Contrast Masking
A technique that can be used to enhance shadow detail in a photo is known as Contrast Masking. The routine in programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel PhotoPaint is essentially the same.
- Duplicate the photo layer/object (this is layers in PhotoShop, Objects in Corel Photo Paint). This should produce a layer/object above the background layer/object. Name it something like "Contrast Layer" to help identify it.
- With the duplicate layer/object selected, desaturate it (saturation to 0 or -100%). This will remove all the colour from the image.
- Colour invert the duplicate layer. This will create a negative image.
- Apply a gaussian blur to the duplicate layer - try a setting of 50% as a starting point (experiment).
- Use the "overlay" option to merge/blend the two layers. Experiment with % opacity (often an opacity of 50 to 75% works best).
- Combine the two layers/objects.
- Sometimes saturation will be increased with this technique, so you may have to desaturate the final image a little bit to get the proper colour rendition.
A variation is to do step 5 (use the overlay option) prior to doing step 4 (gaussian blur). That allows you to experiment with the amount of blur to get the effect you want. It is really a combination of the two, so you will have to fool around a bit to get the best effect.
Note to Photoshop and Photoshop Elements users - the "Shadow/Highlight" adjustment works better than contrast masking (and it's much easier).
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