Free Texture = Fab-U-lous Photo Effect!

Think  Elements can’t do what Full Photoshop can?
Think again!

See the lighted bubbly stuff (bokeh) in the fish bowl? Totally Fake.
If you take a gander at the ‘Textures on SkeletalMess’ Flickr Stream, you’ll see this ‘bokeh’ bubbly one:

It’s Perfect. Especially when you have a fishy in need of ‘bellished bubbles.
Hurry & Download the full size Flickr image of the bokeh texture and open your Photoshop Elements. …. Let’s get your photo effect ON!

• Step 1: Boost  the levels and color a bit in the original shot. Create a new layer, and add in this bad boy ‘texture’ over the top. Then enlarged it to size it right and move it over the bowl.

• Step 2: Test a couple different blending styles till you get the one that works…
  I first tried: Soft Light, but it blended in too much, went away. I still wanted to SEE the bubbles!
  Then I tried: Hard Light.. ahhh perfect..

• Step 3: Bring down the Opacity to 75%. Blending it even more, looking for the subtle natural look…

• Step 4: Use a soft round eraser brush dialed down to 20% Opacity to erase everywhere the ‘bubbles’ layer is showing outside the fishbowl or where they are covering the fish and greenery.

Voilá.

Mood Lighting for our new fish: ANDY.
Quite possibly the BEST white elephant gift ever.

Giving Credit:
SkeletalMess allows use of textures for free, when you acknowledge his greatness.
All names have been changed to protect the innocent. AKA the fish.

Note:
Photoshop Elements: $80-100
Photoshop {Big Boy}: I can’t count that high