Product Photography Photo Editing and Retouching 3

Question 1

Which Photoshop blending mode is most commonly used when dodging or burning product images on a gray-filled layer?

Accepted Answer

Overlay

Answer

A 50% gray layer set to Overlay mode appears neutral, and painting white or black on it lightens or darkens the underlying product.

Question 2

What is the purpose of a luminosity mask when editing product photos?

Accepted Answer

To make selections based on pixel brightness so adjustments apply only to specific tonal ranges

Answer

Luminosity masks select pixels by their brightness, allowing targeted adjustments to highlights, midtones, or shadows without hard edges.

Question 3

In Photoshop, what is the keyboard shortcut to create a new layer as a 'snapshot' of everything visible below (a merged stamp)?

Accepted Answer

Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E (Cmd+Opt+Shift+E on Mac)

Answer

Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E stamps all visible layers into a new merged layer without flattening the document.

Question 4

Why would a product photographer use the 'Replace Color' adjustment in Photoshop?

Accepted Answer

To sample a specific color and shift it to a different hue without masking

Answer

Replace Color lets you sample a target color and adjust its hue, saturation, and lightness in one step, useful for color variant mockups.

Question 5

A product JPEG delivered to a client looks desaturated and flat on their screen. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The file was saved without embedding a color profile (sRGB)

Answer

Without an embedded sRGB profile, many applications default to a generic or wrong profile, causing colors to appear muted or shifted.

Product Photography Practice Test