Make your photos interesting with this popular
effect created from a combination of three photo effects. In this
Photoshop tutorial, you'll learn how to create common photo effects
that can be combined to simulate the trendy effect many
photographers use on their photos.
Step 1: Open an image into Photoshop
Open a photo into Photoshop. This photo should not have any
strong photo effect applied.
Step 2: Add a neutral color effect
First, we'll add a neutral color effect. To do this, we'll
need to create a new layer with a grayscale version of the image
as the layers content. Instead of duplicating the layer and
desaturating it, we'll be using adjustment layers instead.
Adjustment layers are non-destructive, editable anytime, and
they keep the Photoshop file size small.
In the Layers palette, click on the new adjustment layer
button and choose Black & White. The Black and White option is
only available in Photoshop CS3. If you are using Photoshop CS2
or older, choose Hue/Saturation instead.
In the Black and White tool, adjust the settings to get the
desired black and white effect you like. If you're using
Photoshop CS2 or older and chose the Hue/Saturation tool
instead, you can create a black and white image with the exact
same options and results as the Black and White tool. Simply
choose the color that you would like to edit and adjust the
lightness. For example, if you want the reds to be brighter,
choose "Reds" from the edit drop down menu and increase the
lightness.
Change the blending mode of the new adjustment layer to
Overlay. If you don't like the results, double-click on the
layer icon to edit the settings again.
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Step 3: Add a grain texture
Now we're going to add a little artistic grain to the image. This
is optional; you may skip this part if you don't want to add any
grain to your image. First, create a new layer and name this layer
"Grain".
With the Grain layer selected, press Ctrl+F5 or choose Edit >
Fill. In the Fill options, set the contents to 50% Gray and click
OK. This will fill the layer with a 50% gray. We're using 50% gray
as the base color because it appears transparent when used with
certain blending modes.
Now we'll add some noise. Choose Filter > Noise > Add Noise. Use
the settings below.
The noise looks too sharp so we'll add a slight blur. Choose
Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and use the settings below.
Change the blending mode of the Grain layer to Soft Light.
Step 3: Create an organic vignette
Finally, we'll add the last layer. This layer will contain a
organic vignette that will increase focus to the subject. Begin by
creating a new layer. Name this new layer Vignette.
Select the lasso tool from the toolbar and create a round
selection around the subject.
Choose Select > Modify > Feather. This will soften the edge of
the selection. Input a radius setting to use. A larger radius will
create softer edge. Depending on the dimension of your image, this
setting will vary. I used a 250 pixels setting, which is the
highest, for a 4992 x 3319 pixels image. If you enter in a radius
that is too small or large, press Ctrl+Z to undo and try the Feather
Selection tool again. This step may take several tries.
Create an inverse of the selection by pressing Shift+Ctrl+I or
choosing Select > Invert. Now fill the selection with black and
press Ctrl+D to deselect the selection.
To finish this tutorial, reduce the opacity of the Vignette
layer.
Final Results
Written by Denny Tang |