How to Make a Photo Look Ethereal
An ethereal effect gives the subject of a photo a halo or soft, surrounding glow and is often used in portraits, landscape shots or wedding photos. This effect makes a photo look dreamy or heaven-like and the extent of the haze you add is up to you. To apply this effect, it's best to start with a crisp, high-resolution digital image. It also works best when the photo captured a special or genuine emotional moment, like a hug or a sincere smile.
Instructions
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Open the photo in your photo editing software and create a new layer that duplicates the photo. Position the new layer so it is on top of your original photo's layer.
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Add blur to the new layer. Follow the instructions for your particular software to accomplish this. For example, in Photoshop, you must click on "Filter" then "Blur" and select "Gaussian Blur."
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Adjust the level of blur to your desired level. In Photoshop, a pop-up will appear with a slider that lets to adjust the blur and preview the results. You can come back and repeat this step later if you are unhappy with the finished product.
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Adjust the opacity of the blurred layer to between 40 percent to 60 percent, which will make the layer more see-through. In Photoshop, you can accomplish this by selecting the blurred layer and adjusting its opacity slider in the Layers window. Adjust the blur and opacity settings until you are happy with your finished image.
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Save the file separately from your original image, in case you ever need the original. Keep the format saved for your editing software in case you want to adjust the blur or opacity settings in the future. You can also save the image separately in another format, like .jpg or .tif, for posting online or emailing.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not overuse this effect, and ensure you are selecting great images when you use it. Otherwise, it may look cheesy.
References
- Photo Credit Ryan McVay/Digital Vision/Getty Images
