Create your own light leaks with Lightroom

Add old-school imperfections to your pristine photos with the help of the Graduated and Radial Filters in Lightroom

Digital technology has been fantastic for photography. The instant feedback from digital devices has shifted the learning curve back so much that anyone can become a photographer.

Still, the perfection of digital hasn’t removed the urge to produce photos in a more organic way, using traditional film or even toy cameras. The visual aesthetic from non-digital devices has even made its way back into digital processing, where everything old is new again.

The whole retro feel from Instagram and even Snapchat has made its way back to the point where people process to make the shots less perfect. One way of doing this is to emulate the look of film, where imperfections in the camera (the Holga for example) have let light in. Technically the film is ruined in the process, but there’s just something visually appealing about it!

Graduated Filter

Once you’ve done your main edit, select the Graduated Filter in the Toolstrip under the Histogram. Reset all settings by double-clicking on the Effect label.

Soft-edged filter

To have any changes in settings remembered, change the settings before applying the filter. Set Exposure to +1 or so, and drag from the edge of the photo in. Drag out a soft-edged filter. It’s a little weak,

Work with colour

Light leaks often occur in the yellow/orange/red band, so click on the swatch tile at the end and select a hue you like in that range. If you’re not seeing the colour, turn down the Saturation slider to remove the underlying colour. Right-click the pin and click Duplicate to increase the intensity. Repeat to taste.

Radial variation

For the next leak, you’ll use the Radial Filter again – but this time, make an elongated spike in from the edge. While light leaks are often at the edge of the photograph, they don’t have to be there exclusively, so you can create light leaks in areas that support the composition.

Radial Filter

Repeat the process with a Radial Filter. This time, drag from an opposite corner. Increase the exposure and change the colour to make it different. Make sure you tick Invert Mask active for this. Use Feather to control the edge of the leak’s transition. Right-click and use Duplicate to increase the effect.

Combine looks

To have a light leak within the main part of the frame, Zoom out to 16:1 and drag a really long Radial Filter so the sides of the filter are almost parallel. Set the Exposure and colour to taste. You can use any combination of these looks to build up a library of light leaks.