Can I mimic a Shadows/Highlights adjustment with a 50% gray Overlay layer?
Asked 3/24/2012
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2 answers
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I have a photo on a base layer, then a duplicate with a Shadows/Highlights-style correction. I want to create a neutral gray layer that, when set to Overlay blending mode on top of the base image, gives a similar effect.
Is there a way to generate that gray Overlay layer from the image so that shadows are lightened and highlights are darkened, roughly like a Shadows/Highlights adjustment?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
1
Well Shadow/Highlights will darken highlights and lighten shadows.
In Overlay mode, lighter grays will lighten and darker grays will darken.
So if you want to darken a highlight, you need a darker gray. To lighten the shadows you need a lighter grey.
In other words, you need an inverse of the original image, to some degree.
What I would do is start with a blank 50% gray layer. Then I would select the gray layer, and go to Image > Apply Image
- Source Layer: select the background layer (or wherever your main image is)
- Channel: select RGB and check the Invert box
- Blending: start with Overlay
Then adjust opacity to get the effect you want. It will be somewhat like Shadows/Highlights.
Originally by user4191. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4191
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—approximately. An Overlay layer lightens with tones lighter than 50% gray and darkens with tones darker than 50% gray, so to mimic a Shadows/Highlights-style effect you want a layer derived from an inverted version of the image.
A practical method is:
- Create a new layer filled with 50% gray.
- Select that gray layer and use Apply Image.
- Use the original/background image as the source.
- Choose the RGB channel.
- Enable Invert.
- Start with Overlay as the blending option.
- Adjust the layer opacity to control strength.
Why this works: shadows in the original become lighter values in the inverted result, which lightens them in Overlay mode; highlights become darker values, which darkens them.
It won’t be an exact match for the Shadows/Highlights filter, but it can produce a similar local dodge/burn-style effect. As you noted, Overlay-based tonal work can shift saturation somewhat.
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