Isolate Highlights of an image

[TeeKi]

Hi,

Best tips to isolate the highlights of an image so I can put effects solely on that?

Found one tut on Youtube, that used:
Curves, slide all the way to the right.
Use transfer mode 'screen'.

Which was basically it...
But that doesn't cut it for me.

I can imagine, for my specific case I'd need to apply it multiple times, for different levels of intensity of the image, but that would be ok.

In photoshop it would be easy:
Use wand to select areas I want isolated, copy selection to new layer, blur it, and transfer mode 'screen'.

For AE I haven't found a comparable working method yet.

Please share your tips.

Much appreciated.

[ender772]

luma key to key out all the darker spots. this sometimes works. ..or color selector or even keylight. you could also use selective color on whites to bring out or mute the highlights

[TeeKi]

Ender,

Thanks for your response. Will try them out.

For now I resorted to:
Put a copy of the image in a separate comp > add Hue, to make it black/ white > added curves to crush the colored bits/ blacks and bring out the white > and in the top-level add the blur and Transfer mode to 'Screen'.
Works OK.

But will explore your suggestion later.

Thanks again.

[JackH]

If you can do it easily in photoshop couldn't you just isolate what you need in in photshop create the layer needed then import the psd as a composition? Then apply the effects to the proper layers?

[TeeKi]

@JackH

Of course it would concern a video