Light leaks immediately add a sense of warmth to your photos. They can range in intensity and may provide a soft filter or a more intense glow. Wherever their intensity falls on the spectrum, one thing remains certain: manually creating light leaks is a chore.
Unless you’re capturing light leaks in your photography out in the wild, recreating this effect digitally is difficult. That’s why using Photoshop actions is always a preferred method of recourse.
To save you some time, we’ve put together a collection of light leak effects Photoshop actions that streamline your workflow, eliminate the guesswork, and provide you with a stellar result that’s ultimately professional.
The FilterGrade Light Leak Photoshop Actions is a set of 40 actions you can use to create the look of real film on your digital photos. These actions work on landscapes and bright scenes to add more color and drama. The actions include color variations, light fades, film errors and burns, dual leaks, blocks, and more.
Another option is the Prestalgia Nostalgic Effects & Light Leaks Photoshop Actions set. This set includes 25 retro effects, 25 light leaks, and snapshot prerendering. It also has fully editable layers and is non-destructive, so your original photo is preserved.
Here’s another excellent option for taking your images to the next level. The Light Leaks Vol. 1 Photoshop Presets pack contains 25 presets designed to bring out the best in your photos. These light effects help you to mimic the look of vintage photos. All presets included here are non-destructive.
The Thriller Lights Photoshop Actions set comes with one action that can be implemented with a single click, full instructions, and editable layers, giving you complete control over the results. This action adds an intense glow to the subject of your photo, creating a pretty dramatic effect.
The Light & Flares Photoshop Action adds a super dramatic effect to your photos. It mimics the effect of vintage cameras and lenses when light leaks or flares from the lens. This set comes with 12 light leak actions and 4 leans flare actions. You can easily edit the layers of these effects as well, so you have ultimate control.
The Wall of Lights Photoshop Actions creates a real impact on your photos. It works by creating a literal wall of lights behind the subject of your photo quickly and easily. It’s well-layered, fully editable, and non-destructive. Plus, it comes with 20 color corrections.
This is another exciting option for adding light effects to your photos. The Light Painting Photoshop action can be set up with one click. It works best on text or logos and adds the look of a light painting to your image. It also comes with a help file and has eight color options to choose from.
The Light Show Animation Photoshop Action is another way to add drama through lighting to your photos. It comes with a video tutorial, so you’ll never have to second guess how to use it, and the result is a powerful and colorful light effect streaking across your photos like a spotlight.
The Aurora Light Photoshop Actions set offers a light leak effect for your images. This set contains 16 actions, is non-destructive, and includes a bonus matte effect as well. This is fully editable, so you have ultimate control over your photos and comes with full instructions.
The Dual Light Photoshop Action works by creating a double light effect in your photos. You can customize every aspect of the effect with bokeh and smoke effects. It works on all different types of photos and comes with 20 color presets as well as full video instructions.
Another great option is the Double Light Photoshop Action. It allows you to select from various colors, intensities, and more to achieve a fully customized effect. It also comes with full instructions, leaving nothing to guesswork.
You may also wish to consider the Lucent Photoshop Action. This one makes it super easy to apply the effect. All you have to do is fill the area of the photo you want to emphasize with a color, then click Play on the action. That’s it!
The Light Leaks Vol.2 Photoshop Presets is another set you should consider for your photo edits. It comes with 25 different light leak options that add a compelling effect. These presets are non-destructive and can give your images a vintage style.
Another great option is the Electrum Lightning Photoshop Action. This one creates a stunning electric lightning effect across your photo. You can change the effect’s colors, contrast, and gradient. And you can implement it with just one click.
You might also want to consider the Impulse Photoshop Actions set. This one is super easy to use. Just apply it to an area of your picture, play the action, and then create an energized lightning effect. It comes with text and video tutorials, is non-destructive, and creates well-organized layers so you can make further customizations as needed.
The last action on our list is the Thriller Lights Photoshop Action. This one creates drama in your photos by adding light leak effects. It’s non-destructive, allows you to fully customize the layers, and gives you plenty of control over every aspect of its output.
How to Install Photoshop Actions
- Download and unzip the action file
- Launch Photoshop
- Go to
Window > Actions
- Select
Load Actions
from the menu and go to the folder where you saved the unzipped action file to select it - The Action will now be installed
- To use the newly installed action, locate it in the
Action
panel - Click the triangle to the left of the action name to see the list of available actions
- Click the action you want to play and press the play button at the bottom of the
Actions
panel
We hope you’ve enjoyed this collection of light leak effect Photoshop action sets. Each option gives you a solid foundation for building a fantastic final image.
Any of these would give your photos the drama, vintage look, or style you seek. Happy editing!