How to Create an Energy Effect Action in Adobe Photoshop

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create an awesome energy effect.
If you want to create advanced energy effects , using just one click and in just a few minutes, check out Energy Photoshop Action..

What You’ll Need

To recreate the design above, you’ll need the following:

• Stock Image

1. Let’s Get Started 

First, open the photo you want to work with. To open your photo, go to File > Open, choose your photo and click Open. Now, before we get started, just check a couple of things:

1. Your photo should be in RGB Color, 8Bits/Channel. To check this, go to Image> Mode.
2. For best results, your photo size should be 2000–4000 px wide/high. To check this, go to Image> Image Size.
3. Your photo should be the Background layer. If it isn’t, go to Layer > New > Background from Layer

2. How to Select the Subject

Step 1

In this section, we’re going to make a selection of the subject and then copy the subject to a separate layer. Choose the Quick Selection Tool (W) and select the background of the photo. Use the Shift-Alt keys on your keyboard to add or subtract areas from the selection. Press Control-Shift-I on your keyboard to invert the selection.

Step 2

Go to Select> Modify> Smooth and set  Sample Radius to 5 px. Then, go to Select> Modify> Contract and set Feather Radius to 2 px. Then, go to Select> Modify> Feather and set Feather Radius to 2 px as shown below:

Step 3

Press Control-J on your keyboard to create a new layer using the selection, and name this layer Subject.

3. How to Create the Background

Step 1

In this section, we’re going to create the background. Select the Background layer, go to Layer> New Fill Layer> Solid Color to create a new solid color fill layer, name it Background Color, and choose the color  #000000 as shown below:

Step 2

Go to Layer> New> Layer to create a new layer and name it Temp.

Step 3

Press D on your keyboard to reset the swatches and go to Filter> Render> Clouds.

Step 4

Press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer. Then, go to Filter> Distort> Twirl and set Angle to 50 ° as shown below:

Step 5

Change the Blending Mode of this layer to Darken and press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer. Then, go to Edit> Transform> Flip Horizontal and Edit> Transform Flip Vertical to flip this layer both horizontally and vertically.

Step 6

Press Shift while clicking the Temp layer to select all the layers and press Control-E on your keyboard to merge them into one layer. Then, press Control-J to duplicate this layer.

Step 7

Press Control-I on your keyboard to invert this layer. Then, press D to reset the swatches and go to Filter> Render> Clouds.

Step 8

Press Control-I on your keyboard to invert this layer. Then, go to Filter> Distort> Twirl and set Angle to 50 ° as shown below:

Step 9

Change the Blending Mode of this layer to Multiply. Then, Control-click the Temp copy 2 layer to select both layers at the same time and press Control-E on your keyboard to merge them into one layer.

Step 10

Press Control-T on your keyboard to transform this layer and set Width and Height to 200% as shown below:

Step 11

Go to Layer> Layer Mask> Hide All to add a layer mask. Then, set the foreground color to #ffffff, pick the Brush Tool (B), choose a soft brush, and brush where you want the texture to appear. Vary the hardness of the brush.

Step 12

Name this layer Background_Texture_1. Then, select the Background Color  layer, go to Layer > New > Layer to create a new layer and name it Background_Texture_2

Step 13

Press D on your keyboard to reset the swatches, and go to Filter> Render> Clouds.

Step 14

Press Control-T on your keyboard to transform this layer and set Width and Height to 200% as shown below:

Step 15

Go to Filter> Distort> Twirl and set Angle to 50 ° as shown below:

Step 16

Go to Image> Adjustments> Levels and use the settings below:

Step 17

Change the Opacity of this layer to 10%.

Step 18

Select the Background_Texture_1 layer, go to Layer> New> Layer to create a new layer and name it Temp.

Step 19

Press D on your keyboard to reset the swatches and go to Filter> Render> Clouds.

Step 20

Press Control-T on your keyboard to transform this layer and set Width and Height to 150% as shown below:

Step 21

Press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer. Then, go to Filter> Distort> Twirl and set Angle to 50 °.

Step 22

Change the Blending Mode of this layer to Screen. Then, Control-click the Temp copy 2 layer to select both layers at the same time and press Control-E on your keyboard to merge them into one layer.

Step 23

Go to Layer> Layer Mask> Hide All to add a layer mask. Then, set the foreground color to #ffffff, pick the Brush Tool (B), choose a soft brush, and brush where you want the texture to appear. Vary the hardness of the brush.

Step 24

Change the Blending Mode of this layer to Screen and Opacity to 50%. Then, name this layer Background Glow.

