How to turn your photo into movie-like effect using Photoshop ?

What you need to have: Adobe Photoshop
What you will learn: colour mood adjustments + depth of field effect + film effect
PS: ⌘ key for Mac users / CTRL key for Windows users

Colour mood adjustments

1. Adjust the Hue/Saturation: U/CTRL-U

2. Adjust the brightness and contrast: Menu > Image > Adjustments > Exposure…

Depth of field effect

3. Duplicate current active layer by dragging it to the ‘create a new layer’ button located at the bottom of Layer window.

4. Apply lens blur on the new layer on top: Menu > Filter > Blur > Lens Blur…
Adjust according to your own preference.

5. Click on the ‘add layer mask’ button at the bottom of Layer window. Then click and select the ‘Layer mask thumbnail’ (the white rectangle).

6. Select brush tool(b), set the master diameter to 400px. Then choose the focus point in the photo and click on it.

Film effect

7. Create a new layer by clicking the ‘create a new layer’ button located at the bottom of Layer window.

8. Fill the new layer with black colour: reset colour to default black & white (d), switch black colour to background (x), fill the layer (⌘-del/CTRL-backspace)

9. Set the opacity of the black layer to 70% by pressing ‘7′

10. Use erase tool(e), set the master diameter to 400px. Then start erase the center of the photo.

11. Flatten the image: Menu > Layer > Flatten Image and add noise: Menu > Filter > Noise > Add Noise…

Cinemascope (optional)

12. Add black bars on top and bottom of photo and it’s done!
Use Rectangular Marquee Tool(m) to select (drag) upper part of photo, hold the shift key and select the bottom part, fill with black colour (⌘-del/CTRL-backspace)

You can also add an extra step to twist the colour into this mood by using ‘Color Balance’(⌘B/CTRL-B). Drag the slider towards cyan and blue for Shadows, Midtones & Highlights.

photoshop Skateboarding Poster

This tutorial will teach you some important techniques to help create high impact images. Follow the steps to create your own high impact Skateboarding poster.

Start working by creating a new file (File>New) of 1280×1024 px and 72 dpi.

Select then the Rectangle Tool (U) to represent the background of the picture we want to have in the end.


Set the next parameters by making a mouse click on the layer we work with on the layers’ palette. Fill 0%
Blending Options>Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:





Next find a picture having a skateboarder on it. For this tutorial, I used this picture from Flickr. I would like to thank the author of this picture.



Cut it out and insert it on our basic picture:



Make 4 copies of the skateboarder’s layer, each of the layers being placed lower than the previous one. Place the copies on the picture, applying the Free Transform selection and incline them a little.



Set the next indicated parameters for each of the following copies: Opacity 60%
Blending Options>Color Overlay





The second copy. The layer’s parameters: Opacity 50%, Blending Options>Color Overlay





The third copy. The layer’s parameters: Opacity 40%, Blending Options>Color Overlay





The fourth copy. The layer’s parameters: Opacity 30%, Blending Options>Color Overlay





Next we’ll represent several lines containing a kind of ornament. We’ll use this time the Pen Tool (P) and the Convert Point Tool for the appropriate corrections on these lines. All the lines’ layers should be situated lower than the layers containing the skateboarder:

The layer’s parameters: Blending Options>Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:







The layer’s parameters: Fill 0% Blending Options>Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:







The layer’s parameters: Fill 0%, Blending Options>Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:







The layer’s parameters: Fill 0%, Blending Options>Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:







The layer’s parameters: Blending Options>Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:







The layer’s parameters: Fill 0%, Blending Options>Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:








The layer’s parameters: Fill 0%, Blending Options>Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:







The layer’s parameters: Fill 0%, Blending Options>Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:







The layer’s parameters: Fill 0%, Blending Options>Gradient Overlay



Gradient’s parameters:





Next we’ll select the Line Tool (U) and represent a cross of black color. Firstly we’ll represent a vertical line and then press Shift button to represent a horizontal line, applying the same tool.





Make many copies of the layer containing the cross. Using the Free Transform option, try to change the copies’ sizes and place them the way demonstrated next picture: