Photoshop Effects: how to mimic studio lighting for stylish portraits

Photoshop lighting effects explained

The Lighting Effects command provides a powerful way to augment your shot’s existing lighting with computer-generated light sources.

The quickest way to see what it can do is to browse through the Style drop-down menu.

Here you can summon creative presets that contain a range of lights, from tight spotlights to screen-filling omni lights. These can be modified by clicking them in the preview window.

You can select any light and change its properties, or even delete or add lights by clicking the relevant icons at the bottom of the preview window.

You can add coloured gels to these virtual lights to change the mood. Simply click the light’s colour box and pick a colour.

These lights can enhance portraits or studio-style backgrounds in a few clicks, and are cheaper to use than a studio lighting set-up.

PAGE 1: Overview of Photoshop lighting effects
PAGE 2: Mimic studio lighting, steps 1-4
PAGE 3: Mimic studio lighting, steps 5-8
PAGE 4: Mimic studio lighting, steps 9-12
PAGE 5: Mimic studio lighting, steps 13-16
PAGE 6: Photoshop lighting effects explained

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Posted on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012 at 2:00 am under Photoshop Tutorials, Tutorials.

Tags: hot, photo editing, Photoshop effects, portrait photography, studio lighting