Adding Magic with Overlays | by Abi Coop
What are overlays?
Overlays are added elements; light, texture, colour, even another image, layered on top of your original photograph during post-processing. Adding one or more overlays to your image can elevate it to the next level, bringing it into alignment with your creative vision. Overlays can add depth, vibrancy and atmosphere, bringing a finishing magical touch to your work.
Whilst Photoshop might seem intimidating, adding an overlay is actually very simple. With just a few clicks, you can insert an overlay and fine-tune it using the transform tools and blending modes. You can alter the opacity, add masks and clip adjustment layers. There are many online tutorials available detailing these processes, and my new collection includes written guidelines as well as video demonstrations. In this blog, I’m going to discuss some of the many ways in which adding overlays can bring an extra dimension to your images.
Enhancing or shaping the light
Sun flares, bokeh, soft glows and other light overlays can infuse warmth and dynamism into an image, helping it feel more three dimensional. These effects can enhance the light that is already there naturally, or introduce an artistic flourish. They can soften harsh light, add drama and evoke emotion. Light shaping overlays may be used to control the direction and intensity of the light, guiding the viewer’s eye through the frame.
Adding texture or colour
Historically photographers could add textures to their images by scratching or marking their negatives using things like pins and sandpaper. They could add colour by intentionally staining the paper. Digitally, we can seamlessly blend textures and colours into our images with overlays. Adding textures can create a vintage, distressed or painterly effect, while colour overlays can shift the mood by introducing warmth, creating contrast, or eliciting a dream-like appearance.
Strengthening the composition
Overlays can be a powerful tool for strengthening the composition of your image. A greater sense of depth can be achieved through the addition of a foreground, such as a snowflakes falling or blurred leaves on the ground. Adding an overlay with leading lines such as sun rays or water ripples, can naturally direct the eye toward the subject. Similarly, overlays can be used to frame the subject, drawing the viewer deeper into the story. A ring of fire, a rainbow, or even a frosty window can serve as a creative enclosure, adding intrigue to the scene.
Creating drama
Overlays can be used to add glitter, bubbles, fog, confetti, rain, fireworks, splashes… anything that you can imagine that you’d like to incorporate into your image. It’s not always possible to implement these elements in your photoshoot or capture them in the right places in-camera, if at all! By digitally “cheating” to add extra water bokeh to your child jumping into the swimming pool, or inserting some steam above a bowl of hot soup, you can really elevate the storytelling of the image and the sense of movement conveyed.
Ultimately, whether you’re using overlays to add light, colour, texture, depth, drama or magic, they will transform your ordinary shot into a visually striking masterpiece. Whether used to subtly to enhance what is naturally there, or add an element that isn’t possible to capture in-camera, they will make each image unique and memorable. There are no rules with overlays. Experiment, explore and let your imagination run wild. Have some fun and push the boundaries of your creativity to produce something extraordinary!
If you want to take your photos to the next level, check out my brand new Magical Light Overlay Collection! I crafted these overlays from authentic light scenarios using a variety of creative techniques. These overlays are a beautiful way to naturally enhance your images. Featuring radiant flares, twinkling sparkles and vibrant light patterns, each overlay has been thoughtfully designed to infuse your work with energy, warmth and an ethereal charm. PLUS… my new collection comes with three editing videos to show you how to edit with the overlays in Photoshop!
