How to Add Sunlight in Photoshop: 2 Step-by-Step Methods

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Brighten your images with the sunlight effects
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Do you want to add sunlight to a photo? Perhaps a photo is too dark, or you want to add a dramatic effect. Maybe you want to create a fake sunrise or sunset. Photoshop has many lighting effect filters you can add to an image to simulate sunlight. You can also use a gradient overlay to create a sunrise or sunset effect. This wikiHow article teaches you how to add sunlight to a photo using Photoshop with expert tips by professional photographers Jessica McKnight and Brynne Zaniboni.

Quick Steps

1. Click Filter > Render > Lighting effects . 2. Select an “Infinite” light type. 3. Select a light style of your choice. 4. Give the light a slightly yellow or orange color. 5. Adjust the position and size of the light. 6. Adjust the Gloss, Material, Exposure, and Ambience sliders to your liking. 7. Click Ok .

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Using Lighting Effects

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  1. Photoshop has an icon that resembles a blue square that says “PS” in the middle. Click the Photoshop icon to open it. Then click Open on the title screen and select an image.
    • You can open a photo in Photoshop at any time by clicking File in the menu bar at the top and then clicking Open .
  2. Do you want the whole thing to be brightened, or do you want to create the illusion of sunlight coming from an area in the sky?
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  3. 3
    Duplicate the background layer. According to Zaniboni, layers allow you to work with one element of a photo without disturbing the others. It’s a way of editing your photos in a way that is non-destructive. Duplicating your background layer gives you a copy of the image to work with. If you mess something up, you can always revert back to the original. Use the following steps to duplicate your background layer:
    • Right-click your background layer.
    • Click Duplicate layer .
  4. According to McKnight, you can add some fun into your photos using lighting effects. Use the following steps to open the Lighting Effects menu:
    • Make sure you have your duplicate layer selected.
    • Click Filter in the menu bar at the top.
    • Click Render .
    • Click Lighting Effects .
  5. 5
    Choose the style of your lighting. Use the drop-down menu at the bottom of the panel to the right to select a light style. On older versions of Photoshop, it's at the top of the lighting effects panel. Some good Photoshop sunlight styles of lighting are Default, Soft Spotlight or Soft Omni.
    • Experiment with different lighting styles as they will likely differ from picture to picture, depending upon the direction of the light.
  6. 6
    Choose a light type. Use the menu at the top to select a light type. You can select spotlight, infinite, or directional. An infinite or omni light is good for sunlight. You can also try a directional light.
  7. 7
    Adjust the direction and position of the light. You can do so by moving the circle over your image. On older versions of Photoshop, you can adjust the position in the preview window.
    • You can rotate the circle to change the direction of the light. You can also click and drag it to change the position of the light as well as click and drag the points around the circle to adjust the size and width of the light.
  8. 8
    Pick a color for the light (optional). If you want to go with a basic sunlight effect, you can leave the color of the light white. However, sunlight during dawn or dusk often has an orange or yellow color to it. Click the box next to color, and then use the color picker to pick a slightly orange or yellow shade to change the color of the light. You don’t want to add too much color to the light.
    • Additionally, you can click the box next to “Colorize” to change the tint of the overall light.
  9. 9
    Experiment with the "Intensity" and "Hotspot" scales. Intensity changes the strength of the light. Hotspot changes the size of the spotlight focus.
    • “Hotspot” or “Focus” is only available on spotlights.
  10. 10
    Choose your light properties. These include: Gloss, Material, Exposure, and Ambience.
    • Gloss: Similar to the style of paper you use for printing photographs, Gloss determines how much light is reflected on the surface. Choose between Matte and Shiny.
    • Material: Material decides if the object color or the light color is more prevalent. You decide on a scale between Plastic and Metallic. Plastic shows the light's color, while Metallic reflects the object's color more.
    • Exposure: Similar to a photograph, exposure decides if the light is negative or positive. Increasing the exposure will lighten the photograph.
    • Ambience: Ambience diffuses the light between different light sources. Similar to how a large light bulb diffuses in a room.
  11. 11
    Click Ok . It’s below the menu bar at the top. This applies the lighting effect to your image. [1]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Using a Gradient Overlay

