{"id":7448,"date":"2016-01-28T00:09:26","date_gmt":"2016-01-28T05:09:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/?p=7448"},"modified":"2019-04-13T11:19:41","modified_gmt":"2019-04-13T15:19:41","slug":"soft-glow-with-smart-filters-in-photoshop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.photoshopessentials.com\/newsite\/photo-editing\/soft-glow-with-smart-filters-in-photoshop\/","title":{"rendered":"Editable Soft Glow With Smart Filters In Photoshop"},"content":{"rendered":"<section>\n<div id=\"author\">Written by Steve Patterson.<\/div>\n<p>If you're just joining us, this is the second of two Photoshop tutorials on how to enhance your photos, especially portrait shots, using a soft glow effect which not only softens the overall image but also helps to smooth skin, boost contrast and enhance colors, all at the same time.<\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n.adslot-pr2 { display: inline-block; width:300px; float:right; margin: 6px 0px 12px 20px; }\n@media (max-width: 767px) { .adslot-pr2 { display: none; } }\n<\/style><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\n<!-- 300x250 photo editing top responsive -->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle adslot-pr2\"     \n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6601556224092982\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"4356542292\"\n     data-ad-format=\"rectangle\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script>\n<p>There's a couple of ways to create this effect in Photoshop, both of which can be completed  very easily. Both ways can also give you great looking results. The key difference between them is that one produces a <em>static<\/em> effect, meaning that it can't easily be changed or edited later, while the other remains fully editable even after the effect has been completed, allowing you to go back, make changes, and see if you can improve the results even further.<\/p>\n<p>In the first of these two tutorials, we learned how to add a soft glow using the more basic and traditional method (the static method) that's better suited for beginner Photoshop users. It gave us great results but it didn't let us  go back and make further changes or improvements. In this tutorial, we'll learn how to create the exact same soft glow effect while keeping it fully editable from start to finish, and we'll do that by taking advantage of <strong>Smart Objects<\/strong> and <strong>Smart Filters<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<p>Smart Objects and Smart Filters may be considered more &quot;advanced&quot; features in Photoshop, but don't let that fool you. As we'll see, they're every bit as easy to use as normal layers and filters, with the added benefits of being extremely flexible and completely editable without any loss in image quality. As always, I'll cover everything step-by-step, explaining things as we go so that even if you're new to Photoshop, you can easily follow along. <\/p>\n<p>If you haven't done so already, I encourage you to work through the first tutorial, <a href=\"\/photo-editing\/easy-soft-glow-effect-with-photoshop\/\">Easy Soft Glow Effect In Photoshop<\/a>, before moving on to this one since this tutorial will occasionally mention steps that were covered previously. <\/p>\n<p>Here's the photo I'll be using (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/pic.mhtml?id=18092269&src=id\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hippie girl photo<\/a> from Shutterstock):<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/original.jpg\" alt=\"Image #18092269 licensed and used by permission from Shutterstock by Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials.com\" width=\"404\" height=\"600\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The original image.<\/div>\n<p>And here's how it will look after applying the soft glow effect:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/photoshop-soft-glow-effect.jpg\" alt=\"Photoshop warm golden sunset effect. Image &copy; 2015 Photoshop Essentials.com\" width=\"404\" height=\"600\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The final result.<\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n.ads-middle { display: inline-block; width:300px; margin:6px 0px 24px 0px; padding-top: 16px; padding-bottom: 16px; }\n@media (max-width: 515px) { .ads-middle { margin:20px 0; } }\n@media (max-width: 480px) { .ads-middle { margin:20px 0; } }\n<\/style><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6601556224092982\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<!-- photo effects 300x250 middle responsive -->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle ads-middle\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6601556224092982\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"4216941496\"\n     data-ad-format=\"rectangle\"\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script>\n<p>This tutorial is part of our <a href=\"\/photo-editing\/portrait-retouch\/\" title=\"Photoshop portrait retouching tutorials\">Portrait Retouching<\/a> collection. Let's get started!