In this example, we use a Levels Adjustment Layer and edit the Blur Channel – adding more blue into the Shadows and yellow into the Highlights.įeel free to play around with Color, each image is unique and requires Color toning specific to that image.
Once the Background has been blurred using an Iris Blur and the Light has been blurred using a Gaussian Blur, it is time to Color Tone the image. If you are not good at changing tones, whites, darks and temperature settings in Adobe Photoshop CS3-CS6 and PSE 11-18, do not worry we will show you how to achieve beautiful, deep, rich colors in your images with just one step downloading free Photoshop color correction actions. How to Color Tone for the Soft & Dreamy Look Adjust the Opacity of the layer to suit the image and duplicate it if necessary. Smart Filters can be changed at any time, making them more versatile than regular Filters.Īfter converting into a Smart Object, apply a blur by going to ‘Filter – Blur – Gaussian Blur’ and choose a radius to expand the light. The reason for converting it into a smart object is so Smart Filters can be used. Next, convert the layer with just the Light into a Smart Object by right-clicking on it and going to ‘Convert To Smart Object’. The goal here is to have just the light from the photo copied onto a New Layer. Be sure to adjust the slider to just include the light in the selection.Īfter turning this area into a selection, create a New Layer and either fill it with white or duplicate the selected area from the Background. The preview are will be white on selected areas and black on non-selected areas. To begin, create a selection out of the light in the photo by going to ‘Select – Color Range’ and clicking on the Light source with the Eyedropper Tool. How to Make Light Soft & DreamyĪfter applying an Iris Blur to the photo, it is time to blur just the light. The marching ants should appear around the edges of your picture.
The pixels you want to change are now selected.
To do this, go to Photoshop’s drop-down menus at the top and choose Select > Inverse (Shift+Ctrl or Command I). The controls in the center of the Screen allow movement of the blur center, the shape of the blur and feathering.Ĭhoose a subtle blur around the edges of the photo for the soft dreamy look. In Step 2, you selected the pixels that you do not want to change. In this dialog you can choose how much blur you would like applied by sliding the blur slider on the right. To add a slight blur to the edges of a photo, first start by duplicating the Background layer and converting it into a Smart Object by right-clicking on the thumbnail and selecting ‘Convert To Smart Object”Īfter converting the layer into a smart object, go to ‘Filter – Blur Gallery – Iris Blur’. The soft and dreamy look is done by adding blur to the background of a photo and adding a soft blur to the Light in a photo. Use Iris Blur to Draw More Attention to the Subject Take photos to the next Level by adding a soft and dreamy look – perfect for weddings, engagements and family photos.