How to Create a Dramatic Light & Shadow Effect in Photoshop #2MinuteTutorial

Summary

In this tutorial, the creator demonstrates how to add dramatic light and shadow effects to photos using Photoshop. They suggest starting with a portrait photo and using the Marquee tool to create a shape, such as lines over the subject's eyes. Adjustment layers, specifically curves, are then used to brighten the selected area and add a soft edge with a feather effect. The blend if options are adjusted to affect only the highlights, not the shadows. Finally, another curves adjustment layer is added to darken the overall photo, creating a high contrast effect. The video showcases the before and after results and encourages viewers to try the technique for themselves.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Use Photoshop to create dramatic light and shadow effects in photos.
• 🖼️ Choose a portrait-style photo for best results, but the technique works with all types.
• 🔍 Start by creating a shape over the subject's face, like lines or circles.
• 📐 Use the Marquee tool to make selections for the shape.
• 🌟 Apply a Curves adjustment layer to brighten the selected area, simulating light.
• 📉 Add a layer mask and use the 'Feather' option to soften the edges.
• 🖌️ Adjust the 'Blend If' options to affect only the highlights, not the shadows.
• 🔄 Use the Alt/Option key to split the 'Blend If' icon for a more graduated effect.
• 📸 Add another Curves adjustment layer to darken the overall photo and increase contrast.
• 📝 Experiment with different shapes and effects to achieve a personalized look.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The main focus of the video is to teach viewers how to create a dramatic light and shadow effect in photos using Photoshop.

What type of photo is recommended for this effect?

A portrait-style photo, such as a headshot, is recommended, but the effect can work with all types of photos.

What tool does the instructor use to create the shape for the light effect?

The instructor uses the Marquee tool to create the shape for the light effect.

What is the purpose of using the Marquee tool in this tutorial?

The Marquee tool is used to create an area around the model's eye to cast a specific shape of light onto the face.

How does the instructor adjust the brightness of the selected area?

The instructor adjusts the brightness by using the Curves adjustment layer.

What is the purpose of adding a feather to the layer mask?

Adding a feather to the layer mask softens the edges of the light effect, making it look more natural.

How does the instructor ensure the light effect only affects the highlights and not the shadows?

The instructor uses the blend if options in the layer style box to remove the effect from the shadow areas.

What is the purpose of adding another adjustment layer after the initial light effect?

The purpose is to darken the overall photo to create a high contrast effect, which enhances the dramatic light and shadow.

How does the instructor create a more graduated and natural effect?

The instructor creates a more graduated effect by splitting the blend if icon and adjusting the sliders.

What is the final step to achieve the desired light and shadow effect?

The final step is to move the sliders in the blend if options until the desired effect is achieved.

What is the instructor's recommendation for using this effect?

The instructor highly recommends adding this dramatic light and shadow effect to the viewer's next portrait photo.

Outlines

00:00

🖥️ Creating Dramatic Light and Shadow Effects in Photoshop

The video tutorial begins by introducing the process of creating dramatic light and shadow effects in photographs using Photoshop. The presenter suggests starting with a portrait-style photo but mentions that the technique can be applied to various types of images. The first step involves selecting a shape, such as a window or circle, and casting it onto the subject's face using the Marquee tool. The presenter demonstrates this by creating two lines over the model's eye. Adjustment layers, specifically the 'Curves' tool, are then used to brighten the selected area, simulating the effect of light. To soften the edges and make the effect more natural, a 'feather' is applied to the layer mask. The presenter also explains how to use the blend if options to restrict the effect to highlight areas, avoiding the shadow regions. The tutorial then proceeds to add another adjustment layer to darken the overall photo, creating a high-contrast effect. The presenter advises adjusting the curves to achieve the desired light appearance and encourages viewers to experiment with different shapes to create a dramatic lighting effect in their portraits.

Keywords

💡Photoshop

Photoshop is a widely used software application for image editing and manipulation. It is part of the Adobe Creative Suite and allows users to alter and enhance digital images. In the context of the video, Photoshop is used to create a dramatic light and shadow effect on a photo, demonstrating its capabilities for enhancing portrait photography.

💡Dramatic Light and Shadow Effect

This refers to a stylistic choice in photography and image editing where strong contrasts between light and dark areas are used to create a striking visual impact. In the video, the creator guides viewers on how to achieve this effect using Photoshop, enhancing the mood and depth of the portrait.

💡Portrait Style Photo

A portrait style photo is a type of photograph that captures a person's likeness, often focusing on their face and expression. The video suggests starting with a portrait photo for the light and shadow effect, indicating that this technique is particularly effective for emphasizing facial features.

💡Marquee Tool

The Marquee tool in Photoshop is used to make selections in an image. It allows for rectangular or elliptical selections and is mentioned in the script as the method for creating a shape over the model's eye to cast the desired light effect.

💡Adjustment Layers

Adjustment layers in Photoshop are a non-destructive way to apply changes to an image. They allow for effects like color correction, brightness, and contrast adjustments. In the video, curves adjustment layers are used to brighten the selected area and then darken the overall photo to create contrast.

