Dramatic Lighting

Create some professional lighting and shadows in your images.

1. Open your image or portrait. For the tutorial you may want to practice with this one.

2. First go to Image > Adjustments > Channel Mixer.

3. Duplicate the layer.

4. Image > Adjustments > Curves. You may want to adjust the settings here a bit to fit your image.

5. Duplicate the layer.

6. Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.

Set the blending mode to "Overlay"

7. Add a layer mask . Set your foreground color to black.

Now using a soft edge brush, brush over the face, head, neck and hair. Even the hair on the left shoulder.

Next grab your burn tool and burn just slightly around the models eyes, hair, chin, lips, and just under her nose. I've mark with red dots the areas were I did the burning.

What you should have is some dramatic lighting and shadows so it looks real and unique.