Basic Tutorial 2: The Joy of Lens Flares

Basic Tutorial 2: Lens Flares + Filters

Start a new document. I chose 500x500.

Fill the background layer with black.

Then hit Filter>>Render>>Lens Flare

Choose the first or second one, whichever looks best to you. Don't make it too bright - between 75 - 125 is fine.

Position the cursor in the corner of the box and click. The flare will appear, flowing diagonally into the centre.

Hit ok.

Then do Filter>>Render>>Lens Flare and put the same flare in another corner.

Repeat until all the corners are done.

Then duplicate the layer. Select Lighten or Soft Light.

Then hit Filter>>Sketch>>Chrome.

Play with the settings til it looks good. I normally have max detail, and not much smoothness. Hit ok.

Then go Filter>>Distort>>Polar Coordinates. Make sure the top option is selected.

Hit OK.

Then select the other layer (background one).

Chrome this layer, using what ever settings you like.

Then hit Ctrl + U (or Command!! )

Select colourise and give it some colour.

Then do Filter>>Artistic>>Plastic Wrap.

Use whatever settings you like.

There you have it. Looks pretty cool, huh?

Experiment with different colours, blending options, opacity, duplicate some more layers and add a Wave effect!

http://img118.exs.cx/img118/6148/LensFlares.jpg

http://img118.exs.cx/img118/8707/LensFlares2.jpg

EDIT - The first image is one that I came up with after messing around for a bit after I finished the tutorial. The second image is what you should roughly end up with. Bear in mind that the plastic wrap, chrome and lens flares are totally random, and will look different.

 

Thanks for the link info. After I "brush up" on the last tutorial, I'll tackle this one. Your instructions seem very explicite. You make a great tutor! TTYL

 

Thanks for the link info. After I "brush up" on the last tutorial, I'll tackle this one. Your instructions seem very explicit. You make a great tutor! TTYL

 

Thank you very much! Appreciated.

 

I've tried something similar to this and i'll join the competition if I manage to finish mine.

 

That looks so cool! I've got to do that!

 

Looks good , well done Waffle, thanks :good:

 

I finally got around to doing this:

 

Looks great exfoliate!

 

Thanks Nic, I don't know how Waffles got his to look so good but I did what I could.

 

hehe, I cant remember to be honest, but I know I did another layer filled with black, two lens flares, polarise coordiinates and then set blending to something like overlay.

 

I thought I saw a couple other flares there, thanks dude and great work!