Create a Dark Dreamy Emotional Photo Manipulation (Part 1)

In this tutorial (Part 1 of 2) I’ll show you how to create a Dark dreamy emotional photo manipulation. We’ll come through techniques of manipulating, retouching, layer mask, adjusting light and shadow as well as other several techniques.

Final Image Preview

Resources

Step 1

Create a new file with a width of 4500 px and a height of 4500 px at 300 dpi (Dots per Inch). Background should be White.

Create a Dark Dreamy Emotional Photo Manipulation 11

Step 2

Let’s start with our background (sky).

Let’s open the desolate storm in Photoshop. We will be using the sky from this stock image so we will need to transfer it to our main canvas.

Click the desolate storm image and press V to activate the Move Tool. Left-click the image and drag the image to the main canvas and change layer name to “sky”.

Step 3

Next, activate the Transform tool (Ctrl/Cmd +T), then while the “sky” layer is selected resize it as shown below:

Step 4

Now Create new color balance adjustment layer from the bottom of layers palette.

Fill values see as below :

Now Create new Curves adjustment layer from the bottom of layers palette.

When the Curves box opens, input the following:

Step 5

First off, let’s open the Clevedon Pier – sxc.hu stock in Photoshop. We will be using the Clevedon Pier from this stock image so we will need to transfer it to our main canvas.

Click the Clevedon Pier and press P to activate pen tool and then make a selection around the Clevedon Pier and then click V to activate the Move Tool. Left-click the image and drag the image to the main canvas and change layer name to “Clevedon Pier”.

Step 6

Next, activate the Transform tool (Ctrl/Cmd +T), then while the “Clevedon Pier ” layer is selected and then resize it as shown below:

Step 7

First off, let’s open the Swan IV – IQuitCountingStock stock in Photoshop. We will be using the Swan from this stock image so we will need to transfer it to our main canvas.

Click the Swan and press P to activate pen tool and then make a selection around the Swan. Click V to activate the Move Tool. Left-click the image and drag the image to the main canvas and change layer name to “Swan”:

Activate transform tool and then make a right click and choose flip horizontal

Step 8

Now Create new Curves adjustment layer from the bottom of layers palette.

When the Curves box opens, input the following:

Press Alt+left click in between 2 layer’s (swan and Curves) to make a mask.

Create new brightness/contrast adjustment layer from the bottom of layers palette.

Input the following and Press Alt+left click in between 2 layer’s (swan and brightness/contrast) to make a mask.

Step 9

Let’s make a Source light to our image.Activate a new layer (ctrl+n) and name it “Source light”.

Activate Brush tool (B) with these settings :

Brush size: 600px

Hardness: 0%

Opacity: 40%

Flow: 100%

Color: #FFFFFF

Paint over the highlighted area.

Step 10

Let’s make swan’s shadow.Activate a new layer and name it “swan shadow”

Make a duplicate of swan layer by using Ctrl+J, activate transform tool (ctrl+t) and right click and choose flip vertical.

Activate the duplicate layer by (ctrl+left click on duplicate layer) and fill with black color.

Activate Erase tool (E) with these settings:

Brush size: 200px

Hardness: 0%

Opacity: 40%

Flow: 100%

Let’s erase and ease little bit of our shadow to make it light.

Step 11

First off, let’s open the Old top hat set stock in Photoshop. We will be using the hat from this stock image so we will need to transfer it to our main canvas.

Click the Old top hat and press P to activate pen tool and then make a selection around the hat and then click V to activate the Move Tool. Left-click the image and drag the image to the main canvas and change layer name to “hat”.