Lighting Effects UIĪ quick note before we begin: Lighting Effects is a Smart Object compatible filter, meaning you can use it non-destructively, returning to change your settings (after applying them) as many times as needed without degrading file quality. However, even with the benefits of HDR the image is still somewhat flat in contrast, as shown in Figure1.įigure 1: The example image has some interesting aspects to it, but we can use Lighting Effects to draw more attention to the most interesting parts of the photo. The exposures were taken with the intent of accentuating the amazing “cloud lights” that were present just after sunset. This article provides a general overview of the filter (including its new interface), and demonstrates how you can use Lighting Effects to dramatically impact the composition or look of your photographs.īefore we take a look at Lighting Effects, let’s consider the sample image I’ve chosen for a moment. Lighting Effects has been around a long time, but the Lighting Effects filter in Photoshop CS6 is essentially a brand new feature in the sense that it has been completely remade. A great example of this is the new Lighting Effects filter in Photoshop CS6, which uses part of Photoshop’s 3D engine without actually creating the complexity of a 3D workflow. You might think that 3D workflows don’t provide any benefit to traditional two-dimensional photo editing, but as Photoshop’s 3D technology has matured, the impact has been felt in other areas of the program. However, in recent years Adobe added some impressive 3D editing capabilities to Photoshop. Photoshop’s traditional role is as a 2D photo editor.

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