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Frequency Seperation

Frequency separation in Photoshop allows you to separate an image into two layers - one containing texture (high frequency layer) and one containing tone and color (low frequency layer). This makes retouching easier as you can focus corrections on just texture or skin. To do this, you apply a blur to one copy of the background layer to create the low frequency layer, then subtract that from the other copy to isolate texture in the high frequency layer. You can then selectively blur the low frequency layer to smooth skin tones or use the clone stamp tool on the high frequency layer to target texture issues like blemishes or stray hairs.

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Shantanu Benani
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292 views2 pages

Frequency Seperation

Frequency separation in Photoshop allows you to separate an image into two layers - one containing texture (high frequency layer) and one containing tone and color (low frequency layer). This makes retouching easier as you can focus corrections on just texture or skin. To do this, you apply a blur to one copy of the background layer to create the low frequency layer, then subtract that from the other copy to isolate texture in the high frequency layer. You can then selectively blur the low frequency layer to smooth skin tones or use the clone stamp tool on the high frequency layer to target texture issues like blemishes or stray hairs.

Uploaded by

Shantanu Benani
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is Frequency Separation?

Frequency separation helps make retouching a portrait easier in Photoshop. Frequency


separation works because it allows you to separate the texture of an image from the tone and
color. When retouching you can focus on just the texture or the skin beneath it.

It sounds quite complex but in practice it is quite simple. If you want to work with texture,
choose the high frequency layer, if you want to work with skin choose the low frequency
layer.

Getting Started with Frequency Separation

To get your image set up for frequency separation you will have to make 2 copies of your
background layer. If you are not starting from the beginning, add a Stamp Visible layer over
all layers by typing CTRL+ALT+OPTN+E. One of these copies will be for your low
frequency (skin) and one will be for your high frequency (texture).

First apply a Gaussian Blur to the lower (low frequency) layer. Choose a radius that blurs out
the skin texture, but don't go too far as to make the face unrecognizable.

Next choose your high frequency layer and go to Image, Apply Image. Here you will want to
se the Layer: to the low frequency layer. For blending choose Subtract and for Scale:2,
Offset:128. These will be your settings every time, no need to change them.

Now you should have one layer with a blur (low frequency) and a layer above it that looks
mostly gray (high frequency). Select the high frequency layer and change the blending mode
to "Linear Light".

Your image should now look identical to the image before you started the process.

Correcting Underlying Color

To correct the underlying color (skin) choose an area with the lasso tool. I suggest feathering
the selection to make it look more realistic. Use Q for Quick Mask as a quick way to see what
your selection looks like. After you have made your selection choose the low frequency
(blurred) layer and apply a Gaussian Blur in the selection. Choose a radius high enough to
blend the tones together.
Repeat this process over different areas of the portrait to smooth the skin tones. Because the
texture is on a different layer, it should stay in tact during this entire process.

Correcting Texture

If you need to correct texture, we recommend waiting until after you do the tone. Select the
high frequency layer and choose the Clone Stamp Tool. In the Clone Stamp Tool settings be
sure to hit Sample: Current Layer. This will make sure you are just using the texture and not
sampling anything else. Then on your high frequency layer sample good skin texture using
ALT and then paint over "bad" skin texture. This will work very well for stray hairs, acne,
wrinkles and other small blemishes.

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