How to create a lens flare on Photoshop (CS3)

Lens flares can be a really cool effect for a project or personal photo.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Adobe Photoshop
• A picture

1. After opening Photoshop, you'll need to open a new project. If you've never used Photoshop before, click File> Open, or press CTRL+O (for PCs) to load a photo from you computer, or select File> New for a blank template. If you choose to open a blank template, you can Place an object on top, effectively creating a new layer. To do so, simple go to File>Place, and then select a file to place. Once you've chosen a file, it will allow you to size it and move it around on the screen until you actually place it. You will still be able to move it around using the select tool on the left hand side of the screen.

2. Once you've chosen a file to use as your base in this project, you're going to need to open a New Layer (Layer>New>Layer). Once you have it, make sure it is highlighted in the tool box on the right hand side of your screen. Use the Paint Bucket tool to fill it in (located on your tool bar on the left hand side). It doesn't matter what color you choose. Your project will look as though it has become one solid color, meaning you won't be able to see your photo. That's ok, it's what's supposed to happen.

3. Once you've filled in your second layer, you need to go to Filter>Render>Lens Flare. Once you've clicked that, a window will pop open. You'll see a preview screen as well as a bar for changing the brightness, along with 4 options for what type of lens flare you want (50-300mm Zoom, 35mm Prime, 105mm Prime, or Movie Prime). Choose which type of lens flare you would like, mess around with it, and you'll be able to see a preview for each in the preview screen. You can also change the size and brightness of the flare by using the Brightness bar in the middle. Once you've created a lens flare to your satisfaction, click OK.

4. Now you should see the solid color background, but now there's a lens flare on top of it. You still shouldn't be able to see your picture in the background. Now you want to go to the right hand side of your screen and just beneath the Layers tab is a drop down bar that should (at the moment) read Normal. (Note: make sure your lens flare layer [aka, Layer 2] is still highlighted) Click on the drop down bar and scroll down to Screen. This will enable you to see your photo beneath the flare.

5. Now that you can see the lens flare as it is on your photo, you will probably want to adjust it so it's where you want it over your photo. Simply click the select tool on the left hand side of your screen (top of your tool bar) and using that, click and drag the flare to anywhere you want on the screen.

Tips & Warnings

• To change the angle of a lens flare, simply undo the old one, and remake it. In the Lens Flare window, move your flare around the preview screen, and it will change angles. Once you've created the lens flare, however, it will not change angles.
• To change the color of your lens flare, go to Image>Adjustments>Hue/Saturation, and play around with the bars until your flare is the color you want it.
• The lens flare appears smaller than it actually is when you're still in the Lens Flare window. Once you've created it, it will appear much larger in your project.

[zahzel]

on 9/29/2009 saving to favs. TY Zahzel

[judyak]

on 9/26/2009 Very cool...

[fcornelius]

on 9/26/2009 My daughter loves photo shop, I will forward this to her.