STEPbySTEP

STEPbySTEP 

with 

onOne Software 

Technique & Inspiration Using Perfect Photo Suite 9 

by Nicole S. Young

Step by Step with onOne Software 


by Nicole S. Young

STEP BY STEP WITH ONONE SOFTWARE 

by Nicole S. Young 



Published by Nicolesy, Inc. 

www.nicolesy.com 

Copyright © 2014 Nicole S. Young, All Rights Reserved 

Written by: Nicole S. Young 

Layout and Design: Nicole S. Young 

Copyeditor: Linda Laflamme 

Cover Photo: Nicole S. Young 

Author Photo: © dav.d 

Notice of Rights 

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or 

by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied 

in critical articles or reviews. 

Liability 

The information in this book is distributed on an “As-Is” basis, without warranty. Neither the author, the publisher nor 

the companies owned by the author shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage 

caused by or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instruction contained in this book or by the websites or 

products described in it. 

Trademarks 

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. 

Where those designations appear in this book, and Nicolesy, Inc. was aware of a trademark claim, the designations 

appear as requested by the owner of the trademark. All other product names and services identified throughout this 

book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention or infringement of the 

trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this 

book. 

ISBN-13: 978-0-9893876-4-4 

ISBN-10: 0-989-38764-X 

iii


Table of Contents 

Table of Contents 

INTRODUCTIONV 

Chapter 1 

WHAT’S NEW 1 

Smart Photos 2 

Masking Integration 3 

Noise Reduction 4 

Updates to Perfect Browse 5 

Additional New Features 6 

Chapter 2 

TOOLS & MODULES 7 

Perfect Browse 8 

Perfect Layers 9 

Perfect Enhance 10 

Perfect Portrait 11 

Perfect Effects 12 

Perfect B&W 13 

Perfect Resize 14 

Must-Know Keyboards Shortcuts 15 

Chapter 3 

BACK TO BASICS 18 

Pumpkins at the Market 19 

The Lighthouse 28 

Chapter 4 

LOVELY LANDSCAPES 36 

Butte Creek Falls 37 

Schwabacher Landing 52 

Chapter 5 

WILL IT BLEND 67 

Barn at Sunrise 68 

Trillium Lake 89 

Chapter 6 

GOODBYE, BLUE SKY! 107 

The Skateboarder 108 

The Juniper Tree 124 

CONCLUSION142


Introduction 

Introduction 

I am a long-time user of the onOne Software Perfect Photo Suite. In fact, it’s one of my favorite photography software programs and is a great complement 

to my existing Adobe products, such as Lightroom, and even Photoshop! Even though this is my third book on this software, I keep learning something 

new and finding new ways to process my images. And this book is my way of sharing my style and techniques for processing images. 

This book begins with a short Q&A, plus I have also dedicated the first two chapters to some of the basics: The first chapter lists many of the new features 

in Suite 9, and the second chapter shows each interface, along with a breakdown of some of the major panels and tools. So, let’s get started! 

v


Introduction 

How to use this eBook: 

With the exception of the first two chapters, the entire book is a stepby-step 

journey in post-processing using onOne’s Perfect Photo Suite 9. 

Here are some tips on getting the most out of this book: 

• If you purchased the Bonus Materials to go along with this book, 

then you have access to each file I process in Chapters 3 through 

6. This way you can follow along with each step and process the 

files yourself. 

• I recommend reading this eBook on either a computer monitor 

or a large tablet (such as the iPad). It will also work on smaller 

devices (for example, a smartphone), but may appear too small 

to read. 

• If you would like to view more detail of one of the images, just 

zoom in using either your computer, tablet, phone, or whichever 

method you are using to read the book. 

• There are video tutorials to complement this eBook where I 

process five additional photographs using the Perfect Photo 

Suite 9. The videos also include tutorials on processing images in 

HDR using Lightroom and Photoshop, and show how to use some 

of the features in onOne Software. For more information on the 

video tutorials, please click here (requires an Internet connection). 

Who is this eBook for 

This eBook is primarily for photographers who already use or would like 

to use onOne’s Perfect Photo Suite 9. 

What will I learn 

In this eBook I share some of my favorite techniques on using the Perfect 

Photo Suite 9, such as masking and advanced image processing, and 

focus on the following modules: 

• Perfect Browse 

• Perfect Layers 

• Perfect Enhance 

• Perfect Effects 

Why aren’t all of the modules in onOne 

Software covered in this eBook 

The modules I cover in this book consist of Perfect Browse, Layers, 

Enhance, and Effects. This eBook is not meant to be comprehensive. 

Rather it is a representation of how I use this software in my own 

photography. The good news is that onOne has you covered! They have 

some great video content over on their website. 

vi


Introduction 

Do I need specific equipment and software 

Many of the techniques used in this book can be applied across several 

different types of software. Because the onOne Software Perfect Photo 

Suite is the only software you will see used in this book, however, you 

will get the best technical information and learning experience by using 

onOne’s Perfect Photo Suite 9. If you are interested in following along, 

onOne offers a 30-day trial of their software. Click here to access and 

download it (works for both Mac and PC). 

Are the files used in this eBook available for 

download so that I can follow along 

Yes, they are! If you purchased the entire bundle (eBook, Videos, and 

Bonus Content), then you already have everything you need to follow 

along with the chapters in the book. If you have not yet purchased 

them and would like to access the download files for this eBook, along 

with other video content and presets, please visit the product page for 

more information. 

Do you have more training available on onOne 

Software’s products 

Yes! I originally started writing about onOne Software with the Perfect 

Photo Suite 7 and wrote a comprehensive print-published book 

through Peachpit Press titled Plug In with onOne Software. Then, after 

the release of Perfect Photo Suite 8, I wrote a self-published book 

titled Light & Process: onOne Software. In Light & Process, I share how I 

photographed ten scenes and then walk through the post-processing 

of those photographs using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Photoshop, 

and onOne Software. 

For this eBook, you can find additional video training focusing on onOne 

Software, as well as bonus files, available in my online store. Click here 

to access that content. 

Nicole S. Young 

Photographer & Author 

vii

CHAPTER 1 

What’s New 

An overview of the new features 

in Perfect Photo Suite 9 

If you are a long-time user of the Perfect Photo 

Suite, then you are in for a treat! And if this is your 

first time using the software, you are starting off 

on a great version. onOne has made some valuable 

updates to Suite 9, and to help you discover these 

new features, I will give you a tour of several of them 

in this chapter.


CHAPTER 1: What’s New in Perfect Photo Suite 9 

Smart Photos 

In the past, applying an effect and closing 

out a module (such as Perfect Effects, 

for example) meant that those filters and 

presets were “burned in” to the photo. Now, 

with Smart Photos, if you make and apply 

changes inside of one of the modules, you 

can exit the module, then return to re-edit 

the photo with all of your settings intact! This 

is a valuable feature for those of us who may 

want to make subtle changes to an effect 

without having to start from scratch. 

To use an image as a Smart Photo, open your 

photo and make sure that the Smart Photo 

Re-Editable PSD option is checked at the 

bottom. As you can see in my example, I 

need to open this image as a copy in order 

for this method to work. 


2



Masking Integration 

In the Perfect Photo Suite 9, the entire Perfect 

Mask module has been removed and many of its 

tools integrated into Perfect Layers and Perfect 

Effects! Here are some of the new features and 

tools you’ll be able to use to mask your images: 

Quick Mask Brush: In addition to the masking 

tools being integrated to the rest of the suite, 

there is now a new Quick Mask Brush. This brush 

lets you quickly mask out an unwanted sky or 

background with just one swipe. Then you can 

use the additional masking tools to refine and 

perfect your mask area. 

Refine Brush: You use the Refine Brush to 

remove the excess color pixels out of your 

existing mask. This is similar to the Magic Brush 

in previous modules. 

Copy and Paste Masks: In previous modules, 

you were able to copy and paste masks within 

a module. Now, with Perfect Photo Suite 9, you 

can copy and paste masks across the modules. 

A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

F 

A. ...Masking Brush 

B. ...Quick Mask 

C. ...Masking Bug 

D. ...Refine Brush 

E. ...Chisel Mask tool 

F ....Blur Mask tool 


3



Noise Reduction 

With the new Noise Reduction feature, 

you can now reduce the noise in your 

images very easily while still inside of 

the Suite! And, if you don’t want to apply 

the filter to the entire image, you are 

able to selectively add it to only certain 

portions of the scene. This is a good way 

to reduce noise in shadow areas, while 

still retaining the detail in the other parts 

of your photograph. 


