San Diego portrait photographer | Sylvia Borgo {BLOG}

Hello!  I have another tutorial for you today – a fun one!  How to turn an SOOC RAW shot and process it in a vintage-y style.  There are many ways to do this, and there are many ways to process in a vintage-y style.  One of my fave looks is a soft magenta tint that I add to some photos just when I want to play around and have some fun.

You’ll see more from this session next week, when I bring you some more super cute and energetic images of cutie-patootie A.

Here is the Before and After:

So, we need to process this bland RAW file (more on what is RAW and why the image on the left looks the way it does by clicking HERE

• First, I cropped the image in for a tighter look.  I wanted to make sure cutie-pie A. was the focus!
• Secondly, I used a “Gradient Map” layer in Photoshop.  When the Gradient Map window pops up, I double click on the spectrum and it brings up a dialogue box.  At the bottom of this box, the spectrum is visible again and I’m going to set my colors.  I click on the left arrow with the little square underneath and choose BLACK.  Then I click on the right arrow with the square underneath it and choose a nice PEACHY color.    Then click OK to set.
• I reduce the opacity of this Gradient Map layer to about 30% and set it to “Soft Light.”
• Next step – I add a “Solid Color” layer on top and choose a MAUVE color.  I reduce the opacity to about 30% and again set it on “Soft Light.”
• Finally, I add a “Curves” layer to soften up the blacks/contrast.  When working in the cures layer, I drag up the bottom, left corner of the diagonal line until the output reads 25 or 30.

And that’s it!!  I hope this was helpful!!!  The key is to have FUN and play around with Photoshop – you’ll discover lots of ways to process an image to give it a certain mood and a certain look!