The DRAGAN EFFECT in Photoshop

[@AnthonyMorganti]

Don't miss any of my videos! Subscribe now to my KZbin Channel! In this tutorial, I demonstrate how to create the Dragan Effect in Photoshop. Checkout Andrzej Dragan's work here: andrzejdragan.com/ Checkout Anthony Morganti's Lightroom Training - The ULTIMATE Lightroom Classic Course: www.anthonymorganti.com/ Save $10 with Discount Code: TENOFF Updated Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts PDF Download - It's FREE: www.anthonymorganti.com/ To get more info about Photoshop, go here: prf.hn/l/lGnjDBl I am an Adobe affiliate and will earn a commission if you purchase anything using the link directly above. Please read my Code of Ethics Statement: onlinephotographytraining.com/code-of-ethics/ Please subscribe to my newsletter! anthonymorganti.substack.com/subscribe Contact Info: Anthony Morganti P.O. Box 805 Buffalo, New York 14220

[@rjpaulsen1]

The dodge tool is not a magnifying glass, it's a paddle. In the dark room we would use move paddles areas to block the light on parts of the film.

[@JamieFurlong]

Blimey, I went through a phase of Dragan portraits over 18 years ago. Pretty sure Photoshop didn't even have Smart Objects back then! Nice to see this refreshed as I'd completely forgotten the procedure.

[@michaeldobala220]

Thank you for this video. Why do you use a destructive way for dodging and burning? There is other methods for that. E.g. two curves adjustment layers, one for dodging, one for burning.

[@johnnytyler1]

Yup. Can also create a new layer, then go to layer properties, uncheck "transparency effects layer." and then all effects on that layer, including dodge and burn, will effect the layer beneath as if it were done on that layer. This also works in layer modes, so that you can switch the layer to color dodge and have it actually work like color dodge would when applied directly to a layer.

[@pappa6085]

you can dodge and burn in a non destructive way using many strategies, for example: 1- midtone grey layers with multiply mode for burning and screen for dodging or overlay mode if you want to do the dodge and burn on the same layer,,,, 2- with masked curves layers

[@erichsnijder7376]

Very nice video and explanation. I'm going to try and work on my own photo's. Thanks a lot :)

[@propylaeen]

Best to follow tutorial very easy to just get what is happening love it a lot!

[@DavidVelezPhotography]

Thank you, Anthony. I remember back in Lightroom 4, Scott Kelby had a similar look in his book for Lightroom. Many moons ago, but I remember like it was yesterday.

[@LBMasiky]

Thank you so much. You are a very good teacher and a talented presenter!!

[@SEAKPhotog]

Thanks. I really enjoy/appreciate your tutorials!👍🏻

[@goldspike1]

Excellent tutorial

[@NelsonJames-o4u]

Great video. Thank you for sharing your experience. On a Mac, to change the default app that Photoshop Beta opens, try right-clicking (option-click) on a PSD file on your desktop and go to "Get Info". Go down the list and at "Opens with"", change the app to the version of Photoshop that you want your Mac to open by default. Below that, click on the button "Change All..." See if that works. Who knows, Adobe has a history of not working well with macOS.

[@swasle]

That's beautiful, yes I've changed a lot as a photographer, I do much more subtle post processing.

[@keithaguilar9790]

I don't know if you could associate this style to one person. I have been doing this for years and teach the technique to my students. I also added the 20/10 technique before the "Stamp" or combining all layers. I thought this was just a standard practice for dramatic portrait effects.

[@Andrea-oo8dt]

Hi Anthony, thank you for this great video. I was wondering whether this effect can be downloaded as an action somewhere?

[@johnkemas7344]

Nice tutorial!. I'd like to know for more context, what type and how the light was setup to take this portrait?? The image seems to have no specular highlights, little if any specular highlights in the eyes, soft shadows directly under the nose, brows and bottom of the beard. I might assume the shot was taken with a large soft box or umbrella placed high above and slightly in front of the subject. I'm not usually a big fan of using soft boxes and more old school preferring to use dramatic light techniques using direct hot lights or movie studio type lighting to achieve the drama, much like George Hurrell and similar photographers of the 1920-1950s . I loved that lighting style and used it myself for photographing characters in school plays etc since I was in high school in the 1960's I use both types of lighting. I also was a big fan of Dean Collins styles and scientific approach to great lighting. and took many of his work shops. RIP Dean. That being said, I like this image a lot! I have found that when using strobe lights I prefer to filter my tubes heavily with strong UV filter gels to remove the UV (from Lee or Roscoe) for both color and B&W work. I think the UV from unfiltered strobes lights penetrates the skin and makes the complexion ruddy looking. I use old Norman studio strobes and their tubes were available with UV coatings, but I always add extra. Something that doesn't happen with standard tungsten based lighting.

[@TheSilverDartRacing]

Thanks Anthony.

[@susanmeyer8885]

Interesting effect. Is there a way to get similar result w/o using smart object and stamped layers?

[@JohnBerthoty]

Forgot about the Dragan effect, thanks Anthony. How about a vid on the Brenizer effect?

