Beautiful Matte Photos
by Nannette Dalton

It’s funny how your tastes can change when it comes to photography. I have always worked towards getting the most clear crisp photos I possibly could, but I have noticed a new popular treatment to photos that my eye keeps being drawn to—photos with a gauzy matte finish.

The gauzy matte finish is an effect that has become very popular in portrait photography over the last year or two. My friend Jenifer Juris is a master at creating beautiful photos with this look. Check out her gallery for some wonderful examples.

If you like this look too, you’ll be happily amazed at how easy it is to achieve.

Step One:  Open and Duplicate a Photo

• Open a photo (File > Open).
• In the Menu Bar, choose File > Duplicate. Click OK. (Photoshop: Choose Image > Duplicate.)
• Close the original photo.

Here is the photo I will be working with.

Step Two: Apply a Matte Effect

Photoshop Elements Only:

• In the Menu Bar, choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels.
• In the dialog box, click OK.
• In the Levels panel, click and drag the black Output Levels slider to the right till it looks good to you.
• If you want to lighten the photo a bit, which is also part of this look, move the middle Input Levels slider to the left.
• Press Ctrl E (Mac: Cmd E) to merge layers.

Adobe Photoshop Only:

• In the Menu Bar, choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Exposure. Click OK.
• In the Properties or Adjustment panel, drag the Offset slider to the right till it looks good to you.
• If you want to lighten the photo a bit, which is also part of this look, move the Gamma Correction slider to the left a bit.
• Press Ctrl E (Mac: Cmd E) to merge the layer.

Step Three: Desaturate the Photo (Optional)

• In the Menu Bar, choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation. Click OK.
• In the Hue/Saturation panel, slide the Saturation slider to the left a bit to desaturate the colors in the photo.
• Press Ctrl E (Mac: Cmd E) to merge the layer.
• Save the new photo (File > Save As) as a .jpeg file with a unique name.

You can see how this effect looks on a layout. I like the bright gauzy effect it gives it.

Credits:
Page & Photos: Nannette Dalton
Kits: Classic Linens Deck Chair by Susie Roberts, Photo Masks Vol 4 by Susie Roberts
Fonts: Klinic Slab, Liberator

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Author: Nannette Dalton | Contact Us
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