will be compounded when you use a soft light moded brush.

I have not actually tried it out yet but I am sure that it is great.

I am attaching a macro category called “Seth’s Relighting.” The relighting macro lets you selectively darken and lighten areas of an image to add drama, create areas of interest which draw the viewer’s eye, and make up for flat lighting. It is free for anyone to download and enjoy. The category includes two macros – one for setting up a set of layers and a second which provides on-screen instructions.

The macro sets up a series of adjustments, filters, and masks, all of which are enclosed within a Group. In that way, the effect can be turned on or off by quickly showing or hiding the Group. The various layers inside the group are numbered, indicating the best order in which to use them. There are on-screen instructions (the second macro) as well as a video attached to this post. (Feel free to download the video too, if you’d like.)
To summarize, the layers allow you to darken the overall photo with a Curves layer, then indicate areas that need highlighting. Both the amount of darkening and the amount of lightening are entirely customizable (and non-destructive). The color of the highlight is also editable.

Using the Relighting Macro.mp4 The attached macro category should be imported into the Library panel, using the “hamburger menu” at the top right corner of the panel. The macros were created in Affinity Photo version 2 and, therefore, will not be compatible with version 1.
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 
As with all of the macros that I have submitted over the years, please remember that I am one person working with one computer (and one iPad). I have tested the macros as extensively as I can, and have been using them in my own work for several months now. However, there is no way to have foreseen all possible scenarios that another user might encounter. I believe that the macros function well, although I cannot make any guarantees.
If you like the macro, please keep it and enjoy it. It is free to use in both personal and commercial work. All I ask in return is that you post a comment in the Forum (below this post) and let me know that you are using it and (hopefully) enjoying it. As you continue to get better and better in your editing skills, please try to “pay it forward” by contributing your expertise and your resources to others in the community.
Seth's Relighting.afmacros

0% flow makes no sense at all to me, since it implies that no paint is flowing from the brush at all. Although you can do this, technically, it doesn't actually paint anything.
The Opacity and Flow settings (for brush strokes) work on a per-stroke basis. Setting opacity to 100% sets the maximum opacity you can attain per stroke. Setting opacity to 10%, for instance, means that each given stroke can only attain 10% opacity. In the latter case, you can move your brush over the same point multiple times, but the point will never get beyond 10% opacity. HOWEVER, if you start a new stroke (e.g., lift the mouse button and then press it down again) that new stroke will be able to attain 10% also. If you paint over the same spot again, you will increase the amount of paint on that spot by another 10%.
Flow is the rate at which the brush lays down paint. Think about it like you were shading with a pencil - put the pencil at an angle and start to stroke an area back and forth until the area gets darker and darker, the more you do it.
Hardness only describes the feathering of the edge of the stroke.
We can explain this in words all day long. The only real way to figure it out is to create a new document with a blank pixel layer. Start with a round brush with Opacity, Flow, and Harness all set to 100%. Lay down a single stroke. Now change the hardness to lower and lower values. See the difference - it's the feathering at the edge.
Put the hardness back to 100% and start decreasing the opacity. See what happens now. And, with opacity, put down multiple strokes that overlap in some areas. See how each stroke is the same opacity, but it gets darker where they overlap.
Do the same for flow. Start at 100% and decrease slowly down to 10, 5, 3, 2, and 1% settings. Again, make multiple strokes that overlay. With a very low flow setting, move the brush back and forth over the same area and see how the intensity of the paint builds up.
Last thing: Put hardness anywhere you like. Set opacity down to 25% and set flow down to 5% (random, small-ish numbers) and start laying down multiple overlapping strokes. Because the flow is low, each stroke is light. As you move each brush stroke back and forth you'll see the paint build up. But (and this is important) each brush stroke can never get darker than whatever you set for opacity. In this case, a single back and forth brush stroke with 25% opacity and 5% flow will build up in darkness until it reaches 25% opacity. Then, you can't get darker. UNLESS, you start a new stroke. This second stroke will work the same way, but if you overlap the second stroke with the first, the overlapped area will be darker than the 25% opacity would otherwise allow.