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<aside><p class=\"members-ad-top\"><a href=\"\/print-ready-pdfs\/\">Download all of our Photoshop tutorials as PDFs!<\/a><\/p><\/aside>\n<section>\n<h3>Step 1: Convert The Background Layer Into A Smart Object<\/h3>\n<p>In the previous tutorial where we learned the more traditional way of creating the soft glow effect, the first thing we needed to do was duplicate the Background layer. Here, we see my image sitting on the Background layer in the <a href=\"\/basics\/layers\/layers-panel\/\">Layers panel<\/a>, just like before:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/layers-panel-background-layer.gif\" alt=\"The Layers panel showing the photo on the Background layer. \" width=\"286\" height=\"287\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The Layers panel showing the photo on the Background layer.<\/div>\n<p>This time, because we'll be keeping the effect fully editable, what we need to do instead is convert the Background layer into a <strong>Smart Object<\/strong>. What's a Smart Object? Think of  Smart Objects in Photoshop as  containers that hold layers, and converting a layer into a Smart Object is like placing the layer inside one of these containers. The containers are transparent so we can't actually see them, which is what makes Smart Objects a bit confusing at first. What we see in our document is not the Smart Object but the layer <em>inside<\/em> the Smart Object.<\/p>\n<p>Smart Objects are very flexible. In fact, many of the things we can do to a layer, we can also do to a Smart Object. The important difference, though, is that when we edit a Smart Object, that's exactly what we're doing; we're editing the Smart Object itself, <em>not<\/em> the layer. In other words, we're editing the container, not what's inside the container. The layer inside the Smart Object always remains safe and unharmed, and that's what makes Smart Objects so flexible and editable; no matter what we do to a Smart Object, Photoshop always has that original, unedited layer inside of it to go back to. <\/p>\n<p>This tutorial doesn't even begin to cover all of the things we can do with Smart Objects, but let's see how they can help us with our soft glow effect. To convert the Background layer into a Smart Object, click on the small <strong>menu icon<\/strong> in the upper right corner of the Layers panel:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/layers-panel-menu-icon.gif\" alt=\"Clicking the menu icon in the Layers panel. \" width=\"301\" height=\"235\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Clicking the menu icon in the Layers panel.<\/div>\n<p>Then choose <strong>Convert to Smart Object<\/strong> from the menu that appears:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/convert-to-smart-object.gif\" alt=\"Choosing Convert to Smart Object from the Layers panel menu. \" width=\"240\" height=\"163\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Choosing &quot;Convert to Smart Object&quot;.<\/div>\n<p>Even though we've converted the Background layer into a Smart Object, it won't <em>look<\/em> like anything has happened to our image. That's because, as I mentioned earlier, Smart Objects are completely transparent; we don't actually see them, we see the layer inside them. However, if we look again in the Layers panel, we now see a small <strong>Smart Object icon<\/strong> in the lower right corner of the layer's <strong>preview thumbnail<\/strong>, telling us that sure enough, the layer is now sitting inside of a Smart Object container:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/smart-object-icon.gif\" alt=\"The Layers panel showing the new Smart Object icon. \" width=\"286\" height=\"213\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The Layers panel showing the new Smart Object icon.<\/div>\n<h3>Step 2: Apply A Gaussian Blur Smart Filter<\/h3>\n<p>Smart Objects have plenty of uses on their own, but one of the best reasons for converting a layer into a Smart Object is that is allows us to apply Photoshop's filters to the layer as <strong>Smart Filters<\/strong>. In many ways, a Smart Filter is just like a normal filter in Photoshop. In fact, there's no difference at all between filters and Smart Filters when it comes to choosing them or using them. What makes Smart Filters so &quot;smart&quot; isn't what they can do; it's what they can do <em>after<\/em> what is is they've already done!