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I would like to change the overly clean look of some rendered images i have made as they are a bit to crisp to be "real".

In the couple of images bellow there is this kind of hazy light.. is there a filter i can add in photoshop the might be able to reprudce a similar look ?

ps. these images bellow are what id like my images to be like, not as they already are

render 2

render 3

render 1

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I don't know much about 3D stuff, but isn't this something you'd do when you render? Like change the lighting effect? – Johannes Jun 3 '12 at 19:30
yeah, it normally would be, but its also pretty normal to fix / fine tune the images after – sam Jun 3 '12 at 21:11

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The simplest way to get the look you're going for is to duplicate the layer, apply a Gaussian Blur (you'll have to experiment to find the radius that works best) and change its blending mode to "Lighten". This is a common technique used in glamour portraiture, to give that hazy glow effect. (In the "old days" we used a softening filter on the lens. Now it's done in post rather than at capture.)

You can also fine tune the effect by applying a Curves or Levels adjustment, clipped to the blur layer, to lighten or darken it. Add a little monochromatic noise if you want a slightly grittier look.

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Yeah, that’s how I’d do it, too. These are often known as “Bloom” when a lightening blending mode is used (lighten/screen) and “Gloom” when a darkening blending mode is used (darken/multiply). – Marc Edwards Jun 4 '12 at 0:05
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'Zackly so... :) Old techniques that have been around since Noah packed his single-button mouse for the voyage are still often the simplest way to go. – Alan Gilbertson♦ Jun 5 '12 at 0:36
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If these are 3D renders, lighting is controlled there.

You could do this yourself with simply some level and curves adjustment layers and then masks to control the lighting. The mask would shape the light source and control its focal distance and spread.

If you really want a Photoshop plug in, then AutoFX's MysticaL Lighting is about as close as I've seen. It will allow you to add directional light sources and control their focal distance to a degree.

AutoFX plug ins have never been 100% solid on my systems. So, it sometimes takes a few tries to get what you want.

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