Polarizing Your Images

[davidbeck]

by ZHeng



With just a few steps, you can easily enhance the look of your images without owning a polarizing filter.



First, select the photo you want to use:

http://www.photographycorner.com/images/resources/polarizing-1.jpg



Step 1: Open up the photo you would like to enhance in Photoshop and duplicate the layer.



Step 2: ‘Ctrl’ + ‘Shift’ + ‘U’ to desaturate the photo.



Step 3: Apply a gaussian blur between 40 - 70 pixels.



Step 4: Invert the colors (‘Ctrl’ + ‘I’) and set the layer blend mode to overlay.



Step 5: Go ‘Image’ > ‘Adjustments’ > ‘Levels’. Here is what I used however just experiment until you achieve the look you like.

http://www.photographycorner.com/images/resources/polarizing-2.jpg



The Final step is to simply mask the layer and there you have it - an enhanced image without using a polarizing filter.



Enjoy!

http://www.photographycorner.com/images/resources/polarizing-3.jpg

[Red Kittie Kat]

nice effect David :)

[captain spanky]

or:
image > adjustments > hue/saturation > knock the slider about a bit :)

[Jackimalyn]

i dont get posts like this. Are you advertising something?

[Red Kittie Kat]

I believe they are just expressing a techinque they like to use on photos and offered a small tutorial on how it was done.

[Kool]

i dont get posts like this. Are you advertising something?

He just posted a cool technique, nothing wrong with that. http://home.comcast.net/~rnick9/koolsmiley.gif

[unicorncorp]

He just posted a cool technique, nothing wrong with that. http://home.comcast.net/~rnick9/koolsmiley.gif
Very cool technique indeed.

[urstwile]

Yup, that's a good one. Didn't get why it would be advertising, there's no link to a site or anything. :confused:

[fredrich]

The main point of having a polarizing filter is not to get a darker, more colorful sky, but to enhance your photos in ways that are not reproduceable in Photoshop. With a polarizing filter you can reduce/remove reflection on non-metallic surfaces (windows, water etc.)

I have a circular polarizing filter (which means I can rotate the filter when attached to the lens), and it works great when needed. I don't have any example photos in front of me now, but I can find some/take some new ones if there is interest for it.

(Tip: The effect is said to be best when photographing 90 degrees away from the sun)

[D-Frag]

Exactly fredrich, I was confused about this post because that technique is not a polarizing technique. Polarizing is taking glare away like you said on windows and water. Still a pretty good tutorial, but lets not confuse people here with lingo that is not what it is.