The Orton Effect for Dreamy, Ethereal Images (PSD + AI)

Bringing a 1980s photo effect to Photoshop and Midjourney prompting.

In the mid-1980s, Canadian photographer Michael Orton developed what was known as ‘The Orton Effect’ — or what is also called an ‘Orton Slide Sandwich.’

Orton was already known for his innovative approach to photography, often experimenting with color, light and texture seeking to squeeze the juice out of his images to evoke an emotional response. His work is primarily centered around nature and landscapes, where he strives to engage various techniques to transform otherwise ordinary scenes into truly spectacular visual narratives. True to his experimentative nature, Orton sandwiched 2 (or more) film slides of the same scene — one was crisp and sharply focused and accurately exposed, the others were progressively out of focus (blurred) and overexposed (lightened) — creating a single image that combined the sharpness of the in-focus image with the glow and softness of the out-of-focus, overexposed shots. This technique allowed Orton to infuse his images with a painterly quality, reminiscent of watercolor paintings, which was quite innovative at the time.

Here is an actual image from the Orton Effect Gallery created by Michael Orton. #7001 — Daydream: