There is nothing I enjoy more about photo post-production than the finishing effect phase.  That’s when I take my time fine-tuning and polishing my photographs to create mood and emotion for the viewer. That’s when I craft the experience to share with others who may not have seen the beauty I did at the moment.  Over the years, I have used many finishing effect techniques, but they all seem to pale in comparison to the power of the Diamond Gradient.

Yep, the diamond gradient of all things.  I first discovered it on accident while recording my Ps Foundations course on Gradients.  It was indeed a happy accident and one so genuine that I even left my reaction in the class when I first discovered it. 

I’d say that almost any gradient can be used to manipulate the viewer’s mood, but the Diamond Gradient is always a happy surprise when I use it.  Like this example image from Adobe Stock below.

Diamond Gradient Before Effect Diamond Gradient After Effect

Gradients are an incredible way to use Color Theory to control the mood of the image while Color Grading.    In one adjustment Layer, you can completely transform a photo from reasonably good to AMAZING!  But you have to use the right blend mode.

I have a whole video for you on this topic today, but here are some quick Diamond Gradient Tips:

  1. Use the Soft Light Blend Mode to start as it will be the easiest to get a general idea of what the resulting image will look like.

     

  2. Use the scale to make the gradient exceedingly small to dial it in exactly where you want it.
  3. Experiment with many different colors of gradients. Your first gradient may be a mess!  But try to use gradients that exploit the color combination in the base image.
  4. Stick to compliments and colors that are found in nature. Sunlight can be exaggerated very easily with orange and yellow hues, while sunset skies and clouds may appreciate deeper blue, red, or magenta.

Watch today’s video to get a better understanding of how to use the Diamond Gradient in Photoshop.  

Don’t forget to download the goodies I have provided as well.  They are just under the video below▼

Want to download the Gradients & Actions?

I have prepared for you several Actions and 16 Gradients just waiting to blow up your sunset photos!  Remembering all of this stuff can be hard, there are a lot of steps. My Actions will expedite the process and have you good to go in seconds!

Blake Rudis
f.64 Academy and f.64 Elite are the brainchildren of Blake Rudis. While he is a landscape photographer, he is most passionate about post-processing images in Photoshop and mentoring others.

For Blake, it's all about the art and process synergy. He dives deep into complex topics and makes them easy to understand through his outside-the-box thinking so that you can use these tricks in your workflow today!
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