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  1. Photoshop has an icon that resembles a blue square that says “PS” in the middle. Click the Photoshop icon to open it. Then click Open on the title screen and select an image.
    • You can open a photo in Photoshop at any time by clicking File in the menu bar at the top and then clicking Open .
  2. 2
    Identify where you want the sun to go. This technique will create a sunrise or sunset effect. Pick a location on the horizon where you want the sun to go.
  3. 3
    Add a warming photo filter adjustment layer to your image. This will give your image a nice orangish tint to the photo that you find during sunset or sunrise. Use the following steps to add a warming photo filter adjustment layer:
    • Click the icon that resembles a half white and half black circle at the bottom of the Layers panel.
    • Click Photo filter .
    • Select Warming Filter (85) as the filter.
    • Adjust the Density slider to your liking (usually 40% or so is good.)
  4. 4
    Add a gradient adjustment layer. Use the following steps to do so:
    • Click the icon that resembles a half white and half black circle at the bottom of the Layers panel.
    • Click Gradient .
  5. 5
    Select a radial style. Use the drop-down menu next to “Style” to select a “Radial.”
  6. 6
    Create a yellow/orange to opaque gradient. By default, the gradient is a black-to-white gradient. You want to change it to a slightly yellow or orange-to-opaque gradient. Don’t add too much color. A white with a slight orange or yellow tint will do nicely. Use the following steps to change the gradient:
    • Click the gradient shade next to “Gradient.”
    • Double-click the stop below the black side of the gradient blend bar.
    • Pick a slightly yellow or orange shade.
    • Double-click the stop above the white side of the gradient blend bar.
    • Click the box next to “Opacity” and lower the opacity to 0%.
    • Click OK .
  7. 7
    Place the gradient center over the sun location. You can adjust the position of the gradient by clicking and dragging it.
  8. 8
    Adjust the scale of the gradient. To do so, click the box next to Scale and use the slider bar to adjust the size to your liking. [2]
  9. 9
    Click OK . This applies the gradient overlay adjustment layer.
  10. 10
    Select a “Screen” blending mode. To do so, click the layer with the gradient overlay in the Layers panel. Then click the blending mode drop-down menu. By default, it says “Normal.” Select “Screen” as the blending mode. This will create a nice sunrise effect.
    • You can adjust your adjustment layers at any time by double-clicking them in the Layers panel.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do you recommend shooting photos in natural light?
    Jessica McKnight
    Photographer
    Jessica McKnight is a Photographer & Business Coach based in Southwest, Florida. She first fell in love with photography at the age of 12 and has maintained that passion ever since. Her studio is currently in downtown Punta Gorda, but she also often travels for her work. Her award-winning technique has earned her "Best of the Best" twice from the Tampa Bay Times. Her work has been featured in countless magazines & publications. Her studio offers boudoir, fashion, headshot/branding, commercial, event, senior portrait, family, children, and engagement/wedding sessions. Jessica McKnight also runs Brilliance Key, a photography coaching & mentoring business that provides one-on-one mentoring, 8-week mastermind groups, workshops, and photography retreats around the globe featuring some of the biggest names in the industry.
    Jessica McKnight
    Photographer
    Expert Answer
    First, you need to find a shaded area with minimal harsh shadows, such as under a tree or a building. This helps avoid intense shadows under the eyes. Another option is to shoot on a cloudy day, benefiting from the softbox effect created by the clouds, providing a more natural and soft light. Additionally, consider shooting during sunrise or sunset when the sun's position yields softer light compared to when it's at its peak.
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      • Save a different copy of the image in its original state.
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      • The Lighting Effects Filter is available on later versions of Photoshop and CS5.
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      • If you have a 64-bit version of Mac OS, you cannot use Lighting Effects unless you open Photoshop in 32-bit mode. Open your Photoshop application in Finder. Choose "Get Info" and select "Open in 32-bit mode." Close and restart the program.
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      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about photoshop, check out our in-depth interview with Jessica McKnight .

      • [3]

      References

      1. ↑ https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/add-lighting-effects1.html
      2. ↑ https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/adjustment-fill-layers.html
      3. ↑ http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-effects/focus-light/

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