Shadow/highlight tweak to specific colour in Photo

[tonyrambler]

Hi all,

I am exploring various colour grading methods in Photo. What I want to do is to take a particular precise colour—either chosen via the ink dropper or input as a specific (hex etc.) code—and to dial that into the shadows or the highlights as part of a very controlled colour palette when toning a photograph.

I have been using Selective Colour, Colour Balance, Split Toning and Gradient Maps. The only one that seems to give me access to precise coded colours is Gradient Maps, but that is the most awkward to use for applying to just one part of the tonal range, eg. shadows. It's also very slow and cumbersome compared to the other tools. The other tools offer far easier selection of high/mid/shadow target areas but they seem to be limited to simple colour sliders which cannot interact with the ink dropper and nor can I input a colour code for precise setting.

Anyone have an answer to this one please? Thanks!

[David in Яuislip]

Try Blend Ranges maybe

Here the yellow fill is applied only to the shadows

[tonyrambler]

Thanks David,

I have been using that, mainly with the Gradient Map but it hadn't occurred to me to just use a solid colour. That would be a lot less fiddly, for sure.

I'll give it a go and see how usable it is.

To be continued…

[tonyrambler]

Hi again David,

that's a great way to add a precise colour.

If I change the blend mode to Colour it gives a good shade to the existing colours. Depending on the image I can set the in-point on the blend to 25% or less and then use the number keys to easily tweak the opacity of the layer to fine-tune the effects.

I'd still like to see the conventional adjustment layers having more precise access to the colour palettes in the future, as it seems a bit odd not to be able to work with the same precision as the main colour studio. Hey ho.

Anyway, thanks David—that's really helpful!

EDIT: if anyone does know some way to use precise colours with the Selective Colour, Colour Balance and Split Toning adjustment layer sliders, I'd still love to find out!