How to Add Halation in Photoshop

What Is Halation?

Ok, so you know when there are street lights in a dark image, and they have that soft, dreamy glow around them? That's called the halation effect. It's a subtle touch that can add depth, nostalgia, and a cinematic feel to your photos. While it's reminiscent of vintage photography, it's an effect that can elevate even modern images, making them stand out. The importance of mastering this technique lies in its ability to transform ordinary shots into evocative masterpieces, drawing viewers into the mood and story of the image.

In the steps that follow, we'll explore:

• How to duplicate and adjust layers to prepare for the effect.
• Techniques to introduce and control the glow using specific Photoshop tools.
• Fine-tuning the halation for depth and intensity, ensuring the effect complements the image rather than overpowering it.

It's akin to the glow or aura that you might have seen around light sources in some vintage photographs. This effect can add a dreamy, nostalgic touch to your images. And the best part? You don't need to be an expert to achieve this. With a basic understanding of Photoshop, you can easily recreate this effect. Let's walk through the process together.

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Adobe Photoshop Halation Tutorial

Duplicating the Background Layer

1. Locating the Layers Panel: On the right side of your Photoshop interface, you'll find the Layers panel. If it's not visible, you can activate it by going to Window > Layers.
2. Creating a Duplicate: In the Layers panel, you'll see your image labeled as the 'Background'. Right-click on this layer. From the dropdown menu, select 'Duplicate Layer'. Alternatively, if you're comfortable with shortcuts, press Ctrl+J (Windows) or CMD+J (Mac). This action creates a copy of your image layer, which we'll work on, ensuring the original remains untouched.

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Adjusting the Duplicated Layer for Halation

3. Accessing Image Adjustments: At the top of your screen, you'll find the 'Image' menu. Click on it, and from the dropdown, hover over 'Adjustments' to reveal a side menu. Here, select 'Threshold'.
4. Working with Threshold: Upon selecting, a dialog box pops up with a histogram and a slider. As I drag the slider, I notice the image turning into a stark contrast of black and white. For my image, I'm positioning the slider around the middle, ensuring the brightest parts, like light sources, turn white. Your image might need a different setting, so play around until you're satisfied.
5. Applying Color Overlay: Now, back in the Layers panel, right-click on the duplicated layer. Choose 'Layer Style' and then 'Color Overlay'. A dialog box appears with various settings. Click on the colored rectangle (default is red). A color picker pops up. For my image, I'm choosing a soft yellow to mimic the color of a light bulb. You can choose any color that matches the mood of your image.

1. Setting the Blend Mode: Still in the 'Color Overlay' dialog box, you'll see a dropdown labeled 'Blend Mode'. Click on it and select 'Multiply'. Once done, click 'OK'. Then, right-click on the layer in the Layers panel and choose 'Rasterize Layer Style'.

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Blurring for the Dreamy Glow

7. Navigating to the Blur Tool: At the top, click on the 'Filter' menu. A dropdown appears. Hover over 'Blur' to reveal various blur options. For our purpose, select 'Surface Blur'.
8. Adjusting the Blur: In the 'Surface Blur' dialog box, you'll find two sliders: Radius and Threshold. As I increase the Radius to around 30 pixels, I notice the image softening. The Threshold slider determines which parts of the image get the blur. For my image, pushing it to around 200 ensures the brighter parts get a pronounced blur. Adjust according to your image's needs.
9. Blend Mode for the Blur: Back in the Layers panel, click on the dropdown where it says 'Normal'. This is the blend mode option. From the list, select 'Screen'. This action makes the dark parts of our adjusted layer transparent, leaving only the bright halation effect visible.

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Enhancing the Halation for Depth

10. Using Curves: At the bottom of the Layers panel, you'll see several icons. Click on the one that looks like a half-filled circle, which is the 'Adjustment Layer' icon. From the options, select 'Curves'. A new layer appears above our blurred layer, and a Curves dialog box pops up. Here, I'm gently pulling the curve upwards to brighten the halation. The beauty of curves is in its flexibility, so feel free to adjust until you achieve the desired intensity.
11. Hue/Saturation for Color Depth: Again, click on the 'Adjustment Layer' icon and select 'Hue/Saturation'. In the dialog box, I'm slightly increasing the saturation to around +15 to make the halation color more vivid. You can adjust based on your preference.