Just use File > New Stack and uncheck align images.
I do this sort of thing all the time. You can also skip the Stack and just place several images in a document then play with their opacity and blend modes but I like the Stack.

Good morning, @augustya. Sorry it took so long to respond - I suspect we have a multi-time zone difference! Let me offer a few thoughts after reading your last post. Please note that these are my own feelings, and are certainly not dogma. I have no scientific proof that what I am offering is the best possible advice, but it works for me.
1) A lot of folks routinely make a duplicate of the Background layer immediately upon opening any document. To me, this is wasteful and meaningless. I suspect that the practice goes back to the early days of Photoshop when everything was destructive, and the only way to preserve the original document was to have it on an un-edited original copy. Those days are over. Nowadays, almost everything you can do in Affinity Photo (and in Photoshop) can be done non-destructively. In most cases, duplicating the background layer as a reflex action is unnecessary.
2) You can make a new pixel layer based on a portion of an existing layer by selection a portion of that layer and then (i) choosing "Duplicate Selection" from the Layer menu; or (ii) pressing Command-J (Mac) or Control-J (Windows); or (iii) by doing a Copy and then a Paste. The result will be a new layer containing only the portion of the original Pixel layer that was selected. See the video that follows, in which I will select the model's face using the Selection Brush, then use the Refine… tool to deal with the edges (the hair, especially), and then use Duplicate Selection from the Layer menu to create a new pixel layer.

Duplicate Selection.mp4 3) Most of the time, duplicating a pixel layer (or a portion of a pixel layer) is not necessary. I did it earlier in this thread only because it made things easier to visualize. However, when I say that I would not do it that way "in the real world" I mean that I would use a Localized adjustment instead. Rather than making a duplicate of part of a pixel layer, I would make a selection on the original "background" pixel layer and, with the selection active, add an adjustment layer. Doing this will not only put an adjustment layer above the pixel layer, but it also incorporates the selection as a mask within the adjustment itself. You do not have to add a separate mask layer; every adjustment layer already has a built-in mask, and you can use this (i) by painting black or white directly onto the adjustment layer; or (ii) by creating the adjustment layer with an active selection. It is this latter method that I use in the video below.

Masked Adjustment.mp4

Good morning, @augustya. Sorry it took so long to respond - I suspect we have a multi-time zone difference! Let me offer a few thoughts after reading your last post. Please note that these are my own feelings, and are certainly not dogma. I have no scientific proof that what I am offering is the best possible advice, but it works for me.
1) A lot of folks routinely make a duplicate of the Background layer immediately upon opening any document. To me, this is wasteful and meaningless. I suspect that the practice goes back to the early days of Photoshop when everything was destructive, and the only way to preserve the original document was to have it on an un-edited original copy. Those days are over. Nowadays, almost everything you can do in Affinity Photo (and in Photoshop) can be done non-destructively. In most cases, duplicating the background layer as a reflex action is unnecessary.
2) You can make a new pixel layer based on a portion of an existing layer by selection a portion of that layer and then (i) choosing "Duplicate Selection" from the Layer menu; or (ii) pressing Command-J (Mac) or Control-J (Windows); or (iii) by doing a Copy and then a Paste. The result will be a new layer containing only the portion of the original Pixel layer that was selected. See the video that follows, in which I will select the model's face using the Selection Brush, then use the Refine… tool to deal with the edges (the hair, especially), and then use Duplicate Selection from the Layer menu to create a new pixel layer.

Duplicate Selection.mp4 3) Most of the time, duplicating a pixel layer (or a portion of a pixel layer) is not necessary. I did it earlier in this thread only because it made things easier to visualize. However, when I say that I would not do it that way "in the real world" I mean that I would use a Localized adjustment instead. Rather than making a duplicate of part of a pixel layer, I would make a selection on the original "background" pixel layer and, with the selection active, add an adjustment layer. Doing this will not only put an adjustment layer above the pixel layer, but it also incorporates the selection as a mask within the adjustment itself. You do not have to add a separate mask layer; every adjustment layer already has a built-in mask, and you can use this (i) by painting black or white directly onto the adjustment layer; or (ii) by creating the adjustment layer with an active selection. It is this latter method that I use in the video below.

