Color plays a vital role in photography and is often the marker of a skilled artist versus a beginner. When crafting one’s style and visual aesthetic, the way one tones their images can say a lot about their body of work.
Whether you’re color grading your own photographs or the work of a client, different genres and projects will dictate various moods. While there are multiple tools and techniques for color grading photographs, there is one that has escaped the notice of many: Vivid Light.
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In today’s video, Blake Rudis of f64 Academy demonstrates how the Vivid Light Blending Mode can be an extremely effective tool for color grading your images.
To begin, you’ll want to create an Adjustment Layer of a Solid Color. Magenta is a good place to start, followed by setting the Blending Mode to Vivid Light. If you were to adjust the Opacity slider, you’ll notice that the color applies without any real concern for the highlights and shadows of the image.
The key is to leave Opacity at 100% and to lower the Fill. Once it nears the 15% range, you’ll begin to see some applicable color grading options that can be easily applied to many different types of photographs.
Give the video below a watch, and test this quick technique out on several images that could use a fresh take.
Source: f64 Academy | Featured Image: Simona Todorova on Unsplash