How to turn DAY to NIGHT in Adobe Photoshop (in 5 minutes)!

Introduction

In this tutorial, you will learn how to transform a daytime photo into a nighttime scene using Adobe Photoshop. This quick and straightforward process will involve adjusting color casts, reducing saturation, and adding light sources to create a convincing night-time effect. By following these steps, you can elevate your photo manipulation skills and create stunning visuals.

Step 1: Prepare the Image

• Open your daytime image in Adobe Photoshop.
• Save your original image as a new file to preserve the original.

Step 2: Add a Blue Color Cast

• Navigate to the Layers panel and create a new adjustment layer.
• Select Color Balance from the adjustment options.
• Adjust the sliders to emphasize blue tones:
  • Increase blue in the Shadows and Midtones.
  • Decrease red to enhance the nighttime feel.
• Click OK to apply the changes.

Step 3: Reduce Color Saturation

• Create another adjustment layer by selecting Hue/Saturation.
• Lower the saturation slider to desaturate the colors:
  • Aim for a value around -50 to create a more muted, nighttime palette.
• Click OK to confirm.

Step 4: Create a Yellow Tinted Version

• Duplicate your original image layer by right-clicking it and selecting Duplicate Layer.
• With the duplicated layer selected, go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation.
• Increase the saturation to create a bright yellow tint:
  • Set the saturation value to +50 or higher, depending on your image.
• Click OK to apply.

Step 5: Add Light Sources and Highlights

• Use the Brush Tool (B) to paint in light sources:
  • Select a soft round brush and set the foreground color to a light yellow.
  • Paint over areas where you want to add artificial lighting effects (e.g., street lamps, windows).
• Change the layer blend mode to Overlay or Soft Light to blend the lighting effect naturally.

Step 6: Final Adjustments

• Adjust the opacity of the light source layer if necessary to achieve the desired brightness.
• Use the Eraser Tool (E) to refine the light effects for a more realistic look.
• Consider applying a slight vignette effect to further enhance the night-time mood.

Conclusion

You have successfully transformed a daytime photo into a nighttime scene using Adobe Photoshop. By adjusting color balance, reducing saturation, and adding light sources, you can create a dramatic effect that captivates viewers. As a next step, experiment with different images and lighting techniques to develop your photo manipulation skills further. Happy editing!