How to Edit Photos with Curves in Photoshop for a Classic Movie Effect

Learn to edit photos with classic film effects using curves in Photoshop

mrfdn – Editing photos in tonal colors can be done in Photoshop or Lightroom. With the help of the curve slider you can get a variety of attractive colors for your photos.

how to edit photos with tone curve adjustment in photoshop and lightroom

This tone curve is usually done for those who sell lightroom presets or photoshop actions. However, not all tonal colors can be applied to all photos. If you force certain presets on one photo too much, the result can make your photos less pleasing to the eye.

By studying this tone curve you can create your own presets according to your wishes, and according to the lighting conditions of the photo you are editing. After you understand how to edit color tones with curves, you will be more creative in editing color photos.

There are many photoshop or lightroom tutorials that explain how to edit this tone curve. One of them is described by Julia Trotti. One of the female photographers whose photos are in classic film style. Curious about how to edit them, please follow the following tutorial. In this tutorial I demonstrated it in Photoshop. You can also apply the same method in lightroom.

1. First open your photo in Photoshop
2. Click curve adjustment
3. Play the curve slider. Try clicking the three dots like the example below. Then swipe up and down. Until you get a nice color.

Editing photos with curve adjustments in Photoshop is easy

4. Switch to another color channel. At the top click rgb, then change to red, green, and blue colors, then see what happens when you move the slider curve.
5. If you move it up, the color will be lighter, if you slide it down, the color will be darker.
6. After getting the desired effect, save your image.

This is an example of my photo using a tone curve. Colors are more pop up, with a little touch of film effects (film look). Cool yet?