4. How to Blend the Subject

Step 1

Select the Subject layer and Control-click the thumbnail of this layer to create a selection from it. Then, go to Select> Modify> Contract and set Contract By to 25 px. Go to Select> Modify> Feather and set Feather Radius to 50 px as shown below:

Step 2

Go to Layer> Layer Mask> Reveal Selection to add a layer mask. Then, in the Properties panel, set the layer mask to 55% as shown below:

Step 3

Press Control-J on your keyboard to duplicate this layer. Then, press Control-Shift-U to desaturate this layer, go to Filter> Other> High Pass and set Radius to 30 px.

Step 4

Go to Image> Auto tone and then Image> Auto Contrast to automatically adjust the tone and contrast of this layer. Then, go to Edit> Adjustments> Levels and enter the settings below:

Step 5

Change the Blending Mode of this layer to Overlay and set Opacity to 50%. Then, name this layer Details Details.

Step 6

Control-click the Subject layer to select both layers at the same time. Then, go to Layer> New> Group from Layers to create a new group from the selected layers and name it Main Subject.

Step 7

Go to Layer> Layer Mask> Reveal All to add a layer mask that reveals the whole layer group. Then, set the foreground color to #000000, pick the Brush Tool (B), choose a soft brush, and brush over the remaining areas of the background.

5. How to Create the Subject Glow

Step 1

Press-Control on the thumbnail of the Subject layer to create a selection from this layer. Then, Control-Alt-Shift-click on the layer mask of the Main Subject layer group to intersect the selection. Then, go to Select> Modify> Contract and set Contract By to 10 px.

Step 2

Press Control-Shift-I on your keyboard to invert the selection. Then, Control-Alt-Shift-click the layer thumbnail.Control-Alt-Shift-click the layer of the Main Subject layer group to intersect the selection.

Step 3

Select the Background layer and press Control-J on your keyboard to create a new layer. Then, drag this layer to the top of the layers in the Layers panel.

Step 4

Go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur and set Radius to 10 px as shown below:

Step 5

Change the Blending Mode of this layer to Linear Dodge (Add) and set Opacity to 70%. Then, name this layer Subject_Glow_1.

Step 6

Control-click the thumbnail of the Subject layer to create a selection from this layer. Then, Control-Alt-Shift-click the Main Subject layer to intersect the selection. Then, go to Layer> New> Layer to create a new layer and name it Temp.

Step 7

Set the background color to#ffffff. Then, go to Edit> Fill and set Contents to Foreground Color, Mode to Normal and Opacity to 100 %.

Step 8

Press Control-D on your keyboard to deselect. Then, press Control-J to duplicate this layer. Go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur and set Radius to 100 px.

Step 9

Name this layer Subject_Glow_2 and drag it just below the Main Subject layer group in the Layers panel.

Step 10

Select the Temp layer, go to Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur, and set Radius to 100 px.

Step 11.

6. How to Make the Final Adjustments

Step 1

Select the Subject_Glow_1 layer, go to Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Color Balance to create an adjustment layer and name it Color_1.

Step 2

Double-click the thumbnail of this layer and, in the Properties panel, see the settings below:

Step 3

Go to Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Curves to create a new curves adjustment layer and name it Color_2. Then, drag this layer just below the Color_1 layer in the Layers panel.

Step 4

Double-click the thumbnail of this layer and, in the Properties panel, see the settings below: 

Step 5

Press D on your keyboard to reset the swatches. Then, go to Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Gradient Map to create a new gradient map adjustment layer and name it Overall Contrast. Then, drag this layer to the top of the Layers panel.

Step 6

Change the Blending Mode of this layer to Soft Light and set Opacity to 10%.

Step 7

Go to Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Hue / Saturation to create a new hue/saturation adjustment layer and name it Overall Saturation.

Step 8

Double-click the thumbnail of this layer and, in the Properties panel, set Saturation to +7 as shown below:

Step 9

Go to Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Levels to create a new layer and name it Brightness.

Step 10

Double-click the thumbnail of this layer and, in the Properties panel, see the settings below:

Step 11

Select the Subject layer, go to Layer> New Adjustment Layer> Hue / Saturation to create a new hue/saturation adjustment layer and name it Subject_Color_Correction.

Step 12

Press Control-Alt-G on your keyboard to create a clipping mask. Then, double-click the thumbnail of this layer and, in the Properties  panel, select the preset color Cyans and set Hue to +55 and Saturation to -80 as shown below:

Step 13

Select the Overall Brightness  layer, press Control-Alt-Shift-E on your keyboard to create a snapshot, then press Control-Shift-U to desaturate this layer. Then, go to Filter> Other> High Pass and set Radius to 2 px.

Step 14

Name this layer Sharpening and change the Blending Mode of this layer to Vivid Light.

We’re Done!As always, keep experimenting with different techniques, and don’t forget to post your work below, along with any questions, comments or critiques!

If you want to create the more advanced energy effects shown below, using just one click and in just a few minutes, check out Energy Photoshop Action.
The action comes with a detailed video tutorial showing how to use it and customize the results to get the most out of the effect.