Fantasy Looks Photo Effect Editing. Photoshop CC Tutorial

Fantasy Looks Photo Effect Editing

Before

Started with this underexposed photo of Gladys with too much unwanted background opened in Camera Raw Filter. Adjusted the dials and brightened the image to suit and opened the image in PSD. First I needed to brighten parts of Gladys because it is a little dark.> Create a new Adjustment Layer CURVES>Add Layer Mask>Blend it to SCREEN>Invert the Layer Mask-ctrl I>Zoom closer into the image>Choose a soft brush>White over Black>Adjust brush size to suit>Paint (brighten)dark areas across Gladys>Select curve adjustment layer>Create a new Adjustment Layer BRIGHTNESS/CONTRAST>

After

Lower brightness to suit>Retain NORMAL blend>Invert layer mask-ctrl I>Set soft brush>adjust brush size to suit>Brush to darken areas around the image>right click on layers>merge visibles>Dublicate Layer> Use Pen tool to select Gladys>Close path>Right Click on image> Make Selection on drop-down menu>feather radius at 1>deselect background layer>create layer mask on background layer copy>reselect background layer>reload selection by holding ctrl and left clicking on layer mask>Select>modify on drop down menu>expand on drop down menu> expand to 20-30>select background>deselect background copy>click edit on menu>fill on drop down menu> contents aware on fill dialog box>boom she is gone>click on select menu>deselect on drop down menu, ctrl D>activate background copy>select layer mask> select brush tool> with white over black>paint away discoloring smudge around lower end of Gladys>activate background layer>drag background layer down to create background copy 2>click Filter menu>click blur gallery on drop down menu>click tilt blur on drop down menu>adjust blur lines on image>adjust blur size, color, brightness in dialog box>click the check mark on menu list>create new layer above background copy 2>select brush tool>adjust size of brush to 385>make a soft brush>select color for sunset(orange)>brush spot you want light to source from>Click Edit on menu>click Free Transform on drop down menu or ctrl T for resize box> expand resize box to suit>Blend with Overlay>try several times to achieve to suit>Blend with Screen>click check mark in menu above>activate background copy>create new layer above background copy>right click on activated new layer 3>click create clipping mask on drop down menu>click Edit in menu above>click fill in drop down menu>select 50%gray in drop down menu>click OK>there will be a gray silhouette>change Blend Mode to OVERLAY>image is back>select the Burn Tool and burn dark areas to suit>select dodge tool and lighten areas to suit>select background layer mask>Right Click on layer mask>Click on Apply Layer Mask on drop down menu>Select Smudge Tool> set to suit on high strength to edit hair>activate Layer mask 4>select Dodge Tool>Set to suit>highlight the hair>activate layer mask 4>create new adjustment layer>click Solid Color on drop up menu>Reduce opacity to 47ish>Click Color Fill layer mask>Select Brush Tool>with Black over white>set size to suit>at 100 opacity>Paint image to highlight the light source>select layer mask with black color>Create new layer mask>select brush tool>adjust size of brush to 385>make a soft brush>select color blue for night>brush spot you want light to source from>Click blend at Overlay>Click Edit on menu>click Free Transform on drop down menu or ctrl T for resize box> expand resize box to suit>try several times to achieve to suit>Click Screen to Blend>click check mark in menu above>can try to repeat process to enhance more>create new layer mask>Click Curves adjustment layer>Select blue and red to highlight light source more>Save

Frequency Separation YouTube Tutorial

Frequency Separation Tutorial
Photoshop Tutorial: How to Retouch Skin Flawlessly with Frequency Separation

Context
I am forever looking to improve on my PORTRAITURE genre after seeking advice from the professionals who seem to all agree that Portrait Photography is where a budding photographer can actually have some headways financially.
Research
In the course of seeking to improve on my portraiture photography, I came across Los Angeles-based photo illustrator and commercial photographer Lee Varis 's Frequency Separation Tutorial on Vimeo. After watching the video, I found it enlightening and easy to follow and even with the very difficult procedures, I was able to easily copy the actions to improve my photographs.
Form
With willing guests/models at a wedding I recently attended and armed with my Canon 60D and my EF 50mm 1.8f II, I proceeded to take several beautiful shallow depths of field portraits. Without too much disturbance I was able to align the models to backgrounds where the colours, flowers and shapes can benefit greatly the portrait of the models in the foreground.
Content
I learnt to fix shiny skin using Frequency Separation by basically placing TEXTURE and COLOR/TONE in two separate layers, which allowed me to re-shape the photo whilst leaving the texture intact.

Self Directed
Frequency Separation Retouching Technique

Open Image and make a copy and do some spot healing to clear any unwanted blemishes.
Open a second copy and label it 'Texture' and label first copy 'Blur'
Turn off texture layer and highlight the blur layer.
Layer>smart object>convert to smart object
Filter>Blur>Caussian blur>Info box>set the radius to about 8 pixels an ok.
Turn on and highlight texture layer.
Image>Apply Image>apply image box>Select 'Blur' Layer>Blendingto'Subtract'>
Scale to 2>Offset to 128>Ok.
Change Blending to 'Linear Light'. Highlight the Blur layer and create a new layer and label layer 'recolour'. Zoom in closer to portrait and sample around the highlights with the eyedropper tool and brush away the highlights with the brush tool at opacity 22%. Select the Texture layer and create a new layer. Position the pointer mid-bottom of the new layer with the ALT button to initiate the right angle arrow then click the right mouse button. Label the layer, 'Retouch'
Set Foreground colour tool to white and opacity to 6%. With 

the brush tool, paint some light into the dark areas. Brighten the whites of the eyes and the teeth. Also, brighten the catchlight in the eyes.
Create a new layer, set the foreground colour to black, select the Gradient Tool and select the 2nd foreground gradient picker. 
Group all the other layers. 
Set the blending mode to Soft Light and drag the four sides to form a gradual halo.
File>Save As>Photoshop,PSD, PDD>Ok
Layer>Flatten Layer
File>Save As>type drop down>JPG, JPEG>Save>set image option to 4.9M, less than 5M>Ok> Click off the X to end.