Photoshop CS3 Photo Effects Cookbook

Recipe 4.7. Stage Lighting

Some of the most creative lighting in the world can be seen in the theater. Stage lighting truly is an art form in its own right, and thanks to the wonder of Photoshop CS3, you too can "paint with light" in a creative and dramatic way.

In this recipe, we're going to use the wonderfully powerful Lighting Effects filter, but, thanks to the capabilities of CS3, we're going to use it in a uniquely flexible way, namely by using Smart Filters. Smart Filters allow you to use conventional Photoshop Filters in an endlessly re-editable way. Once you've converted a layer to a Smart Object and applied a filter, you can modify that filter effect as many times as you like simply by double-clicking its entry in the Layers palette.

We'll top the whole effect off by adding lens flare—representing another stage light—to superb effect. So, if you fancy a little theater lighting, this project is for you. Sit back and marvel at the power of Smart Filters!

1 Open the start image and choose the Eyedropper tool. Click in the background area next to the left-hand figure in the image to sample the color. Hit X on the keyboard to swap the Foreground and Background colors. Now, choose the Crop tool and drag a crop box around the entire image. Grab the far left center handle and ...