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Add Dynamic Lighting to a Flat Photograph

Giackop on Nov 25th 2 11 !ith 235 "o##ents Tutorial Details
Program: Photoshop Difficulty: Intermediate Completion Time: 1-2 hours

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Final Product What You'll Be Creating

In this tutorial, I will show ou how to spice up a fairl dull and flat photo!raph. It"s ver eas and fast# Go from flat photo to a uni$uel lit st le. Editors note: This tutorial !as originall$ pu%lishe& on Ps&tuts in 'arch of 2 ()

Source Photos
%or this tutorial, we"ll need two photos that I too&. 'ou can download them to follow alon!. (hese are m photos: castle photo and clouds photo.

Step 1
%irst of all, m apolo!ies for this step. I waited for a !ood 2) minutes but that car didn"t move, so I had to ta&e the photo with it# *n wa , +ust use the Patch (ool ,-. to remove the car and the /lone Stamp (ool ,S. to recreate the pattern of the bric&s where it used to be. If ou"ve never used the Patch (ool, there are a couple of wa s to use it. %irst, ma&e a selection as ou would if ou were usin! the 0asso (ool, then clic& inside the area and dra! with our mouse. 1ependin! on whether ou are usin! Source or 1estination as our chec&ed option ou will either move the ima!e inside the selection, or move the whole selection around. (he Patch (ool will blendin the area ou"ve chosen when ou let !o. 'ou can also use patterns and transparenc . *ll in all, it"s a !reat tool.

Step 2
2nce the van has been removed, appl %ilter 3 4ender 3 0i!htin! 5ffects to ma&e the li!ht come from the top ri!ht.

Step 3
6ith the tool that ou prefer, create a selection of the part that ou want to hide. %or e7ample, I used the Pen (ool ,P. to select the s& and the buildin!s around the castle. 6ith the selection active, add a 0a er Mas&.

Step 4
1uplicate the bac&!round la er, desaturate it with /trl8Shift89, appl %ilter 3 :lur 3 Gaussian :lur with ;-pi7el 4adius, and set the :lendin! Mode for the la er to 2verla .

Step 5
<ow we need a photo with clouds and the ra s of the sun comin! from the ri!ht. I used this photo of mine that was perfect for this situation. Send it to the bac& of the other la ers. (hen duplicate it and set the cop la er :lendin! Mode to 0i!hter /olor.

Step 6
1uplicate a!ain the ori!inal bac&!round photo ,0a er 1. and put the this new la er below the 0a er 1 cop . Set the :lendin! Mode to Multipl .

Step 7
<ow turn off the visibilit of the two castle la ers, !o to the 0a er 1 cop , and mer!e the visible la ers into a new la er with /trl8Shift8*lt85. (hen desaturate it with /trl8Shift89, set the :lendin! Mode to 2verla , and the 2pacit to =)>.

Step 8
Ma&e a new la er on the top of the other. 6ith a lar!e, white, soft brush that matches the si?e of the li!ht of the sun, +ust ma&e a round spot. (hen appl the 0uce filter that ou can download free or use the previous tutorial about 0i!htin! (hrou!h /louds here on Psdtuts8, to ma&e this li!ht comin! throu!h the clouds. Set the :lendin! Mode to 2verla . (his is an e7ample with blac& bac&!round to demonstrate the effect.

Step 9
-ust :urn the dar& side of the castle and 1od!e the li!ht part of it with a lar!e, soft brush. : doin! this, we ma&e it seem as if the li!ht is comin! from the clouds and hittin! the ri!ht side of the castle, leavin! the other side in dar&ness. *t this point we"re almost done, but the ima!e is overall $uite dar& and our blur earlier has left it sli!htl too blurr , so we"ll fi7 that ne7t.

Step 10
(o finish the ima!e, create a new la er above the rest and !o to Ima!e 3 *ppl Ima!e, use the settin!s @Mer!ed@, @4G:@ and @<ormal@ for blendin!. (his will create a new la er above the rest holdin! a cop of the ima!e. Set this la er to Screen and about A)> 2pacit . (hen !o throu!h each la er and appl %ilter 3 Sharpen 3 9nsharp Mas& and use the settin!s *mount: 2=)> and 4adius .2p7 ,9se a lar!er radius for lar!er ima!es.. (his should sharpen the ima!e bac& up to !ive us a !ood final result. /lic& on the ima!e below to see a lar!er version: