to Create a Dramatic Photo Effect Photoshop Tutorial

Resources
Background with Woman
Sky
Crow
Flying Birds
runge Te!ture
Step " # Preparing the Picture
$pen the photo of a girl in Photoshop% Right click on the Background and select option
&ayer From Background% Then open photo of sky and drag it into pre'ious picture% Place
it on the top and name it S()% Below you can see how your layers should look liker%
Step * # Blurring the Sky
Right now the sky is not +lended with the rest of the picture% )ou,ll fi! it in this and
following steps% -s you may notice picture of the sky is sharper than the +ackground% .t,s
+ecause it was taken with different /higher0 f1num+er setting than the rest of the image% .f
you start +lending sky now you won,t get realistic result +ecause of that% To fi! it you
need to +lur the sky a little% 2ake sure that the S() layer is acti'e /3ust click on it0% o to
Filter 4 Blur 4 aussian Blur5 set the 'alue Radius on a+out 657 pi!els and press $(%
Below you can see
how the image
looks so far% Still
lots of work need
to +e done%
Step 6 # Blending the Sky
Before you,ll start to ad3usting contrast and colors of the sky let,s focus on +lending%
Click on the layer S() and change its Blending 2ode on 2ultiply% )ou can find this
option in the +ottom part of the palette &ayers /same as your layers0% .f you don,t see it go
to Window 4 &ayers or simply press F8 on your key+oard%
Then lower the $pacity on
9:; to get e'en +etter result% )ou can find this option right to Blending 2ode changes on
&ayers palette%
Below you can see how
the picture looks so far% .t,s much +etter +ut still needs some ad3ustments to look perfect%
Step < # Soft Transition
-s you can see on the photo a+o'e there is a harsh line +etween S() and the rest of the
image% To fi! it add new layer mask to sky% )ou can find the +utton -dd layer mask on
the +ottom part of the palette &ayers%
ra+ the Brush Tool /B05
select some soft round +rush5 lower its $pacity on a+out <:; and pick +lack color% 2ake
sure that the layer mask is acti'e # click on the thum+nail of it%
.f you,re not familiar with
how you can work with layer masks let me e!plain it to you% .t,s similar to what can the
Eraser Tool /E0 do # you can hide some parts with it% But in compare to the Eraser Tool
/E0 you can let these parts reappear whene'er you want% .f you want to ha'e some part
hidden you simply paint with +lack on layer mask5 if you want to see it again you paint
white on that area% )ou can,t do this with the Eraser Tool /E05 you can go +ack few steps
/depends on your =istory settings0 +ut you always loose also the progress you did so far%
But +ack to the tutorial>
ra+ the Brush Tool /B05 pick +lack color and paint o'er the harsh line of the sky to make
nice5 soft transition% $n the picture +elow you can get inspiration what to achie'e%
Step 7 # Channels
Women,s face is still darker +ecause of the 2ultiply mode and if you look carefully
you,ll see that upper part of trees is +it darker +ecause of that too% )ou need to create
mask of which sky should +e hidden%% To do that you,ll use Channels%
First make the layer S() in'isi+le% To do that click on the eye icon left to the &ayer
thum+nail%
.f you don,t see this palette go to Window 4 Channels and it will appear% $n the palette
you can see four different lines # RB5 Red5 reen and Blue% .f you let 'isi+le only one
of the Channels you,ll see only 'alues from that Channel%
&et,s make 'isi+le the one where is the +iggest contrast +etween sky and trees% .n this
case the +iggest contrast is on the Blue Channel%
Right click on that
Channel and select
the option Duplicate
Channel> % 2ake
the original Blue
Channel in'isi+le%
&et,s ad3ust the Blue
Channel copy to
create good mask
from it% Click on
that channel and go
to .mage 4
-d3ustments 4
&e'els or press Ctrl
? & on your
key+oard% Set the .nput &e'els on 7:@ :577@ *66 and press $(%
2ake
'isi+le rest
of the
channels
again and
the one
you,'e
worked on
in'isi+le%
-lso make
'isi+le S() layer on &ayers palette%
Click on the layer S() and then go to Select 4 &oad Selection and as Channel choose
Blue Copy% Press $(%
2ask
+ased on
the Blue
copy
Channel
appears%
o to
Select 4
.n'erse or press Ctrl ? Shift ? . on your key+oard to in'ert it%
Click on the layer mask of the S()5 gra+ the Brush Tool /B0 and pick +lack color% Aow
paint o'er women,s face and upper parts of trees% -fter you,re done press Ctrl ? D to
deselect it%
$n the following picture you can see how your picture should look like so far%