Photo Filter Effect

June 29, 2008 · Print This Article

This Photo Filter Effect Tutorial will explain how to alter your images and add more interest to it.

This effect creates a very extreme, dramatic effect to any image - depending on the image it can do all sorts of things. When I created this effect I tried it on quite a few images… you can take a look at a few examples: example 1: before & after - example 2: before & after

Once you’ve read this through you can easily edit the settings I use - it’s nothing too complex, but this effect really does enhance and alter your images dramatically.

Feel free to request something similar to this Photo Filter Effect Tutorial.

Before

After

Photo Filter Effect Tutorial - The Steps

To start, I suggest opening Adobe Photoshop and an image you want to use in this tutorial.

Firstly go -> Layer -> New Adjustment Layers -> Photo Filter - it’s towards the bottom. When the little box appears, click the drop down menu and select “Warming Filter (81), then change the density to 100% - make sure “Preserve Luminosity” is selected and press OK.

Now you need to do the same as above. So, go -> Layer -> New Adjustment Layers -> Photo Filter - when the little box appears, click the drop down menu and instead of selecting the Warming Filter (81), select Warming Filter (LBA) - then change the density to 100% and make sure “Preserve Luminosity” is selected and then press OK.

Now go to your layers pallet - select the first Photo Filter layer, then change the drop down menu which says “Normal” to “Screen”.

Now select your second Photo Filter layer, change the drop down menu from “Normal” to “Soft Light”

Now for the more tricky one. Go -> Layer -> Adjustment Layers -> Selective Color - a box will appear… at the very bottom you’ll see “Method”, make sure that the “Relative” option is selected and not “Absolute” - and then change the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black settings to these: Cyan: -100 - Magenta: +17 - Yellow: +17 - Black: -25 - now go to the top, you’ll see “Colors:” and a small drop down menu - it’ll be displaying “Reds” - change it to “Yellows” and now change the settings again. Cyan: +75 - Magenta: +45 - Yellow: -39 - Black: +13 now select “Greens” (the drop down menu)… change Cyan: +100 and leave everything else at 0 - now change the drop down to “Neutrals”, change the settings: Cyan: +27 - Magenta: +15 - Yellow: +14 - Black: -3

Phew! That was a long step. Okay, next one… go -> Layer -> New Adjustment Layers -> Levels - a box will appear, change the input levels to 38 - 1.61 - 255 - now press OK

Next go -> Layer -> New Fill Layer -> Solid Color - when the first small box appears change the mode to “Difference” and the opacity to 50% and then press OK - another box will appear - enter this hex code: 13454b - then go to your layers pallet and find the “fill” option, change that to 53%

Again go -> Layer -> New Fill Layer -> Solid Color - when the first small box appears change the mode to “Difference” and then press OK - another box will appear - enter this hex code: 5b2a19 - then go to your layers pallet and find the “fill” option, change that to 38%

Aaannddd you’re done! I hope this tutorial was helpful, but if you have any questions regarding this Photo Filter Effect Tutorial then please do leave a comment below.