Create a Dreamy Photo Effect with Photoshop Elements

Dreamy Effect - Introduction

Here is an example of the dreamy photo effect we are going to create.

I'm using Photoshop Elements 4 for this tutorial, but the required features are available in other versions of Photoshop and Elements, as well as other photo editors, like Paint Shop Pro. If you need help adapting a step, feel free to ask for help in the discussion forum.

Right click and save this practice image to your computer: dreamy-start.jpg

To follow along, open the practice image in the standard edit mode of Photoshop Elements, or whatever photo editor you'll be working with. You may follow along with your own image, but you'll need to adjust some of the values when working with a different image.

• Dreamy Effect - Introduction
• Duplicate Layer, Blur and Change the Blend Mode
• Adjust Brightness/Contrast
• Copy Merged and Add Solid Fill Layer
• Create the Shape for a Clipping Mask
• Convert the Vector Shape into Pixels
• Group with Previous to Create Clipping Mask
• Adjust the Position of the Clipping Mask
• Blur the Clipping Mask for a Soft Edge Effect
• Add Some Finishing Touches