<\/p>\n<p>To show you what I mean, let's apply Photoshop's Gaussian Blur filter to the image, just like we did in the previous tutorial. This will soften the photo, creating the first part of our soft glow effect. The only difference is, this time, we'll be applying the filter not to a normal layer but to a Smart Object. <\/p>\n<p>To do that, go up to the <strong>Filter<\/strong> menu in the Menu Bar along the top of the screen, choose <strong>Blur<\/strong>, and then choose <strong>Gaussian Blur<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/filter-blur-gaussian-blur.gif\" alt=\"Selecting the Gaussian Blur from under the Filter menu. \" width=\"407\" height=\"185\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Going to Filter &gt; Blur &gt; Gaussian Blur.<\/div>\n<p>This opens the Gaussian Blur dialog box. Just as before, the idea here is to soften the image by blurring it  without going so far that we make our subject unrecognizable. We control the amount of blur using the <strong>Radius<\/strong> slider along the bottom of the dialog box. The further we drag the slider to the right, the stronger the blur appears. Photoshop gives us a live preview of the effect, so keep an eye on your image as you drag the slider to judge the results.<\/p>\n<p>The amount of blur you need will depend a lot on the size of your image (larger images  need more blur than smaller ones) as well as your own personal taste. Generally, a fairly low radius value of around <strong>8 to 10 pixels<\/strong> is a good place to start:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/gaussian-blur-8px.jpg\" alt=\"Setting my Radius value to around 8 pixels. \" width=\"338\" height=\"354\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Adjusting the amount of blur with the Radius slider.<\/div>\n<p>Click <strong>OK<\/strong> when you're done to close out of the Gaussian Blur dialog box. Here's what my image looks like so far. Notice that we can still make out quite a lot of detail:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/image-blurred-8px.jpg\" alt=\"The image after applying the Gaussian Blur filter. \" width=\"404\" height=\"600\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The image after applying the Gaussian Blur filter.<\/div>\n<h3>Step 3: Change The Blend Mode Of The Smart Filter To Soft Light<\/h3>\n<p>So far, there's really been no difference in how we've applied the Gaussian Blur filter from the way we did things in the previous tutorial where we created a static version of the soft glow effect. In both cases, we selected Gaussian Blur from under the Filter menu in the Menu Bar, we used the Radius slider to adjust the strength of the blur, and then we clicked OK to close out of the dialog box. Yet this time, somehow, we've managed to apply Gaussian Blur not as a normal filter but as a Smart Filter. How did we do that?<\/p>\n<p>We did it by applying the Gaussian Blur filter not to a normal layer but to a Smart Object. Any filter applied to a Smart Object in Photoshop automatically becomes a Smart Filter. It's that easy! There's nothing else we need to do. In fact, if we look in our Layers panel once again, we now see Gaussian Blur listed as a Smart Filter below the Smart Object:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/gaussian-blur-smart-filter.gif\" alt=\"Smart Filters are listed below Smart Objects in the Layers panel. \" width=\"286\" height=\"286\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Smart Filters are listed below the Smart Objects they\u2019ve been applied to.<\/div>\n<p>If you remember from the previous tutorial, the next step we needed to do after blurring the layer was change its blend mode from Normal to Soft Light. This is what turns our \"blur\" into a \"glow\". Problem is, in that tutorial, we had a separate, independent blur layer sitting above the image. This time, we don't. All we have is our Smart Object with a Smart Filter applied to it. So how do we change the blend mode?<\/p>\n<p>Easy! We simply change the blend mode of the Smart Filter itself! To do that, <strong>double-click<\/strong> on the small <strong>Blending Options<\/strong> icon to the right of the words &quot;Gaussian Blur&quot;:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/blending-options-icon.gif\" alt=\"Double-clicking the Blending Options icon for the Smart Filter in the Layers panel. \" width=\"286\" height=\"169\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Double-clicking the Gaussian Blur filter's Blending Options icon.<\/div>\n<p>This opens the Blending Options dialog box specifically for the Gaussian Blur Smart Filter. You'll find the <strong>Blend Mode<\/strong> option at the very top. I'll change it from Normal (the default setting) to <strong>Soft Light<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/gaussian-blur-blending-options.jpg\" alt=\"Changing the blend mode for the Gaussian Blur layer to Soft Light. \" width=\"325\" height=\"346\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Changing the blend mode of the Gaussian Blur filter to Soft Light.