Masked Adjustment.mp4

Hello @augustya. As far as how to pick the color in the HSL tool, you don't. As @Dan C said, the HSL tool is pretty bad at dealing with greys. There is so little saturation, that hue gets kind of lost in the shuffle. Also, as he suggested, the Selective Color tool is the way to go. What you'll want to do is (i) select the area of skin that you want to correct; (ii) optionally, put it on a separate layer; (iii) apply the Selective Color adjustment to the selected area only. (In my example, below, I've made it a child of the copied "forehead." You could do the same by making a selection and then, with the selection active, adding a Selective Color adjustment. The active selection will mask the adjustment so that only the selected areas are affected.
In the Selective Color adjustment, you'll want to deal with Whites, Neutrals, and Blacks (although not in this case). What you're about to do is "add" color to the highlights and midtones of the selected area. In this case, I deselected the "relative" checkbox and made modest changes to the Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow sliders for the Whites and the Neutrals. I also shifted the "Black" slider for each in order to lighten or darken the affected tones.
Here is a before and after of your photo, and also a copy of the Layers panel and the Whites & Neutrals area of the Selective Color adjustment panel.

I am not an attorney, and my knowledge of copyright law is rudimentary at best. But, I think the gist of it is that copyright infringement requires that the creator is (potentially or actually) deprived of income (or perhaps deprived of non-monetary gain, such as recognition, etc). Taking a photo of the glasses in one’s kitchen and distributing that photo cannot reasonably be construed as depriving the designer or seller of the glasses of income to which he/she would otherwise be entitled. But, now I can download these smiley assets for free whereas I might otherwise have had to purchase them. That, I believe, is the difference. And what has happened here does seem like copyright infringement.
Also, copyright protection is by default an opt-out for the creator. Your copyright protects you, and can be legally pursued, unless you specifically say otherwise. You are suggesting that the copyright protection for the smiley badges is an opt-in and, because it was never explicitly stated, that protection is not and can not be assumed. I really think you’re wrong here.
So, it boils down to the question, “How likely is it that you’ll be caught?” But, obviously, that’s not the point here.

@Tom Wang - make a 1-step macro. With a layer (any layer, really) already selected start recording a macro. Open the Blend Ranges panel, dial in your desired curve, and close the panel. Stop recording the macro Save the macro to your Library, naming it as appropriate. You can now invoke that macro to assign that particular blend range curve to any selected layer.
You might also want to consider recording a macro that removes the curve (macro = open blend ranges, click the Revert button, close the panel). and save that alongside other blend range curve macros.

I have attached a macro category called "Enhance Skin Tones." This is a free download which will help add color and tone to the skin of your portraits. There are 21 different enhancement macros included, grouped for Light, Peach, Tan, and Dark skin. These macros are meant to enhance, not replace, skin colors. The macros are all based on the use of Gradient Maps, and use different dark and light colors along with setting opacity and blend mode for each adjustment.
While the skin tone macros are grouped into Light, Peach, Tan, and Dark skin groups (roughly corresponding to Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, and African coloration) they are certainly not exclusive. You may want to experiment using the adjustments from any (or all) of the groups to add different coloration and tone to your underlying portrait.
The Light and Peach skin tone macros add a gradient map and set its opacity to 25%. The Tan skin tone macros set the opacity to 30%. The Dark skin tone macros set the opacity to 40%. All of the macros set the blend mode of the gradient map adjustment to Soft Light. You should also experiment with changing the opacity and blend mode of the adjustments, as these will create different effects that you might like. Try using blend modes such as Overlay, Linear Light, and even Multiply. The results can be subtle, but changing the default settings can often make them fairly dramatic.
An important note: the macros work best when you have the skin selected prior to invoking the macros. This ensures that the gradient map adjustment uses your selection as a mask, and applies the changes to the skin only. As with all layer masks, however, you can edit the mask (by painting on the adjustment layer in black or white) after the fact.
Here is a graphic that includes 4 portraits (labelled as Original versions) along with versions of each of the 21 different skin tone enhancing macros. The enhanced versions are all based on the default settings for the respective macros. Under each example is the name of the skin tone macro used, along with a gradient representing the dark and light colors used in the gradient map adjustment. Remember that these results look very subtle, but your results can be more dramatic simply by increasing the opacity slider.

