• About
  • Forum
  • Write For Us
  • Contact
  • Top 50 Photography Blogs
  • Resources
  • Archives

IndustryDev

Web Design & Photography Blog

  • Design
    • Lightroom
    • Photoshop
    • Bridge
    • Camera Raw
  • Development
    • HTML
    • CSS
    • JavaScript
    • PHP
    • Dev Tools
    • WordPress
  • Photography
  • Blogging
    • SEO
  • Technology
    • Hosting
  • Inspiration
    • Interviews
    • Learning
You are here: Home / Design / Lighting Effects Filters in Adobe Photoshop
Have a question? Ask it and help others in our new discussion forums.

Lighting Effects Filters in Adobe Photoshop

November 7, 2016

This is pretty cool. I’ve always loved playing with the lighting effects filters in Adobe Photoshop. Adobe has added a lot to this area in the past few years and the changes are worth looking at.

In today’s post, I’ll be exploring the Lighting Effects area of the Filters menu in Adobe Photoshop. This is quite the extensive area, so there’s obviously a lot more involved than what I’m going to include in this post. Effects, in general, have grown to consume a rather large portion of Photoshop. It’s possible that I’ll be writing many more posts on this one topic. For now though, I’d like to merely launch the effects area to get you more familiar with what’s going on inside of it.

Original Photo

While there are tons of different types of photos that would work perfectly with many of the variations of available lighting effects, I chose a portrait of a small child. I think this is a good choice because any sort of additional lighting would make a profound difference in the way the photo is interpreted. And by working with a photo like this, I think the gears in your minds will be turning as you think of the possibilities.

Portrait Lighting Effects - Small Child Portrait

I haven’t done much more to this photo than to add some contrast in Adobe Camera Raw. Well, there was some grain I needed to get rid of and some sharpening that the picture benefited from. Beyond that, this is almost the original.


Converting Layer to a Smart Object

The very first thing I want to do after opening the image into Photoshop is to convert the background layer to a Smart Object. I’ve covered this in a few other posts, but basically, the reason for this is protection. When the photo layer is a Smart Object, I can apply many different filters and effects to it while preserving the layer’s integrity. In other words, I can delete the filter later on if I don’t like it and I’ll still have the original, untouched, image at my disposal.

I’ll go ahead now and right-click on my layer and then chose Convert to Smart Object.

Convert to Smart Object Menu Item

Once I do that, I can head into the filters area.

How to Launch Lighting Effects

Diving into the Lighting Effects area is simple. I’ll go up to the Filter menu item and click it. Then, I’ll go down to the Render menu and hover over that. Finally, I’ll click on the Lighting Effects menu item to launch the editor.


Filter - Render - Lighting Effects Menu Item

After I choose this menu item, the Lighting Effects workspace will appear. For the uninitiated, this is an odd phenomenon. The actual workspace changes to something else. It’s not like an editor or a panel opens or anything – all the other panels disappear and are replaced by new ones. Here’s a screenshot of the options bar up top:

Lighting Effects Options Bar

And here’s a screenshot of the panels on the right side. Notice the Lighting Effects name in the workspace drop-down in the upper right corner.

Lighting Effects Panels


Lighting Effects Presets

One of the most popular areas of this new workspace is the Presets menu. This is probably the best place to start off if you aren’t a Photoshop expert. There are many types of effects to choose from, so I suggest you click on each one to become familiar with what they do. Exploring this like puts the necessary information in the back of your head so the next time you think you might want to add some light to a photo, so you quickly head to this area.

To demonstrate, I’ll choose Five Lights Down.

Lighting Effects Presets: Five Lights Down

With this preset, five light sources appear at the top of the photo. When I click on any of the light sources (the small white circles at the top of the photo), I can manipulate that particular light. I can change its intensity, change its scale, rotate it, move it and many more things. I can also choose the light source from the Lights panel over on the right and pretty much do exactly the same types of things to them.

