When talking about everything related to photo editing, we have at our disposal countless programs and solutions of all kinds. Among these, it is worth highlighting that of Adobe, or the free project, GIMP. Therefore, below we will talk about how to use light effects in Photoshop .
As we told you, the popular proposal presented by the software giant, Photoshop , is one of the first photo editing and retouching programs that comes to mind. Not surprisingly, over the years it has earned the trust of millions of users around the world, both amateur and professional. It is true that it is not a free program like the aforementioned GIMP , not even cheap. But for those who are dedicated to these issues of editing , in one way or another, it is sure to be profitable.
Just a few years ago sitting in front of a program of this level was limited to a few professionals. But over time and as users have advanced, Photoshop is within the reach of most. Of course, to be able to take full advantage of the application as such, you must have very advanced knowledge. But at the same time this software solution presents us with some useful more basic functions that will be very helpful. Whether we want to start using the program, or carry out simple projects , here we can do it.
Effects and filters that we can use Photoshop
As many of you may already know first-hand, this is a complete program with an interface design that has characterized it for years. Thus, at the top we find different menus with a multitude of options. while on the left side we find shortcuts to the most common tools. Similarly, if we take a look at the right section, we can customize the display of control panels and configuration of the program’s functions.
We have already told you that the photo retouching program has basic functions for these jobs, as well as many other, more advanced ones. Perhaps among the most striking elements, due to everything we can do with them, we find what are known as filters. These are found in one of the menus at the top of the interface called thus, Filter . These are divided into a good number of sections, and in each of them is where we find the filters related to that action.
In fact, here we are going to focus on one that will allow us to carry out spectacular special effects through the use of lights and spotlights in our images. This is something that we are going to achieve, in an extremely simple way, through the aforementioned filters that the Adobe program presents us.
Open the filter to use lighting effects in Photoshop
To achieve this, the first thing we must do is go to the Filter / Interpret menu option. Of course, all this after opening the program as such and loading the image with which we want to work now on the work desktop.
Here we will see that several options appear that correspond to the different types of filters that we can use in this particular section. Well, the one that interests us in this case is the so-called Lighting Effects .
After a few seconds, depending on the power of the equipment, we will see how the image almost completely darkens in an ostensible and automatic way. At the same time, on it by default we find the first of the light bulbs that we will use to create these effects that we are looking for.
How to use and add spotlights to create lighting effects
As we say, by default and on the loaded image we find a first focus that we can move and modify in intensity. To do this we just have to drag it with the mouse, or turn the small central wheel to increase or decrease its brightness.
It is worth mentioning that here we can make use of different types of lighting elements. These are found in the upper part of the program’s interface. Specifically, there are three: spotlights, point light and infinite light.
In this way we will have the possibility to choose the one that most interests us in each case. What’s more, we can also add several elements of this type simultaneously and customize them independently. Everything will depend on the lighting effects that we want to achieve, although notifying of these is not recommended either. To add new elements of this type to the image project we are working on, just click on the button we need at the top of the interface .
Customize parameters when using lighting effects in Photoshop
We already know how to add and place these elements on the image as such, but at the same time other parameters that allow us to configure its behavior. Here we are going to find several sections that we will describe below. First of all, we must know that all the lights that we use are placed at the bottom of the panel that we see on the right. Thus, as if they were conventional layers , we can choose the element we want to work with.
On the other hand, in the upper part of the same panel, we see the customizable parameters that we referred to before. Thus, in this section we see a parameter called Glow that helps us to determine the surfaces that will reflect the light . We also find Intensity, which regulates the level of luminosity, or Color, which lets us color the spotlight as such.
But of course, the results and effects that we are going to obtain with these light filters will also largely depend on our skill and creativity. The program makes all the necessary functions and elements available to us, but we also have to do our part. Without a doubt with a little patience and based on testing, when using light effects in Photoshop we can achieve more than striking results in this regard.