Giving your photos a “soft look” or “soft glow” is easy with the help of filters. However, you can still get this popular, dreamy look in-camera and with a bit of editing on post. Sounds like something you want to try? Street and travel photographer Roman Fox shares how he does this in five steps in his video above.
First, he stressed the most crucial detail to creating the soft glow style: a good source of light. It should be a clear and direct source, and may even be a slightly brighter area in the scene next to your main subject. Then, shoot as wide open as possible, but also take note that your scene retains context and natural contrast. When your scene loses context, step down your aperture to make sure it doesn’t look blurry or out of focus.
Fox also covers some tips for polishing the photos in post in just a few adjustments. These include using the tone curve and the radial filter, and properly applying sharpening and clarity. For the final touch, he also gave tips on adding the Orton Effect using Photoshop or Affinity Photo to add or enhance the soft glow in your shots.
Want more street photography tips and tricks like this? Don’t forget to join our group discussions if you’re already part of the Photofocus Community!