Lights Panel


Adding a Soft Light to the Photo

Since this photo is a portrait with the subject front and center, I think a nice soft light is appropriate. I think I’ll go for Soft Omni in the Presets drop-down. This will place a circle overlay on top of the image that I can modify.

Soft Omni Lighting Effect

Changing the attributes of this effect is really easy. All I need to do is to click and drag the circle from its center so it’s in the position I would like to see it. Then, I can just push the sliders in the Properties panel over in the right column. I’ll explain what each of these sliders means next.


RECEIVE MY POSTS BY EMAIL!

Interested in receiving my posts by email? This is your chance! Simply place your email address in the field below and I'll deliver each and every post I write directly to your inbox.


Colorize: Tints the overall lighting.

Exposure: Controls highlight and shadow detail.


Gloss: Determines how much surfaces reflects light.

Metallic: Determines which is more reflective, the light or the object on which the light is cast.

Ambience: Diffuses the light as if it were combined with other light in a room, such as sunlight or fluorescent light. Choose a value of 100 to use only the light source, or a value of –100 to remove the light source.

Texture: Applies a texture channel.

I’ll push the sliders for this image now. Just as an FYI, you’ll need to really experiment with all the available sliders to see which ones will work best for your photo. For instance, when I pushed the Metallic slider, absolutely nothing happened, no matter where I put it. I did, however, manage to get a good result with the other sliders.


Lighting Effects Sliders

The Final Photo

Once I’m done with the sliders, I can click on the OK button up in the Options bar to apply my changes. When I do that, I’ll have to wait for a few seconds as the changes are applied to the Smart Object. Once they are, a Smart Filters layer will appear in the Layers panel and my filter will take effect. Check out the photo now.

Photoshop Lighting Effects on a Portrait of a Baby

As you can see, the background has been somewhat muted out and the emphasis of the lighting has been placed on the model’s face. Just where I wanted it.

If you’d like to make similar changes to your own photos, all you need to do is to follow the same pattern of steps. There’s not much more to it. Of course, I can go into the specifics of each and every attribute of the workspace and I may actually do that one day, but I think this was a good introduction. If you have any questions or concerns, please leave them in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!


Check Out These Related Posts

  • Selectively Sharpening Parts of a Face in Adobe PhotoshopSelectively Sharpening Parts of a Face in Adobe Photoshop
  • Working With the Content-Aware Move Tool in Adobe PhotoshopWorking With the Content-Aware Move Tool in Adobe Photoshop
  • What are Clipping Masks in Adobe Photoshop?What are Clipping Masks in Adobe Photoshop?
  • How to Organize Video & Audio Project Files for Adobe PhotoshopHow to Organize Video & Audio Project Files for Adobe Photoshop
  • What’s the Difference Between Vibrance & Saturation in Adobe Photoshop?What’s the Difference Between Vibrance & Saturation in Adobe Photoshop?
  • Changing Colors with Some Adjustment Layer Sliders in Adobe PhotoshopChanging Colors with Some Adjustment Layer Sliders in Adobe Photoshop
  • How to Create Actions with Camera Raw Inside Adobe PhotoshopHow to Create Actions with Camera Raw Inside Adobe Photoshop
  • Jumping Between Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop & Camera RawJumping Between Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop & Camera Raw
  • Using the Dodge, Burn & Sponge Tools in Adobe PhotoshopUsing the Dodge, Burn & Sponge Tools in Adobe Photoshop
  • Using the Reduce Noise Filter in Adobe PhotoshopUsing the Reduce Noise Filter in Adobe Photoshop
  • How to Create an Editable Halftone Text Effect in Adobe PhotoshopHow to Create an Editable Halftone Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop
  • How to Create a Freehand Vignette in Adobe PhotoshopHow to Create a Freehand Vignette in Adobe Photoshop

Filed Under: Design Tagged With: Photoshop

What’s Next? Email Updates!

If you enjoyed reading this post, why not consider signing up to receive others like it by email? It's so easy and you can unsubscribe at any time.

