- Why use Camera Raw?
- Opening photos into Camera Raw
- The Camera Raw tools A
- Cropping and straightening photos
- Choosing default workflow options
- Using the Camera Raw tabs
- Using the Basic tab
- Using the Tone Curve tab
- Using the Detail tab
- Using the HSL/Grayscale tab
- Using the Adjustment Brush tool
- Using the Split Toning tab
- Using the Lens Corrections tab
- Using the Effects tab
- Using the Graduated Filter tool
- Using the Radial Filter tool
- Using the Spot Removal tool
- Saving and applying Camera Raw settings
- Synchronizing Camera Raw settings
- Converting, opening, and saving Camera Raw files
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Using the Effects tab
In traditional photography, the faster the film speed, the larger and more apparent the grain. As an intentional effect, you can simulate this grainy texture via the Grain controls in Camera Raw. Choose a photo that won’t suffer aesthetically when its details lose definition.
To add a grain texture to a photo:
Click the Effects tab,
and double-click the Hand tool 
to fit the image in the preview.A
A This photo is a good candidate for the Grain effect because we won’t mind if the details are softened and it contains muted colors.
- To create a noticeable grain, under Grain, choose an Amount value of around 50.
To emulate the fine grain of slow film or the coarse grain of fast film, do as follows:
Set the Size value for the size of the grain particles.B When this value is greater than 25, a small degree of blurring is also applied, to help blend the grain with the imagery.
B The first settings we chose were Grain Amount 50 and Size 80 (we left the Roughness control at the default value of 50). The food textures are beginning to blend with the soft background.
Reduce the Roughness value below the default value of 50 for a more uniform grain, or increase it for an uneven, coarse grain.C Zoom in to examine the grain, then readjust the Amount value, if needed.
C We increased the Amount to 75, the Size to 60, and the Roughness to 65. The coarser grain unifies the highlights and background with the food textures even more. Please pass the Parmesan...
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Using the Post Crop Vignetting controls, you can apply a light or dark vignette to a photo (lighten or darken the outer areas). If you crop the photo subsequently in Camera Raw, the vignette will reconform to the new dimensions.
To apply a vignette to a photo:
Click the Effects tab,
and double-click the Hand tool to fit the image in the preview.A
A This is the original image.
Under Post Crop Vignetting, do all of the following: B–D
B In the Effects tab, under Post Crop Vignetting, we chose the values above.
C We lowered the Midpoint value and raised the Feather and Highlights values.
D When we cropped the image, the vignette readjusted automatically.
Choose Style: Highlight Priority.
Choose a negative Amount value for a dark vignette or a positive value for a light vignette.
Adjust the Midpoint value to expand the vignette inward or outward.
Adjust the Roundness value to make the vignette shape more oval or more like a rounded rectangle.
Adjust the Feather setting to control the softness of the transition to the nonvignetted areas.
Adjust the Highlights setting to control the brightness of the highlights within the vignette area.
Outdoor photos capture not only objects in the scene, but also the atmospheric conditions — namely haze. The Dehaze slider can be used to control how much haze is either removed from or added to the photo.
To decrease or increase haze in a photo: 
Click the Basic tab,
and double-click the Hand tool to fit the image in the preview. Do the following:Adjust the White Balance; increase the Exposure value; increase the Shadows value to lighten the shadows; increase the Whites value; increase the Clarity value to sharpen edge contrast; and adjust the other slider values as needed. A–B
A In the Basic tab, we used the settings shown above...
B ... to initially adjust our photo. This photo is a good candidate for the Dehaze effect because it contains adequate overall contrast, a substantial amount of whites, dark contrasts in the midground, and very few areas of green.
Click the Effects tab.
Do either of the following:Enter a positive Dehaze value to decrease the amount of haze. This will increase both the tonal and color contrast and intensify color in the photo (A, next page).
A We set the Dehaze value to +48. The photo now has substantial tonal contrast and greater color saturation and intensity. An amazing result from one slider adjustment!
Enter a negative Dehaze value to increase the amount of haze (or fog). This will add a soft white tint that reduces tonal and color contrast and softens the detail in the photo (B, next page).
B Next, we changed the Dehaze value to –73. In the Basic tab, we lowered the Clarity value to +28 and the Blacks value to –44. The Dehaze effect has transformed the scene into a gray, foggy day, with a soft white tint enveloping the scene from the foreground to the background.
Go back to the Basic tab and readjust those sliders, if desired. We recommend you experiment with different Shadows, Blacks, and Clarity values (C, next page).
C Finally, in the Basic tab, we reduced the Clarity value to –44 and the Blacks value to –53. This adjustment softened the entire image and removed some of the haze from the closest foreground elements.
By experimenting in the Basic tab, we found that the Shadows and Blacks sliders can control the amount of haze in the foreground, while the Contrast and Highlights sliders can control the amount of definition in background.
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