4



Updates to Perfect 

Browse 

Perfect Browse has had many new features added. Along 

with faster browsing (as mentioned in the previous section), 

it also has the following additions: 

• Faster image processing 

• The ability to rate, label, and “like” your images 

• Rotate support 

• Filtering and searching through your images based 

on labels, ratings, likes, and keywords 

• Editing metadata from within the Browse panel on 

the right 

• Printing directly from the Browse module 

• Updates to Favorites and Folders panels on the left 

• The ability to batch rename files 

• A Send To feature that allows you to send photos 

to other applications, such as Photoshop 


5



Additional New Features 

Perfect Photo Suite 9 offers many more subtle new features 

that still deserve the spotlight! Here are some of the 

miscellaneous new items in this version of onOne Software: 

Printing: The ability to print from the modules is now 

supported in the Perfect Photo Suite! One thing to note is 

that the keyboard shortcut, Cmd/Ctrl+P, is now dedicated to 

this new printing feature. (The keyboard shortcut for toggling 

the before and after preview is now the \ key.) 

Lens Flare Filter: This is a new filter inside of Perfect Effects 

that allows you to add flare to your images. 

Retina Display Support: Support was added for largeresolution 

monitors. 

Modernized Crop Tool: The Crop tool has been updated 

and modernized. It also has an added leveling tool for 

straightening your images. (See the example at right.) 

Auto-Tone: The algorithm for the auto-tone across modules 

had been updated. 

Quick View Browser: This allows you to start up directly 

into your Favorites, Presets, or Filters view. It’s optional and 

can be turned on and off in the footer of each module that 

supports it. 


6

CHAPTER 2 

Tools & Modules 

The Perfect Photo Suite Interface 

One of the most daunting things about using 

photography software, especially if you are new to it, 

is getting to know all of the tools and panels on the 

screen. In fact, it can be scary and intimidating to open 

up a photo and then be faced with so many options and 

menus that you don’t know how to use. In this chapter, I 

am going to do my best to demystify each of the Perfect 

Photo Suite modules, along with their primary tools. 

Then, at the end of the chapter, I will also share some of 

the important, “must-know” keyboard shortcuts that I 

use regularly inside of Perfect Photo Suite 9.


CHAPTER 2: The Perfect Photo Suite Interface 

Perfect Browse 

The Perfect Browse interface is similar to a file-browsing folder on your desktop. Here you can quickly browse 

through your images to find photos you would like to work on in one or more of the modules. It’s a great way to 

preview your files and prep your plan of attack for processing your images. 

A 

B 

C 

E 

J 

K 

A. ...Favorites panel 

B. ...Sources panel 

C. ...Filters panel 

D. ...Recently opened files 

E. ...Path bar 

F ....Image/Thumb View toggle 

G. ...Thumbnail Size 

H. ...Sort drop-down 

I. ....Rating & Label overlay 

J. ....Info panel 

K. ...Metadata panel 

L ....Smart Photo History 

D 

L 

F G H I 


8



Perfect Layers 

When it comes to masking, blending images, and doing basic edits (such as cropping or quickly removing a dust 

spot), Perfect Layers is the place to be. It’s also a good “home base” when working on a photograph where you 

will be using more than one module to refine your photograph. 

L 

A. ...File Browser & Extras 

M 

B. ...File Info 

A 

F 

N 

C. ...View Mode toggle 

D. ...Launch Quick View Browser 

E. ...Compare Mode toggle 

O 

F ....Navigator/Loupe/Histogram/Info 

G. ...Layers panel 

P 

H. ...Duplicate Selected Layer 

G 

Q 

I. ....Delete Selected Layer 

J. ....Merge Layer Down 

R 

K. ...Color Fill Layer 

L ....Transform tool 

H I J K 

S 

M ...Crop tool 

N. ...Trim tool 

T 

O. ...Perfect Eraser 

P. ...Retouch Brush 

U 

Q. ...Clone Stamp 

R. ...Red Eye tool 

B 

V 

S. ...Masking Brush 

T. ...Quick Mask 

W 

U. ...Masking Bug 

V. ...Refine Brush 

C D E 

X 

W. ..Chisel Mask tool 

X. ...Blur Mask tool 

Y 

Y. ...Hand tool 

Z. ...Zoom tool 

Z 


9



Perfect Enhance 

Sometimes a photograph just needs some minor edits to make it really pop. A little bit can go a very long way 

when it comes to post-processing! In the Perfect Enhance module, you can add minor corrections to tone, color, 

sharpening, noise correction, and more! 

A 

E 

I 

A. ...Favorites & Presets 

B. ...View Mode toggle 

C. ...Launch Quick View Browser 

F 

J 

D. ...Preview (before/after) toggle 

E. ...Navigator/Loupe/Histogram/Info 

G 

K 

F ....Fit & Zoom buttons 

G. ...Quick Fixes panel 

L 

H. ...Custom settings panels 

I. ....Crop tool 

J. ....Perfect Eraser 

H 

M 

N 

K. ...Retouch Brush 

L ....Red Eye tool 

M ...Hand tool 

N. ...Zoom tool 

B 

C 

D 


10



Perfect Portrait 

If you photograph portraits of people, Perfect Portrait is a great module to use for your post-processing. This 

module allows you to smooth skin, brighten eyes, and whiten teeth. 

A 

F 

K 

A. ...Favorites & Presets panel 



D. ...Compare Mode toggle 

G 

H 

L 

M 

N 

E. ...Preview (before/after) toggle 


G. ...Fit & Zoom buttons 

H. ...Skin Retouching panel 

I. ....Color Correction panel (skin) 

J. ....Eyes & Mouth panel 

I 

O 

P 

K. ...Face Select tool 

L ....Face Edit tool 

M ...Perfect Eraser 

N. ...Retouch Brush 

J 

O. ...Hand tool 

P. ...Zoom tool 

B C D E 


11



Perfect Effects 

Perfect Effects is my personal favorite among the Perfect Photo Suite product lineup. This module works with any 

type of photograph and allows you a lot of control in stylizing and refining each photo to match your unique vision. 

A 

F 

P 

A. ...Favorites, Presets, & Filters 




G 

Q 



H 

R 


H. ...Filter Stack 

S 

I. ....Blending Options (not shown) 

J. ....Filter Options 

K. ...Add Layer 

T 

L ....Delete Layer 

M ...Add Adjustment Brush Filter 

U 

N. ...Add Adjustable Gradient Filter 

O. ...Delete All Layers 

I 

J 

V 

W 

P. ...Masking Brush 

Q. ...Quick Mask 

R. ...Masking Bug 

S. ...Refine Brush 

T. ...Chisel Mask tool 

U. ...Blur Mask tool 

V. ...Hand tool 

B 

C D E 

W. ..Zoom tool 

K L M N O 


12



Perfect B&W 

If you enjoy processing your photos in black and white, then this is a good place for you to be! The Perfect B&W 

module allows you to enhance your photos based on their colors and tones, and also give them a realistic film 

look as well. 

A 

F 

K 

A. ...Favorites & Presets panel 



L 


G 

M 



H 

N 


H. ...Tone Adjustments panel 

I. ....Color Response panel 

J. ....Additional panels: 

I 

O 

P 

(Tone Curve, Glow, Film Grain, 

Toner, Vignette, Borders, 

Sharpening, Noise Reduction, and 

Blending) 

K. ...Brightness Brush 

Q 

L ....Contrast Brush 

M ...Detail Brush 

N. ...Selective Color Brush 

J 

O. ...Targeted Brightness 

P. ...Hand tool 

Q. ...Zoom tool 

B 

C D E 


13



Perfect Resize 

Perfect Resize allows you to prep your photographs for printing, as well as resize them an enormous amount with 

very little (if any) deterioration to your pixels. 

A 

C 

D 

E 

F 

A. ...Filters & Presets panel 


C. ...Navigator/Loupe/Histogram/Info 

D. ...Fit & Zoom buttons 

E. ...Pixel Dimensions panel 

F ....Document Size panel 

G. ...Settings panel 

H. ...Additional panels: 

Sharpening, Film Grain, Tiling, & 

Gallery Wrap 

B 


14



Must-Know Keyboards Shortcuts 

General 

I am a huge fan of keyboard shortcuts. They save time and help 

my post-processing become much more efficient and smooth. The 

Perfect Photo Suite 9 has several shortcuts you can use with each 

module, and so I have listed those that I feel are the most important 

shortcuts to know and use in this suite. 

Many of these shortcuts work across modules, but there are a few 

modules that have their own set of “unique” shortcuts, which I have 

listed out separately in the following pages. 

