How To Add Lens Flare :
In this tutorial, we'll learn how layers and layer blend modes in Photoshop
make it easy to add a lens flare effect to an image without
making any permanent changes to the original photo. We'll start by learning how
to add lens flare, and position it exactly where we need it, using Photoshop's Lens
Flare filter. Then, to keep things non-destructive, we'll undo the
effect, add a new layer, and then instantly re-apply the Lens Flare filter
using a handy shortcut!
Finally, we’ll use the power of layer blend modes to easily
blend the lens flare into the image, and finish off by adjusting its colors to
better match the colors in the photo. We’ll also apply some blurring to soften
the lens flare and help it look more realistic.
I'll be using Photoshop CC (Creative Cloud), but this
tutorial is also fully compatible with Photoshop CS6. For
earlier versions of Photoshop, check out our original Non-Destructive Lens Flare Effect
tutorial.
Download our tutorials as printable PDFs!
Learning Photoshop has never been easier!
For best results, you'll want to apply the lens flare effect to an image
that has the light source actually visible in the photo, whether it's the sun,
a studio light, or whatever the case may be. Here's the image I'll be working
with (family on beach at sunset photo
from Shutter stock):
Here's how it will
look after adding the lens flare. The important thing to note is that the lens
flare and the photo are completely separate from each other, so if I change my
mind later and decide I don't like it, I can easy remove the lens flare and
revert back to the original image:
The final effect.
Let's get started! Step 1: Apply The Lens Flare Filter
The first thing we
need to do is add a lens flare the way we normally would if we were applying it
directly to the image itself. Even though we're going to be undoing the effect,
this gives us a chance to position the lens flare exactly where we want it. To
add the lens flare, we'll use Photoshop's Lens Flare filter. Go up to the Filter
menu in the Menu Bar along the top of the screen, choose Render,
and then choose Lens Flare
Go
to Filter > Render > Lens Flare.
This opens the Lens
Flare dialog box. Photoshop's Lens Flare filter adds a simulated lens flare
effect to the image, and we can choose from one of four different types of
lenses (50-300 mm Zoom, 35mm Prime, 105mm Prime, and Movie Prime) in the Lens
Type section in the lower left. Each one will give the effect a
different look. You can try them out by selecting them and seeing what each one
looks like in the image preview area. I'm going to stick with
the default 50-300mm Zoom lens. You can also adjust the
brightness of the lens flare by dragging the Brightness slider
left or right, but again, I'll stick with the default 100%.
To position the lens
flare where you want it, simply click inside the preview area. The spot you
click on becomes the center of the flare, indicated by the little target
symbol. You can also click and drag to move the flare around. To keep
the effect looking as realistic as possible, you'll want to place the target
symbol over the light source in your image, which in my case is the setting sun:
Positioning
the center of the flare over the light source in the photo.
When you're happy
with how things look, click OK to close out of the dialog box. Photoshop will
then apply the effect to your image. Here's what my initial lens flare looks
like:
The
image after applying the Lens Flare filter.
The only problem is
that we've applied the lens flare directly to the image itself, and that makes
it a destructive edit because we've made permanent changes to the
original photo. It's much better to work non-destructively whenever
possible, keeping the image and the effect separate from each other. Let's see
how we can apply the lens flare non-destructively by taking advantage of
Photoshop's layer blend modes.
Step 2: Undo The Lens Flare
Now that we know exactly
where we want the lens flare to appear, let's undo the effect by going up to
the Edit menu at the top of the screen and choosing Undo
Lens Flare. Or, use the handy keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Z
(Win) / Command+Z (Mac). Either way works:
Going
to Edit > Undo Lens Flare.
Step 3: Add A New Blank Layer
We're going to
re-apply the Lens Flare filter, but this time, we'll apply it on its own
separate layer. First, let's add the layer. Press
and hold your Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) key on
your keyboard and click the New Layer icon at the bottom of
the Layers panel:
Clicking
the New Layer icon while pressing Alt (Win) / Option (Mac).
This opens the New
Layer dialog box where we can name the new layer before it's added. Name the
layer "Lens flare" (no need to get creative), then click OK:
Naming
the new layer in the New Layer dialog box.
Photoshop adds a new
blank layer named "Lens flare" above the original photo that's
sitting on the Background layer:
The
new "Lens flare" layer appears.
Step 4: Fill The New Layer With Black
Photoshop
won't allow us to apply the Lens Flare filter to a blank layer, so we need to
fill the layer with a color. To do that, we'll use Photoshop's Fill command. Go
back up to the Edit menu at the top of the screen and this
time, choose Fill:
Going
to Edit > Fill.
This opens the Fill
dialog box. Set the Contents option at the top to Black
(*in Photoshop CS6 and earlier, the Contents option is named Use).
Filling the layer with black will make it easy for us to blend the lens flare
in with the photo, as we'll see in a moment:
Changing
Contents to Black.
Click OK to close
out of the dialog box, at which point Photoshop fills the "Lens
flare" layer with solid black, temporarily blocking the original photo
from view:
The
document after filling the "Lens flare" layer with black.
Step 5: Re-Apply The Lens Flare Filter
Now that the layer
is no longer blank, we can re-apply our Lens Flare filter. Photoshop remembers
all of the settings we used for the filter the last time we applied it,
including the flare's position, so all we need to do is re-apply it using those
exact same settings, and Photoshop gives us a couple of shortcuts we can use to
do that.