💡Curves

Curves is an adjustment tool in Photoshop that allows for precise control over the tonal range of an image. It is used in the video to increase brightness in the selected area and to darken the photo for a high-contrast effect, which is central to achieving the dramatic lighting.

💡Layer Mask

A layer mask in Photoshop is used to hide or reveal parts of a layer. The video instructs viewers to use a layer mask with a feather to soften the edges of the light effect, making the transition between lit and shadowed areas more natural.

💡Feather

Feathering in Photoshop softens the edges of a selection or layer mask, creating a gradual transition between the masked and unmasked areas. The video uses a 20-pixel feather to soften the light effect, illustrating how feathering can enhance the realism of lighting in an image.

💡Blend If

Blend If is an option in adjustment layers that allows for more control over how the adjustment affects different parts of an image. In the video, Blend If is used to restrict the light effect to the highlight areas and avoid affecting the shadow areas, demonstrating a nuanced approach to editing.

💡High Contrast Effect

A high contrast effect emphasizes the difference between the light and dark areas of an image. The video describes adding another curves adjustment layer to darken the overall photo, creating a high contrast that makes the light effect pop, which is a key part of the dramatic lighting technique.

💡Graduated Effect

A graduated effect in image editing refers to a gradual change in an effect across an image. The video mentions creating a graduated effect by adjusting the Blend If settings, which helps in making the light transition look more natural and less abrupt.

Highlights

Create dramatic light and shadow effects in photos using Photoshop.

Choose a portrait style photo for the effect.

The technique works with all types of photos.

Create a shape over the model's face, such as lines or circles.

Use the Marquee tool to select an area around the face.

Create two lines over the model's eye for the effect.

Select the area and adjust the brightness using curves.

Increase the brightness to simulate light being cast on the face.

Use the layer mask to soften the edges for a more natural look.

Add a feather effect to the layer mask to further soften the edges.

Adjust the blend if options to affect only the highlight areas.

Create a more graduated effect by splitting the blend if icon.

Move the blend if sliders until satisfied with the result.

Add another adjustment layer to darken the overall photo.

Drop the curves adjustment layer to create a high contrast effect.

Ensure the new curves layer is below the original one.

The effect works well for high contrast photos.

Experiment with different shapes to create unique light and shadow effects.

Add the effect to your next portrait photo for a dramatic look.

Compare the before and after results to see the impact of the effect.

Engage with the community by sharing your results in the comments.

Transcripts

in this video guys I'm going to be

sharing with you how you can create this

dramatic light and Shadow effect in your

photos using Photoshop and I'm going to

start right now

[Music]

right guys the first thing we'll do is

go ahead and choose a photo and I

recommend choosing a portrait style

photo like a headshot but to be honest

this works with all types of photos so

see what photo works for you so I'm

gonna be working on this photo here if

you want to work on the same photo go

ahead to the link in the description the

first we want to do is to create the

shape and it can be any shape it can be

like a window shape it can be circles

you basically go crazy with this I'm

going to use two lines over the model's

eye but again cast any type of shape

onto the face that you like that's what

I'm doing I'm going to go to the Marquee

tool I'm going to go ahead and create

just an area around the right hand side

or the right eye so I'm gonna go for

like that then I'm going to go ahead and

create another line so I'm creating

these two lines that you can see over

the model's face

right so once you've made the selection

shape go down to your adjustment layers

icon found in the bottom right hand

corner and go ahead and select curves

now with this you want to brighten that

area as you obviously we're casting

light onto the model's face so I'm going

to go ahead and increase the brightness

like so I'm going to go for an effect

that looks similar to this but as you

can see it's a little bit too sharp so

go to your layer mask that is part of

your curves adjustment layer go to the

properties panel and drop down to where

you can see it says feather you want to

go ahead and add in a feather I'm going

to add in around a 20 pixel feather in

this particular case as you can see it

just softens those edges makes it a

little bit more natural okay obviously

we don't want it affecting the Shadows

we just want to be effecting the kind of

highlight areas so what we can do is

double click on that curves adjustment

layer it'll open up our layer stylizing

box inside that you want to go to your

blend if options and go to where you can

see it says underlying layer inside that

you've got two kind of toggles go to the

one on the black side to the left hand

side and bring it over towards the right

this will remove that effect from the

shadow areas and to make it a bit more

graduated a bit more natural hold alt or

option on your keyboard and go ahead and

split that icon in too and as you can

see we're creating a bit more of a

graduated effect and then all you need

to do is move them around until you are

happy with the result so I'm going to go

for something like so now this effect

worked well when you're creating a high

contrast effect so what we're going to

do is add in another adjustment layer so

I'm going to go down to my adjustment

layers again guys and this time we'll go

ahead and select another curves making

sure this is below our original curves

adjustment layer and we're going to

darken the overall photo so I'm going to

go to my curves adjustment layer I'm

going to drop that down and to create a

high contrast effect go to the one at

the top and just make it slightly

brighter and as you can see we've got

this light appearing it's really nice

but again try with any shape of your

choice it works with all sorts and you

can create this corner of cool dramatic

light and Shadow effect in your photo

highly recommend adding it to your next

portrait photo here is the before and

here is the after and if this particular

effect worked for you write it down in

the comments below