[@michaeljenner1795]

It's difficult for me to recall three or four-button shortcuts for techniques I don't use very often. I prefer the add a new layer button on the bottom of the layers palette, then Option>Merge Visible in the drop down layers palette. This makes a copy of the image showing, as it is, with layer adjustments baked in. Then I can switch off the eyes below, all but the original layer and toggle on and off just the top layer to see the before and after. Your method may be quicker, but this one is easier to explain to students and they're more likely to remember it, maybe.

[@BubbleGendut]

Why did you choose a destructive method for D&B ?

[@AidenPage-1]

My thoughts too, easy to just use a soft light layer

[@ruudvoest1038]

Thanks for the video , nice workflow. I would add a little Dodge on the open eye though , to bring out just a little white of the eye. it's the first part of the image where the viewers eye gets drawn to. But that's just my humble take on the vid :-)

[@swingasc]

Some of us have no idea what this effect looks like. It would have helped to show examples of the effect at the start so that we could understand how each step was leading to the goal. Just my 2 cents.

[@AidenPage-1]

Why not just do non-destructive dodging and burning using a grey soft light layer?

[@bobcrocker1521]

Not a PS user, can this be done in ON1 2024?

[@earljanssen]

I didn't realize that after creating a stamped visible layer that changes in the underlying layers would affect the stamped visible layer. This doesn't seem to be true most times. What kinds of svl will change when underlying layers are changed? I can't get it to work all the time.

[@dretwav]

It will never work. What he tried to do doesn't ever work.

[@earljanssen]

It did in the video and I was able to reproduce it.

[@dretwav]

@@earljanssen He created a new stamped visible layer which WOULD be affected by the changed underlying layers including the stamped layer. The original stamped layer is not affected. I think he really will confuse people. A much more intuitive flow would be to add a new saturation adjustment layer above the stamped layer so you don't leave the impression that you are affecting the original stamped layer.

[@MarcySB]

Maybe he could edit below the first stamped layer because it was in Overlay blend mode?

[@earljanssen]

@@MarcySB In my experimenting, blend modes other than Normal let changes happen in the stamped visible layer!

[@MarcySB]

I've been complaining about the Beta app taking over as default for months! That is the reason I uninstalled it when Generative fill moved to the public version.

[@RH-cv1rg]

I migrated to a new computer and didn't install PS Beta as it took over and was annoying. I can wait for any new features rather than be annoyed.

[@oneeyedphotographer]

When you were exporting, you reminded me... I tried to create actions to export. It seems the export bit doesn't get into the action. I can save, save as with conversion including to JPEG (I think), but then I can't resize. Is this me? Adobe? Could you perhaps check it ot, maybe make a video? Also, like you, KZbinrs tend to start with JPEGS. This leads to them not having problems their fans might. For example, I shoot a bunch of raw images, process them into cr and lad them into s. Then I say "Stack," "Use open file." If the open files are new from ACR, this does not work as expected. I suspect Ps has silently converted to PSD and not saved. I also suspect LrC passes TIFFs, and then Ps processing is as for JPEGs. I further suspect LrC can pass multiple images in a TIFF for "open as layers."

[@matthewgregory2106]

Dodge tool is a paddle

[@briansmith5843]

Just change the default app back to the other version in Windows.

[@paulbryant172]

NO. I barely survived the Dragansplosion of 2010, we are NOT doing this again. 😂☠

[@CapitánPlopópotro]

Regarding the people you described: there is no shame in saying "old".

[@radiozelaza]

Dragan has become a celebrity physicist-popscientist these days in Poland and is scolding AI in a fearmongering fashion. I don't like his attitude

[@bryanbrewer4272]

Somewhat creamy,,,

[@fifek2000]

Unfortunately the effect now is out of fashion. Today we have a lot of different cameras to make good photographs without so much manipulation which makes portraits very artificial. It was fascinating 15-20 years ago

[@kennethrohen5963]

That is a face that has experienced decades of screw-cap bum wine and park benches.

[@williamdillon9404]

Are we just going to ignore Satan staring at us behind his right shoulder?

[@rocketmanab]

Lol...I was, but not anymore since you pointed it out 😅

[@dretwav]

Once you have created a stamped layer, you cannot change anything on the layers below and affect the stamped layer. So when you changed the saturation layer that had no effect on your stamped layer. Don't believe me? Just delete all the layers below the stamped layer. It does not change the stamped layer at all. The "stamping" merges all the layers so changing them later does nothing.

[@earljanssen]

Watch from 6:40 on. He readjusts a layer below the stamped visible layer and it changes the stamped layer.

[@dretwav]

@@earljanssen it doesn't change the stamped layer. It does change his NEW stamped layer. By the definition a stamped layer, layers below cannot affect it after it is stamped. You can, of course add adjustment layers above it or, as he as done create another stamped layer which will be affected by the new state of all layers below it.

[@andreasprott2182]

Ok cool down everyone😂: he added the highpass filter to the stamped layer and put this grayish layer into overlay mode. So in fact the below layers do have an effect on the overall composition as you can clearly see in the video.

[@chillee151]

Interesting tutorial but the final image looks worse than the original.

[@gregorylagrange]

Is this an "influencer" doing influencer things and taking credit for something that's already been around and been in Corel Paintshop for years now? And maybe even in Photoshop. This is just local tone mapping. You click and move sliders. If you go overboard you go from accentuated texture look to that dirty, sooty look.

[@HarveyWallbanger-ho2cq]

Photoshop is for lame photographers