The 15 Best Light Leak Effect Photoshop Action Sets for 2021
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: trying to create light leaks manually 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 end result that’s ultimately professional.
FilterGrade Light Leak Photoshop Actions
The FilterGrade Light Leak Photoshop Actions is actually a set of 40 different actions act you can use to create the look of real film on your digital photos. These actions work on landscapes and any bright scene to add more color and drama. The actions include color variations, light fades, film errors and burns, dual leaks, blocks, and more.
Prestalgia Nostalgic Effects & Light Leaks Photoshop Actions
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 it’s totally non-destructive, so your original photo is preserved.
Light Leaks Vol.1 Photoshop Presets
Here’s another great option for taking your images to the next level. The Light Leaks Vol. 1 Photoshop Presets pack contains 25 presets that are 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.
Thriller Lights Photoshop Actions
The Thriller Lights Photoshop Actions set comes with one action that can be implemented with a single click, full instructions, and editable layers so you have full control over the end result. This action adds an intense glow around the subject of your photo, creating a quite dramatic effect.
Light & Flares Photoshop Actions
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 hav ultimate control.
Wall of Lights Photoshop Actions
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.
Light Painting Photoshop Actions
This is another really interesting option for adding light effects to your photos. The Light Painting Photoshop action can be setup 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 8 color options to choose from.
Light Show Animation Photoshop Action
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 yourself about how to use it and the end result is a powerful and colorful light effect streaking across your photos like a spotlight.
Aurora Light Photoshop Actions
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 it comes with full instructions.
Dual Light Photoshop Actions
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.
Double Light Photoshop Action
Another great option is the Double Light Photoshop Action. It allows you to select from a variety of colors, intensity, and more to achieve a fully customized effect. It also comes with full instructions, leaving nothing to guesswork.
Lucent Photoshop Action
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! IT comes with a video tutorial as well, so if you have any questions, you won’t get stuck.
Light Leaks Vol.2 Photoshop Presets
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.
Electrum Lightning Photoshop Action
Another great option is the Electrum Lightning Photoshop Action. This one creates a really stunning electric lightning effect across your photo. You can change the colors, contrast, and gradient of the lightning effect, 10 color presets as well. And you can implement it with just one click.
Impulse Photoshop Actions
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 the creates an energy 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.
Thriller Lights Photoshop Actions
The last action on our list is the Thriller Lights Photoshop Action. This one creates a bit of drama in your photos by adding light leak effects. It’s non-destructive and allows you to fully customize the layers as well 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 list of light leak effect Photoshop action sets. Each of these options give 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!