About Jay Gaulard

Hi. My name is Jay Gaulard and I've been designing websites and taking photographs since 2002. My passions lie with learning the latest coding techniques and development tools as well as staying on top of the digital imaging world. When I'm not studying or writing, I'm practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Maine, USA.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connect With Me

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

RECEIVE MY POSTS BY EMAIL!

Interested in receiving my posts by email? This is your chance! Simply place your email address in the box below and I'll deliver each and every post I write directly to your inbox.

Follow Us on Facebook!

IndustryDev

Check Us Out on Instagram!

Load More…Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • Using the Tone Curve in Adobe Camera Raw to Reduce Clipping February 20, 2019
  • How to Set Your Canon Rebel Camera For Continuous Shooting February 18, 2019
  • How to Use the Noise Reduction Feature in Adobe Lightroom February 16, 2019
  • Using the Dust & Scratches Filter to Clean Up a Photograph February 15, 2019
  • Use a Focus Rail For Better Macro Photography February 11, 2019

Most Popular Posts

  • How to Export Video From Adobe Photoshop How to Export Video From Adobe Photoshop
  • How to Set the Photo Quality in your Canon Rebel DSLR Camera How to Set the Photo Quality in your Canon Rebel DSLR Camera
  • How to Speed Up & Slow Down Video in Adobe Photoshop How to Speed Up & Slow Down Video in Adobe Photoshop
  • How to Adjust the Mouse Click & Scroll Settings in Windows 10 How to Adjust the Mouse Click & Scroll Settings in Windows 10
  • How to Resize & Save Files From Adobe Bridge Using Image Processor How to Resize & Save Files From Adobe Bridge Using Image Processor

About IndustryDev

IndustryDev is an online publication that focuses primarily on lovers of the digital world. We write articles that cast a wide net, including those that discuss website development, design and WordPress. We also post, daily, about the image related aspects of the web, including photography and illustration, along with other topics like blogging and SEO.

Read More

RSS IndustryDev Discussion Forum

  • What's the Easiest Way to Fix Over-Exposure & Under-Exposure Clipping? February 21, 2019
  • Tips & True Costs For Selling Greeting Cards on Etsy February 21, 2019
  • How Can I Set My Canon Rebel T3i to Continuous Shooting Mode? February 19, 2019
  • American Goldfinch Bird Photography Nature Greeting Card with Envelope February 19, 2019
  • Can I Get Rid of Grain in My Photos With Adobe Lightroom? February 18, 2019

Tags

Bridge Camera Lenses Camera Raw Camera Settings Channels CSS Dev Tools Graphic Design Hosting HTML Interviews JavaScript Learning Lightroom Macro Photography Masking Night Photography Photoshop Photo Tips PHP Post Processing Selections SEO Shapes Smart Objects Video WordPress

Recent Comments

  • Jay Gaulard on How to Add Hair to Missing Spots in Adobe Photoshop: “Hi Jessica, I would really need to see the photo to see what I'm up against. Perhaps this…” Feb 22, 09:36
  • Jessica on How to Add Hair to Missing Spots in Adobe Photoshop: “Hey, have you used this technique for covering areas in a fringe before? I’m wanting to cover up the areas…” Feb 22, 03:54
  • Jay Gaulard on 7 Search Engine Optimization Tips For Small Business: “You are very correct, Mike. I wrote this post a while ago, but it's interesting to follow the trajectory of…” Feb 18, 17:24
  • Mike Khorev on 7 Search Engine Optimization Tips For Small Business: “Onsite SEO is important, but only one piece of the puzzle... It's funny, 10 years ago you would've had…” Feb 18, 16:24
  • Jay Gaulard on How to Reset Edit Settings Back to Default in Adobe Camera Raw: “Hi Charleen, I'm assuming you are talking about the small circle identifier that appears in Adobe Bridge after…” Feb 11, 15:57

ARCHIVES

  • 2019: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • 2018: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • 2017: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • 2016: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • 2015: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Copyright © 2019 · IndustryDev.com Web Design & Photography Blog · About · Write For Us · Contact · Privacy / Terms · Archives