Chapter 8: Corrective Filtering

Overview

In Photoshop, filters apply automated effects to an image. Named after photographers' filters, which typically correct lighting fluctuations and perspective, Photoshop's filters slightly increase the focus of an image, introduce random pixels, add depth to an image, or completely rip the image apart and reassemble it into something artistic yet unrecognizable. At this point, a little bell may be ringing in your head, telling you to beware of standardized special effects. Why? Because everyone who has Photoshop has access to the same filters that you do. If you rely on filters to edit your images for you, won't your audience quickly recognize your work as slapdash or at least unremarkable art?

Maybe not. Imagine wasting away in front of your TV, when you stumble across a really cool car commercial where the car rolls as the background rapidly changes. You're captivated, as is the rest of the audience ” the photographers, artists , as well as the non-Photoshop-using populace. So, in and of themselves , special effects aren't bad; it's all in how you use them. The aforementioned car commercial manages to entice your eye and draw you into its constantly morphing world, making the vehicle look very hip and cool. If you can bring similar effects into your work with Photoshop, what's wrong with that? You can use these effects in predictable, been-there-done-that ways, which will result in the title "Hack" potentially being applied to you, or you can apply them in creative, adventurous ways.

This chapter and the two that follow are about that creative, adventurous application of special effects. Rather than trying to show a single image subjected to every single filter ” a service already performed quite adequately by the manual included with your software ” these chapters explain exactly how the most important filters work and offer some concrete ways to use them.

You also learn how to apply several filters in tandem and how to use filters to edit images and selection outlines. The goal is not so much to teach you what filters are available ” you can find that out by clicking on the Filter menu ” but how and when to use filters.



Photoshop CS2 Bible
Photoshop CS2 Bible
ISBN: 0764589725
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 95

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