This video tutorial will show you how to use the Orton effect on your images. Make sure you stay until the end of the video because it will show you more steps on how to add a little twist to it making it more interesting!

The Orton effect is such a classic way of enhancing photos that can produce lord of the rings-like images. There is no specific tool for getting this effect we need to make it ourselves and you can adjust the settings depending on the output desired.

 

Video: Add a dreamy effect on your photos!

Here’s a summary of the steps:

(View the video for full details and explanations)

1. Load an image in Photoshop.
2. From the menu choose Select then click All.
3. Go to Edit menu click on Copy merged.
4. Go to Edit menu click on Paste, this will give you a new layer of the image that merged all the laters you currently have.
5. While keeping the new layer selected. Go to the Filter menu and click on Blur then select the Gaussian blur, this will open the Guassian blur menu.
6. For this particular image you can set the radius to 15 pixels.
7. Then change the blend mode to either Overlay or Soft light, you can choose between the two which mode would yield to a more pleasing outcome. In this sample image soft light is the best option.
8. After changing the blend mode you may change the Opacity level as well.
9. Or Add a layer mark to the merged copy and then use a black brush to lessen the effect to some of the areas where the effect may have come out as too strong.
10. Add a Curves Adjustment layer to your image and then turn this into clipping mask.
11. Hold ALT (Windows) Option (Mac) and then hover your mouse between the two layer
12. You’ll see the mouse change to a square with an arrow pointing downwards and when you can click your mouse and you will see the curves adjustment moves having the tiny arrow icon, this means that anything we do to the curves adjustment layer will affect the layer immediately below it. The other layers will not be affected at all.
13. Use the curves layer to adjust brighten or darken the image by pulling the curve up or down or use the S curve. You can play around with the curves layer until the desired output is achieved.

We surely will be delighted to see your photos using the Orton effect!

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