Photoshop How To

The term “cinematic effect” refers to a popular method of editing photographs so they look like a frame grab from a movie. There’s no one “right way” to create this dramatic look, which is simply a style of adding mood, manipulating lighting, and imparting a film-like atmosphere to a photo.

A cinematic effect can be added to just about any type of photograph, and in the video below you’ll learn how one image-editing expert gets the job in Photoshop with a minimum of fuss. The beauty of this approach is that you can go “all in,” or stop at any point in the process when you like what you see.

To create the look he’s after, Nathaniel Dodson uses Photoshop’s Curves and Selective Color tools, adding a few well-placed flares for drama. His technique also involves High Pass adjustments and a midtone contrast boost, as well as a subtle blur effect and a couple of quick blending and layer-shaping options.

So whether you want to add a film-like effect to an image, or just create eye-catching photos that look a bit different, the tips in this video are sure to do the job. You can find more Photoshop tricks on Dodson's YouTube channel, and in an earlier tutorial with three easy ways to pump up the color of drab images.