Mac PC Shortcut 

\ \ Toggle before/after preview 

Tab Tab Hide/reveal left and right sidebars 

Cmd + Left Arrow Ctrl + Left Arrow Hide/reveal left sidebar 

Cmd + Right Arrow Ctrl + Right Arrow Hide/reveal right sidebar 

Cmd + Z Ctrl + Z Undo 

Cmd + Shift + Z Ctrl + Shift + Z Redo 

Cmd + S Ctrl + S Save 

Cmd + Shift + S Ctrl +Shift + S Save As/Save Preset 

Cmd + Q Ctrl + Q Quit 

Cmd + A Ctrl + A Select All 

Cmd + D Ctrl + D Deselect 

Cmd + , Ctrl + , Preferences 

Cmd + Shift + K Ctrl + Shift + K View keyboard shortcuts 

Cmd + Ctrl + Zoom in 

Cmd - Ctrl - Zoom out 

Cmd + 0 Ctrl + 0 Fit to screen 

Cmd + Opt + 0 Ctrl + Alt + 0 Zoom to 100% 

Hold Spacebar Hold Spacebar Hand tool 

Return Enter Apply settings 

Escape Escape Cancel edits 


15




(Continued) 

Masking Shortcuts 

Toolbar Shortcuts 


Hold Spacebar Hold Spacebar Hand tool 

Return Enter Apply settings 

Esc Esc Cancel edits 

Ctrl + M Alt + M Preview Mask-Red 

Cmd + I Ctrl + I Invert mask 

Mac and PC 

V 

C 

T 

Q 

R 

S 

E 

B 

M 

W 

F 

K 

L 

Q 

H 

Z 

Shortcut 

Transform tool 

Crop tool 

Trim tool 

Perfect Eraser 

Retouch Brush 

Clone Stamp 

Red Eye tool 

Masking Brush 

Masking Bug 

Quick Mask 

Refine Brush 

Chisel tool 

Blur tool 

Perfect Eraser 

Hand tool 

Zoom tool 


16




(Continued) 

Perfect Browse 


G G Grid view 

E E Detail view 

Spacebar Spacebar Toggle Grid/Detail views 

+ + Increase thumbnail size 

- - Decrease thumbnail size 

Numbers 1 — 5 Numbers 1 — 5 Star ratings (1 — 5) 

P P Like 

D D Dislike 

U U Clear like status 

Perfect Layers 


Cmd + N Ctrl + N New blank file 

Cmd + O Ctrl + O Open file 

Cmd + Shift + N Ctrl + Shift + N Add layer from file 

Cmd + W Ctrl + W Close document 

Cmd + J Ctrl + J Duplicate layer 

Cmd + E Ctrl + E Merge with layer below 

Cmd + Shift + J Ctrl + Shift + J New stamped layer from composite 

Numbers 1 — 10 Numbers 1 — 10 Layer opacity 10% — 100% 

X X Toggle Paint In/Paint Out 

[ and ] [ and ] Brush size smaller and larger 

Cmd + Shift + S Ctrl + Shift + S Save-as 


17

CHAPTER 3 

Back to Basics 

Enhancing Images with 

Straightforward Adjustments 

Post-processing does not need to be extreme. 

In fact, I prefer to do much more subtle edits to my 

own photographs, and oftentimes I will add only 

basic enhancements to make the photo look its best. 

onOne’s Perfect Photo Suite makes it easy to edit a 

photograph from start to finish while maintaining 

a “clean” look. In other words, your photo will not 

be over-processed but will still look great! In this 

chapter, I’ll walk you through the steps to make flat, 

boring images really pop with the help of only simple, 

subtle adjustments.


CHAPTER 3: Back to Basics 

Pumpkins at the Market 

Sometimes all a photo needs is a simple tone and color correction to turn 

it from blah to beautiful. In this example, I’ll show how you can use Perfect 

Enhance to get great results in just a few minutes. 

Modules used with this image: 


• Perfect Enhance 

Before 

After 


19



Step 1 


I start by opening up the Perfect Photo Suite 

9, and I make sure I am inside of the Browse 

module. Then, I navigate to my folder and 

select the file. 

I want to bring this image into Perfect 

Enhance, so with the image still highlighted I 

click Enhance at the top right of the screen. 

A window pops up and gives me two options. 

Because I want to retain the ability to edit 

the file, I select Edit a Copy. Then, I make sure 

that the Smart Photo option box is checked 

and click OK. 


20



Step 2 


The image opens into Perfect 

Enhance, and the first thing I do is 

head over on the right side of the 

window to the Quick Fixes panel. 

I’d like to see what some of the auto 

adjustments will do. 

To start, I click the Auto Tone 

button. The adjustment does a great 

job overall, but I think I may want to 

make a few additional alterations to 

the tones in the next step. 


21



Step 3 


(Before I make more adjustments, I want to 

view the image larger on my screen, so I use the 

keyboard shortcut Cmd/Ctrl+Left Arrow to 

hide the left sidebar.) 

There are two ways to make further 

adjustments to the tone of an image: by 

continuing to use the Quick Fixes panel or 

to dig a little deeper using the Color & Tone 

Adjustments panel. I like to have a little more 

control over this image, so I’m going to use 

the Color & Tone Adjustments panel. 

First, I hover over the panel and click Show to 

reveal its contents. Then, I use the sliders to 

make the image brighter with more contrast: 

Brightness +57 

Contrast +11 

Shadows +24 

Highlights +20 

Whites +54 

Blacks +3 


22



Step 4 


While still inside of the Color & Tone 

Adjustments panel, I click the Auto Color 

button to the right of the word “Color.” It 

makes a very subtle change, so I decide to use 

the sliders to edit it even further. 

I want to cool the image down a little bit, so I 

move the Temperature slider to the left to a 

setting of -20 and then move the Tint slider 

to -4. I increase the Vibrance setting to +8 

to slightly intensify the overall colors. 

When I’m finished with this panel, I collapse 

it by clicking Hide in the upper-right portion 

of the panel. 


23



Step 5 


Next I want to add a vignette, so I first reveal 

the Vignette panel by clicking Show to the 

right of the panel’s name. 

Then, I start by clicking the Subtle preset 

at the top of the panel. I like the effect but 

want to intensify it. So, I make the following 

adjustments to the sliders to darken and 

soften the vignette: 

Brightness -91 

Size +48 

Feather +81 

When I’m finished, I click Hide to collapse the 

Vignette panel. 


24



Step 6 


The next stop is the Sharpening panel, so I 

reveal the panel and click the Fix Focus preset. 

This adds a nice “crispness” to the image that 

I am happy with, so I hide the panel. 


25



Step 7 


The last adjustment I want to make is in the 

Noise Reduction panel. I reveal the panel by 

clicking (click Show), and then use the Preset 

drop-down and select the Shadows Only 

preset. The preset automatically zooms the 

image to 100%, so I use the Hand tool to 

move the view to a location in the image with 

the most noise. 

To preview the noise reduction effect, I use 

the On/Off switch at the top of the panel. 

After toggling this switch a few times, I’m 

satisfied with the results, so I click Hide to 

collapse the panel. 


26



Step 8 


The very last step is to save a preset of my 

adjustments. I do my best to save presets after 

every image I process, just in case the settings 

work well with another photograph. Using 

presets with batches of images from the same 

photo-shoot can save a lot of processing time. 

To save a preset, I choose Preset > Save Preset, 

and then fill in the information in the window 

that pops up. When finished, I click the Create 

button. My preset will now appear in the 

Presets panel to the left of the window. 

Then, I click the Save and Close button in the 

lower right of the window to save my image. 


27



The Lighthouse 

Filters and presets are great, but there are so many 

other ways to adjust your image. For instance, you can 

combine layers and blending modes with just one image 

file to brighten and even stylize your photographs. To 

demonstrate, I’ll use Perfect Layers to show you how I 

brightened up this dreary lighthouse. 




Before 

After 


28



Step 1 


To get started, I go into Perfect Browse, 

navigate to the nicolesy-lighthouse.psd 

image file, make sure that it is selected, 

and then click the Layers module at the 

top of the window. 

A new window pops up asking me how I 

would like to edit this file. I select the Edit 

a Copy option, and click OK. 


29



Step 2 


The first thing I do is hide the Files and Extras panels on 

the left by using the keyboard shortcut Cmd/Ctrl+Left 

Arrow. This gives me more window space to hone-in 

on the image. 

Then, I focus my attention to the Layers panel. I want 

to add some brightness to the image so first I duplicate 

the layer by clicking the Duplicate Layer button below 

the panel. 

Using the Blending drop-down, I set the blending mode 

to Screen, and I reduce the Opacity slider to 30%. 


30



Step 3 


I want to brighten the image even more, so I add a 

Color Fill layer by clicking on the New Color Fill Layer 

icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. 

In the window that pops up, I use the Preset dropdown 

and select Lighten, change Blending Mode to 

Overlay, and change the Opacity to 25%. 


31



Step 4 


Next, I’m going to add another Color Fill layer by clicking 

the New Color Fill Layer button. 

This time, I’m going to set Preset to Cooling, Blending 

Mode to Exclusion, and Opacity to 15%. 

This technique gives the image a subtle, warm, crossprocessed 

look. 


32



Step 5 


Now I want to bump up the contrast in the image. 

To get started, I choose Layer > New Stamped Layer, 

which creates a new merged layer of all of the layers 

below it. 

I make sure that I click on the top layer to select 

it, and then change the Blending drop-down to 

Overlay. I also reduce the Opacity slider to 75%, 

which softens the effect. 


33



Step 6 


I would like to intensify the contrast and brightness 

in the image even more, so I duplicate the top layer 

by making sure it’s highlighted and then clicking 

the Duplicate Layer button. 

I change the Blending setting to Hard Light and 

reduce the Opacity slider to 36%. 


