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Usage Tip #1

 

Low contrast or dull images can be given some punch and drama if you process the image using Split Channel mode but use the same settings for the Enhance Detail and Smooth detail sliders for each RGB channel. If the settings for each RGB channel are the same (or close to being the same) the color shifts will not be unduly dramatic for most images. But you will see color shifts in patches of the image that can enhance the image.

High resolution images are available for you to download and examine.

To start I opened this image of a foggy day in Stonington CT in Photoshop and duplicated it on 2 layers. Finding the best slider settings to use is easiest using Single Channel mode so that is how I staredt. Plus having the Single Channel mode processed version of the image in addition to the Spit Channel mode processed version of the image is useful.

First I selected the top duplicate layer and opened Lucis Pro. Then in Single Channel mode I adjusted the sliders until I had an image with the detail and contrasts I liked. In this specific case I moved the Enhance Detail slider to 81 and the Smooth Detail slider to 7 (because there was noise in the image I wanted to smooth). I also moved the Assign Original image Color slider to 100% Original. I processed this image because it would be useful to see the comparison plus I could also use opacity and layers in Photoshop to add a percentage of this image to the result from processing the image in Split channel mode if I preferred. Mixing in this Single Channel mode Lucis image would tone down any color shifts in the image created using Split Channel mode while keeping the level of detail and contrast I wanted. Mixing in the original image would just stifle the Lucis-enhanced contrasts.

Then I selected the lower layer with a duplicate of the original image, opened up Lucis Pro and enabled Split Channel mode. I made the Enhance Detail slider equal to 81 and the Smooth Detail slider equal to 7 for each channel.

Finally I decided to tone down the colors a little. I set the Opacity of the top layer with the Lucis image created from using Single channel mode to 33% and combined it with the layer with the Lucis image created from using Split Channel mode. The result is the bottom most image on the bottom right.

Click here or on the image above to download the original image (4.6 MB jpg image).	Click here or on the image above to download the image processed in Single Channel mode with the Enhance Detail slider at 81, the Smooth Detail slider at 7 and the Assign Original Image Color slider to 100% original (5.5 MB jpg image).

Click here or on the image above to download the image processed in split Channel Mode with the Enhance Detail slider set to 81 and the Smooth Detail Slider set to 7 for each RGB Channel (6.4 MB jpg image).

Click here or on the image above to download the result of using opacity and layers in Photoshop to combine 33% of the Single Channel image with the Split Channel image (6 MB jpg image).