Add Colorful Contrast to Your Photographs In Two Easy Steps

Are you tired of your images looking flat? Of course, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of ways to add a little punch to flat photos. Some techniques are complicated and require lots of time in Photoshop or Lightroom, and some are easy to learn and quick to execute like this one from PiXimperfect.

This video by PiXimperfect focuses on adding color contrast to an image to get a little more pop by merely using two hue saturation layers. One layer is targeted at the shadows while the second layer is aimed at the highlights. Essentially the two-layer approach is acting like a burn and dodge technique. Unlike simply adding contrast with the contrast slider, this approach gives you more control of both the highlights and the shadows while also providing control of the saturation. Of course, a curves adjustment layer could be used and also provide control of the highlights and the shadows, but for me, the quickness and the easy of the two hue saturation layer approach is what is so enticing.

For a lot of my freelance jobs, I need to get a batch of photographs to my editor as quickly as possible during and after the event. Many times there are several photographs that just seem a little flat, and I wish had a bit more pop to them. Because of the time constraint, I don’t have time for more complicated adjustment methods. I just need something that is quick and provides a good enough result. I think this approach offers a more than good enough result for a minimal amount of effort.