The attached macro category was created in Affinity Photo 2, and probably will not be compatible with version 1. It is a category and therefore should be imported into the Library panel (using the "hamburger menu" at the panel's top right corner). The category includes the 21 skin tone macros, but also includes a macro called "Try All Skin Tones" which will create a group (with sub-groups) that includes all 21 adjustments so you can try them all to see which one you like. There is also a macro called "Instructions - Enhance Skin Tones" which will display on-screen instructions for using the macros. These instructions are placed in a separate layer which you should delete after having read and understood the instructions.
[These macros are loosely based on some of the gradients used in a recent YouTube video by Blake Rudis, whose f64 Academy channel has been quite helpful (especially for matters concerning color grading). Blake's videos are exclusively aimed at Photoshop users, but the methods he uses are almost always compatible with similar methods in Affinity Photo. So, a big thank-you to him.]
As with all of my Resource uploads, these are the work of 1 person working on 1 computer. I do not pretend to have tested them extensively, but I believe they will function as they are supposed to. Try them and see if they work for you. If they do, they are free for your use without restriction.
I have always encouraged users to "pay it forward" and help others in this forum as they themselves become more knowledgeable and adept at using Affinity Photo. This is how knowledge and good will spreads.
Enhance Skin Tones.afmacros

@Tom Wang - make a 1-step macro. With a layer (any layer, really) already selected start recording a macro. Open the Blend Ranges panel, dial in your desired curve, and close the panel. Stop recording the macro Save the macro to your Library, naming it as appropriate. You can now invoke that macro to assign that particular blend range curve to any selected layer.
You might also want to consider recording a macro that removes the curve (macro = open blend ranges, click the Revert button, close the panel). and save that alongside other blend range curve macros.

I have attached a macro category called "Enhance Skin Tones." This is a free download which will help add color and tone to the skin of your portraits. There are 21 different enhancement macros included, grouped for Light, Peach, Tan, and Dark skin. These macros are meant to enhance, not replace, skin colors. The macros are all based on the use of Gradient Maps, and use different dark and light colors along with setting opacity and blend mode for each adjustment.
While the skin tone macros are grouped into Light, Peach, Tan, and Dark skin groups (roughly corresponding to Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, and African coloration) they are certainly not exclusive. You may want to experiment using the adjustments from any (or all) of the groups to add different coloration and tone to your underlying portrait.
The Light and Peach skin tone macros add a gradient map and set its opacity to 25%. The Tan skin tone macros set the opacity to 30%. The Dark skin tone macros set the opacity to 40%. All of the macros set the blend mode of the gradient map adjustment to Soft Light. You should also experiment with changing the opacity and blend mode of the adjustments, as these will create different effects that you might like. Try using blend modes such as Overlay, Linear Light, and even Multiply. The results can be subtle, but changing the default settings can often make them fairly dramatic.
An important note: the macros work best when you have the skin selected prior to invoking the macros. This ensures that the gradient map adjustment uses your selection as a mask, and applies the changes to the skin only. As with all layer masks, however, you can edit the mask (by painting on the adjustment layer in black or white) after the fact.
Here is a graphic that includes 4 portraits (labelled as Original versions) along with versions of each of the 21 different skin tone enhancing macros. The enhanced versions are all based on the default settings for the respective macros. Under each example is the name of the skin tone macro used, along with a gradient representing the dark and light colors used in the gradient map adjustment. Remember that these results look very subtle, but your results can be more dramatic simply by increasing the opacity slider.