First, the last
filter we applied will always appear as the first option at the top of the
Filter menu. To quickly re-apply the lens flare, just go up to the Filter
menu and you'll find Lens Flare at the very top of the list.
Click on it to re-apply it with the same settings as before. Or, an even faster
way to re-apply the last filter you used is to simply press Ctrl+F
(Win) / Command+F (Mac) on your keyboard:
Selecting
Lens Flare at the top of the Filter menu.
The same lens flare
appears in the same position as before, but this time on the "Lens
flare" layer rather than on the image itself:
The
lens flare has been re-added but on its own layer.
Step 6: Change The Layer Blend Mode To Screen
All we need to do
now is hide all of that solid black on the layer and blend the lens flare into
the image below it, and we can do that easily by changing the "Lens flare"
layer's blend mode from Normal
to Screen. You'll find the blend mode option in the upper left
of the Layers panel:
Changing
the blend mode of the "Lens Flare" layer to Screen.
With the blend mode
set to Screen, all of the black on the layer
disappears, leaving only the lens flare itself:
The
Screen blend mode hides the black and keeps the lens flare.
Since the lens flare
is now on a separate layer above the image, we can turn it on and off by
clicking the layer's visibility icon (the eyeball). Click it
once to turn the lens flare off. Click it again to turn it back on:
Clicking
the layer visibility icon.
Download our tutorials as printable PDFs!
Learning Photoshop has never been easier!
Step 7: Adjust The Color Of The Lens Flare
You can adjust the
colors in your lens flare so they better match the colors of your image. First
make sure you still have the "Lens flare" layer selected in the
Layers panel. Then go up to the Image menu at the top of the
screen, choose Adjustments, then choose Hue/Saturation:
Going
to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation.
This opens the
Hue/Saturation dialog box. Dragging the Hue
slider left or right will shift the colors in your lens flare as if you're
rotating them around a color wheel. Choose colors that are a good match for
your photo. In my case, the lens flare already contains some nice reds and
oranges that work well, but I'll drag the Hue
slider a bit to the right to shift the colors more towards yellow:
Dragging the Hue
slider to change the colors in the lens flare.
Click OK when you're done to close out of the dialog box. Here's my result
after adjusting the colors. In this case, the difference is fairly subtle:
The result after shifting the colors in the flare.
Step 8: Apply The Gaussian Blur Filter
The only problem remaining is that the edges of the lens flare look too sharp, so let’s soften them by applying some blurring. We’ll use Photoshop’s Gaussian Blur filter. Go up to the Filter menu at the top of the screen, choose Blur, then choose Gaussian Blur:
Going
to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.
Drag the Radius
slider along the bottom of the Gaussian Blur dialog box towards the right. The
further you drag the slider, the more blurring you'll apply to the lens flare
and the softer it will appear. Keep an eye on your image as you drag the slider
to judge the results since the amount you need will depend on the size of your
image. In my case, a Radius value of around 12 pixels works well:
Dragging
the Radius slider in the Gaussian Blur dialog box.
Click OK when you're
done to close out of the Gaussian Blur dialog box. Here's my result
The
effect after blurring the lens flare.
Step 9: Adjust The Intensity Of The Lens Flare (Optional)
Finally, there's a
couple of ways that we can adjust the intensity of the lens flare depending on
whether you need to increase or decrease its brightness. If you're already
happy with the way things look, you can skip this last step, but if you find
that your lens flare is too bright, you can reduce its intensity by lowering
the opacity of the "Lens flare" layer. You'll find the Opacity
option in the upper right of the Layers panel, directly across from the blend
mode option. The more you lower the opacity value from its default 100%, the
more the lens flare will fade into the image:
Lowering
the opacity of the "Lens flare" layer.
Here's the result
after lowering the opacity to around 80%. The lens flare is now less visible:
The
effect after lowering the lens flare opacity.
Or, if you find that
your lens flare isn't bright enough, there's an easy way to make it brighter,
and that's by duplicating the "Lens flare" layer. I'll set my Opacity
value back to 100%:
Setting
Opacity back to 100%.
To duplicate the
layer, go up the Layer menu at the top of the screen, choose New,
then choose Layer Via Copy. You can also press Ctrl+J
(Win) / Command+J (Mac) on your keyboard to duplicate the
layer with the faster shortcut:
Going
to Layer > New > Layer Via Copy.
Photoshop adds a
copy of the "Lens flare" layer above the original:
The
Layers panel showing the new "Lens flare copy" layer.
With two lens flare
layers now in the document, both set to the Screen blend mode, the effect
becomes much brighter. In fact, it's now too bright:
The lens flare is now twice as bright as it was before.
I really only needed it to be a little brighter, not a lot
brighter, so to reduce its intensity, I'll lower the opacity of the "Lens
flare copy" layer all the way down to around 20%:
Lowering
the opacity of the "Lens flare copy" layer.
And with that, we're
done! Here, after lowering the opacity, is my final lens flare effect:
And there we have
it! That’s how to easily add lens flare to an image without harming the
original photo using a combination of the Lens Flare filter and the
non-destructive power of layers and layer blend modes in Photoshop!
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