Author: Bob Lin

In this example, we will work on Curve Layer Adjustment. This is before

This is after.

1. Open and edit the image.

2. Create Curve layer. You can do it from Create new fill or adjustment layer in Layer panel.

Or from Windows>Adjustment. Then select Curve icon.

3. Our goal is highlighting the dark background. So adjust the Curve as shown this screenshot.

4. To highlight the dark background and keep other areas are the same as the original, you will use Brush Tool.

Make sure the the Front background is black, then use the brush to pain the areas you want to adjust.

5. You can check the paining area by hold Alt and click on Curve layer.

In the Properties (if you don’t have the Properties open, you can open it from Windows), you can continue to pain and adjust Density and other refine. Here is the result.

6. This is the result.

1. With the image open, duplicate the layer, duplicate the Background layer by hitting CMD or CTRL + J on the keyboard or by clicking and dragging the Background layer to the New Layer symbol at that bottom of the Layers Panel.
2. Open Spot Healing Brush Tool.

3. Remove small blemishes.

4. With background copy active, go to Filter>Convert for smart filter.

4. Open Surface Blur from Filter>Blur.

5. Adjust Radius and Thresholds, in our example, Radius=15, Thresholds=20. Check the preview to compare.

7.

• Portrait Photoshop 1: use Blur Filters to soften backgrounds and skin tones

• Portrait Photoshop 2: Use Refine Edge in Photoshop to select scattered hair
• Portrait Photoshop 4: How to change background using the Lasso Mode of Object Select Tool
• Portrait Photoshop 5: How to use Object Selection Tool in Photoshop 2020
• Portrait Photoshop 6: How to convert a selected background to black and white in Photoshop 2020

• Portrait Photoshop 7: Blur background

Blur a background can draw attention to a focal point.
As always, the best way to do this is in-camera with a wide maximum aperture , F2.8 or low number. If you didn’t have the right lens with wide open aperture, Photoshop can help. In this example, we will use Gaussian Blur to blur the background.

Before

1. With the image open, duplicate the Background layer by hitting CMD or CTRL + J on the keyboard or by clicking and dragging the Background layer to the New Layer symbol at that bottom of the Layers Panel.
2. Use the select object tool to select subject. Please refer this post:

• Portrait Photoshop 5: How to use Object Selection Tool in Photoshop 2020

3. Located the Radius and

5. Go to Select>Deselect.

Making selections of scattered hair in Photoshop is not easy. with a uniform background are perfect to start with. Here is how.

1. Use a select tool to select background or subject. In our example, I use Magic Wand Tool.

2. After using Magic Wand tool select all white background, use Quick Select Tool deselect subject.

3. Go to Select to Inverse from background selection to object selection. Now, click Add layer mask icon

4. Click Select and Mask on the top or Go to Select>Select and Mask.

5. Select Refine Edge Brush Tool (R)

6. In the properties of Select and mask, you have these options: Show Edge, Show Original, View Mode. Normally, I start Opacity at 50%, check Smart Radius. Adjust Global Refinements such as smooth, feather, contrast and shift edge for the perfect result.

Decontaminate Color helps you to reduce the edge of the leftover colored pixels around the edges of a selection.

Output To drop-down menus has these options:

• Selection: When you press OK after refining the edge, then your output will be just a selection. It leaves you with marching ants.
• New Layer: Creates a new layer which contains only the selection. It deletes the background.
• New Layer with Layer Mask: Creates a new layer with a layer mask.
• Layer Mask: Add a layer mask to the selection. One of the most used output by me.
• New Document: Create a new document/file which contains only the selected pixels.
• New Document with Layer Mask: Creates a new document with a layer mask which only contains the selected image.

7. Click to output the result.

In this example, we will use Gaussian Blur and Surface Blur from Photoshop filters to soften backgrounds and skin tones.

1. Open the image and duplicate layer.

Note: there are multiple ways to duplicate a layer. 1) Click Layer>Duplicate Layer. 2). Click on the image in the Layer panel and hold it. Move it to bottom +

3) Right click on the image in the layer panel and select Duplicate Layer.

2. Use select tool to select background. Note 1: you can select object and then inverse.

Note 2: you can save the select by going to Select>Save Selection.

3. With the Duplicate Layer active, go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Increase Radius until you happy the result. Don’t overdo it.

Note: you can also make a dark background by going to Image>Adjustment.

4. With the Duplicate Layer still active, go to Select>inverse, which will select object.

5. To soften skin, go to Filter>Blur>Surface Blur. Adjust Radius and Threshold.

6. You may also want to use Sharpen Tool to sharp eyes and other edges.

7. This is the result.

Curves is a popular tool to adjust contrast in Photoshop. When you open Curves, the graph will default to a straight diagonal line indicating 0 (black) to 255 (white). The horizontal axis of the graph represents the input values, while the vertical axis represents the output or adjusted values. Note: to open Cures, click on Create new file or adjustment layer.

Select Curves.

Now, you should have

Curves control contrast by adjust the curve. For example, to reducing contrast, select and drag the darkest point upwards while select the lightest point along the graph and drag it downwards as shown below.

To increase the contract, you may select three points and make an ‘S’ curve as shown below.

Situation: When the user receive the call, the phone doesn’t ring even the ring volume is high. After he restart the phone, the phone rings but the sound is different from the ringtone.

Troubleshooting: 1. It could be the 3rd party software issue. Try safe mode for a test. Please refer to this post:

• How to reboot Google Pixel 3 in Safe Mode

2. Make sure the Sound is not disabled. Please refer to this post:

To do that, go to Settings>Apps & notifications>All apps. If you don’t see Sound apps, tap 3 dots>Show system.

3. Clear sound storage cache. To do that, go to Settings>Apps & notifications>All apps. If you don’t see Sound apps, tap 3 dots>Show system. Clear cache or Clear storage.

4. Also disable Bluetooth for a test. The sound may go to Bluetooth device.

Situation: The user has Google Pixel 3 phone. He can’t change the phone ringtone. Whenever he tap the Phone ringtone, it turn to the Sound settings page. Also the Phone ringtone shows 813.

Troubleshooting: 1. Make sure the sound is not disabled.

To do that, go to Settings>Apps & notifications>All apps. If you don’t see Sound apps, tap 3 dots>Show system.

2. Clear sound storage cache. To do that, go to Settings>Apps & notifications>All apps. If you don’t see Sound apps, tap 3 dots>Show system. Clear cache or Clear storage.

3. It could be the 3rd party software issue. Try safe mode for a test. Please refer to this post:

• How to reboot Google Pixel 3 in Safe Mode

• Turn the device off.
• Press and hold the Power button until the Google logo appears on the screen then release.
• With the Google logo still on screen, press and hold the Volume down button.
• Continue to hold the Volume down button until ‘Safe mode‘ appears in the lower-left of the unlock screen then release.