Tutorial Tuesday | Walden Effect in Photoshop

Hey guys!  Nicole here and I am back with a fun Photoshop tutorial for you!  Have you caught on to my love of Instagram yet?  Well I have a new Instagram effect in Photoshop for you to try!  This tutorial assumes you have at least a basic knowledge of Photoshop, layers, and adjustments.  Are you ready to get started?

1. Start with your open photo in Photoshop.  Here is my BEFORE photo.  This is a pic from my cell phone, so nothing high quality about it, but a fun photo of my oldest son and me goofing around.  Nothing like some pink yoga pants to make you feel gorgeous!!!

2.  We are going to add a Curves adjustment layer.  I will take you step by step through the settings on your first Curves adjustment layer.

Starting with the RGB Curve. (first drop down)

Change your bottom corner input to 12.  Output will remain 0.  No change to your upper right input and output (they should be set at 255, 255)

Click on your RED curve (from the dropdown menu)

Your bottom left corner should be: Output 0, Input 10

and your upper right should be:  Output  255, Input 247

Click on the BLUE curve (from the dropdown menu)

Lower left:  Output 38, Input 0

Upper right: Output 203, Input 255

3.  Next we are going to add a LEVELS Adjustment layer.

We are going to change our Center slider under the histogram to 1.17

Change the Right slider to 233.

We are also going to change our output level to 57 and 255.

4.  Now we are going to add another CURVES layer.  This time we will only be adjusting the RGB curve.

You are going to adjust both the bottom left point, as well as adding a new curve point. (Add a point to your curve by clicking anywhere on your curve line and then typing in your input and output levels into the corresponding boxes below.

Lower left point: Output 0, Input 41

Add point on curve, type in: Output 124, Input 125

5.  Lastly, we are going to add a small gradient to the edges of our photo.  We will do this by adding a GRADIENT FILL layer.  Click on the Gradient bar in the Gradient Fill Menu.  This will open the Gradient Editor.  We will choose the option of black and white gradient.  The black point will be at the left of your gradient and the white to the right.  We want the opacity on the black side to be set to 100% and the opacity on the white (right) side to be set to 0% opacity.

We will move the right opacity slider (on the TOP of the gradient bar) to a location of 38, and make sure the opacity is 0%.

Click OK to get out of the Gradient Editor.

Next you are going to have your Gradient Fill menu open.  Change your Style to RADIAL.  Angle of 123-124 degrees.   And click REVERSE and ALIGN WITH LAYER.  Click OK.

Next change your LAYER STYLE to SOFT LIGHT.

AND VOILA!  You have an awesome Walden Effect on your Photo!!!  Check out the before and after photos one more time!!!  

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