"Esquire" style photo processing



I prevent you that this lesson is designed for those who are already familiar with the process itself.



Firstly we'll create a new layer and press Image - Apply Image, choosing the blue channel. We need the blue one, because it always contains much information not only about the noises, but about the material's texture too - in this case the skin.



Make three copies of this layer which must be connected by turn. Change on the lowest one the blending mode on Luminosity and raise a little bit the brightness of the curves (Ctrl+M).



On the next layer we'll twist the curves as for the texture to be visible only on the brightest zones. Change also the Blending Mode on Linear Dodge and insert the Opacity on 5-7%.



On the third layer we need to twist the curves in a way as for the texture to be left only on the shadows. Change the Blending Mode on Linear Burn and insert a small percent for the Opacity. We need also to clean out with a brush along the mask those zones characterized by black lay downs.



The following work supposes to get off the inappropriate background. It is of one nuance and a white one, which is why the mask is easier to be done, using the channels. Make a copy of the blue channel, place it on the icon of a new channel and select Burn Tool, Dodge Tool and Curves to get the next demonstrated result.



Click on the channel by pressing simultaneously ctrl button to get a marking.

Get back to the layers' window, create a new layer and click on the mask's adding. On the new layer we'll represent the background we want to see on the picture (I've chosen half - transparent gradients).



Now we need to mark out the eyes.

The easier way to do it is to make a copy of the very first layer, change the blending mode on Overlay and insert the mask of black color. Then we need to paint with white color only the eyes.



Now we'll represent two new layers, change the blending mode on Overlay one and use the black brush along the shadows. It must have a small percent on the Opacity option. On the next one we'll choose a brush of white color.

I do it on separate layers, just to control after that the layers' visibility independently one from another.



Make a copy of the very first layer (Ctrl+J). Place it on the very top position, change the Blending Mode on Overlay and select the filter shown here - Other -> High Pass.



The correction on the colors may be done on your wish. It's finished!







The author: Sigma