Slowly move the slider back to the right until black dots start to appear. Here is the threshold adjustment layer at work.Ĭhange the blending mode of this layer to “Difference.” Select the “Threshold adjustment layer” again and move the slider all the way to the left. Go to Edit → Fill or press Shift + F5, then select “50% Gray” under “Contents” and click “OK.” One could also find a neutral gray in the image by using a “Threshold adjustment layer.” Add a new blank layer between the original image and the threshold adjustment layer, and fill this layer with 50% gray. Move the slider to the left until only a few black spots remain, and set a second point down there. Use the “Color Sampler tool” and set down a point there. Move the slider so far to the right that only a few white spots remain in the document. This function is available under the “Layer” menu.

When applying a “Levels adjustment,” you can set black and white points in order to decrease color tints, but where are the darkest and brightest spots in the image? Go to New Adjustment Layer → Threshold to find those areas. You could also apply a “Vignette.” Here I used -30 for the amount, 40 for the midpoint and -35 for roundness. If you want to go on and simulate some grain, switch to the “Effects” tab, and enter 15 for the amount, 20 for size and 80 for roughness. Trees and bushes should now shine in the typical white, and the sky should appear almost black. Set the Greens to +90 and the Yellows to +20. Check “Convert to Grayscale,” and set the Blues down to around -85. Apply basic adjustments to optimize your image (for example, with the “Recovery” and “Fill Light” slides), then switch to the “HSL/Grayscale” tab. Open a photo in Camera Raw you can do this either in Bridge, using the right mouse key and clicking “Open in Camera Raw,” or directly in Photoshop, by selecting File → Open as Smart Object. More realistic results with the blending mode Color Dodge Simulate Infrared Images

This way, you increase not only the light, but the saturation, which makes for more realistic results. Continue to brush in some light, picking up appropriate colors if the background changes. Then use the brush tool with a soft brush, and hold the Alt/Option key to pick up colors from the area that you want to brighten. Set the blending mode to “Color Dodge” and the opacity to about 15% - 30%. Create a new layer by going to Layer → New → Layer, or by pressing Shift + Control + N on Windows or Shift + Command + N on a Mac. To control the intensity, you can draw more light onto a separate layer or increase already existing light. There are shadowy areas and spots where the sunlight can shine without interference.

Adobe photoshop cs5 tricks