Sometimes you may come across a photo that needs a little bit of atmosphere thrown in to give it extra punch. And I mean atmosphere literally. By using a couple of filters and a blend mode, you can add some rain or snow to any image. Just follow these steps to create either rain or snow:
1. Open a color image. It if isn’t currently in RGB Mode, then choose Image-->Mode-->RGB Color.
You need to be in RGB mode because the blend mode used in these steps doesn’t work correctly with CMYK images.
2. Drag the background layer to the Create a New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette.
You now see a layer that says Background copy in the Layers palette.
3. Double-click the name Background copy and type Snow.
This isn’t a mandatory step. I’m just being ultra organized.
4. With the Snow layer active, choose Filter-->Pixelate-->Pointillize. In the dialog box, set your cell size to 7 or a value you prefer. Click OK.
The bigger the cell size, the bigger the snowflakes or raindrops. For rain, you might try a cell size of 3, which is the minimum, or 4. For snow, try a larger cell size, between 6 and 9. I used a value of 7.
5. On the Snow layer, choose Image-->Adjustments-->Threshold. Move the slider all the way to the right to a max value of 255.
This adjustment takes the colored cells and turns them to either black or white. By using a value of 255, all brightness values less than 255 turn black and the remaining value turns white.
6. On the Snow layer, choose Screen from the Mode pop-up menu in the Layers palette.
The Screen blend mode lightens the Snow layer, where it mixes with the Background underneath. Blending with black pixels has no effect, therefore they drop out.
7. Choose Filter-->Blur-->Motion Blur. In the dialog box, specify the Angle and Distance values.
If you want it to appear that the wind is blowing hard, set the angle more diagonally, around 45 degrees. If you want it to appear that the weather is coming straight down, set the angle to 90 degrees. Setting the distance elongates the pointillized cells that you created in Step 4, making them look a little more realistic. For snow, start with a range of about 8 to 12 pixels. For rain, start a little higher, 15 to 25 pixels. I used a value of 12 pixels. If you’re creating rain, proceed to Step 8. If you are a snow person, you’re done.
8. Choose Filter-->Sharpen-->Unsharp Mask.
The Unsharp Mask dialog box appears.
9. Specify the Amount, the Radius, and the Threshold values.
The Unsharp Mask filter gives the illusion of sharpening the focus of the image by increasing the contrast between the pixels. I used an amount of 500%, a Radius of 1, and kept the Threshold at 0. This gives the raindrops a little more definition.
10. Choose Filter-->Blur-->Motion Blur. In the dialog box, specify the Angle and Distance values.
Again, the angle is up to you, but make it consistent with the value that you used in Step 7. Set the distance according to how you want your rain to appear, a moderate spring rain or a torrential, close-tohurricane type of downpour. I used 45 degrees and 25 pixels.
1. Open a color image. It if isn’t currently in RGB Mode, then choose Image-->Mode-->RGB Color.
You need to be in RGB mode because the blend mode used in these steps doesn’t work correctly with CMYK images.
2. Drag the background layer to the Create a New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette.
You now see a layer that says Background copy in the Layers palette.
3. Double-click the name Background copy and type Snow.
This isn’t a mandatory step. I’m just being ultra organized.
4. With the Snow layer active, choose Filter-->Pixelate-->Pointillize. In the dialog box, set your cell size to 7 or a value you prefer. Click OK.
The bigger the cell size, the bigger the snowflakes or raindrops. For rain, you might try a cell size of 3, which is the minimum, or 4. For snow, try a larger cell size, between 6 and 9. I used a value of 7.
5. On the Snow layer, choose Image-->Adjustments-->Threshold. Move the slider all the way to the right to a max value of 255.
This adjustment takes the colored cells and turns them to either black or white. By using a value of 255, all brightness values less than 255 turn black and the remaining value turns white.
6. On the Snow layer, choose Screen from the Mode pop-up menu in the Layers palette.
The Screen blend mode lightens the Snow layer, where it mixes with the Background underneath. Blending with black pixels has no effect, therefore they drop out.
7. Choose Filter-->Blur-->Motion Blur. In the dialog box, specify the Angle and Distance values.
If you want it to appear that the wind is blowing hard, set the angle more diagonally, around 45 degrees. If you want it to appear that the weather is coming straight down, set the angle to 90 degrees. Setting the distance elongates the pointillized cells that you created in Step 4, making them look a little more realistic. For snow, start with a range of about 8 to 12 pixels. For rain, start a little higher, 15 to 25 pixels. I used a value of 12 pixels. If you’re creating rain, proceed to Step 8. If you are a snow person, you’re done.
8. Choose Filter-->Sharpen-->Unsharp Mask.
The Unsharp Mask dialog box appears.
9. Specify the Amount, the Radius, and the Threshold values.
The Unsharp Mask filter gives the illusion of sharpening the focus of the image by increasing the contrast between the pixels. I used an amount of 500%, a Radius of 1, and kept the Threshold at 0. This gives the raindrops a little more definition.
10. Choose Filter-->Blur-->Motion Blur. In the dialog box, specify the Angle and Distance values.
Again, the angle is up to you, but make it consistent with the value that you used in Step 7. Set the distance according to how you want your rain to appear, a moderate spring rain or a torrential, close-tohurricane type of downpour. I used 45 degrees and 25 pixels.
Creating Snow and Rain in Photoshop
![Creating Snow and Rain in Photoshop]()
Reviewed by Pepen2710
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