The attached macro category was created in Affinity Photo 2, and probably will not be compatible with version 1. It is a category and therefore should be imported into the Library panel (using the "hamburger menu" at the panel's top right corner). The category includes the 21 skin tone macros, but also includes a macro called "Try All Skin Tones" which will create a group (with sub-groups) that includes all 21 adjustments so you can try them all to see which one you like. There is also a macro called "Instructions - Enhance Skin Tones" which will display on-screen instructions for using the macros. These instructions are placed in a separate layer which you should delete after having read and understood the instructions.
[These macros are loosely based on some of the gradients used in a recent YouTube video by Blake Rudis, whose f64 Academy channel has been quite helpful (especially for matters concerning color grading). Blake's videos are exclusively aimed at Photoshop users, but the methods he uses are almost always compatible with similar methods in Affinity Photo. So, a big thank-you to him.]
As with all of my Resource uploads, these are the work of 1 person working on 1 computer. I do not pretend to have tested them extensively, but I believe they will function as they are supposed to. Try them and see if they work for you. If they do, they are free for your use without restriction.
I have always encouraged users to "pay it forward" and help others in this forum as they themselves become more knowledgeable and adept at using Affinity Photo. This is how knowledge and good will spreads.
Enhance Skin Tones.afmacros

Adding grain to a photo is a nice way to emulate vintage images, especially older black and white photos. It has always bothered me a bit that Affinity Photo does not include a mechanism to introduce grain, other than to use the “Add Noise” filter. While adding noise is nice, it adds such a fine amount of variation that it is often quite literally unnoticeable.
I have admired the Film Grain effect that is available in other software, such as Nik’s Silver Efex. These filters can often vary grain size and intensity; sometimes grain can be added to shadows, midtones, and highlights in differing amounts.
What I’ve attached is an .afmacros file called Film Grain. This is a macros Category and should be imported into the Library panel. It includes two macros. The first is called Add Film Grain - simple. It allows the user to add grain with 2 parameters – intensity and size.
Grain - Intensity
The grain intensity defaults to 100%, but can be set to any value between 0 and 100. At 0% intensity, the grain effectively disappears. To understand intensity, think “contrast.”
Grain - Size
The size slider accepts values between 0 and 1, with the default being 0.2. The appropriate value will differ based on the image being treated, and the same perceived size might need higher values when the overall dimensions of the image are larger. Also note that values above 0.8 are rounded down to 0.8 (and this forms an effective upper limit to the slider). This is done primarily because the math breaks down at higher values.
The second macro is called Add Film Grain - by tonal range. It includes the same intensity and size parameters, but also lets the user set opacity levels for highlights, midtones, and shadows separately.
Grain Opacity - Highlights, Midtones, and Shadows
There are three separate sliders for highlights, midtones, and shadows respectively. Each defaults to 100%, but can be set to values between 0 and 100. While the “simple” macro creates a single Film Grain layer, the “tonal range” version creates a group containing 3 layers, one each for the three tonal ranges. The Grain Opacity sliders simply vary the opacity of the corresponding layers within that group.
Finishing Touches
When each of the macros finishes, the Blend Range for the result (the Film Grain layer in the case of the “simple” macro, and the Group in the case of the “tonal range” macro) is set to diminish the effect of the grain on the highlights slightly. This is an aesthetic choice on my part, and I think you will agree. However, you can set the Blend Range to anything you might like, as desired.
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For most users, the “simple” macro will be enough. It lets the editor vary the Intensity of the grain and also the Size. I have always liked adding grain that was a bit larger, because it becomes more noticeable.
For other users, the “tonal range” macro will allow you to add some additional nuance to the grain, by letting you emphasize grain in the shadows, midtones and highlights. Do this by first setting a global Intensity and Size, and then adjusting the opacity of the 3 tone ranges as desired.
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Here are samples of the two macros, along with the settings as applied. The differences between the two results is quite subtle, but might be worth the effort in some cases.

