Photoshop Composite Lighting Effect

In addition to adjusting the tone, light and shade, what other ways to make a common picture to achieve better quality? When you don't have a better idea, maybe you can try the following.

Sometimes, a normal picture plus the light effect, the resulting transformation is very amazing. The appropriate lighting effect will make the details of the image more prominent and have the characteristics of the photo. If you've ever heard of the filter mystical lighting from the famous Auto FX company, you can understand the gist of our article today. Auto FX produced by each filter is a fine! If you like the amazing image effects, you may be madly in love with the products of Auto FX. And this mystical lighting filter, well, what do you say? The only regret is that 179 dollars is not a small number for the Chinese market, especially for individual users. So, before more money can be allocated to this project, we need to use our brains to see if there is any way to achieve similar results. In the example below, we'll add a light effect to the image so that the main scene in the image looks like it's in the light from the window. As shown in the figure.

Final effect Diagram

We divide the main process into three parts:

1. Create custom shapes;
2. Create the required displacement map;
3. Later cosmetic effect.

Part One: Creating Custom Shapes

If you use the Photoshop Path tool frequently, you will not be unfamiliar with custom shapes. Custom shapes are an effective way to save time and reduce errors, both for beginners and veterans. Especially for people who don't use the path very often. You know, the path is not as simple as you look, as long as a node with a pen a node to trace the line. This is only the primary use of the path, but also a lot of research!

In this example, we want to create a simple window shape.

1. Create a new document, select the vector Rectangle tool, and select "Creating a fresh work path" in the tool options. Draws a small rectangular path in the upper-left corner of the canvas.

2. Select the Path Component Selection tool, click on the rectangular path, hold down the ALT key, and copy seven horizontally (you can do it according to your own needs). Move one of them to the upper-right corner of the canvas, and then select the eight rectangles, and in the arrange and distribute columns, select top and horizontal centers so that the eight rectangles are spaced exactly the same. (Figure 01)

Figure 01

3. Keep the eight rectangles selected, press the Shift+alt, and then press the DOWN ARROW key, so that the eight rectangles are copied down, away from the top row of rectangles 10 pixels, and shift guarantees the vertical direction of the copy. Then, release the ALT key, still hold down the SHIFT key, and continue pressing the DOWN ARROW key until the distance between the two rows of rectangles is appropriate. In this way, continue copying until you get all the rectangular shape paths. (Figure 02)

Figure 02

4. Select Edit > Define Custom Shapes, and in the pop-up dialog box, name the new shape. Select the custom Shape tool, and in the shape drop down menu, you should see the shape we just defined. (Figure 03)

Figure 03

Here, the shape of the path you draw determines the shape of the rear window, and you can design various shapes, such as blinds.

Part II: Making displacement Map

What is a displacement diagram? There is a filter named "Permutation" in the warp filter in Photoshop, which is used for this filter. The displacement filter determines the distortion of the image according to the displacement diagram. Here we give a simple example to show the effect of the substitution filter. Figure 04 is an image of a displacement diagram, with a background of 50% Gray, each with two gradients. Figure 05a is an image that was not applied to a permutation, and figure 05b is an image that has been replaced since it was applied. It can be seen that the gray value of 128 places did not occur, and less than 128, the image downward bending, higher than 128, then curved upward. The displacement filter allows you to achieve a more natural distortion of your image. However, before applying, we first need to prepare a replacement chart. (Figure 04,05a,05b)

Figure 04

Figure 05a

Figure 05b

Any image can be used as a displacement diagram. Because the displacement filter is based on the brightness value of the replacement image element to determine the distortion. The biggest problem with photos as displacement maps is that all of the details in the diagram can cause unpredictable distortions, such as small textures. So we want to keep the main content of the image while eliminating as many details as possible. The easiest way to do this is to apply a Gaussian blur to your image, with a radius of around 2.5 pixels. This can be done for most images, but you can also use the Dodge and burn tools to further process your image so that some of the places you need are better compared.

Back to our example, you can use this image as a replacement for a slight processing. The method is to apply a Gaussian blur with a radius of 2, and then use the Save As command to store it as a PSD format, named after an intuitive name, such as displacement map. (Figure 06)

Figure 06

Part III: Post-cosmetic effect

1. Open your original image, select the Custom Shape tool, and find the window shape we just defined. In the tool options, select Create a new shape layer, set the foreground color to white, and then drag the shape you want in the image. (Figure 07)

Figure 07

2. Select the transform path > twist in the Edit command, and drag the handle to distort the shape layer. (Figure 08)

Figure 08

3. Select the filter > Twist > Replacement, before the replacement, Photoshop will warn you that the layer must be grid, click "Yes", and then eject the replacement dialog box. Where the horizontal and vertical ratios control the amplitude of the distortion, we set it to 30%, in the same image size, stretching to fit and tile effect is the same, undefined area by default set "repeat Edge pixels" (Figure 09). In this way, the image is distorted. (Figure 10)

Figure 09

Figure 10

4. Now, select the Gaussian blur filter, slightly blurred, the radius is about 1.2 pixels around, the layer blending mode to overlay, the effect of light appears. (Figure 11)

Figure 11

5. If you feel the light effect is weak, then you can use the layer style to strengthen. Select the gradient overlay style, set the blending mode of the gradient to overlay, and the gradient to white to black, which causes the light to fade backwards. If you want to make the light stronger, set a larger opacity, conversely, the opacity should be set smaller. (Figure 12)

Figure 12

In this way, you can simulate the light from various shapes of Windows, as shown below, is the imitation shutter effect. (Figure 13)

Figure 13