<\/div>\n<p>The Soft Light blend mode boosts contrast in the image by making dark areas darker and light areas lighter, and it makes colors appear richer and more vibrant. Here's the result I get just by changing the filter's blend mode to Soft Light:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/image-soft-light.jpg\" alt=\"The image with the Gaussian Blur filter changed to Soft Light. \" width=\"404\" height=\"600\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The image after changing the Gaussian Blur\u2019s blend mode to Soft Light.<\/div>\n<p>Another blend mode to try is <strong>Overlay<\/strong>, which gives us results that are similar to Soft Light but the effect is more intense. I'll change my blend mode from Soft Light to Overlay in the Blending Options dialog box:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/overlay-blend-mode.jpg\" alt=\"Changing the blend mode of the Gaussian Blur Smart Filter to Overlay. \" width=\"325\" height=\"346\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Changing the blend mode from Soft Light to Overlay.<\/div>\n<p>And here, we see that the glow effect is now much stronger:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/image-overlay-blend-mode.jpg\" alt=\"The image with the Gaussian Blur filter set to Overlay. \" width=\"404\" height=\"600\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The image with the Gaussian Blur filter set to Overlay.<\/div>\n<div class=\"members-ad\"><a href=\"\/print-ready-pdfs\/\">Get all of our Photoshop tutorials as PDFs!<\/a> Download them today!<\/div>\n<h3>Step 4: Lower The Filter's Opacity<\/h3>\n<p>To reduce the intensity of the glow, simply lower the opacity of the Gaussian Blur Smart Filter. You'll find the <strong>Opacity<\/strong> option directly below the Blend Mode option in the Blending Options dialog box.<\/p>\n<p>Lowering the opacity of a Smart Filter has the same effect as lowering the opacity of an actual layer. The more we lower it from its default value of 100%, the more the original image shows through. I'll leave my blend mode set to Overlay for the moment and I'll lower the opacity down to 60%. I'm just experimenting here, and the values I'm using may be different from yours. Again, keep an eye on your image as you make these changes to judge the results:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/overlay-opacity-60percent.jpg\" alt=\"Lowering the opacity of the Smart Filter to 60 percent. \" width=\"340\" height=\"248\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Lowering the opacity of the Smart Filter to 60 percent.<\/div>\n<p>And here, we see that the intensity of the glow  has been reduced:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/image-overlay-60percent.jpg\" alt=\"The image using the Overlay blend mode set to 60 percent opacity. \" width=\"405\" height=\"600\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The image using the Overlay blend mode, 60 percent opacity.<\/div>\n<p>I think the effect is still a bit too strong, so I'll switch my blend mode back to Soft Light. But since Soft Light produces a more subtle effect, I'll increase the opacity to around 80%:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/soft-light-opacity-80percent.jpg\" alt=\"Setting the blend mode back to Soft Light and raising the opacity to 80 percent. \" width=\"335\" height=\"346\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Setting the blend mode back to Soft Light and raising the opacity to 80 percent.<\/div>\n<p>When you're happy with how your image looks, click OK to close out of the Blending Options dialog box. Here's my final result. Or at least, the result I think I'm happy with for the moment :<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/image-soft-light-80percent.jpg\" alt=\"The soft glow effect using the Soft Light blend mode, opacity at 60 percent. \" width=\"404\" height=\"600\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The soft glow effect using the Soft Light blend mode, opacity at 80 percent.<\/div>\n<h3>Step 5: Edit The Gaussian Blur Filter Settings (Optional)<\/h3>\n<p>So far so good, yet here we are near the end of the tutorial and we still haven't seen anything special about Smart Filters. Sure, we were able to change the blend mode and the opacity of the Gaussian Blur filter, but as we saw in the previous tutorial when we created a static version of this effect, we could have done the same things using a normal layer. What's so &quot;smart&quot; about Smart Filters?<\/p>\n<p>What makes them smart is that, unlike normal filters in Photoshop, Smart Filters are <em>completely editable<\/em>. Now that I've been staring at my image for a few minutes, what if I start thinking,&quot;You know, maybe a stronger blur amount would  look better.&quot; I'd like to go back and change the radius value in the Gaussian Blur dialog box. If we had created the effect using the more traditional method without Smart Filters, there would be no easy way to do that. I'd have to either start over again, or at the very least, undo all of my steps to get back to the point just before I applied Gaussian Blur, which may or may not even be possible depending on how many steps I've done since then (Photoshop only lets us go back so far).