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I took a landscape picture that actually had an old hotel in it, and i was wondering how do i add light to?

the hotel sign...either neon or twinkle lights..or etc.. i think you have to use an animation ... i am a novice to the editing programs,, is it possible to add lights to a picture... i was thinking black and white photo...motel sign lit up... impossible???

Public Comments

  1. Hi, How good the result will look will depend on the quality of the software used. The more professional stuff will let you do a lot more than the more basic programs. I would suggest Corel Photopaint. First of all, it depends on whether you want a static or animated image. For the static image, any decent image editing software and a bit of imagination should do. On the other hand, using something like Corel Photopaint, will allow you to add 'lighting' effects. First of all, you will need to convert the image to grayscale (no problem as most editing software has a convert to option). If you want to retain colour then you need to darken the image so that the lights stand out. For 'lightbulb' effects you can then simply use a paint brush of a suitable size, apply a blend or soften edge / fade out option, use a bright colour (white, pale yellow oe pale blue for standard 'white' lights - each of these tones gives you 'warmer ' or 'colder' lights), and just click on where you want the light to go. For neon effect, you can draw lines (and then curve them) or fill in text to match the sign, and then as with the above, add a fade, unfocus or soften edge option to create the glow around the 'letters'. For animation and for static images another option would be to use Flash. Import you image, on a fresh layer, add small circles for 'lightbulbs' and draw lines (then curve) or add text for the neon. Then select the drawn object, go down to the 'effects' panel and add a glow effect. You can then export as an image or start animating the lights for a flash animation. All this is a bit vague as you would need to specify the software you are using for more specific instructions, however I hope this helps you a bit. Let me know if you need further help. www.i-deas.es