How to Create a Double Light Effect in Photoshop

Posted on:  Feb 26, 2023


In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a double-light effect in Photoshop. Use the example photograph as a guide when selecting your photo.

What You Will Learn in This Double Light Effect Tutorial

• How to select the subject in Photoshop
• How to create a light effect in Photoshop
• How to create a double light effect
• How to create the glow
• How to make the final adjustments

What You’ll Need

To recreate the design above, you will need the following resources:

• Find an Image of a person (pexels, unsplash etc…). See the preferred specs for the photo below.

1. How to Get Started

First, open the photo that you want to work with. To open your photo, go to File > Open, choose your photo, and click Open.

1. Your photo should be in RGB Color mode, 8 Bits/Channel. To check this, go to Image > Mode.
2. For best results, your photo size should be 2000–4000 px wide/high. To check this, go to Image > Image Size.
3. Your photo should be the Background layer. If it is not, go to Layer > New > Background from Layer.


2. How to Select the Subject in Photoshop

Step 1

In this section, we are going to make a selection of our subject and then copy the subject to a separate layer. Choose the Quick Selection Tool (W) and select the background of the photo. Use the Shift-Alt buttons on your keyboard to add or subtract areas from the selection. After you’ve made a perfect selection, press Control-Shift-I on your keyboard to invert the selection.


Step 2

Now go to Select > Modify > Smooth and set the Sample Radius to 5 px. Next, go to Select > Modify > Contract and set Contract By to 1 px. Finally, go to Select > Modify > Feather and set the Feather Radius to 1 px.


Step 3

Press Control-J on your keyboard to create a new layer using the selection. Name this new layer Subject.


3. How to Create a Double Light Photoshop Effect

Step 1

In this section, we are going to create a double light effect. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Black & White to create a new black & white adjustment layer, and name it Subject_Saturation.


Step 2

Now press Control-Alt-G on your keyboard to create a clipping mask. Then, change the Blending Mode of this layer to Color and set the Opacity to 50%.


Step 3

Go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color to create a new solid color fill layer, name it Left Light, and choose the color #ff0000 as shown below:


Step 4

Now change the Blending Mode of this layer to Overlay, set the Opacity to 75% and press Control-Alt-G to create a clipping mask. Then, select the layer mask of this layer and press Control-I to invert its color. After that, set the foreground color to #ffffff, choose the Brush Tool (B), pick a soft brush, and brush over the photo where you want to reveal the left light.


Step 5

Go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color to create a new solid color fill layer, name it Right Light, and choose the color #0080ff as shown below. Then, drag it just below the Left Light layer in the Layers panel.


Step 6

Now change the Blending Mode of this layer to Overlay, set the Opacity to 75%. Then, select the layer mask of this layer and press Control-I on your keyboard to invert its color. After that, set the foreground color to #ffffff, choose the Brush Tool (B), pick a soft brush, and brush over the photo where you want to reveal the right light.


Step 7

Right-click on the Left Light layer, choose Blending Options and make the adjustments below. Then, repeat this for the Right Light layer.


4. How to Create the Glow

Step 1

In this section, we are going to create the double light glow. Alt-click on the Subject layer and hold and drag the layer to create a new duplicated layer at the top of the layers in the Layers panel. Then, while this new layer is selected, go to Filter > Filter Gallery > Stylize > Glowing Edges, and set the Edge Width to 2, Edge Brightness to 20, and Smoothness to 15.


Step 2

Now press Control-Shift-U to desaturate this layer. Then, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and set the Radius to 10 px.


Step 3

Right-click on this layer, choose Blending Options and make the adjustments below.


Step 4

Now change the Blending Mode of this layer to Linear Dodge (Add) and name it Subject Glow. Then, select the Left Light layer and Control-click on the Right Light layer to select both layers at the same time. After that, Alt-click on any of these two layers and hold and drag the layers to create new duplicated layers just above the Subject Glow layer in the Layers panel.


Step 5

While these two layers are selected, press Control-Shift-G to create clipping masks. Then, change their Blending Mode to Color and set the Opacity to 25%. After that, rename the Left Light copy layer to Left Glow and the Right Light copy layer to Right Glow.


5. How to Make the Final Adjustments

Step 1

In this section, we are going to make the final adjustments to the effect. Select the Background layer, go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Gradient Fill to create a new gradient fill layer, name it Background Tint, and use the settings below:


Step 2

Now change the Blending Mode of this layer to Color and set the Opacity to 20%.


Step 3

Select the Left Glow layer, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Levels to create a new levels adjustment layer, and name it Overall Brightness.


Step 4

Now Double-click on this layer thumbnail and, in the Properties panel, enter the settings below:


Step 5

Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Vibrance to create a new vibrance adjustment layer and name it Overall Vibrance/Saturation.


Step 6

Now Double-click on this layer thumbnail and, in the Properties panel, set the Vibrance to +20 and Saturation to +10.


You Made It!

Here is our final result: