Image editing programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Gimp and Microsoft Digital Image Suite offer a wide range of tools that can be used to create beautiful photographs, many of those tools and the effects they crete originated in the world of film photography. One such tool effect is the Orton Effect.
The Orton Effect is named after Michael Orton who first used the technique is a sandwich of two images, one in focus the other out of focus. Freeman Patterson and Andre Gallant have both used the technique successfully in their work as well.
The Orton image has traditionally been done using slide film with the first, sharp, image overexposed by two stops and the second, out of focus image, over exposed by one stop. It is important to use a tripod for this type of work to ensure your photographic elements remain in register on the film. The shots were then sandwiched together in single slide mount to produce a beautiful, impressionistic image. We are beyond that now and with so many things in the world of digital photography, we can now duplicate the same effect in multiple ways.
For purists, you can use the same technique as with film, two images, overexposed the same way, and in your image editing program place your out of focus image on tip of your in focus image as a layer and choose multiply as your blending mode. Of course this means always taking at least two images of your scene and always using a tripod. Another method is to use a single image a create a layer, now opening up the effect to any image you have in your collection.
I will be using the new Adobe Elements 5 for this tutorial and a photo of a Wake-Robin I shot this past spring..
- Open your image (Image 1)
- Duplicate the background layer (Right click on the background layer and choose duplicate) and name that layer Sharp
- Create another duplicate of the background layer.
- Change the Blending mode of the Sharp Copy to screen
- With the Sharp Copy layer selected, right click and choose Merge Down (Image 2)
- Right click on the Sharp layer, choose Duplicate and name this layer Out of Focus
- On the Filter Menu, choose Blur – Gaussian Blur (Image 3)
Depending on the resolution of the image you are using, the amount of blue needed will change. Use enough that the shapes are still visible, but detail is not. For this 6.1 Megapixel image, a value of 15.9 was sufficient. - Change the blending mode of the Out Of Focus layer to Multiply. (Image 4)
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Final image including levels adjustment and cropping
Once you are complete, you may find it necessary to adjust the opacity of your Out of Focus layer and/or apply a levels (or curves) adjustment layer to the Sharp layer if some tweaking is necessary.You can also adjust the amount of blur you apply to the out of focus image, as well as adjustments such as level, brightness and contrast and it is good practice to apply sharpening to your image Sharp layer. (Image 5)
Not all images work well with this effect, but digital photography makes it easier to try it out on wide range of photos. I have included a few examples here of other photos with the Orton Effect applied, though the effect is lost on the small images. You can view another on my personal site, or view the Orton flickr.com group.
Until next time, happy shooting.
The digital photography tip of the week is written by the PCIN Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Chris is a long time photographer and is currently the President of the Niagara Falls Camera Club. You can see more of his photography at his Photo of the Day website.
If you have a tip to send Chris, or a question about digital photography he can address in the newsletter, send it to chris@pcin.net.
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Step 5 is not clear, otherwise great tutorial.
THANX for the tip!!
Thanks Chris, for the great tutorial! Your explanation made it super easy!
New to the forum family, terrific tut’s, everyone seems to be
so helpfull & patient in giving of their time
Norm
thanx a lot !
A friend of mine showed me a feature on his camera that allows him to automatically take a picture with -3 stops up to 3 stops exposure for a total of 7 photos for one button push.
Then he has an Adobe plugin that will automatically combine the photos. Is this the same as this technique or does it have another name?
I’m wondering because this technique is talking about an out of focus shot and my friend’s camera was just changing the exposer.
Hi Joe, I believe your friend’s camera is capturing an HDR-type image. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_dynamic_range_imaging ).
It is combining shots exposed for different parts of the same scene. E.g. with a very bright sky contrasting with a dark landscape, you will either get a blown-out white sky, or a silloutted/black landscape if you shoot with one exposure. His camera is capturing an image of the same scene exposed for the sky and then the landscape, and also points in between.
And it’s automatic? Wow, that’s cool! What camera is he using?
I’m sorry … PS, Chris, this is a great tip and I love it! One of the first tutorials I found when I started out to improve my Photoshop skills. Thanks!
OMG!!!!! This tutorial rocks!!!!! Very well explained…!!! Even a begginer like me can do it..!!
xoxox
Shaindel (Venezuela)
This is great, I’ve been trying to create this effect for awhile now but I have a problem. Im using Fauxto and I got everything going the way it should be but when I try to save it to my computer, the orton effect are gone! Leaving a blurry image..what happened?
anyone figure this one out in microsoft digital image?? I would love to see a tutorial if so! thanks!
Thanks for this simple, yet effective tutorial in PS Elements 5. I’ll try it out as soon as I get home.
BTW, I think you mean “blur” here? Or are you suggesting we increase the blue saturation?
> Depending on the resolution of the image you are using,
> the amount of blue needed will change.
This is the best tutorial I have ever used. Simple, beautiful. And the effect is perfection. Thank you.
I’ve been doing this for 8 years without knowing what it was. Now i’m dissappointed! Orton Shmorton.
Nice effect but it has been done to death.
I like this tip and it is easy to use. Regardless of how much one thinks a tip may be of value, any and all tips should be reviewed and remembered for that one occasion that you find yourself suddenly able to benefit from it. I plan on starting my own newsletter about photography tips by January of 2008 and you can view a sample of it at http://www.PhotoTipOfTheWeek.com/Downloads/FreeNewsletter.pdf . Please feel free to let me know what you think about it. Thanks.
Joseph Tremain
http://www.PhotoTipOfTheWeek.com/Downloads/FreeNewsletter.pdf
I was so surprised to discover that the technique I am using since I abandoned the the”double exposure”I used with the old slides( 6 years ago ),has a name!
and this name is not mine!
when this Orton “discovered”this?
I am really upset!
it should be called vladi’s effect!
vladi alon, tel-aviv,israel
Thanks — found this on Flickr and it is a great quick guide. Thanks!
The orton effect is like using the diffuse glow effect, dont break your heads using to much steps, try diffuse glow
Great – I followed step by step and got an awesome result.. I then added a bit of an S curve for more contrats…
many thanks – appreciate the sharing of knowledge.
now i’m going to try it out.
Great tutorial. Thanks for taking the time to publish.
orton effect shmorten effect what a load of crap
take good pictures and you dont need photoshop tricks
I tried this in PS Elements 3.0 twice and it crashed both times. Also agree that Paint.NET’s Glow effect does about the same thing.
Hi..
dude was thoroughly impressed wit ur small tutor on Orton effect…
applied it wit a pic of my father and was nearly in tears…
a abnormall glow appeared making him more than human…
Thanx a lot dude
reg
VJ
I find it more useful to use the rubber tool:
1. copy and paste your chosen image as a new layer.
2. blur the top layer.
3. select rubber tool and remove areas you want to look sharp.
Add a soft edge to the rubber for a better blend between the two.
This wont work with allimages but it sure beats the idea above lol (Pah!)
This one worked great in Paint Shop Pro 11
Thanks love it!
Thank you. Very well explained.
Thanks for this tutorial!
I followed the steps with very satisfactory results.
Very useful tutorial, thanks!
I hope to try this tonight!