Light leaks instantly add a feeling of warmth to your photos. They can have a range of intensities and can provide a soft filter or a more intense glow. Wherever their intensity falls on the spectrum, one thing is certain: creating light leaks by hand is a pain in the ass.
Unless you’re capturing light leaks in your outdoor photography, it’s difficult to recreate this effect digitally. That’s why using Photoshop actions is always a preferred method of editing.
To save you some time, we’ve put together a collection of light leak effects Photoshop actions that streamline your workflow, eliminate the guesswork, and ultimately provide you with a stunning, professional result .
The FilterGrade Light Leak Photoshop Actions is a set of 40 actions you can use to create a realistic film look to your digital photos. These actions work on landscapes and bright scenes to add more color and drama. Actions include color variations, light fades, film and burn errors, dual leaks, blocks, and more.
Another option is the Nostalgia Effects & Light Leaks Photoshop Actions set. This set includes 25 effects, 25 light leaks, and a shot preview. It also has fully editable layers and is non-destructive, so your original photo is preserved.
Here’s another great option to take your images to the next level. The Light Leaks Vol. The Photoshop Presets pack contains 25 presets designed to bring out the best in your photos. These light effects help you mimic the look of vintage photos. All presets included here are non-destructive.
The Thriller Lights Photoshop Actions set comes with a single action that can be applied with a single click, full instructions, and editable layers, giving you complete control over the results. This action adds an intense glow to the subject of your photos, creating quite a dramatic effect.
The Light & Flares Photoshop Action adds an extraordinary effect to your photos. It mimics the effect of vintage cameras and lenses when light leaks or flares from the lens. This set comes with 12 light exhaust actions and 4 flare bias actions. You can also easily edit the layers of these effects, so you have ultimate control.
Wall of Lights Photoshop Actions create a real impact on your photos. It works by creating a literal wall of lights behind the subject of your photo quickly and easily. It is well layered, fully editable and non-destructive. In addition, it comes with 20 color corrections.
This is another exciting option for adding light effects to your photos. The Light Painting Photoshop action can be set up with a single click. It works best on text or logos and gives your image a light painting look. It also comes with a help file and has eight color options to choose from.
The Light Show Animation Photoshop Action is another way to add drama through lighting to your photos. It comes with a video tutorial, so you won’t have to second guess how to use it, and the result is a powerful and colorful light effect running over your photos like a spotlight.
The Aurora Light Photoshop Actions set gives your images a light smoke effect. This set has 16 actions, is non-destructive, and also includes a bonus matte effect. This is fully editable, so you have ultimate control over your photos and comes with full instructions.
The Dual Light Photoshop Action works by creating a double light effect in your photos. You can customize every aspect of the effect with bokeh and smoke effects. It works on all different types of photos and comes with 20 color presets as well as full video instructions.
Another great option is the Double Light Photoshop Action. It allows you to choose from different colors, intensity, and more to achieve a completely customized effect. It also comes with complete instructions, leaving nothing to guesswork.
You may also want to consider the Lucent Photoshop Action. This one makes it super easy to apply the effect. All you have to do is fill the area of the photo you want to highlight with color, and then click Play on the action. That’s it!
The Light Leaks Vol.2 Photoshop Presets is another set you should consider for your photo edits. It comes with 25 different light emission options that add a powerful effect. These presets are non-destructive and can give your images a vintage style.
Another great option is the Electrum Lightning Photoshop Action. This one creates an amazing electric lightning effect across your photo. You can change the colors, contrast and gradient of the effect. And you can apply it with one click.
You may also want to consider the Impulse Photoshop Actions set. This one is super easy to use. Just apply it to an area of your picture, play the action, and then create an energetic lightning effect. It comes with text and video tutorials, is non-destructive, and creates well-organized layers so you can make further customizations as needed.
The last action on our list is the Thriller Lights Photoshop action. This one creates drama in your photos by adding light blur effects. It’s non-destructive, allows you to fully customize the layers, and gives you plenty of control over every aspect of its output.
How to install Photoshop Actions
- Download and unzip the activity file
- Send Photoshop
- Go
Window > Actions
- Choose
Load Actions
from the menu and go to the folder where you saved the unzipped action file to select it - The Action will now be installed
- To use the newly installed action, find it in the box
Action
panel - Click on the triangle to the left of the action name to see the list of available actions
- Click on the action you want to play and press the play button at the bottom of the
Actions
panel
We hope you enjoyed this collection of light leak effect Photoshop action sets. Each option gives you a solid foundation to build a stunning final image.
Any of these would give your photos the drama, vintage look or style you’re looking for. Happy editing!