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As with all the macros I have posted, I have tested these on one computer under a limited number of conditions. I cannot guarantee anything, but I have no reason to think they will not work for you just as they have for me. The macros are free, with the suggestion to “pay it forward.” As you become more proficient, be sure to share your experience and your work with others.
By the way, happy holidays to everyone. Here’s hoping that 2021 is a more positive, uplifting year than 2020. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll be able to ring in 2022 in a crowd without any masks!
Film Grain.afmacros

I have attached a macro category called "Enhance Skin Tones." This is a free download which will help add color and tone to the skin of your portraits. There are 21 different enhancement macros included, grouped for Light, Peach, Tan, and Dark skin. These macros are meant to enhance, not replace, skin colors. The macros are all based on the use of Gradient Maps, and use different dark and light colors along with setting opacity and blend mode for each adjustment.
While the skin tone macros are grouped into Light, Peach, Tan, and Dark skin groups (roughly corresponding to Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, and African coloration) they are certainly not exclusive. You may want to experiment using the adjustments from any (or all) of the groups to add different coloration and tone to your underlying portrait.
The Light and Peach skin tone macros add a gradient map and set its opacity to 25%. The Tan skin tone macros set the opacity to 30%. The Dark skin tone macros set the opacity to 40%. All of the macros set the blend mode of the gradient map adjustment to Soft Light. You should also experiment with changing the opacity and blend mode of the adjustments, as these will create different effects that you might like. Try using blend modes such as Overlay, Linear Light, and even Multiply. The results can be subtle, but changing the default settings can often make them fairly dramatic.
An important note: the macros work best when you have the skin selected prior to invoking the macros. This ensures that the gradient map adjustment uses your selection as a mask, and applies the changes to the skin only. As with all layer masks, however, you can edit the mask (by painting on the adjustment layer in black or white) after the fact.
Here is a graphic that includes 4 portraits (labelled as Original versions) along with versions of each of the 21 different skin tone enhancing macros. The enhanced versions are all based on the default settings for the respective macros. Under each example is the name of the skin tone macro used, along with a gradient representing the dark and light colors used in the gradient map adjustment. Remember that these results look very subtle, but your results can be more dramatic simply by increasing the opacity slider.

The attached macro category was created in Affinity Photo 2, and probably will not be compatible with version 1. It is a category and therefore should be imported into the Library panel (using the "hamburger menu" at the panel's top right corner). The category includes the 21 skin tone macros, but also includes a macro called "Try All Skin Tones" which will create a group (with sub-groups) that includes all 21 adjustments so you can try them all to see which one you like. There is also a macro called "Instructions - Enhance Skin Tones" which will display on-screen instructions for using the macros. These instructions are placed in a separate layer which you should delete after having read and understood the instructions.
[These macros are loosely based on some of the gradients used in a recent YouTube video by Blake Rudis, whose f64 Academy channel has been quite helpful (especially for matters concerning color grading). Blake's videos are exclusively aimed at Photoshop users, but the methods he uses are almost always compatible with similar methods in Affinity Photo. So, a big thank-you to him.]
As with all of my Resource uploads, these are the work of 1 person working on 1 computer. I do not pretend to have tested them extensively, but I believe they will function as they are supposed to. Try them and see if they work for you. If they do, they are free for your use without restriction.
I have always encouraged users to "pay it forward" and help others in this forum as they themselves become more knowledgeable and adept at using Affinity Photo. This is how knowledge and good will spreads.
Enhance Skin Tones.afmacros

1) Make sure you have “Dither Gradients” turned ON in Settings > General
2) Make sure your document is set to 16 bits. This sort of color banding is really common with 8 bit gradients.

1) Make sure you have “Dither Gradients” turned ON in Settings > General
2) Make sure your document is set to 16 bits. This sort of color banding is really common with 8 bit gradients.

The examples above may just be too subtle. Here's' another photo with Original and Enhanced Skin Tones versions. The results may be a bit more obvious.