394
Putting it all together 1
W
E’VE LOOKED AT MANY WAYS
to enhance, modify, adapt and alter
images in this book. Each one has been treated
as a separate tutorial, because that’s the best
way to learn how to accomplish each individual
technique.
But in real life – or what passes for real life
in the world of Photoshop – our montages
don’t all comprise a single, discrete task. We
may bring many different methods to bear on a
single image, depending on what’s demanded
at the time.
On these pages we’ll look at a typical
montage to see the kinds of approaches we
might apply to it. All the techniques used are
explained fully elsewhere in this book.
I took the original photograph, above, at
the London Transport Museum, on my iPhone,
without a flash. The resulting image quality
was poor – but I was able to rescue it using the
Camera Raw filter.
1
I used Filter > Camera Raw on this image to reduce the
noise, lighten the exposure, and increase the Clarity. I also
used a graduated filter to darken the top so it matched the rest
of the carriage (see page 124 onwards).
4
I added a second layer of foliage in the foreground, to
give extra depth to the view through the window. This
also used the window shape layer as a Clipping Mask.
7
To make the reflection in the windows, I duplicated the
background and scaled it so the seat perspectives lined
up. I then made a new Layer Group (page 94) with a Layer
Mask that matched the window area.
14
Advanced techniques
SHORTCUTS
MAC WIN BOTH
395
HOT TIP
Converting the
two background
layers to Smart
Objects in steps 5
and 6 meant that I
was able to adjust
the amount of blur
afterwards. With
an image like this,
you need to be
able to experiment
to get it right.
Placing the
reflection
elements into a
Layer Group in
step 7 made it
possible to reduce
the opacity of the
group as a whole.
If individual layers
had been lowered
in opacity, you’d
have been able to
see them through
each other.
2
To mask the window, I began by drawing the shape on a
new layer using the Pen tool (see page 20 onwards). I
filled the shape with white simply so I could see how well it fit
within the window frames.
3
I brought this landscape into the montage, using the
window shape as a Clipping Mask (page 94). By tracing
Vanishing Point lines along the seat lines on a new layer, I was
able to establish the position of the horizon (page 166).
5
After converting the distant trees layer to a Smart Object
(page 400), I applied Filter > Blur > Motion Blur with a
small value of 5 pixels – just enough to see slight movement.
6
The nearby foliage, also converted to a Smart Object, has
more Motion Blur – 20 pixels. Because it’s closer to the
camera, it needs to appear to be moving more quickly.
9
After blurring the image of myself taking the photograph
through the opposite window of the carriage, I reduced
the opacity of the whole reflected group to just 30%. The glass
is still there, but much more subtle. CONTINUED OVERLEAF
8
Because the reflection needs to be reversed, I copied the
two posters on the wall and the number on the door to
new layers, then flipped each one horizontally and distorted it
to fit the same space as the originals.
How to Cheat in Photoshop CC
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