Quick Photography Tips

In this simple tip we’re going to use Photoshop to add a subtle rainbow of extra colour to a photo.

Here’s our starting image by rolands.lakis…

Create a new layer and fill it with a colourful gradient by clicking and dragging from top to bottom (or any direction) over your image. In this example I’ve used the Spectrum gradient that comes with Photoshop but any colour gradient will work or you can create a custom one for your particular image. Now change the Blending Mode of this gradient layer to “Soft Light”. Your image will now show through the gradient but will be merged with the colours…

It’s definitely changed the look of our photo but the effect is a bit overpowering so the final step is to decrease the opacity of the gradient layer to around 35%. Because our gradient is on a separate layer, we can now change the direction of the gradient or apply a completely different one just by refilling the gradient layer. Here’s the original and final images side by side…

One of the keys to getting the best results out of Photoshop is not to over-do things. With all the wizardry at your fingertips it can be tempting to get carried away but try to resist - applying effects with a bit of subtlety and judgement will give you much more professional looking results.