Add lighting effects in Photoshop

This spotlight effect was created in Photoshop by converting the image to a Smart Object, then adding a Lighting Effect filter.

The Lighting Effects filter in Photoshop lets you add lighting to an image that’s either not well lit or that needs some creative lighting. While the filter has been around for many versions of Photoshop, it’s easier to use in CS3 and later because you can apply it using a Smart Object. This lets you adjust the filter if the settings aren’t quite right, something that wasn’t possible in earlier versions. 

Start with an image that you want to add some lighting to and first make any necessary adjustments; in our example, we removed some noise and corrected the white balance. Flatten the image or create a new flattened layer containing the image data. Add a new layer to the top of the layer stack, target it and press Ctrl-Alt-Shift-E to create a flattened version of the image on that layer.

Convert this layer to a Smart Object and then launch the filter. When selecting a light, choose Omni for a light that goes in all directions like a table lamp, Spotlight for a directional pool of light or Directional for light that comes from a particular direction, but isn’t focused on a particular area, such as bright sunlight. In our case, to highlight the carving, we chose a spotlight. However, we could have achieved a similar effect with a strong directional light and a high value for Ambience.

From the drop-down Style list, you can also choose from a range of preset styles of lights, which have settings already created for them. For any light, you can drag on the shape in the preview window to change the light direction and spread. The bar controls the direction of the light and the circle or ellipse around it controls the spread of the light. Adjusting the Material setting towards Plastic makes the light more reflective, while dragging it towards Metallic makes it light the object more than its background.

Adjusting Exposure increases or decreases the amount of light and changing Ambience adjusts the mix of light sources — setting it to 100 uses only the current light source and dragging it to -100 removes the light source. You can also select a colour for the light.You can add additional lights by clicking and dragging the bulb icon under the preview window into the image. Individual lights can be turned on and off as you’re configuring them. Click OK when you’re done.

Add a spotlight in Photoshop

1. Convert the image to a Smart Object before applying the Lighting Effects filter. To do this, right-click the image layer and select ‘Convert to Smart Object’. Go to Filter —> Render —> ‘Lighting Effects’.

2. Select the type of light from the list (here we’re adding a Spotlight) and drag on the handles around the light to position it in place. Adjust the Intensity and the Ambience. To remove the light’s effect on the background, drag the Material slider towards Metallic.

3. Click OK and check the result. To change the blending mode and opacity of the effect, click the ‘Edit Filter Blending Options’ icon and alter the Mode and Opacity. Double-click the filter itself to make adjustments to it.