5 Ways to Make a Photo Negative

Make the most out of your photo editor with one of the oldest but best photo editing tips.

There’s no shortage of creativity in the photography world, but this creates a new problem – how will you stand out from the rest? 

Photography has been around for around 200 years now, and new techniques and effects keep on emerging that only make the pool of creativity vaster and vaster. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to adapt to every new trick that enters the trending page. Sometimes, you have to look in the old folder and find the profound and alluring negative photo.

What is a Negative Photo Effect

The usual photos you take are called positive photos; you get a negative one by inverting the photos. It takes the lighter portion of your photo and makes it dark and the dark parts lighter. There may also be color alterations, such as green to magenta, blues becoming more yellow, and red turning into cyan.

Negative photo effects have been around basically since the first photo was taken. It is typically achieved with tin strips of paper or a piece of film, and you will notice that though it has a fewer contracts, it has more dynamic range.

But. How exactly do you achieve such an effect? To make a photo negative, you will first need a photo editor. The problem now is, what photo editor should you use?

There is no need for frustration because, in this article, we have photo editing tips that will help you to make a photo negative and in what photo editor.

Ways to Make a Photo Negative

1. In Photoshop

Being able to make a photo negative is not something every photo editor can do, so it only makes sense that we start a tutorial on one of the most popular and widely-known editors currently in use. Though over 90%  of all creatives and designers utilize photoshop in one way or another, there are still many hidden features that need time to master. To make a photo negative is one of them, but learning it will not take more than just a simple tutorial.

1. First, you must open the image or file you intend to edit.
2. Secondly, press control + I if you are using Windows and Command + I if you are on Mac; this will make the colors of your image be the ones opposite on the color spectrum. 
3. Thirdly, mute the colors you have and lower the saturation.
4. Lastly, go to the Layers panel and choose soft light. Just like that, you have a negative photo in your books.

2. In Picsart

Picsart is something that you may be already familiar with because you may very well be one of the 150 million users that rely on Picsart to craft the best stories with just a few simple clicks. True enough, Picsart has an easy interface; it is uniquely designed and allows you to create collages or add filters all for free. Also, it has a negative feature, but it takes an extra few steps to apply appropriately.

1. First, click on the purple + sign to create a new project and choose the photo you would like to edit.
2. On the editing menu, you can find the “FX” tool. 
3. Once you have opened the FX tool, many filters will be made available, but you are to choose the colors option. Once you have, you will find the negative filter, click on it and press apply. 

3. In Pixelied

Pixelied is one of the best photo editing tools you may have never heard about. You can be sure of one thing, though, it has a whole bunch of things you can do with it, one of which is being able to make a photo negative. Not only does Pixelied offer flexibility, but it also ensures efficiency and quality. You can choose to have a negative filter or do it manually; you can do so in only four simple steps if you intend the latter.

1. You open the picture you want to use, or you can choose one from the thousands of stock images made available for you.
2. Select the image effects  & filters panel found on top of your image.
3. In the filters section, you will find the “invert” filter. Once you do, click on it, and it will automatically apply.
4. Click the download button once you are done editing and satisfied with the result.

4. In MS Paint

This one is for all the Windows users out there because, just in case you did not know, this program is built into your device; you just have to search it up in the search bar. So, if you want to know how to do it, it is pretty simple.

1. Run Microsoft Paint and open the file/picture you want to work on.
2. Find the toolbar on top, click on the select menu, find the select all option, and click on that.
3. Right-click the photo you are working on and choose the “invert” color; you can also select the control + shift + I shortcut.
4. Save it by clicking file and choosing save as.

Microsoft Paint is the software that some regard as more suitable for children, but do not let this undermine the efficiency that it can have for professionals since it is very accessible and easy to use.

5. In Lunapic

Lunapic is a free editing tool that you can find on the web. Its cost is almost unfathomable considering the number of things you can do with such as animate, draw, adjust, and edit your photo. Moreover, it has the most accessible negative effect tool out there. There are no steps included in this one because once you find yourself on the negative tool, all you need is to upload, and you will have your result. 