34



Step 7 


Lastly, I would like to add a vignette. So, I duplicate 

the top layer by clicking the Duplicate Layer button. 

Then, I change Blending to Multiply and set Layer 

Opacity to 30%. 

Over in the toobar, I select 

the Masking Bug. Then, 

from the Preset drop-down 

at the top, I click on the 

Vignette preset. 

I click in the center of the image to add the vignette 

and use the handles on the center-most circle of the 

vignette to shape it so that it is a little bit smaller. 

Finally, I drag the dotted circle outwards to soften the 

feather of the vignette. 

With a soft vignette to subtly frame and highlight 

my photograph, I’m satisfied and finished. I save and 

close my file. 


35

CHAPTER 4 

Lovely 

Landscapes 

Processing Landscape Photos 

with Perfect Photo Suite 9 

One of my favorite things to do is photograph 

landscapes. You just can’t top being outdoors in a 

beautiful, serene location, creating art with a camera. 

Unfortunately, we can’t spend all of our time outdoors, 

and the photos we create need some processing on 

the computer before they are printed or shared. Sitting 

behind a computer is not my favorite way to spend the 

day, but that doesn’t mean that the work has to be 

tedious! I have found that the Perfect Photo Suite is a 

great companion, allowing me to process my landscape 

photographs in a fun, approachable manner. And, 

better yet, I get great results every time!


CHAPTER 4: Lovely Landscapes 

Butte Creek Falls 

Ever since moving to the Pacific Northwest, I have fallen in love with 

photographing waterfalls. There is always so much green, and the water is so 

clear! I also enjoy playing around with unique compositions, and then using 

the Perfect Photo Suite to refine my photo to perfection using lens blur, 

masking, and a few other techniques as well. 




Before 

After 


37



Step 1 


I start out in the Perfect Browse module and 

navigate to the nicolesy-waterfall.psd file. 

I click the image to select it, and then click 

Effects at the top of the screen. 

In the window that pops up, I choose Edit a 

Copy, make sure that the Smart Photo Reeditable 

PSD option is checked so that I can 

process this photo as a Smart Photo, and 

then click OK. 


38



Step 2 


The first thing I want to do here is brighten 

up the image. So, in the Filters panel on the 

left, I expand Tone Enhancer and select 

the Auto Contrast filter. 

This filter brightened up the photo nicely, 

but I notice that it washed away some 

of the detail in the waterfall. So, in the 

Blending Options section inside of the 

Filter Stack, I set the Protect Highlights 

slider to +64. This protects the brightest 

parts of the image (in this case, the white 

areas of the water) and prevents the filter 

from affecting them. 

I also set the Protect Shadows slider to 

+30 to remove some of the “flatness” from 

the filter. 


39



Step 3 


Next, I add a new layer to the Filter Stack 

by clicking the Add Empty Layer button. I 

want to enhance some of the colors in the 

scene, so I move my attention to the filters 

in the Color Enhancer folder and click on 

the Fall Enhancer filter. 

This filter enhances the warm colors in the 

image, but the effect is quite extreme. So I 

move the Layer Opacity for this layer down 

to 30%. 


40



Step 4 


Now I want to bring out the green colors 

in the scene, so I add a new empty layer 

and then select the Green Enhancer filter, 

which sits just below the filter from the 

previous step. 

I use this filter very frequently with my 

landscape work, and at full strength it 

is much too harsh. So to fix this, I reduce 

the Layer Opacity to 30%. This gives 

the image a nice “touch” of bright green, 

without overdoing the effect. 


41



Step 5 


Next I want to make some changes to the 

focus point in the image by adding selective 

blur. To do this, I first add a new empty 

layer to the Filter Stack, and then I go down 

to the Lens Blur folder in the Filters panel 

and select the Tilt Shift filter. 

I use my cursor move the gradient down 

closer to the bottom of the frame (just at 

the base of the large rocks). I also move 

each solid line of the gradient in towards 

the center to create a much more narrow 

area of focus. 

Finally, I move my attention to the Filter 

Options panel. The blur is a little harsh, so 

I change the Blur Amount to +10. 


42



Step 6 


I need to refine the mask to brush the blur 

out of the large rocks. So, I zoom in to the 

image at 50% using the Navigator panel. 

Then, I change the Mask View Mode to 

Mask-Red (View > Mask View Mode > Mask- 

Red), which will give me a better view of my 

mask. 

Next, I select the Masking Brush tool, 

and at the top of the window set Mode 

to Paint Out, Size to 125, Feather to 50, 

and Opacity to 100%. I roughly paint on 

the inside of the rocks, avoiding the edges. 

I continue painting until I have all of the 

inside area of the rocks completed. 


43



Step 7 


Now, I change the Mask Mode back to 

normal (View > Mask View Mode > None). I 

want to refine the edge of the mask on the 

rocks, and to do this I’m going to continue 

using the Masking Brush but at a lower 

opacity. I change the Opacity at the top of 

the screen to 50% and zoom in to 100% 

in the Navigator panel to see everything a 

little closer. 

I carefully brush along the edges of the rock 

to remove the blur from the moss. I have 

to make several brush strokes over the 

same area to completely remove the blur, 

but doing it at a lower opacity means that 

there will be less potential for harsh edges 

in the masking. 

I continue masking until the blur is removed 

from all edges of the large rocks. 

Pro Tip: If you make any mistakes in your brush strokes, such as painting outside of the 

rock area, then do the following: 

Place a check in the Erase Brush Strokes box at the top of the window, and then paint 

them out. This is the best way to erase mistakes when using the Lens Blur filter with a 

gradient mask, as it will keep the opacity settings in the gradient consistent. 


44



Step 8 


After the rocks have been brushed out, I set 

my preview to Fit using the Navigator panel. 

I notice that the area immediately behind the 

large rocks is a little too blurred for my taste, 

so I adjust the gradient by dragging the top 

solid line slightly upwards. 


45



Step 9 


Now I’m ready to add a little more stylization 

to the image. I would like to enhance the 

texture in the focused area (on the rocks), 

so I add a new layer to the Filter Stack, 

and then go into the Tone Enhancements 

folder and select the Tonal Contrast filter. 

I don’t want the filter to affect the entire 

image, just the rock area, and the best way 

to do that is through masking. Then I can 

just copy and paste it from the previous 

layer! 

To do this, I click on the Lens Blur layer and 

go to Mask > Copy Mask. Then, I click back 

on the top layer and choose Mask > Paste 

Mask. To flip the mask areas around, I go to 

Mask > Invert Mask. Now the filter is applied 

only to the areas I want. 


46



Step 10 


Next, I add a new empty layer to the Filter 

Stack and go to the Glow folder. There I add 

the Angel Glow filter and reduce the Layer 


This brightens up the image and gives it a 

very subtle glow effect. 


47



Step 11 


I continue by adding a new empty layer and then the Warm Highlights filter from the Sunshine folder in the 

Filters panel. This adds some warmth to the bright areas in the image. 


48



Step 12 


The overall scene is a little too warm, so I decide to cool it down a bit. To do this, I add a new empty layer to 

the Filter Stack, and then go into the Color Enhancer folder in the Filters panel. Then, I click on the filter called 

Cooler and change Layer Opacity to 25%. 


49



Step 13 


Lastly, I want to finish off this image with a nice vignette. I add a new empty layer to the Filter Stack, select 

Big Softy from the Vignette folder in the Filters panel, and then move my attention to the Filter Options 

panel on the bottom right of the window. 

By default, the vignette is created from the very middle of the image, but I want to highlight the rocks in the 

lower-right area of the frame. So to complete this image, I click the icon in the lower left of this panel to set 

the center of the vignette, and then click over the large rocks to set the vignette. 


50



Step 14 


I’m finished processing this image, so the last 

step I do is create a preset of my settings. 

To save this preset, I go to Preset > Save Preset, 

and then fill in the information in the window 

that pops up. When finished, I click the Create 

button, and my preset will now appear in the 


Then, I click the Save and Close button in the 

lower right of the window to save my image. 


51



Schwabacher Landing 

Photographs don’t always look perfect straight out of the camera. Most 

of the time, they are a little “flat” and need some TLC. However, it’s not 

always as simple as adding contrast and vibrance. For this photo, I will do 

some cropping and then use Adjustable Gradients (along with a few other 

techniques) to make the photo really “pop.” 





Before 

After 


52



Step 1 


First, I open the Perfect Photo Suite into 

Perfect Browse. Then I navigate to the file 

titled nicolesy-landscape.psd and select it so 

that it is highlighted. I press the Spacebar 

to view the image a little bit larger, and then 

click on the Layers module up at the top of 

the window. 

In the window that pops up, I choose Edit a 

Copy, make sure that the Smart Photo Reeditable 

PSD option is checked so that I can 

process this photo as a Smart Photo, and 

then click OK. 


53



Step 2 


Overall, the image looks slightly crooked. And, 

there is a small branch hiding in the bottomleft 

corner that I need to remove as well. So, 

to take care of both of these issues, I will crop 

this image. 

