Technique 43. Color TintVersion 1

Technique #43. Color TintVersion 1

Here we'll use adjustment layers and blending options to add a color tint to a photo, with the added advantage of being able to apply a similar look to another photo just by dragging-and-dropping layers.

key concepts:

adjustment layers

blend modes

blending options

Here's the original image I used.

Step One.	Start by clicking on the Create New Adjustment Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette and, from the pop-up menu, choose Hue/Saturation. Turn on the Colorize checkbox in the Hue/Saturation dialog, and move the sliders to get the color tint you want (here, I used a Hue setting of 44 with a Saturation of 47).
Step Two.	To get something a little different, choosing a different layer blend mode (other than Normal) will have an effect on how the color tint appears. Using Color as the layer blend mode Using Hue as the layer blend mode
Step Three.	Control-click (PC: Right-click) on the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and in the contextual menu, choose Blending Options. At the very bottom of the dialog, drag the black Blend If slider for the Underlying Layer to the right to allow the Background layer to show through the adjustment layer. Don't click OK yet.
Step Four.	It's quite likely that there will be areas where the transition between the adjustment layer and the Background is a little harsh (see the railroad track in the bottom-right corner). If this happens, press-and-hold the Option key (PC: Alt key) and click-and-drag on the black slider to split it in two. Drag the left half of the slider back to the left and the right half a little more to the rightthis will soften the transition between the two layers. Click OK when you are done.

Variations

Here, I added a Photo Filter adjustment layer, chose a dark brown color, and changed the Density to 70%.

Variation 1: Photo Filter adjustment layer

One of the advantages of using adjustment layers is that you can easily apply the effect to a different photo. Here's a different photo of the railroad tracks, showing the original photo, and the result after I clicked-and-dragged both adjustment layers over from the first photo.

Variation 2