<\/p>\n<p>With Smart Filters, going back and making changes is never a problem. We can  re-open a Smart Filter's dialog box and change any settings we like  at any time, with no loss in image quality! All we need to do is <strong>double-click<\/strong> on the Smart Filter's <strong>name<\/strong> in the Layers panel. This will re-open its dialog box, ready for us to make our changes. For example, to re-open my Gaussian Blur dialog box, I'll simply double-click directly on the words &quot;Gaussian Blur&quot;:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/filter-effect-name.gif\" alt=\"Re-opening the Gaussian Blur Smart Filter dialog box, opacity at 60 percent. \" width=\"286\" height=\"169\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Double-clicking on the words &quot;Gaussian Blur&quot;.<\/div>\n<p>The Gaussian Blur dialog box re-appears. To increase the blur effect, I'll drag the Radius slider a bit more to the right, raising the value from 8 pixels (my original setting) to somewhere around 20 pixels. You'll find that as you increase the radius value, you'll lose a bit of contrast in favor of a softer look, which may or may not work better depending on your image. Click OK when you're done to close out of the Gaussian Blur dialog box once again:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/gaussian-blur-20pixels.jpg\" alt=\"Editing my original Gaussian Blur Smart Filter settings. \" width=\"336\" height=\"354\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Editing my original setting by increasing the radius value.<\/div>\n<h3>Toggling The Smart Filter On And Off<\/h3>\n<p>You can toggle the effects of the Smart Filter on and off in the document to compare your results with the original image. This can help you decide if you need to go back and make further changes. To temporarily hide the effect, click on the <strong>visibility icon<\/strong> (the eyeball) directly to the left of the filter's name in the Layers panel:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/smart-filter-toggle.gif\" alt=\"Clicking the Smart Filter visibiity icon in the Layers panel. \" width=\"286\" height=\"169\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">Click the visibility icon to toggle the Smart Filter on and off.<\/div>\n<p>With the filter off, we see the original image:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/original.jpg\" alt=\"Image #18092269 licensed and used by permission from Shutterstock by Steve Patterson, Photoshop Essentials.com\" width=\"404\" height=\"600\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The original image once again.<\/div>\n<p>Click the visibility icon once again (the same spot where the eyeball appeared) to turn the Smart Filter back on and view the soft glow effect. And here, after increasing the radius value thanks to my editable Smart Filter, is my \"new\" final  result:<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pe-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/photo-editing\/cc\/2015\/soft-glow-smart-filters\/photoshop-soft-glow-effect.jpg\" alt=\"A soft glow effect created in Photoshop. \" width=\"404\" height=\"600\" \/>\n<div class=\"image-desc\">The final, edited soft glow effect.<\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n.ads-bottom { width:300px; padding-top:16px;padding-bottom:16px; }\n<\/style><div align=\"center\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6601556224092982\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<!-- 300x250 page bottom responsive -->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle ads-bottom\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6601556224092982\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"2879809098\"\n     data-ad-format=\"rectangle\"\n\t data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/div>\n<p>And there we have it! That's how to enhance your images with a  soft glow effect and keep the effect fully editable from start to finish using the power of Smart Objects and Smart Filters in Photoshop! Check out our <a href=\"\/photo-editing\/\">Photo Retouching<\/a> section for more Photoshop image editing tutorials!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<aside> <div class=\"members-ad\"><a href=\"\/print-ready-pdfs\/\">Get all of our Photoshop tutorials as PDFs!<\/a> Download them today!<\/div> <\/aside>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this second of two tutorials, learn how Smart Objects and Smart Filters in Photoshop can help us create the same soft glow effect as in the previous tutorial, but this time,  keeping the effect fully editable from start to finish!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11081,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-photo-editing"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 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