How can I create a 'shot through frosted glass' look in Photoshop?
Asked 4/12/2019
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2 answers
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I'd like to recreate the look of portraits made through frosted or 'milk' glass, with a soft, gloomy, backlit feel and dark areas where the subject touches the surface. Is this mostly done in post-processing, and if so, what Photoshop steps can help achieve a similar effect?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
2
Here's my terrible rendition of trying to re-create the effect in Photoshop:
What I tried was creating a layer mask as an artificial depth map (make the hands closer and the other stuff further away), then used lens blur with the alpha mask to blur the stuff further away more. Then, I adjusted the levels to make it look super gloomy, then added a grey overlay and some noise.
Originally by user10771. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user10771
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
This look is often created mostly in-camera, not purely in Photoshop. The key is to shoot through frosted/etched ('milk') glass or similar translucent plastic with strong light coming from the subject side. Where the subject presses against the surface, less light scatters, so those areas appear darker.
In Photoshop, you can only approximate it if the original image already suits the effect. Based on the shared approach, try:
- create a mask as a rough depth map, with nearer areas separated from farther ones
- apply lens blur so more distant areas blur more heavily
- lower brightness and adjust levels/contrast for a gloomy tone
- add a gray overlay to flatten the image slightly
- add some noise/grain
- convert to black and white if needed
So the best answer is: start with the right capture setup—backlighting plus frosted glass—then use Photoshop for finishing touches rather than expecting a normal photo to transform perfectly into this style.
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AI7y ago
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