How to: Recreate Vista lighting effect in Photoshop
Vista lighting effect is very popular, and many tutorials explaining how to recreate it can be found on the Internet. However, they had a point in common: Being relatively inaccessible for beginners with Photoshop. I therefore propose my own version of this tutorial, in order to create a striking effect, quickly and easily.
Step 1: Choosing the starting image
To begin, we’ll choose the image that will be the basis of our work: I have chosen here a picture of Blankenberge beach (Belgium), but you can choose almost any image. However, I advise you to choose luminous image, with many colors.
For exemple, a street or a city at night should make it particularly well, but I haven’t tried it yet.
Step 2: Adding some blur
Nothing hard here: We just have to add a very strong blur to the image. To do so, go to Filters » Blur » Gaussian Blur. As I said before, the blur must be particularly strong. I have given a value of 80.
Step 3: Color balance
Although our now blurry image gives us a glimpse of what we want to do, the effect we’re going to create looks even better with particularly vivid colors.
Go to Layer » New Adjustment Layer » Color balance. Click ok when the confirmation popup appears.
Now you’ll see a dialog box containing 3 sliders: Now, you have to experiment with colors values, according to your wishes.
Step 4: Tracing the first line
Here is certainly the most delicate step of this tutorial, even if it is not so complicated that it seems.
We’re going to draw the first line. To do so, create a new layer, choose the Elipse selection from the toolbar, and select a large part of the image, so that our curve of a pass across the image.
Then go to the menu Select » Modify » Border. I gave the value of 10, but a value of 5 or 20 may looks good also, depending on the thickness of the desired curve.
Step 5: Adding effects to the line
Then, just fill out the selection with white, using the paint pot tool, then Deselect any layer (Cmd + D).
Right-click on the curve layer, then choose Blending options, and add some Outer glow.
The following screenshot shows the settings that I applied. But one more time, feel free to experiment
Step 6: Duplicating the first curve
Now that our curve looks good, we only have to duplicate its layer. Once done, press Cmd + T to transform the duplicated layer. Change its size, position, his inclination…
Repeat this step as many times as you want. The result should look like this:
Additional Step: Changing the background
If you’re not satisfied with the result, you can always change the substance of your image. Simply double-click on the Layer Adjustment to re-adjust the color balance.
Similarly, as shown in the picture below, nothing prevents you from importing a new background, or create one from scratch:
Inspired by tutorial9.
17 Comments + Trackbacks
9.5.2008
ah! thanks for this tut, nice!!!
9.18.2008
very nice and easy photoshop tut, i really appreciate your effort writing this jbj.
10.27.2008
This is awesome. I have actually been messing around with Photoshop for some time now so it’s great to learn new things. Great tutorial.
12.29.2008
Nice tut and really simple too. I’m gonna try this now.
1.23.2009
Hey that was pretty easy! Looks pretty awesome too. Thanks for the tutorial
2.4.2009
They’re called Vista Aurora Beams, and this is the best tutorial I’ve found to date. So simple yet powerful, others were so complicated!
2.18.2009
Excellent tutorial. Very easy to follow and I was very pleased with my end result. Thanks.
2.18.2009
Hi,
Could you come up with a tip how to prevent my filled line to be so jagged?
I’ve been changing the border with of the selection to even 1(!) and stil it’s not smooth (cry).
I’m sure it’s something really easy (but I’m still green as to PS).
Thanks for you help.
5.3.2009
wow, this is usefull tutorial.
im interested in lightning effect. i will try it soon.
thanks
6.1.2009
Nice tutorial; nice effect. Let’s try it now…Thanks!
6.10.2009
This is really a nice tutorial and easy to. I think nobody wil have any problem while learning it. It is quick and easy way to learn Adobe Photoshop.
9.22.2009
Thanks for breaking this down so precisely. I’ve save it in my library. Hope you do more
10.12.2009
Thanks for the precise article, i will do it soon to my computer….