Other Photo Effects You Can Explore

We have emphasized how helpful a negative photo can be, and you have all the knowledge in the world to create stunning designs and photos with it. However, there are still a lot of other photo effects that you can learn and be creative with, enough to reel in any audience and satisfy their taste in art. If you are interested, you can explore some of these; here is a list to start on.

1. Silhouettes 

You may have been asked to take a silhouette shot of a person in a beautiful sunset at the beach, and you had no idea what they mean by silhouette. Well, that is because silhouettes are something that can elevate a photo to the next level. It is pretty simple to do for such a dramatic and alluring effect. You just have to ensure your subject is reflected by a brighter background, most probably the sun. Make sure that the light is focused purely on the subject, and the background is still visible; you may want to adjust angles in order to achieve this.

2. Texture backgrounds 

Texture backgrounds are a more recent trend, but they will do a lot for your image. Essentially, texture backgrounds mean that you put more detail into the background of your photo, making it feel three-dimensional or that you can feel textures from it, hence the name. It makes your design less flat and pops with creativity, character, and color so that it will please both funky and timid audiences.

3. Reflection photos

One of the oldest techniques, reflection photos, has never lost its flair. It is simple but still does the work, and all you need is a camera and a body of water. A mirror will do too, but nothing beats a nature shot that looks misleading and needs the audience to take a second look to understand what is going on. It is fun and creative, so reflection photos are definitely a technique all professionals should be skilled at.

4. Infrared photography

If you want to capture something more significant than life, literally something that the human eye can not perceive, you can toy around with long exposure. With most, if not all, digital cameras have a filter that allows you to capture light at the end of the spectrum; you can capture images that look something straight from a dream or a complex painting. It is definitely something to experiment with as there is so much that you can achieve with it.

5. Lensball

This technique needs you to have a lens ball, or if you do not have one, a glass one will do in order to work. By placing it in front of the place, you can turn the background or the surrounding elements upside down, reflect into directions, or even for creative emphasis.

6. Long exposure

A popular technique with architects, street photographers, and space heads, long exposure is one of the most recognizable and beloved effects. This technique entails using slow shutter speed so that rapid-moving objects are blurred. Whether you want a trail of headlights capturing the extravagance of the night sky, or a mystical image of the water, long exposures make magic believable. 

7. Panning 

Panning is a niche yet practical effect, and it involves handheld motion, or perhaps a tripod if you have one, to capture a moving object while you have a slow shutter speed. It allows you to capture motion, making way for dynamic photos that are good for advertisements, art, or just a cool shot.

8. Black and white photography

Though somewhat similar to negative photos, it is entirely different in execution and effect. Black and white photography means that all colors in the images are removed and dominated by deep or light grays. The thing about black and white photography is that it is as old as photography, so you will tick the nostalgia box with this one and the historical mood that you give to any photo. Moreover, a black and white photo is sure to catch the attention of passersby or viewers. It has an artistic dimension of darkness and light, making a good reflection for the right audience.

9. Smoke art photography

This one is one of the most daring and subjective genres of photography. Essentially, you just take a picture of smoke. Yet, it is much more than just its surface because you can do so much with it. Creatives around the world have gone to such lengths as to capture smoking that is shaped into a creature or even humanoid; its free-flowing form is something that can be a marvel to some artists. It is fun to experiment with and can produce very satisfying results, and it challenges your skill in lighting and timing. 

10. Macro photography 

Photography is all about illusions, scale, and capturing life at its most delicate. Macro photography is a genre that escalates the significance of the art, taking photographs of miniature or things such as insects or the fine linings of your T-shirt. With today’s advanced technology, capturing the most hidden details makes for a fun thrill and a unique experience. Because diving into the sensibility of making little things seem bigger than they are is a story that can’t be done through any other medium.

Takeaways

Photography is a vast art form and stretches a lengthy history. To make a photo negative just shows that old tricks still work, and no old or new dog can resist a good trick. Audiences today are looking for the wow factors, and if you are in the business of creating art or needing to have art to market your business, we strongly implore that you explore photography as much as you can. See, you will find yourself an abundance of potential.

Author’s Bio:

Shelly Solis is the co-founder of SaaSLaunchr.com, a digital marketing website offering expert SaaS SEO, Product Hunt Launching assistance, content marketing, and guest posting services.