“Instagram” Style Sports Photo Edit in Photoshop CC

LEARN THE INS & OUTS OF MAKING GRAPHICS FOR INSTAGRAM! | How to make this high contrast, punchy graphic and text effect in Photoshop. | We will cover everything from Select and Mask to Adjustment Layers, and Smart Objects, and even applying texture to an image.

In this Photoshop tutorial, we will create an Instagram style sports edit using the international superstar footballer, Lionel Messi. We will move him to a new background, add flares and color, tweak the background to add contrast between him and his stadium, add dusty atmospheric elements, do all kinds of color treatments, and add texture to really sell the effect. You’ll know it when you see it! If you work with any kind of graphics design, image manipulation, or composite work in Photoshop, you will definitely learn something from this tutorial! Thanks for watching!

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Site Exclusive Tutorial Recording Notes:

Disclaimer: these are the actual notes I used to record this video and are written in a language you may or may not understand. Hopefully, you find them useful or cool.

1. Size image down so image with is 2500px
2. Use Quick Select to loop a selection around the athlete
3. Select and Mask to smooth and refine the edges a bit and output to new layer with mask
4. Add a solid color layer beneath and sample the blue on his shirt and set to Color blend mode
5. Add a Photo Filter and set color to #231f59 set to intensity 100%, check off Preserve Luminosity and set layer to Multiply @ 50% opacity
6. Drag in a stadium shot and place it on UNDER of the blue solid color
7. Add a Channel Mixer above the blue and the stadium, tick on Monochrome, and boost the blue channel and then set the layer to Multiply
8. Add Gradient FILL Layer with Black to transparent gradient and drag gradient down from top (-90º) so it covers most of the sky set to 75% opacity
9. Open Image Size dialog box and divide the width of the image by 10
10. Grab Rectangle tool and set the width to 10% of the image width and set the height to something very long (like 6000px)
11. First rectangle, sample a blue from his shirt and duplicate the rectangle and sample a red from his shirt and turn on Snapping and move shape over so edges snap together
12. Duplicate both shapes and repeat until background is covered by the stripes
13. Select all stripe layers and convert to a Smart Object and set layer to Overlay
14. Duplicate the masked layer of Messi and convert to a Smart Object
15. Add a Motion blur at 0º and 450px to this Smart Object and set to Color Dodge
16. Duplicate the Motion blurred layer and change the Motion blur to 800px
17. Use the Crop Tool and crop this image to a square
18. Add a Gradient map layer and clip it to Messi #0e2647 → #fa151b and set it to Soft Light
19. Add a Curves adjustment layer and clip it to this stack and boost the overall brightness of just Messi to help him stick out more
20. Create a Lens flare that can be placed in the sky. Color it blue and do the Screen/Linear Dodge (Add) trick
21. Duplicate the large lens flare and put it in the lower corner, too
22. Add a Gradient Map layer #003177 — > #e96265 set to Soft Light
23. Add Selective Color layer and go to Midtones: -20|+15|-20|-15
24. Merge all to new layer and High Pass @ 15px and set to Soft Light
25. Sample a dark blue/purple from shadows on Messi to set that as foreground color
26. Create new Gradient Fill layer and go foreground to transparent and drag gradient from bottom (90º) and adjust until you get a nice color fade at bottom of image
27. Add text “MESSI” with Futura Medium, 25pt, center-aligned, tracking set to 2500
28. Position text near bottom and center it
29. Add Drop Shadow: Black, 100%, 110º, 6-0-2
30. Add a Levels adjustment layer to fade the blacks a little and add then overall contrast
31. Create another new layer and load in some flare brushes
32. Play with adding flares, use a light blue and set layer to Color Dodge and see what happens
33. Add grain using Camera RAW to help blend everything
34. Add a small flare near the text to add to the effect as well
35. Drag in a dust and scratches texture and set to Screen//35% opacity
36. Drag in a crinkled paper texture and Invert, set to Screen//20% Opacity