Understanding how this polarizing effect works

Step 1

Download and save the following JPG file to your computer then open it inside Adobe Photoshop.
vancouver.jpg 204.46 Kb (Right mouse click> Save As)

Step 2

Once you have the photo opened inside Adobe Photoshop, look inside the Channels pallet (Window> Channels). Inside the Channels pallet, click on the each of the channels and notice the differences between the channels.

So the red channel's characteristics are similar to those characteristics of a polarizing filter (reduced reflections and darker blue skies & green vegetation), but how do we apply those characteristics to the image? In the next page, we'll teach you a fast and effective way of simulating a polarizing filter.