False Snow

1: Open suitable image. Use eyedropper to select a mid-tone for the area/objects you want standing snow on.

2: Select > colour range select sampled colour and a fuzziness setting about 130- 135

3: New layer. (call it ‘snow')

4 : In new layer Edit > Fill select White. tip this wants to be a cold white so either add some blue using colour balance or use a blue filter from the photo filters.

5 : Ctrl+ D to deselect layer

6 : In layer palette change mode to ‘hard light' > OK

7 : New layer [ snowfall #01]

8 : Edit > Fill > contents 50% grey [ again try a blue white and different %ages]

9 ; Use ‘D' to revert this layer to default black & white colours.

10 : Filter > noise > add noise

11 ; Select gaussian, amount between 130-160, check mono box. > OK

12 ; This noise needs clumping together so use filter > blur > gaussian blur with a radius between 3 and 6.

13 : Using levels adjust the contrast of the snowfall layer. Adjust the LH slider to the right so that it is under the center of the histogram peak; now bring the RH slider so it just shows behind the LH pointer. It is important to do this step in this order. > OK

14 : Set the mode of this layer to ‘screen' with an opacity of 50% or less so the main scene shows through but the snow is still visible.

15 : Now blur the snow Filter > blur > motion blur. Select an angle that suits the image; try one not far off vertical; and a distance between 8 and 16 depending how blurred you want your snow.

16 : Duplicate the above layer Ctrl+J [snowfall #02]

17 : Edit > transform > flip horizontal

18 : Edit > transform > scale or distort and enlarge this duplicate layer so the snowflakes are larger than the original snow layer. > enter to lock the transformation.

19 ; You may wish to alter the motion blur on the duplicate layer. Try a negative angle with a value similar to the one used above, again the distance setting is to your preference.

20 : You may now have to adjust the density of the background layer and/or the opacity of the snow layers to get the desired effect.

You should have 4 layers
Steps 1- 2 Steps 3 – 6 Steps 7 – 15 Steps 16 – 19 Flatten the image if you wish when you have achieved the desired result.

 

 

Experiment with this process and you will familiarise yourself with several of the most used layer functions.

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