Now that all the pre-release excitement has subsided and Generative Fill is an official component of Photoshop 2024, we’d thought it was time for some quick and easy tips for making the most of this game changing technology. And that’s what you’ll find in the 10-minute tutorial below from the popular Photoshop Café YouTube channel.
Rather than taking a deep dive into everything Generative File can do, instructor Colin Smith demonstrates 16 super-fast tricks you can use for a variety of purposes. Some of these tricks come directly from Adobe, while Smith gets credit for others. Get a pen and paper ready before clicking the “Play” button, because these tips fly by in a hurry and you’ll want to jot down a few notes.
Smith covers a variety of topics from replacing a background, using Generative Expand, and regenerating additional variations. You’ll also learn how to move a Generative Fill layer with or without keeping the same object, how to reduce file size and remove content, and much more.
The lesson begins with a tip for customizing the Task Bar to keep it at your fingertips. All you have to do is go to the three-dot menu and pin the task bar to whatever position you prefer. Then that’s where it remains, even after a restart. Smith’s second trick solves a problem that some photographers encounter, when Generative Fill affects more than you want. The one explains how to precisely select only what you desire so that Photoshop cleanly modifies the selected area while leaving everything else untouched.
Smith also explains why the shape of a selection is crucial for optimum results, and he has a few tips for doing that with precision. He says, “the shape means everything,” and provides a few examples that reinforce this claim. What if you want to add feathering or opacity to help generated content blend nicely into your scene? You’ll learn how to do that too.
You’ll see how easy it is to “generate again” when Photoshop didn’t provide what you were looking for the first time around. This tip enables you to return to layers you generated previously, without changing the prompt, to quickly receive three more variations. Another related trick is perfect for managing high-res images and enables you to trim file sizes by deleting unused variations.
If you look at the description beneath the video you’ll notice a list of the video’s “chapters” with time stamps. You can use these to jump to a specific trick if you’re looking for a particular technique. There’s much more to see on Smith’s YouTube channel for all things Adobe, so be sure to pay a visit when you have time.
And don’t miss the earlier tutorial we posted from another image-editing impresario, with an amazing Photoshop hack for making local adjustments to photos without using masks.
Dodging and burning is a classic image-editing technique dating back to the heyday of film and the darkroom. Back then, dodging was used to lighten a specific portion of an image, while burning did the opposite.
This approach is equally important today when editing digital images, and there are a variety of ways to get the job done—some more complicated than others. In today’s video tutorial you’ll learn a fast and effective method using Lightroom’s powerful Radial Mask tools.
Instructor Scott Davenport is popular among Shutterbug readers who appreciate the quick videos he posts that explain straightforward shooting and editing tips for creating stronger photos. In this four-minute episode he demonstrates a tip that will supercharge your edits with a selective method for brightening and darkening areas of a photo. Best yet, it’s easy enough for Lightroom users of all skill levels.
Davenport kicks off the lesson with this promise: “With a few quick clicks you can easily target areas you want to adjust and refine the look—without having to spend lots of time manually brushing on the photo.” Sound good? Let’s go.
Davenport demonstrates how to leverage the power of Radial Mask while editing a flat and rather uninspiring river-side image he shot on a hazy in Oregon. Before getting started he discusses how to evaluate a photo to determine if dodging and burning will make a significant difference. For this shot his goal is to accentuate a few “anchor points” across the river near the shore.
He explains that by giving these areas a bit more “pop” the photo will have far more interest and depth. There are also a few pilings in the middle of the stream worthy of more attention. Davenport begins the simple transformation by creating a new mask in Lightroom’s Develop Module and selecting the Radials option from the dropdown menu.
The step-by-step process that follows is so quick and easy to understand that we’ll let you watch the video to see how they work—rather than being a buzzkill and summarizing them here. Bottom line: you’ll definitely want to add this technique to your Lightroom bag of tricks.
Once you’re done watching pay a visit to Davenport’s instructional channel where you’ll find more helpful shooting and editing tips and tricks.
We also suggest you check out the tutorial we posted recently from another photo-processing expert, explaining how to improve all of your images using 10 simple Photoshop features that you probably don’t know.
If you’re looking for a way to optimize the range of focus throughout an image the tutorial below explains the best way to get the job done, and it works for just about any type of photos you make. We refer to this technique as “bracket and stack it” and it’s not difficult to do.
In simple terms this involves shooting multiple images of the same scene, each with a different point of focus point. For landscape photography this might mean one shot focused on the background, another on a key foreground object, and a third with the focus point somewhere in between. British macro photographer Stewart Wood explains everything you need to know.
For this method to work there are two things you need to understand: The first is how to bracket the photos properly in the camera, and the second involves properly merging them during the editing process to achieve one super-sharp image. This episode is devoted to the first part of the equation, and you can learn more about the stacking procedure by watching an earlier tutorial we posted from a wildlife photography expert.
Because of Wood’s specialty his demonstration uses a close-up image, but it’s easy to extrapolate and employ this method with various types of images. In fact, experienced landscape shooters do it all the time. You can use autofocus or manual focus to capture the sequence of photos, and Wood explains the best way to do this, so you’ll be set up for stacking success.
One key to this technique has to do with your subject; specifically, it has to remain perfectly still while you shoot the sequence—as even the slight bit of movement will spoil your results. This not only applies for macro shots of insects, but for landscape images with wind-blown trees.
Gear is important too. Some cameras offer a built-in Focus Stacking and Bracketing mode, but that’s not essential for getting the job done. As you’ll see, what is important is the speed of your camera. And if you use flash for shooting macro images, recycle time is another key concern. With regard to bracketing and stacking macro photos Wood says that “a flash is your best friend.”
Wood has cameras that offer both Focus Stacking and Bracketing modes, and he explains how to take advantage of these. He then discusses how to accomplish the technique yourself if the camera you use lacks these features. You’ll also learn how to configure a flash if that’s part of your approach.
The first thing to do if your camera lacks bracketing and stacking capabilities is to switch the mode dial to Manual. Then you can follow the advice Wood provides for choosing the proper settings for the particular task at hand. Now that you’re properly set up you can follow his step-by-step procedures for capturing the shots.
Once you’re done watching be sure to check out the tutorial mentioned above so you’ll know how to properly stack the photos for eye-popping results.
