Page 40 - Photoshop User March 2017

LESASNYDER
>BEGINNERS’ WORKSHOP
ADDING A SOFT GLAMOUR GLOW
A soft glamour glow effect is incredibly useful when clients want to feel a little old-school Hollywood (think boudoir, wedding, and high school photography). In this column, you’ll learn how to use one of Photoshop’s oldest filters to quickly produce a soft and ethereal portrait effect that’s sure to please brides, prom queens, and princesses of any kind.
Step One: In Photoshop, choose File>Open as Smart Object to open a photo. If the photo is already open in Photoshop, or if it consists of multiple layers, activate the layer(s) and choose Filter>Convert for Smart Filters. This packages the active layer(s) into a single smart object. If you’re starting in Lightroom, select a photo and then choose Photo>Edit In>Open as Smart Object in Photoshop. [KelbyOne members may download the file used in this tutorial at www .kelbyone.com/magazine. All files are for per- sonal use only.]
TIP: If the photo to which you want to apply this effect consists of multiple layers, you can access the original layers later on by double-clicking the layer thumbnail for the smart object. When you do, Photoshop opens a separate, temporary document that contains all of your layers. Once you make your changes in that document, choose File>Save (not Save As) and then close the docu- ment, and your changes magically appear in the original document.
Step Two: Since many Photoshop filters refuse to work with 16-bit imagery, it’s a good idea to ensure you’re working with an 8-bit image to start with. To do that, choose Image>Mode and make sure there’s a checkmark next to 8/Bits Channel. If there isn’t, go ahead and choose that menu item.
Step Three: The filter you’ll use for this tech- nique uses the Background color swatch at the bottom of the Toolbar for the glow color. Set it to white by pressing D on your keyboard to reset your Foreground and Background colors to their default settings of black and white, respectively.
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