Photoshop How To

If you want to really turn heads with your portraits, you might consider giving them a little glow. Yes, this can be done in-camera in radiant backlit or direct window light shooting scenarios, but you can also add an awesome glow to portraits in post-processing. In the below tutorial from f64 Academy, Blake Rudis shows you how.

"Have you ever wondered how specific photos just have that 'look'?" Rudis asks. "You know, the look that makes you say, "WOW! That photo is INCREDIBLE! They must have a nice camera. Haha, truth be told, it's never really the camera, is it?"

Nope, it's less about the gear and more about the creativity of the photographer. And yes, it often comes from a little help in Photoshop or Lightroom, as Rudis explains below.

"I have found that many images that have that look draw me into specific areas of the photo to grab my attention. This is a DELIBERATE action!" he says.

"There are many ways to grab the viewer's attention, but today I will reveal my secrets for building a fabulous glow. I use this technique in nearly every one of my images, and I couldn't live without it. Some people call this the 'Orton Effect,' but this is not really an Orton Effect because it uses a different process. I prefer to call it a glow or radiance effect. For me it doesn’t matter what type of photography you do. It could be portrait, it could be landscape, it could be architecture, it could be product photography. This is a technique that anyone can use to make their images look awesome."

Watch below as Rudis takes you through the step-by-step process in Photoshop for how to add his radiance effect to portraits. Then try it yourself on portraits you think need a little extra glow.