Photoshop Gradient Map Tutorials for Beginners

One of the most useful Photoshop adjustment layer is the Gradient Map that you can use to enhance your photos. You can use a gradient map as a non invasive method in which you can change the color map of your image, adding multiple color effects. Using Photoshop gradients(GRD files) you can create virtually unlimited number of color effects.
I will start this tutorial by saying that I am not a Photoshop master so I get a little confused sometimes; for example in this tutorial I will explain for all the Photoshop beginners a quick way to enhance a photo by using a Gradient Map. As you will see if you open the fill or adjustment layer tab we have to gradient options: the Gradient (Fill) and the Gradient Map; so the question is which one to choose and use? And of course what is the difference between the two of them. For the first question I will choose the first option, the Gradient (Fill) instead of the Gradient Map. For the second question I have no answer.

Gradient Map and Gradient Fill Adjustment Layers

A Gradient Map is in fact an adjustment layer that can be applied to a layer/multiple layers and to enhance the image result. Learn more about adjustment layers from this tutorial.

So let's start with a beautiful premade background. Add a Gradient adjustment like shown in the image.

Click on the gradient to open the Gradient Editor; there you can change the existing gradient, create one yourself or you can load and use one of the many Photoshop gradients available for free on the internet.

Now set the Blend Mode of the gradient map to Overlay and the opacity 45%

You can play with different gradients and you can obtain beautiful results in just a few minutes using Photoshop gradient map adjustments. In the same way you can use the Gradient Map instead of the Gradient (Fill) and see which of the results suits you best.

A Photo Inside a Photo

In this Photoshop tutorial, we are going to create a photo inside a photo in Photoshop. This effect will bring the main subject of your photo in the spotlight by creating the illusion of a smaller, cropped version of the photo within itself.

1. Open whatever image you would like to work on in Photoshop. This is the image we will be using for creating a photo inside a photo:

2. Duplicate the background layer.

3. Go to: Filter > Blur > Radial Blur and make the following changes:

4. Create a new layer. Name this layer as Photo.

5. Use the Rounded Rectangle Tool to draw in a rectangle.

6.  Right click on the shape and choose Fill Path.

7. Choose 50% Gray and click OK.

8. Double click the Photo layer to open Layer Style.
    Make the following changes:

9. Right click the Photo layer and choose Delete Path.

10. Duplicate the Background layer once again and place it over the Photo layer in the Layer Panel.

11. Right click on the layer thumbnail of this new background layer and choose Radial Blur.

12. Go back to the Photo layer.

13. Press CTRL+T to rotate the Photo layer.

14. Now create an Adjustment layer and choose Curves. Then make the following changes:

That’s it,

Final Picture: