Effect
Visual effects guide: weather, optics, glitch and surrealism
Effects are the seasoning: a little fog adds depth, a flare adds warmth, a glitch adds modernity. Overused, the image looks like a cheap filter.
This layer groups weather and particle effects, optical effects, digital aesthetics and surreal scenes. The norm is one, at most two, per image.
Weather and particles
Smoke, fog, rain, snow or dust add atmosphere and depth, and separate planes. Fog and smoke also soften the background and make the subject stand out.
/SmokeSoft smoke atmosphere
Fills the air with a soft haze of smoke, gently softening the background.
/••••••••Dense cinematic fog
Covers the scene in dense, cinematic fog that softens visibility in the…
/••••••••Visible rain streaks
Adds visible rain falling across the scene.
/••••••••Falling snow
Adds falling snowflakes across the scene.
/••••••••Floating dust particles
Adds dust particles suspended in the air…
/••••••••Falling confetti
Adds falling confetti across the scene…
Optical and digital effects
Optical effects imitate what a real camera does: flares, light leaks, chromatic aberration, double exposure. Digital ones (glitch, VHS, halftone) give a retro or tech feel.
/••••••••Controlled lens flare
Adds a controlled lens flare…
/••••••••Film light leaks
Adds light leaks bleeding in from the edges…
/••••••••Double exposure overlay
Overlays two images into a single frame…
/••••••••Digital glitch effect
Applies a digital glitch effect…
/VHSVHS tape artefacts
Adds VHS tape artifacts, with the color distortion and tracking noise of the format.
/••••••••Halftone print texture
Overlays the image with a halftone dot pattern…
Impossible scenes
Zero gravity, floating islands or portals create images that couldn't be photographed. They work very well in creative campaigns and covers that need to grab attention.
/••••••••Zero-gravity scene
Makes subjects or objects float weightlessly…
/••••••••Floating island suspended in air
Creates a floating landmass or scene suspended in air…
/••••••••Glowing portal opening
Introduces a portal or threshold connecting two spaces…
/••••••••Holographic projection
Creates a holographic projection look with translucent light…
/••••••••Impossible balance composition
Creates an arrangement that appears physically impossible yet visually balanced…
/••••••••Optical illusion effect
Creates a visual illusion that plays with perception…
Common mistakes
- Stacking effects: smoke, flares and glitch together is noise.
- Using effects to hide a weak composition.
- Forgetting the effect must match the light (fog with no light through it barely shows).
Example combination
Fog crossed by light rays.
Composition (Pro code: with Pro you see which one it is and can copy the combination)"Pine forest at dawn" Lighting (Pro code: with Pro you see which one it is and can copy the combination) Effect (Pro code: with Pro you see which one it is and can copy the combination)-16:9 -no people