I want to select the Crop tool from the toolbar 

on the left side of the screen, but it seems to 

be greyed out. I decide to click on it anyways, 

and a window pops up asking me if I want to 

simplify the layer. Because I have not made 

any adjustments to the image, simplifying it is 

no big deal, so I go ahead and click Simplify. 

Note: If you have already made adjustments to 

your image and get this pop-up window, then 

you may want to hit Cancel and duplicate the 

layer before cropping. Simplifying a Smart Layer 

removes the ability to re-edit your adjustments 

in other modules. 

Pro Tip: Hiding the left and right panels: 

• Cmd/Ctrl+Left Arrow hides the panels on the LEFT 

• Cmd/Ctrl+Right Arrow hides the panels on the RIGHT 

• Tab key hides or reveals all panels 


54



Step 3 


Now that the layer is simplified, I can start 

cropping. First, I hover the cursor just 

outside the crop area until it turns into a 

broken circle with an arrow on it. 

I click and rotate the image slightly to the 

left until it looks straight. 

Next, I need to crop out the small branch 

in the lower-left portion of the screen. 

To do this, I hold the Shift key down on 

my keyboard and move the crop in from 

the bottom-left corner. To balance and 

center the image, I do the same with the 

upper-right corner, too. 

To commit the crop, I click Apply in the 

top-right portion of the Preview window. 


55



Step 4 


I’m just about ready to continue editing this 

image, but before I do so there is one very 

important step I need to take. Remember at 

the beginning when I simplified the layer in 

order to crop it Well, now that the image is 

cropped, I can turn it back into a Smart Photo 

so that the changes I make in other modules 

remain editable. 

To do this, I go over to the image in the 

Layers panel, right-click the layer, and select 

Convert to Smart Layer. A gear icon appears 

inside of the layer, indicating that the layer 

will now be re-editable. 

Next, I click Effects at the top of the window 

to open the image into Perfect Effects. 


56



Step 5 


One of the things I notice about this scene is 

that the sky is too bright, and the water is too 

dark. I’m going to fix that in Perfect Effects by 

using Adjustable Gradients. 

I open the Adjustable Gradients folder in the 

Filters panel on the left and select Darken. 

The sky is immediately darkened, but I want 

to move the gradient so it does not include 

too much of the trees. 

To do this, I hover over the image until the 

gradient lines appear, and I drag the gradient 

so it sits just over top of the trees. 


57



Step 6 


Now I need to lighten up the water, so I first 

add a new blank layer in the Filter Stack 

and then click on the Lighten filter in the 

Adjustable Gradient folder on the left. 

The gradient mask is the 

reverse of what I need, 

so to change it I select 

Linear Top from the 

Preset drop-down at the 

top of the window. 

Next I drag the center of the gradient about 

one-third down the frame so that it does not 

lighten the trees too intensely. 

Then, I lower the Layer Opacity to 50%. 


58



Step 7 


I want to intensify the colors a bit, so I add 

a new empty layer to the Filter Stack and go 

to the Color Enhance folder in the Filters 

panel. Then, I click the 

Fall Enhancer filter, 

which adds saturation 

to the yellow trees 

and grass. 

This level of saturation 

is too intense, so I 

reduce the Layer 

Opacity down to 

60%. I also go into 

the Blending Options 

and increase the 

Protect Highlights 

slider to +64, which 

removes some of 

the effect from the 

brightest portions of 

the image. 


59



Step 8 


Now I want to increase the overall color in 

the photo, so I add a new empty layer to the 

Filter Stack and click on the Increase Color 

filter on the left, just a few filters down from 

the filter I just applied. 

The effect is strong, so I reduce Layer Opacity 

to 50%. 


60



Step 9 


I continue by adding a new empty layer to the 

Filter Stack, and then I go into the Sunshine 

folder in the Filters panel. I scroll down and 

click on the Radiance filter, which adds a very 

beautiful, glowing vibrance to the scene. It’s 

a little heavy-handed, so I lower the Layer 



61



Step 10 


Next I want to warm things up a bit, so I head 

over to the Photo Filter folder. I add a new 

empty layer to the Filter Stack, and then scroll 

down in the Filter menu until I get to the 

Tobacco filter. I click on it to apply it to my 

image. 

I want to edit this filter a little bit in the 

Filter Options panel on the right, so I set the 

Strength slider to 15% 

to lessen the effect 

of the color. Then, I 

increase the Polarizer 

slider to 20% to 

deepen the blues in 

the sky and water. 


62



Step 11 


Now it’s time to add some punch to the image 

and bring out some of the texture in the trees 

and sky. So I add a new empty layer to the 

Filter Stack, and then 

I select Natural from 

the Dynamic Contrast 

filters folder. 

I then reduce the Layer 

Opacity to 75% to 

lessen the effect. 


63



Step 12 


I want to add a vignette, so I add a new 

empty layer to the Filter Stack and select 

the Subtle Vignette filter. 

The vignette darkened up the bottom 

portion of the scene more than I would 

like, so instead of reducing the effect I 

will move the position of the vignette. To 

do this, I go into the Filter Options panel. 

I click the icon in the 

lower left of this panel 

to set the center of the 

vignette, and then click 

over the large rocks to 

set the vignette. 


64



Step 13 


Last but not least, I’m going to save my 

settings as a preset! 

To do this, I go to Preset > Save Preset, and 

then fill in the information in the window that 

pops up. When finished, I click on the Create 

button, and my preset will now appear in the 


Then, I click the Apply button in the lower 

right of the window to apply these settings. 


65



Step 14 


The image reopens in Perfect Layers, so I click 

the Save button on the bottom right to save 

my image. 


66

CHAPTER 5 

Will it Blend 

Blending Different Exposures 

of the Same Scene 

When photographing a landscape, I am 

oftentimes bracketing my exposures to get three or 

more images of the same scene at different levels 

of brightness. Sometimes I do this to process the 

image as an HDR photograph (High Dynamic Range). 

However, in some cases, I find that it looks better, and 

more realistic, to blend the images together by hand. 

In this chapter, I will show you the techniques you 

can use to blend photos together using the gradient 

and masking tools inside Perfect Layers.


CHAPTER 5: Will it Blend 

Barn at Sunrise 

When I photographed this scene in Grand Teton National Park at sunrise, the light was gorgeous. 

The mountains turned pink with a few puffy clouds hanging in the air like cotton candy, and 

then the light hit the barn and made it glow. The problem is, these two things did not happen 

at the same time. So, by using the power of gradient masking, I will show you how to combine 

these two scenes together, making them seamlessly integrated for the final photograph. 





Before 

After 


68



Step 1 


I start inside Perfect Browse and highlight 

the two barn images, nicolesy-barn-1.psd 

and nicolesy-barn-2.psd. (Hold the Cmd/Ctrl 

key and click on each image to highlight 

them simultaneously.) Then, I right-click one 

of the images and choose Edit in Perfect 

Layers. 

A window pops up, asking how I would like 

to edit these files. Because I want to add 

two images to one document as layers, I 

select Add as a layer and click OK. 


69



Step 2 


The two images I selected are brought in as 

separate layers, but I would like to reverse 

the order of these layers. To do this, I click 

on the bottom layer and drag it above the 

top layer. Then I release the mouse, and the 

layer I dragged now appears as the new 

top layer. 


70



Step 3 


Next I want to blend the two images together 

so that the colorful mountains and sky in the 

bottom layer blend with the sunlit barn in 

the top layer. 

To do this, I select the Masking Bug tool 

from the toolbar and check to make sure that 

Linear Top is selected as the Preset at the 

top of the window. Then, I click in the middle 

of the image to add the gradient. 

Next, I drag the top dashed line upwards to 

increase the feather and soften the transition 

of the gradient. 


71



Step 4 


Now I need to go in and reveal some of the 

barn from the top layer that was covered 

up by the gradient. To do this, I select the 

Masking Brush tool, and at the top of the 

window I adjust the brush’s settings. I set 

Mode to Paint In, Size to 80, Feather to 50, 

Opacity to 100%, and then place a check in 

the Perfect Brush box. 

I also set Mask View Mode to Mask-Red 

so that I can see my changes (in the menu, 

choose View > Mask View Mode > Mask-Red). 

Then, I carefully brush along the edges of the 

barn to reveal the layer and continue painting 

until the tops and side edges of the barn are 

all visible. 


72



Step 5 


Now I need to paint in the rest of the barn. I 

first un-check the Perfect Brush box at the 

top, and then I paint in the top half of the 

barn, being careful to not go past the edges. 


73



Step 6 


Then, I set Mask View Mode back to All 

Layers so that I can preview the image 

without the mask overlay. 

I still need to paint the lower half of the barn 

back in to the scene. I change the brush’s 

Size to 300, reduce the Opacity to 40%, 

and then continue painting over the image to 

reveal the sunlit barn below. 


