Just started with Elements and would like to make up a photograph with lightning…can anyone please help?
Not sure if Elements has these, but it should. This is how I’d do it in Photoshop.
Set colors to default, black and white.
Create new layer.
Filter/Render/Clouds
Filter/Render/Difference Clouds (1-3 times. Try it to see the difference in effect between 1, 2, 3 iterations)
Image/Adjust/Layers – and play around until you get a few well-defined white bolts against black Then set the layer type to "Screen".
Optionally – Image/Adjust/Hue – check colorize and give it a yellowish or cyanish cast depending on the desired look. (Or go really
weird and make it green/pink, etc.)
Voila. Instant lightning. You can of course get more control after the fact by painting out any bolts you don’t want, or scaling,
rotating, moving the layer, etc.
Apologies if any of these functions don’t exist in Elements. I have Photoshop, and never had any need for the lower-end product, so
I haven’t actually used it…
