Using PhotoShop layers to 'light' a room: an example

Here's a photo I shot for Sound Vision, Inc. of a new high school auditorium in Marengo, Illinois.

The top image on the right is the finished shot. (If you'd like to see it a little larger, click here.)

At right is what the base layer looks like. It's the darkest exposure that I used.

Here's the next layer up: a brighter exposure for the seating, screen and ceiling. I wanted to keep the walls darker, so I removed those sections of this layer almost completely. I also partially erased some of the seating area so the final density is in between this exposure and the darker layer below. Finally, I painted in the sides and top of the projection screen to avoid a white line between the screen image and the screen's black borders.

I added an even brighter layer for the curtains and proscenium, then deleted all but these elements. But then I dropped the opacity back to 50% because I decided they were too bright.

Now let's take a look at what the PhotoShop Layers menu looks like for this image. It shows these five layers.
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At right is the orchestra screen image, "pasted into" a clipping path drawn on the inside of the screen. This one had to be simulated, so I added a slight amount of blur and noise to help it blend in with the rest of the photo. I also brightened the center a bit with the dodge tool so it would look more realistic.

I thought the ceiling with the catwalks was too prominent in the "walls & screen" layer, so I pasted a copy of the background layer on top of everything, then deleted all but the ceiling. Then I lowered the layer's opacity to get just the effect I wanted.

I hope these examples are helpful. If you have any questions, please call me at 847-749-2424

Click for more examples of finished photos created this way