74



Step 7 


I want to bring back some of the color in the 

trees, so I will continue to use the Masking 

Brush for this. I set the brush’s Size to 175, 

Feather to 100, and Opacity to 10%, and 

zoom in to get a closer look. 

Then, I make several brush strokes over the 

trees in the image on both sides of the barn 

to reveal the layer and make them brighter. 


75



Step 8 


Now I would like to brighten up the grass in 

the foreground portion of the scene. First, I 

make sure that the top layer is still selected 

in the Layers panel, and then I go to Layer > 

New Stamped Layer in the menu. This creates 

a brand-new layer at the top of the Layers 

panel that combines all of the visible layers 

below it. 


76



Step 9 


I need to change the blending mode of this 

new layer. So first, I click on the top layer to 

activate it and then change the Blending to 

Linear Dodge (Add). 


77



Step 10 


The blending mode brightened up the entire 

scene, but I want to brighten up only the 

grass in the foreground. So I am going to use 

masking to blend the bright portion of the 

grass with the rest of the photograph. 

First, I select the Masking Brush from the 

toolbar. Then I click the Invert button on the 

top right of the Preview window. This hides 

the layer with a black mask (you can see the 

change in the Layers panel). 

Then, I set the brush Mode to Paint In, Size 

to 900, Feather to 100, and Opacity to 

10%, and begin painting over the grass in 

the foreground. I continue painting until the 

grass is lightened and blended well with the 

rest of the scene. 


78



Step 11 


I’m almost ready to continue editing this 

photo in a different module, so I prepare the 

layer by going to Layer > New Stamped Layer 

in the menu to create a merged layer of the 

entire document. 

I notice that there is a person peeking out 

of the right side of the frame, so before I 

move on I’m going to do a quick crop of the 

image. To do this, I select the Crop tool from 

the toolbar and set the preset at the top to 

Original Ratio. Then I drag the bottom-right 

corner in to crop out the person and tripod. 

When I finish, I click Apply at the top right. 

Pro Tip: If a window pops up informing you that an action will 

simplify a mask, this means that if you have used Masking Bugs 

then you will no longer be able to manipulate the gradient (the 

mask will be flattened). It will not affect your layer or your mask, 

so it’s safe to do, assuming you no longer need to change anything 

with your gradient. 


79



Step 12 


I’m ready to bring this photo into Perfect Effects, 

but first I need to make sure that it is a Smart 

Layer. To do this, I right-click the top layer and 

select Convert to Smart Layer. I know that the 

layer is a Smart Layer when I see the gear icon 

to the right of the thumbnail. 

Then, I click Effects at the top of the screen to 

open the image into Perfect Effects. 


80



Step 13 


The first thing I want to do with this image 

in Perfect Effects is to enhance the tones 

by adding contrast and brightness. To get 

started, I select the Midtones Lighter 

filter from the Tone Enhancer folder. This 

does a nice job of boosing the brightness 

and contrast in the image. 


81



Step 14 


Next, I add a new empty layer in the Filter 

Stack to prepare for the next filter I’m going 

to apply. I would like to darken the sky just a 

little bit, so I go into the Adjustable Gradient 

folder and select the Darken filter. 

The default gradient that is applied is a bit too 

harsh, so I soften the feather by pulling the 

top dashed line upwards so that it sits just 

at the top part of the barn. Then, I move the 

center of the gradient so that it sits directly 

over the top of the barn. 

Lastly, I reduce the Layer Opacity in the Filter 

Stack to 42%. 


82



Step 15 


I add an empty layer to the Filter Stack and 

head over to the Color Enhancer folder in the 

Filters panel to enhance the overall color. I 

select the Fall Enhancer filter, which deepens 

the warm tones in the scene. The default 

application is quite intense, so I reduce the 

Layer Opacity to 25% to make the effect a 

bit more subtle. 


83



Step 16 


I want to add some more color enhancements, 

so I add a new empty layer to the Filter Stack 

and select the Green Enhancer filter from 

the Color Enhancer folder. I really like the 

effect that this filter adds to the touches of 

green throughout the grass on the ground. 


84



Step 17 


I still think that this photo needs to be a 

little bit brighter, but I haven’t found any 

filters that will work for the look I want. 

Instead I will add the brightness using the 

Filter Options panel. 

First, I add a new empty layer to the Filter 

Stack. Then, I go down to the Filter Options 

panel and select Tone Enhancer from the 

drop-down. 

At the bottom of the panel is a Tone 

Curve, so I click on the curve and create a 

very subtle S-shaped curve. This adds both 

brightness and contrast to the image. 

When I’m finished with the curve, I reduce 

the overall Layer Opacity to 49% to soften 

the effect. 


85



Step 18 


I would like to add some “crispness” to this 

image, so I add a new empty layer and then 

go to the Dynamic Contrast folder and select 

the Natural filter. Then, I reduce the Layer 

Opacity to 67% to reduce the effect. 


86



Step 19 


Last but not least, I would like to finish this 

image by adding a vignette. I first add a new 

empty layer, and then I head over to the 

Vignette folder in the Filters panel. 

I click on the Center Spot filter, and then 

go over to the Filter Options panel on the 

bottom right. By default, the vignette is 

created from the very middle of the image, 

but I want to reposition it a little bit lower in 

the frame. So to complete this image, I click 

on the icon in the lower left of this panel to 

set the center of the vignette, and then click 

in the grass to set it. 


87



Step 20 


I’m finished processing this image, so the 

last step is to save the preset and apply my 

settings. First, I go to Preset > Save Preset 

in the menu and give my preset a name, 

Category, as well as fill in the Creator and 

Description settings. When I’m finished, I 

click the Create button. 

I click Apply in the bottom right of the 

window, and the image opens into Perfect 

Layers. Then, I save the image and close 

the document. 


88



Trillium Lake 

Scenes with a high dynamic range, such as sunrise 

and sunsets, can be a challenge to photograph. How 

do you get both the bright areas and the dark areas 

exposed properly in one shot You don’t. Instead, 

you photograph two (or more) exposures of the same 

scene and blend them together using post-processing 

software. Let me show you how it works with this 

image of Trillium Lake and Mount Hood. 





Before 

After 


89



Step 1 

Trillium Lake 

I start inside of Perfect Browse and locate my 

two files: nicolesy-trillium-1.psd and nicolesytrillium-2.psd. 

I highlight the files and then 

click the Layers module at the top of the 

screen. 

In the window that pops up, I select Add as a 

Layer so that my images open up together in 

one document. Then I click OK on the bottom 

right of the window. 


90



Step 2 

Trillium Lake 

My images open inside of Perfect Layers with the 

brighter one on top. I want to blend the brighter 

image’s foreground with the darker image’s sky. 

To get started, I first click the top layer to activate 

it. Then, I select the Gradient tool from the toolbar 

and make sure that Preset is set to Linear Top 

and Shape is set to Gradient in the Options bar 

at the top. Then I click the base of the tree line to 

add the gradient. 


91



Step 3 

Trillium Lake 

I like what the gradient did to the sky, but I don’t 

like how it darkened the trees. To fix that I’m going 

to first duplicate the top layer by clicking on the 

Duplicate layer button beneath the Layers panel. 

Then, with the Gradient tool still active, I click on 

the Reset button at the top of the window to reset 

the layer mask. 

Now I need to add a new gradient to the scene. 

This time, however, I’m going to change the Shape 

setting to Reflected Gradient, which will add a 

rectangular, feathered mask to my scene. I click 

the base of the tree line (where the trees meet 

the water) to apply the mask. This adds an initial 

reflected gradient, which I will adjust further in 

the next step. 


92



Step 4 

Trillium Lake 

I want to adjust the gradient so that it is affecting 

only the tree sections of the image, so I start out 

by moving both of the solid lines towards the 

center of the gradient to make the masked area 

very narrow. 

Once the solid lines are moved, I then move each 

of the dashed lines of the gradient so that they 

rest above the mountain at the top and just 

beneath the reflection of the mountain. This 

softens the feather of the mask to help blend it 

better with the other layers. 


93



Step 5 

Trillium Lake 

I’m not quite finished with this gradient, the 

mask is the reverse of what I want. I need to 

invert it: I choose Mask > Invert Mask from the 

menu. The mask is inverted so the brighter 

portion of the top layer shows through to the 

tree area of my scene. 

Note: After inverting the gradient, you can no 

longer edit the Masking Bug. 


94



Step 6 

Trillium Lake 

The overall scene is a little bit too dark for my 

taste, so I would like to brighten it up before 

stylizing it any further. To do this I first create 

a merged layer of the entire document by 

selecting Layer > New Stamped Layer. 

Then, I click on the new layer in the Layers 

panel, change the Blending to Linear Dodge 

(Add), and reduce the Layer Opacity to 25%. 


95



Step 7 

Trillium Lake 

Now I’m just about ready to bring this photo 

into Perfect Effects. But first I need to create 

another merged layer of the entire document 

so that I am editing a composite of all of the 

layers in this document. So, just like in step 6, 

I go to Layer > New Stamped Layer. 

Next, I right-click the top layer and select 

Convert to Smart Layer in the pop-up to 

retain all edits I make to this layer. 

I select the new layer to activate it and click 

on Effects at the top of the screen to open 

the image into Perfect Effects. 


96



Step 8 

Trillium Lake 

I want to brighten the image up, so I go down 

to the Filter Options panel and choose Tone 

Enhancer from the drop-down. A preset is 

automatically selected, so I make a few changes 

by setting the following: 

• Brightness: 28 

• Contrast: 28 

• Shadows: 30 

• Highlights: 0 

• Compression: 9 

• Whites: 46 

• Blacks: 5 

Then, I select the Masking Bug from the 

toolbar, set Shape to Reflected Gradient, and 

click in the middle of the image. This prevents 

the adjustment from overexposing the water to 

balance the tones in the overall scene. 


97



Step 9 

Trillium Lake 

I add a new blank layer to the Filter Stack and 

go into the Photo Filter folder in the Filters 

panel. I want to warm up the scene, so I select 

Tobacco near the bottom of the list. 

Then, I reduce the Layer Opacity to 80% to 

make the effect a little less intense. 


98



Step 10 

Trillium Lake 

I continue warming up the scene by adding a 

new blank layer to the Layers panel and then 

selecting the Warm Highlights filter from the 

Sunshine folder. This adds a subtle brightness 

and warmth to the bright portions of the scene. 


99



Step 11 

Trillium Lake 

I would like to increase the contrast to the 

image. First, I add a new blank layer and select 

the Normal filter from the Blur folder. 

Then, I change the Blending of this layer to 

Soft Light. 

I need to reduce the intensity of this effect, 

so I set the Layer Opacity to 40%. 


100



Step 12 

Trillium Lake 

When I preview this image using the \ key, I 

notice that I lost some precious detail in the 

sky to some of my edits. I need to backtrack 

and use gradients to mask the effects out of 

the sky. 

First, I select the Sunshine filter from the 

Filter Stack. Then, I click on the Masking Bug 

in the toolbar, make sure that the Preset is 

set to Linear Top, and click in the baseline of 

the trees to mask out the sky and mountain. 

I repeat this step on the Blur layer so that the 

details in the sky start to reappear. 


101



Step 13 

Trillium Lake 

Next I am going to add some crispness with 

the Tonal Contrast filter. I add a new empty 

layer to the Filter Stack, and then I select 

Tonal Contrast from the Tone Enhancer 

folder in the Filters panel. 

The effect is too strong, so I reduce the Layer 



102



Step 14 

Trillium Lake 

Last but not least, I’m going to add a vignette 

to the image to finish it off. I add a new empty 

layer and then head over to the Vignette 

folder where I select the Subtle preset. 


103



Step 15 

Trillium Lake 

I’m finished with my image inside of Perfect 

Effects, but first I need to save the preset. 

I choose Preset > Save Preset and then fill in 

the information in the window that pops up. 

When I’m finished, I click Create. 

I click Apply to apply my settings in Perfect 

Effects, and the image opens up back into 

Perfect Layers. 


104



Step 16 

Trillium Lake 

I notice a couple of spots in the sky that I 

would like to remove, so I first click the 100 

button in the Navigator panel to zoom in to 

the area at 100% and see them more closely. 

I would like to use the Retouch Brush from 

the toolbar, but it is greyed out because the 

layer I have selected is a Smart Layer. 

To make this work (and still retain my edits 

from the Smart Layer), I first duplicate the 

layer by using the keyboard shortcut Cmd/ 

Ctrl+J. Then I right-click this new layer and 

choose Simplify Smart Layer from the menu 

drop-down. 


105



Step 17 

Trillium Lake 

Now that my layer is simplified, I select the 

Retouch Brush from the toolbar. Then I brush 

over the spots in the sky to remove them. 

I continue moving through the sky to look for 

more spots to remove, and when I am finished 

I save and close my image. 


106

CHAPTER 6 

Goodbye, Blue Sky! 

Using Masks to Replace 

Skies and Backgrounds 

When you are out with your camera 

photographing landscapes, nothing can ruin the 

occasion more than a boring sky. The good news 

is that oftentimes it’s easy to swap out the boring 

sky with clouds or color. Or maybe you just need 

to remove a background from a portrait or product 

shot. Either way, onOne has you covered. The newly 

integrated masking features inside of Perfect Layers 

make it easy to remove backgrounds and skies with 

just a few simple steps.


CHAPTER 6: Goodbye, Blue Sky! 

The Skateboarder 

Replacing backgrounds is not limited to just blue skies! 

In fact, one of the most common uses of masking is to 

take a studio photo, such as this image of a skateboarder, 

and remove or replace the white background. For this 

photo I will replace the backdrop with a blue sky using 

the newly integrated masking tools in Perfect Layers, 

and then add stylization in Perfect Effects. 





Before 

After 


108



Step 1 


The first step is to locate the skateboard 

file I want to work on. I click the nicolesyskateboarder.psd 

file to highlight it and then 

click Layers at the top to open the file into 

Perfect Layers. 

In the window that pops up, I select Add as a 

Layer and then click OK. 


109



Step 2 


Inside Perfect Layers, I make sure that I can see 

the sidebar on the left. (If you do not see it, use 

the keyboard shortcut Cmd/Ctrl+Left Arrow to 

reveal it.) Then, I navigate to a folder containing 

some of my sky images and double-click nicolesysky-5.psd. 

A window pops up asking how I would like to add 

this file. I select Add as a Layer and click OK. 


110



Step 3 


I need to reverse the order of the layers in the 

Layers panel. So I click on the bottom layer and 

drag it to the top. Now my skateboarder is the 

top layer, and the sky is on the bottom layer. 

Then, I use the keyboard shortcut Cmd/Ctrl+Left 

Arrow to hide the left panel. 


111



Step 4 


It’s time to start masking! From the toolbar, 

I select the Quick Mask tool and then paint 

the brush along the white portion of the 

image. This hides most of the white, but it 

still needs some touch-up. 


112



Step 5 


It looks like a big chunk of white is still showing 

in the bottom-right corner, so I continue 

with the Quick Mask tool and paint over the 

white area to the right of his foot. The rest 

of the big white areas disappear, including a 

section by his arm on the right. 


113



Step 6 


There is still a border of white around most 

of the skateboarder, and I will remove this 

using the Refine Brush. I select the Refine 

Brush from the toolbar, set the brush’s Size 

to 80, and then zoom in to 100% using the 

Navigator panel. 

Next, I start brushing along the edge of the 

skateboarder using short brush strokes. I 

continue with the Refine Brush all around 

the skateboarder until the large white chunks 

on the border have disappeared. 


114



Step 7 


There is still a subtle white border around the 

skateboarder, and to fix this I’m going to use one 

of my favorite masking tools: the Chisel Mask 

tool. This tool “chisels away” at the edge of the 

mask only a few pixels at a time, so it’s a great 

way to really refine and perfect your masks. 

I select the Chisel Mask tool from the toolbar, 

set the Size to 100, and then brush along the 

edge of the skateboarder until I can no longer 

see the white background peeking through. 

When I’m finished, I click the Fit button in the 

Navigator panel to view the entire image in the 

window. 


115



Step 8 


Next, I select the Transform tool at the top of 

the toolbar. I want to resize the skateboarder to 

be a little bit smaller in the frame, so I hold the 

Opt/Alt and the Shift keys and then drag from 

one of the corners of the image. This resizes the 

layer proportionally. 

I position the skateboarder so that he is in the 

middle of the frame, and when I am finished I 

click Apply at the top of the window. 


116



Step 9 


Now I am ready to move on to stylizing this 

photo. To prepare the image, I first choose 

Layer > New Stamped Layer, which creates a 

new merged layer of the entire document. 

Then, I right-click on the top layer and select 

Convert to Smart Layer. I save the file, and 

after it is finished saving I click Effects at the 

top to open the image into Perfect Effects. 


117



Step 10 


First I want to brighten up the image, so 

I head over to the Sunshine folder in the 

Filters panel (if you don’t see the sidebar, use 

the shortcut Cmd/Ctrl + Left Arrow). Then, I 

select Natural from the list. This adds a nice 

subtle burst of brightness. 


118



Step 11 


I add a new empty layer to the Filter Stack, and 

the next filter I select is the High Key Warm 

filter from the Bleach Bypass folder to make 

the image bold and contrasty with a touch of 

color. 

The default setting is too harsh, so I reduce the 

Layer Opacity to 30% to soften the effect. 


119



Step 12 


I add another new empty layer to the Filter Stack 

and then go into the Color Enhancer folder. I 

select the Auto Color filter, which adds a very 

nice warmth across the entire scene. 


120



Step 13 


I want to warm up the scene even more, so 

after adding a new empty layer, I select the 

Tobacco filter from the Photo Filter folder. 

The effect is a bit strong, so I reduce the 

Layer Opacity to 80%. 


121



Step 14 


I add a new empty layer to the Filter Stack, 

go into the Black & White folder, and then 

select the Roadie filter from the list. 

