Faking the "Lomo Effect"

[JohnnyBlood]

There seems to be a lot of discussion among photographers on Flickr wanting to duplicate look of a camera called a Lomo. The Lomo is a wide angled camera that typically over-exposes images and saturates them with colors. It also produces a vignette of sorts where the edges of the photos are characteristically darker.

The so-called "Lomo Effect" can be a neat look in the right circumstance. I would like to duplicate this effect with Photoshop Elements 3.0 and I would like some help.

Below are the steps to create the "Lomo Effect." Although this procedure was written for use in Adobe Photoshop CS2, I am able to perform every step listed below in Photoshop Elements 3.0, except for a few. I do not understand what they mean in steps 15 through 18. I suspect that these steps are specific to Photoshop CS2 and not Photoshop Elements 3.0. Anyone got any ideas?

Here are the procedures to create the "Lomo Effect." Without steps 15 through 18 I call it the "Almost Lomo Effect."

1. File: Open: the picture you want.

2. Image: Adjustments: Brightness/Contrast: increase contrast by 20.

3. Image: Adjustments: Hue/Saturation: increase saturation by 20.

4. Choose the Rectangular Marquee Tool (your basic selection tool).

5. Change feather amount to 1/12 the width of your picture (if your picture is 600px wide then you will set your feather to 50px).

6. Select your entire picture note: using select: all, will not work.

7. Select: Inverse.

8. Layer: New: Layer.

9. Change your primary color to black. Fill the selection (on the new, blank layer).

10. Change the blend mode of this layer to Overlay.

11. Layer: Duplicate Layer.

12. Now select your base layer (the one with the picture on it).

13. Layer: New: Layer.

14. Change your fill tool to Gradient.

15. Change your Gradient Type to Spherical.

16. Change your Gradient Shading Style to "foreground to transparent" (I believe this is the default).

17. Change your primary color to white.

18. With the fill tool selected, click in the middle of the picture, and drag the line out to the farthest edge of your picture (if it's a portrait, use top or bottom, if landscape, use left or right).

19. Change the blend mode of this layer to Overlay.

20. Change the Opacity of this layer to 80% (or whatever you see fit).

Any ideas?

[kerriann85]

Ok, here's how I interpreted the tute. Let me know how you get along!

Here's my try....
http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?pic=1nolOibFoMvq3o0WKSRGQoIP3dlYse

In step 14 I think you want to deselect the border you still have selected. (that messed me up)
then choose the gradient tool (under the fill-paint bucket)

15. choose from the top the "radial gradient" second from left.
16. In the drop down box choose the forground to transparent as it says.
17. white as the top color instead of black
18. now just drag from center to outside of your pix and you'll get a big white circle.
19. same
20 probably need even lover opacit than that, just makes it lighter from center to outside of pix.

[Jodi Frye]

small web world...I found the exact same toot that Johnny found a couple of weeks ago. Fact is, it is something I had done on my own in the past just through play and really didn't know they had a name for it.

Kerri, that's cool !

[kerriann85]

Thanks Jodi. It's kinda interesting. Not sure what I'd really use if for. I need some new pictures to play with! (maybe tomorrow, the kids adn I are going to the state capitol to play for the day)

[RuthieH]

I found this forum after googling lomo, thanks for postiing the tutorial.I've used it on a couple of pics:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruthieh/2875112806/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruthieh/2859880189/

Cheers

Ruthie

[JulieM]

Nice result, Ruthie! Thanks for sharing your results. And welcome to the Village...

[jo]

Not sure if this is the effect or not, but another way to get darkened edges is this:

Make a selection keeping 1/4 inch or so inside the edge (this was oval)
inverse selection
new layer
fill the new layer with black
deselect
BIG gaussian blur (I used 250)
If the edge is too dark, lower the opacity (I used about 80% opacity)
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1ZYAOEo9Jts179ajicarFUeoHLCsc0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1ZYAOEo9Jts179ajicarFUeoHLCsc0)

[Gre2eneyes]

Everyone has been so helpful, and I am sure these tutorials will come in very handy for me as they are all what I wish to do. Unfortunately it is not the one I saw. The one I saw faded out to a opaque light tanish background. I just wish I could find the right post. Thanks for trying anyway!! It is appreciated.

[elwoodsusanm]

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1QsmubqNH9c22ox9IyWGxt1r1XcoW1 Taken with only 4.1 mp camera:o My attempt at the fake lomo effect. :)

[RuthieH]

I like what it's done to the colours on your pic, particularly the water.

[Zeria]

A very good "Vintage Lomo Effect" tutorial was posted in the Village's Be Creative Challenge #21. (http://www.elementsvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36100)

[RuthieH]

I've just had a go at that one too. Gives a really good effect. Thank you.