Photo effect

Retro Faded Look

Photoshop Tutorial

I did some research on retro effects. Many of my tests involved a stack of multiple Adjustment Layers. After an intesive trail-and-error experiment day I found an easier way to give a Photo a Retro feel. This effect is made with just one Adjustment Layer. I’ve included the near end of my search for an easier way with two Adjustment Layers.

  • Effect
  • Original Photo

One Layer: Curves.

The Curves Adjustment Layer is a great way to give a Photo a certain look.

An easy way to describe the retro feel is that the blacks are brighter and the whites darker. This gives the faded low contrast.

To do this with the curve is to bring the black upwards and the white downwards.

The Middle stays were it is: the Midtones remain.

The Two other handles are moved to bring a bit more contrast back. If we would move the handles toward a flat line, it would give the Photo a more flat look.

After these changes in the RGB-Curve, the Photo looks quite good.

But we’re going to change the Color-Curves too. These changes are up to you and the Photo you choose to change.

The Blue-Curve: To give the Blacks and Shadows a Blue feel we move these handles upward.

To give the Highlights a more warmer feel we move this handle downwards. This adds the opposite color from Blue, which is Yellow.

Again, the Photo looks quite good. So the next change is up to you.

The Red-Curve: this adds a Magenta tone.

You can even change the Green-Curve. As I did in the example under this article.

Two Layers: Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer.

So now we’re going to shift the colors. For example the reds toward orange, etc.

We do this with the Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer. But do this with caution so we protect skin tones.

Gallery.

With the Green-Curve changed slightly.
Advertentie

Quick Photo Effect: Cool Action

Photoshop Tutorial

Every Step is a different Adjustment Layer. You can create every step in an Action or you can keep the Adjustment Layers in a map and replace the photo everytime you want to apply the effect on a different photo.

Step 1: Levels:

Step 2: Color Balance:

For the Shadows:

For the Highlights:

Step 3: Color Fill:

Fill this Adjustment Layer with a Bright Blue (#2284dc) and set the Blend Mode to Soft Light and the opacity around 80%.

Quick Effect: Western Mood

Photoshop Tutorial

Today’s Quick Effect is Western Mood. Every step is a different Adjustment Layers.

Step 1: Gradient Map. With colors: #453910 (deep amber) -> #dbf9ff (very pale cyan).

Step 2: Levels:

Step 3: Curves:

Step 4: New Layer.

Fill the layer with a Light Gray (like #c2c2c2). Then apply the Add Noise filter with 20%, gaussian and monochromatic.

Then add a Gradient Overlay in the Layerstyle: Blend Mode is Color Burn, Opacity: around 30%, Gradient Black-White, Angle is 90°, Scale is 150% (max.).

Set the Blend Mode to Divide and opacity around 30%.

Creating Effects with Clipping Masks

Photoshop Tutorial

Today I’ll show you how to create different Effects with Clipping Masks. With a Clipping Mask, your photo remains intact. When you’re done you can save the Photoshop File with the first photo as a Smart Object. You can replace the Smart Object with another photo to apply the effect on different photos.

Step 1: Choose your texture.

This Effect is all about textures. You can choose a texture or you can create your own texture. The texture I’ll e using is one I created in Photoshop with an Inkbrush.

The texture has different areas of opacity: the middle-left side has more opacity because that is were we’ll place the subjec the photo.

Step 2: Place your Photo.

Now we’ll place our photo. For this tutorial I choose a photo of Inna Mikitas, an Ukrainian Model. Place the photo on top of the texture as a new layer. Go to the Layer menu and choose Create Clipping Mask.

You can stop here and use this kind of Photo is any product: in an album, a collage… The transparency of the background will make this blend on other Photos.

For example: when this photo was taken on your holiday, you can place another photo of that day as background above a solid white background. Change the opacity of the background to whatever works for your photo.

Further Building of Effect:

You can build further to create different Artistic Effects. I explain how I created the effect in the example at the beginning of this article.

A. Add a Light Effect. Set the Blend Mode of this Lightleak to Lighten. Add a Mask and paint away any unnecessary parts.

B. Add another Texture for creating a Clipping Mask. This time only cover the subject of the photo. Duplicate the original photo and place on top of the Texture. Create a Clipping Mask.

We’ll do this one more time.

Two Texture Layers.

C. Add an Old Paper Texture. Or another texture with color or grain, scratches… Set the Blend Mode to Lighten and the opacity around 60%.

I’ve created a Mask for this texture and painted with a brush (50% opacity) on the subject of the photo. I wanted the effect on the model less then in the background.

And we’re done for now. I’ll build other effects with Clipping Masks in later posts.

Simple Comic Book/Poster Effect

Photoshop Tutorial

This is an update of the First Simple Comic Book Effect (here). The update is that this effect gives the photo a more vintage poster look. We’ve worked with a comic book effect and with gradients in other tutorials, so I came with this after experimenting and trying some combinations. This effect creates soe interesting results.

Step 1: Effects on the Photo.

First thing to do is to make sure the Photo is a Smart Object. This is important for fine tuning the effect afterwards. After that go to:

  1. Filter -> Stylize -> Oil Paint. Set every setting to 10.
  2. Add a Brightness/Contrast Adjustment Layer: settings will be different for every photo.
  3. Add a Posterize Adjustment Layer: the setting will depent on your photo, try to keep the values between 5-10. Set the Blend Mode to Soft Light and opacity around 60%.

I find that the Brightness/Contrast Layer, in many cases, needs some work after the Posterize effect. Or with some photo’s I used the Brightness/Contrast Layer above the Posterize Layer

Posterize lever: 8. Brightness: -6/Contrast: 17.
Brightness: -13/Contrast: 9. Posterize level: 5.

Step 2: Experiment with Colors.

The give it a Poster feel we can add a Gradient. Experiment with different colors and blending modes. Like I did:

Blend Model: Soft Light
Blend Mode: Normal
Blend Mode: Normal
Blend Mode: Screen.

Step 3: Combine Effetcs.

Sometimes the Simple Comic Book Effect doesn’t give a clean result. This is mostly when the photo has a lot af detail, like in the facial area. Any imperfection shows on the effect. You can render the filters, but I found the combination of these two effects interesting.

  1. Save your Comic/Poster Effect photo and open it as a new document.
  2. Apply the Simple Comic Book Effect
  3. Add a gradient.
With gradient
No gradient.

Quick and Easy Halftone Effect

Geen categorie

Today I’ll show you how to create a quick Halftone Effect in Photoshop. I found this effect after trying different ways to (re)create an effect that makes your photo looks like an old engraved picture or like a picture on money. This is the most easy way to create this effect. Even when this is a quick way, the possibilities are close to limitless.

Step 1: The Photo.

The first you’ll have to do is add a Black-White Adjustment Layer on top of the photo. The effect wil be created on a black-white photo.

Step 2: Halftone Layer.

Create a New Layer and fill with 50% Grey. Now make this layer into a Smart Object. A Smart Object lets us adjust the effect afterwards.

  • Now go to Filter => Filter Gallery: under the tab Sketch => Halftone Pattern. Set the values to: Size 2, Contrast 0. Pattern Type: Dot.
  • Under the same tab: Torn Edges. Set the values to: Image Balance 25, Smoothness 13, Contrast 1.

Set the Blend Mode of the Halftone Layer on Hard Mix and the Fill around 80%.

Step 3: Apply a Gradient Adjustment Layer.

Choose a gradient with different colors. Every photo will need a different gradient. Sometimes you’ll have to adjust the values of the halftone to fine tune the look with a gradient. Gradient in First photo: 924663 -> d5dbd3.

Step 4: Experiment.

The values in Step 2 are values that work with most pictures, but not with all. So you’ll have to play with the values in order to get the best result.

Gradient: 125e56 -> ffa0a0
Gradient: 30527d -> ffae2e
Torn Edges Balance: 23, Fill: 88% and the Gradient: 62174f -> ffca8b.
Gradient: 2d2c54 -> e8c9d5

Photo Effect: At the Vintage Beach

Geen categorie

Stack of Adjustment Layers:

  1. Vibrance: + 25 / Saturation: -40 or -50.
  2. Gradient map: Blend Mode: Hard Light, 40%. With colors:
    1. #091610 (very dark cyan), location: 1%
    2. #8b432d (dark moderate red), location: 50%
    3. #f0e6b1 (very soft yellow), location: 100%
  3. Curves. Blend Mode: Soft Light, 30%. With Point:
    1. 0,0
    2. 66, 43
    3. 114, 130
    4. 255, 255
  4. Color Adjustment. Blend Mode: Soft Light, 25%:
    1. Blue: + 13, – 12, + 12, + 6
    2. Grey: + 60, -12, + 37, + 6
  5. Color Fill:
    1. Color: #aa6381 ( Mostly desaturated dark pink)
    2. Blend Mode: Soft Light, 45%
  6. Color Fill 2:
    1. Color: #ddad85 (very soft orange)
    2. Blend Mode: Color, 10%
  7. Grandient Map. Blend Mode: Exclusion, 10%. With colors:
    1. #5f531e (olive tone), position: 20%
    2. #e3e3ac (very soft yellow), position: 83%
    3. #cccc99 (slightly desaturated yellow), position: 93%
  8. Curves. Opacity: 75% With Points:
    1. RGB: 27,35 / 123,125 / 182,188 / 243,238
    2. Green: 0,0 / 118,120 / 169,175 / 255,255
    3. Blue: 0,0 / 187,190 / 232,241 / 255,255

Anaglyph Effect Part 2: Experiments

Geen categorie

In this tutorial we’re going to build further on the standard Anaglyph Effect we’ve created in Part 1.

Experiment 1: Vibrance

With a Vibrance adjustment layer we can make the Anaglyph less bright.

  • Set the Vibrance on a negative amount (I dit -51)
  • You can leave the Saturation on 0 or even decrease the vividness of the Red/Blue.

Experiment 2: Different colors.

In this experiment we’re going to stack some adjustment layers on top of each other.

  • 1: Color Lookup: Candlelight.
    • Opacity: around 37%
  • 2: Gradient overlay:
    • Color 1: #290a59 (very dark violet), position: 39%
    • Color 2: #ff7c00 (a pure orange), position: 100%
    • Linear, 143°
      • Bleding Mode: Color Dodge, 36%
  • 3: Color Lookup: Foggy Night
    • Opacity: around 74%

Variation:

  • Gradient overlay opacity: 20%
  • Second Color Lookup opacity: 100%

Experiment 3: Cold.

Add a Color Lookup adjusment layer and set the color on Crips Winter.

Anaglyph Effect Part 1

Geen categorie

The Anaglyph is a fun and easy effect to create in Photoshop. In this tutorial we’re going to create this effect and experiment with it. This effect is applicable to photos and drawings.

The Anaglyph Effect.

The creation of the Anaglyph Effect in Photoshop is quite simple and can be done in two different ways:

First way:

  • Duplicate your photo 2 times:
    • Name the top duplicate ‘Blue‘ and the second ‘Red‘
  • Select the Blue layer and go to Layer Style and Blending Option: uncheck the Red channel.
    • Move this layer to the right (I did 10 times)
  • Select the Red layer and uncheck the Green channel this time.
    • Move this layer to the left (same amount as the Blue layer)

Second way:

  • Duplicate the photo 1 time:
  • Go to Layer Style and Blending Options: unchech both the blue and green channels. So now you have a red copy of yout photo.
  • Move this duplicate to the left (the more stept you move the photo, the stronger the effect gets)

This is now your basic Anaglyph Effect.

Extra Effect: Noise

A fun extra effect to apply on top of the Anaglyph is a Noise layer:

  • Create a new layer
  • Fill the layer with black
  • Go to Effect: Noise: Add Noise:
    • set the effect on: 102%, Gaussian and Monochromatic
  • Set the Blending Mode to Screen and around 20% opacity.

You can create this effect with a black-white photo. Make sure the Mode is RGB.