Learn how to build a soft, dreamlike light bloom completely by hand in Photoshop — no AI required. This tutorial covers isolating highlights with Color Range, stacking multiple Gaussian-blurred layers for customizable glow, and finishing in Camera Raw with color grading and grain.
We work through the full effect on one image in detail, then move faster through a second image to show how the technique adapts to different photos.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Building a Manual Highlight Glow
0:47 Selecting Highlights with Color Range
6:18 Duplicating and Stacking Blur Layers
7:58 Bringing the Image into Camera Raw
9:51 Avoiding Highlight Clipping
12:04 Color Grading Shadows and Highlights
15:10 Adding Grain for a Final Mood
16:54 Repeating the Effect on a Second Image
THE STEPS
1. Select just the highlights of your image using Select, then Color Range, then Highlights
2. Duplicate the selection to a new layer and convert it to a Smart Object
3. Change the blend mode to Lighten and apply a Gaussian Blur as a smart filter
4. Duplicate the blur layer and increase the blur radius for a second, dreamier glow layer
5. Stamp the visible image onto a new layer with Image, then Apply Image, and convert it for Smart Filters
6. Open the Camera Raw filter and watch the highlight clipping warning while raising exposure
7. Add color into the shadows and highlights using the three-way color grading wheels
8. Finish with a light touch of grain, then repeat the technique on a second photo
Download the sample images and PSDs from this tutorial:
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