Beginner' Photo Effects Tutorials

001
Select the image you want to work on.

I chose this image because it is an indoor and there are many possibilities to work with such as lamps and fireplace.

[Edited by User on 8/25/2011 5:00:09 PM]

002
Duplicate the original image just as shown in the image below.

To do so you must click on the original layer and ctrl + j

[Edited by User on 8/25/2011 5:00:35 PM]

003
With the selection over the duplicated layer (layer 1) you will click Select > Color Range.

In color range options you will mark all the items just as in the image and then click ok.

[Edited by User on 8/25/2011 5:00:59 PM]

004

After completing the step above you shall duplicate the selection you have just done 2 times, just as in the image bellow.

The way to do so is to click ctrl + j two times.

The layers shall look as in the image.

NOTE: you may not notice anything different at the moment because you have duplicated a part of the existing image bellow. But dont worry, you will notice very soon on step 005.



[Edited by User on 8/25/2011 4:40:42 PM]

005

You will select the two layers. "Layer 2 + layer 2 copy".

The way to do so is to hold the ctrl button down, and with the mouse you will click on the layers one by one.

After doing so you will merge the two selected layers by clicking right button of the mouse over the layers and clicking > Merge Layers

Bellow is screenshots of how it should look just in case you get confused.

i received a PM from a worthfriend who mentions that he uses Photoshop 7 and has had problems selecting more than one layer as mentioned in this tutorial.

i have done some seraching and discovered another way to do so in case you to use PS 7.

deselecting (hiding) the layers you don't want to merge, then:

Layer > Merge Visible


[Edited by User on 8/31/2011 8:54:33 AM, Reason: method for PS 7 users]

006
Now, with the layer you just merged together selected you will go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.

Make the blur at strength of 50 just as shown in the image and then click ok.

Now you shall apply the layer as "screen" just as in the image bellow.
I have done this so we get more lighting effect in the creation of steps that are to come.

Your image shall be looking like this

007
Now we will select the original image and duplicate it once more and move it all the way to the top, making it the first layer on your layer palette.

To do so you must click over the original layer and ctrl + j.

Then you will hold the layer you duplicated with the mouse and push it to the top making it the first in place.

008
Now is were the fun begins.

Go to "Brightness Contrast" and make the Brightness -150 and Contrast 100 just as shown in image below.

now select "Hue Saturation" and lower the saturation to -60 just as in image below.

NOTE: you must leave the "Hue Saturation" layer bellow the "Brightness Contrast" layer as shown in image above.
Your image shall be looking like this.

009
Now we want to merge all upper three layers together.

To do so you shall hold down the ctrl button and click with mouse on the three layers you'll be merging.

Now that they are selected, right click on them and merge layers. Your palette shall look like this.

010

Now we have a dark room on the top layer and below it we have the original room with the stronger lights as well.

What we will need to do in the future steps really depends on how you imagine lighting to be.

We shall be erasing parts of the dark room layer so that what shows below it is the light room.

To start off I shall be using a soft eraser brush over the lighting sources such as the lamps and fireplace.

Just as shown in image.

NOTE: For those of you who know how to mask layers, it's advisable that instead of using the erase technique mentioned above, that you use mask over the dark layer. This way if you erase something that shouldn't have been erased than you can just go back and fix it any time.
(TKS to msgtBoB for the cool advice)

[Edited by User on 8/31/2011 8:47:15 AM, Reason: add the mask observation]

011
Now you shall be using the eraser over the borders of the objects and is the light were hitting on it.

This may be a slow process because in some small places you may need to make a selection and erase it slowly to avoid the light from going where it shouldnt.

012

now you will be using your creativity for the final touches and colors.

i could have made the windows dark as if it were night time but ended up with no more time so i left it the way it is.

hope you learned something today

[Edited by User on 8/26/2011 8:04:51 AM]