light glow effect

[Brian Cassil]

This image is by Chen Quingfeng and shows a certain light glow style that isn't quite what I am trying to achieve but it's the closest I could find. What I'm trying to do is to create the sort of streaky glow in the recessed lighting but in a multi axis way. I hope this makes sense. I've tried using motion blur but that's not getting the job done.

[Ernest Burden III]

I've tried using motion blur but that's not getting the job done.

 

What about motionblur isn't working for you? That was what I was going to suggest. To get a smaller area to blur you could copy the layer up, select the lights by wand, feather the selection then invert selection and delete everything else. Now blur.

 

Or, highpass filter the lights to get the smaller 'sweet centers' of the light shape, use curves to get to white on black and make the layer 'screen' or 'linear dodge' mode. Then motion blur.

 

Chen may have used a special filter to do that, but I don't see the need.

[Brian Cassil]

The sweet centers is exactly what I'm looking for. I tried pretty much what you described in your first paragraph, but the result was the blur was the same width all the way across. I think something that tapers would be much better. What you described in your second paragraph sound like it could work. I'm not familiar with all of those filters but I'll tinker around with them.

[JamesTaylor]

I'm not sure what you rendered the image with, but if your using max or viz there is an effect you can apply to the lights which is a post processing setting to achieve the results your after i think.

 

i've only played with it a couple of times, so don't really know much about the settings.

 

However, if you select the light and go to the modifier panel, Atmosphere & Effects, then add a Lens Effect and goto setup it will give you a variety of options for fine tuning the effect.

 

I reckon this may be how the effect in the example image was created, hope it helps.

 

James.

[Brian Cassil]

I'll have to give that a try. I am using Max for rendering, only problem is the image in question took a reeeealy long time to render, and I didn't feel like going through that again. Maybe I can do a separte pass just for the lights in question. Photoshop just isn't getting it done for me right now.

 

I've posted a comparison of what I end up with everytime I try compared to a blow up of Chens lights. I'm sure it's possible in PS but I'm not sure how myself right now, and I'm way too busy with other stuff. I've got a wedding to attend tommorrow, a baby due in 3 weeks, my day job, my teaching job, and some competition thing that I haven't even looked at yet.

 

I'll post the image in a new thread though. It might be interesting to some.

[Ernest Burden III]

Sometimes we think too damned much.

 

On a 'screen' layer over your image, just paint the buggers on. If you set a brush to 'fade' (and experiment with the value) it will do what you want, and with a tablet you will get the taper with pressure. Check 'noise' for a better edge (by my standards).

[3dQ]

are you trying to do it on ps?well, if you are, you can try using lensflare...its on the render menu in ps...but i'm not sure if this what you want, though i hope i can help.

[doodler]

Hiya Brian.

 

The best way to get nice looking lights is by using lens flares in photoshop.

if you need a tutorial i can do you one, if you can work from description try this.

 

onto of your image layer, create a new folder called spots(ie spot lights)

place a new layer in here and create a circle marquee selection. fill this in with solid black. now in the drop down render option you will see lens flare.

 

I prefer to use the 105 prime set to about 75% and place the curser as bang centre as you can. press ok. now make this layer a screen layer and knock it back to 85% transparency.

 

Personally I think its best to create 6 lensflares overlaying each others, merge them flat,and distort them so they fit wit perspective by pressing ctrl+t.

 

this will allow you to transform he lensfare to suit your image. try adjusting the colour also as they are not always pure white. by duplicating the lens flare layer and blurring a copy of this layer placed below the unblurred version you can get some nice effects.

 

good luck

[PostPS]

cool...ive tried using lensflare too and it was indeed awesome...you could easily replicate a kind of natural twinkle effect by using lensflare and it really does look kind of neat..