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Difficult to capture a good bolt of lightning isn't it? No problem..... make your own!
Of course, it's not much good putting lightning into a nice sunny sky..... you need a shot with some dark, ominous clouds - or a dark sky.
Make a new image. Doesn't matter too much with the size, but try to make a filesize that would fit between your main picture's horizon and the top of the picture. Tall and not too wide, like a narrow portrait shape. Something like 500px high and 250px wide should do it. Give it a White background.

Right, with a black foreground and white background, use the gradient tool and stroke horizontally across the new image, but just in the middle portion - not the full width. You should end up with a lot of black, a fairly narrow fade/transition then a lot of white. Lovely. Now go to Filters > Render > Difference CLouds. You will have a fuzzy black column in the middle. Invert it (Ctrl-I). Ah - now it's starting to look like it.

Now go to Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Levels. Make sure your left edge slider comes in close to the edge of the histogram, then move the middle slider to the right, up close to the right edge slider. You now have a bolt of lightning.

Now drag this image onto your main picture. It will become a layer - adjust Blend Mode to Screen. Ooo!
Now you'll want to resize the layer, probably rotate it a little. You might like to use the Blur tool in places where it "hits" the ground.

Still not realistic? You could duplicate the layer (or make a new one) and join it on top of the other lightning to make a fork.

Use a bit more Blur or Sharpen in parts of the 'bolt' to suit. You could also Dodge a little around the lightning bolts to show how it's lit up the clouds.

There ya go.

http://www.prestophoto.com/photos/image/1218927/24460
PSE6 on WinXP, Pentax K10d...... and now a Canon G10.

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Geoff, I really like the image and the tut. I think I have the perfect one for this. Will try it after grand kids go home tomorrow.
will definately have to have a play with this one !!,what a great tutorial,thanks for sharing it hun :thumbsup: .regards min.
Hi geoff,I am working in elements 5,when I try to grey scale,I can choose which angle to have the scale across the whole page ,but I dont appear to have the option to drag the grey scale across the screen where I want it.I get a choice of grediant types/colours and a circle with a 90 degrees bar in it.What am i doing wrong?.Can I do this in elements 5.
kind regards,
min.
I've been scratching my head wondering where I mentioned 'Greyscale". I don't think I did.
What I did mention was "Gradient" - black and white.

With a black foreground and white background, use the gradient tool and stroke horizontally across the new image, but just in the middle portion - not the full width. If you mentally divide the 'image' into five vertical stripes, you'd just dab the gradient tool across the middle one. You should end up with a lot of black, a fairly narrow fade/transition, then a lot of white.

Any better?

Luv

Geoff
PSE6 on WinXP, Pentax K10d...... and now a Canon G10.

Gallery
:doh: I'v got my greyscale and gradient mixed up by the look of things.lol.will try this again .thanks hun.
regards min.
I had a try at this tutorial and thought I'd post my result. This was a great tutorial. Thanks Geoff.

lightning small.jpg
lightning small.jpg (52.26 KiB) Viewed 2634 times


Michelle
Michelle E

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Very nice Michelle,I'm ''slightly green'' with envy,and even more determined to to create this cool effect!.
Keep watching this thread.....one day,there will be light....ning,SORRY,LOL. :rotfl:
regards
min.
Geoff thanks for the tutorial on lightning. I know i will use this.
Its no good,all I keep getting is masses of lightning rods across the
whole pic,cant seem to get just one or two .AAAGGHH. :x
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