Hot take: Layer blending modes get way more hype than they deserve

I spent about 6 hours last night trying to get a soft glow effect on a forest scene I've been working on. Tried every blend mode in the book - screen, overlay, soft light, you name it. Nothing looked right. Finally gave up and just painted the glow in by hand with a low opacity brush. Took maybe 20 minutes and looked better than any of the blend mode attempts. Makes me wonder if I'm missing something or if blend modes are just a crutch for folks who don't want to do the manual work. Has anyone else found themselves overcomplicating things with blending when a simpler approach works?

3 comments

3 Comments

ninabutler2mo ago

Are you sure it wasn't the scene itself that needed the glow, not the blend mode?

karen_hart1mo ago

Hold on, you two are having the exact same argument I get into with my photo buddies all the time. I honestly see both sides here, but Nina's point hits home for me. In my experience, I've definitely wasted time trying to fake a glow in post when what the shot really needed was a piece of diffusion gel on the light or just letting the sun come through a dirty window. It's a good gut check before you start layering stuff on in Photoshop.

shanegibson2mo ago

Scene itself needed the glow" is a good point, @ninabutler. But I think you're overthinking it. If the scene needed more light or atmosphere, that's a lighting or compositing problem, not a blend mode issue. The blend mode is just a tool to add that extra punch or mood on top of what's already there. You can have a perfectly lit scene that still benefits from a soft glow in post to make it feel dreamy or intense. They work together, not against each other.