Spotlight this guy?

I've been trying to get myself a spotlight effect on a guy in this photo.

This is the original:

http://edward.dyndns.org/photo/2005-04-24%2012:43:20%20-%20_p6n05839.jpg

And this is how far I've gotten:

http://edward.dyndns.org/photo/2005-04-24%2012:43:20%20-%20_p6n05839.tif.jpg

Now you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that I'm doing

something wrong, the question is what.

Can anyone help me here? What am i doing wrong? The effect just

looks... weird.

You have to consider the planes; e.g., the woman in the background should not be affected by the spotlight. Control the effect by adding a layer mask; reduce the intensity on distant objects. Add some grain inside the spotlight; strong lights tend to pick up the dust in the air.

This article might help: http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/10705.html

One thing I see wrong with it is that you won't see the beam of light until it hits the subject. As an example shine a flash light at your hand, untill it hits your hand you don't see it. Next shine your flashlight on a wall at an angle and see the oblong circle of light it produces. You can come straight down on your subject with a new light source and make a perfect circle but you have to be willing to add a cast shadow to him too. If you dont' want to add a cast shadow look at the angle of shadow cast by the subject, light source has to come from that direction ar it adds to the weirdness.

Just some things to think about when adding a spotlight.

Don

duplicate image layer.

change blend mode of top layer to multiply.

create new layer between top and bottom layer.

using elipse marquee selection tool with feather set to 5 create an elipse selection on ground around the subject. use select/transform selection to position and alter shape until it is where you want it.

use paint bucket to fill elipse with 100% white.

create new layer above elipse layer and add to current selection with polygon selection tool to define light beam. fill with paint bucket 100% white.

Now adjust opacity of light beam layer to about 20% to just give hint of light beam.

Adjust opacity of top layer to taste.

Put in oven on medium heat for one hour.

Here I have one I prepared earlier...<div></div>

improved version.

when you make the elipse selection then make top layer current and add to selection to define upper body of subject in selection. then reselect middle layer before applying paint bucket. This means there is a white underlay for the whole of the person which I forgot in the first version. This will retain lighting in whole of person. The rest is the same.<div></div>