I don’t want my image to be in black and 

white, so I change the Blending setting to 

Luminosity. This retains the tone values of 

the filter but prevents the color in the filter 

from affecting the image. 

The effect is very intense, so I change the 

Layer Opacity to 35% to soften it. 


122



Step 15 


I’m finished with my image inside of Perfect 

Effects, but first I need to save the preset. I go to 

Preset > Save Preset and then fill in the information 

in the window that pops up. When I’m finished, I 

click Create. 


Effects, and the image opens up back into Perfect 

Layers where I save and close the file. 


123



The Juniper Tree 

While photographing in Canyonlands National Park, I stumbled across 

this beautiful and photogenic juniper tree at Dead Horse Point. The only 

problem was that there was not one cloud in the sky! In this section, I will 

show you how to remove a boring blue sky and replace it with a sky filled 

with clouds. 





Before 

After 


124



Step 1 


I start inside of Perfect Browse and 

highlight the nicolesy-juniper.psd file. 

Then, I click on Layers at the top to open 

the file in Perfect Layers. 

A window pops up asking me how to edit 

the file. I select Add as a Layer and then 

click OK. 


125



Step 2 


The first thing I need to do in Perfect Layers 

is add a sky layer to the document. In the 

Files panel on the left, I navigate to the 

nicolesy-sky-4.psd file. I double-click the 

file, and a window pops up asking how I 

would like to edit the file. I select Add as a 

Layer and then click OK. 


126



Step 3 


The sky image is added to the top of the 

Layers panel, but I need it to be at the bottom 

(below the juniper tree). 

To do this, I click and drag the bottom layer 

to bring it to the top. The sky image is now at 

the bottom of the Layers panel. 

I also use the keyboard shortcut Cmd/ 

Ctrl+Left Arrow to hide the left sidebar, 

giving me more space to work with my image. 


127



Step 4 


I’m ready to start masking, so I select the 

Quick Mask tool from the toolbar. I paint 

around the image, careful to keep the brush 

area touching only the sky. 

The Quick Mask did a great job of getting 

out most of the sky, but I need to refine the 

edges quite a bit. 


128



Step 5 


To refine the mask, I select the Masking 

Brush from the toolbar, place a check in 

the Perfect Brush box at the top, and set 

the brush’s Size to 500. 

While holding down the Cmd/Ctrl key, I 

place the cursor over a blue portion of the 

blue sky surrounding the tree. Still holding 

the Cmd/Ctrl key on the keyboard, I paint 

all around the tree to remove as much of 

the unwanted blue sky as possible. 

I repeat this step in other areas of the image 

(while holding the Cmd/Ctrl key) until the 

blue sky is gone. 

Pro Tip: Holding the Cmd/Ctrl key while using the 

Perfect Brush prevents the brush from re-sampling 

other portions of the image while painting. In other 

words, in this image it will sample and mask out 

only the color you originally clicked on, regardless 

of where you paint. 


129



Step 6 


Next, I zoom in to 50% using the Navigator 

panel. I can see that there is still a halo of 

the previous blue sky along the edges of the 

mask in the tree that needs to be removed. 

I select the Refine Brush, set the Size to 

250, and paint across the edge of the mask 

to try to remove most of the halo. I won’t 

be able to remove all of it, but I will fix this 

in the next step. 


130



Step 7 


To see things a little closer I zoom to 

100% using the keyboard shortcut Cmd/ 

Ctrl+Shift+0, and then I hold the Spacebar 

down to temporarily activate the Hand tool 

so that I can move around the image. 

Next, I select the Chisel Mask tool and 

paint over some of the trouble spots that 

still have a slight halo around them. I do this 

through the entire image until the halo has 

mostly disappeared. 


131



Step 8 


There are still a few trouble spots in the 

tree area where the halo will not go away. 

For these sections, I’m going to select the 

Refine Brush once again to finish the job. 

Before I start painting, I place a check in the 

Color Decontamination box at the top of 

the window. I also reduce the brush’s Size 

to 40 and paint over only the areas where 

the halo is showing. 

Pro Tip: Using Color Decontamination with the 

Refine Brush is a “destructive” edit, meaning it will 

change the pixels in your original image. So use it 

sparingly and only when necessary to retain the 

editability and quality of your file. 


132



Step 9 


I’m finished masking, so I save my document 

by clicking the Save button on the bottom 

right of the window. 

Then, I go to Layer > New Stamped Layer to 

create a merged composite of both images. 

I also want to retain the ability to edit the 

file, so I right-click the new layer and select 

Convert to Smart Layer. Then, I click 

Effects at the top to bring the image into 

Perfect Effects. 


133



Step 10 


I start in Perfect Effects by going to the 

Color Enhancer folder, where I select the 

Fall Enhancer filter. This brings a lot of 

warmth to the tree bark and rock, and I 

scale it back by reducing the Layer Opacity 

to 40%. 


134



Step 11 


Next, I add a new empty layer to the Filter 

Stack and then select the Green Enhancer 

filter inside the Color Enhancer folder. This 

is one of my favorite filters, as it makes the 

green foliage in a photo really stand out. 


135



Step 12 


I add another empty layer, and, still 

inside the Color Enhancer folder, 

I select the Sky Enhancer filter to 

deepen the blues in the sky. 


136



Step 13 


Next, I make my way to the Dynamic 

Contrast folder. I really enjoy using these 

filters, as they add a unique element of 

refinement to a photo. 

I first add a new empty layer to the Filter 

Stack and then select the Soft filter on 

the left. 


137



Step 14 


I want to intensify the contrast in the photo, 

and to do this I expand the Tone Enhancer 

folder. Then, I add a new empty layer and 

select Contrast Only from the list on the 

left. This boosts the contrast and texture 

throughout the scene. 


138



Step 15 


I would like to boost the brightness in the 

scene, and to do this I will use one of the 

Sunshine filters. 

So, I add a new empty layer to the Filter 

Stack and then click the Sunglow filter on 

the left. This warms up the image and gives 

it a soft, ethereal glow. 


139



Step 16 


I’m nearly finished but would like to add 

one last filter. I add a new empty layer to 

the Filter Stack and then select Center 

Spot from the Vignette folder. 

The vignette effect is a little harsh, so I 

reduce the Layer Opacity to 80%. 

I also reduce the Master Opacity to 80%, 

which reduces the opacity of all the effects 

in the Filter Stack. 


140



Step 17 


I’m finished adding effects, so I go to Preset > 

Save Preset and then fill in the information in 

the window that pops up. When I’m finished, 

I click Create. 


Effects, and the image opens up back into 

Perfect Layers where I save and close the file. 


141


Conclusion 

Conclusion 

At the heart of every photographer is a unique viewpoint. Oftentimes, I will shoot the same scene alongside several other photographers, yet we all come 

out with completely different photographs. And even if we get similar images in-camera, onOne’s Perfect Photo Suite allows me to customize my photos 

with my own personal look. This look tends to change over time, but one thing is certain: It is always my own. 

I hope reading this book has inspired you to explore and experiment with the functions and tools in onOne’s Perfect Photo Suite 9. Software alone will not 

make your photography come alive, however. At the end of the day, it’s just a tool. But, when you find the perfect tool to fit into your workflow and make 

it fun, easy, and maybe even exciting—then you have struck gold. 

142

The Nicolesy Store: Tools for the Inspired Photographer 

All Products Presets Actions Textures eBooks & Tutorials 

A special discount for onOne Software customers: 

Save 50% 

With Discount Code: 

STEP50 

On the Step by Step videos & bonus materials! 

Was $25.00 Yours for $12.50! 

Step by Step with onOne Software 

Video Tutorials & Bonus Materials

STEP BY STEP with 

ONONE SOFTWARE 

Sometimes the best way to learn is to watch others 

do the job. This eBook helps you do just that: It 

teaches you how to use onOne’s Perfect Photo Suite 

9 by showing step-by-step processing tutorials with 

eight of Nicole’s beautiful photographs. 

Throughout these chapters you will see: 

• An overview of the new features in Perfect 

Photo Suite 9 

• A detailed “map” of each module in the Perfect 

Photo Suite 

• Layer masking to replace skies and backgrounds 

• How to stylize and enhance an image using both 

basic and advanced adjustments 

• ... and more! 

If you learn best by watching real photographers at 

work, then this eBook is for you! Nicole holds nothing 

back and shares all of her tricks and stylization 

techniques while using onOne Software’s Perfect 

Photo Suite 9. 

Nicole S. Young, a.k.a. “Nicolesy,” is a professional 

photographer and the author of several books and 

eBooks about photography and post-processing. 

She specializes in food, landscape, and travel 

photography, Nicole also operates an online store 

where she sells presets, eBooks, and tutorials for 

other photographers. 

You can find out more about Nicole on her website, 

as well as through social media sites such as Google+, 

Twitter, and Facebook. 

nicolesy.com 

$10.00 

ISBN 978-0-9893876-4-4 

51000> 

9 780989 387644

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