border breakout effect

1. use the rectangular marquee tool to select the part of your image you want to become the photograph
2. Command T to choose free transform
3. hold down command option shift to give it some perspective, then rotate it slightly
4. Command J to copy to a new layer
5.  on the background layer, select the portion you want to "break out"
6. duplicate that selection onto a new layer
7. create a new layer below the rectangular selection layer (hold down command as you create the new layer)
8. fill that layer with white or some other appropriate color
9. on the rectangular selection layer, add a stroke layer style
10. make it off white , inside and fairly large
11. create a new layer below the rectangular selection layer and above the layer in step 8
12. fill with black, and choose free transform
13. hold down command and click on the top middle handle to give it perspective
14. add a gaussian blur and adjust it's opacity

 

based on episode 49 of Photoshop TV

Boring skies no more

Here are a couple ways to add ' a little something" to an otherwise boring sky

1. make sure the foreground color is black, add an adjustment layer of gradient

2. reverse the layer so the top is black, click Ok and change the blend mode to soft light

3. to add some clouds, create a new blank layer

4.  open another image with clouds so that both are open at the same time

5. use the clone stamp tool to select clouds for the second image, then click on your first image and clone in the clouds

6. when finished, close the cloud image

7. select the move tool, hold down the shift key and keep tapping  + ( this cycles through the blend modes)     lighten seemed to work on this image

8. if needed, use levels to brighten the clouds   ( image After #1)

another method is to do the above up to step 6

then:

7. add a layer style and choose blending options

8. in the Blend if: area, select the top left slider and move it to right

9. to get rid of some of the harshness, hold down option and split that slider and move part of it back to the left   ( image After #2)

before                                                                        after #1

after #2

Get Rid of 5 o'clock Shadow

1. duplicate the background layer
2. go to Filter.. Noise... Dust & Scratches
3. I used  a radius of 7 and a threshold of 3 for this sample
4. hold down option and create a new layer mask  ( black)
5. use a white paintbrush to paint over the stubble
6. double click on the layer thumbnail
7. hold down option and move the white slider to the left until stubble starts to appear

8. if you are satisfied  go to step  11
9. press command option shift E to create a new layer out of the other ones
10 repeat steps 1-7
 NOTE:  a shortcut for step 5.    Hold down option and drag the original mask to the new one ( it saves painting the same area)
11. if needed, lower opacity a bit

12. if there are areas that need darkening  or lightening, flatten the image an use the dodge tool

        before                                                                               after




based on Photoshop TV episode 39

Red eye and White teeth

Based on Photoshop Users TV episode 30 and 114

Whitening teeth (and eyes)

1. duplicate the background layer

2. use a blend mode of screen

3. hold down option and create a layer mask (it will be black)

4. the teeth with a white brush

5. adjust the opacity of the layer for realistic results

      before                                                                         after

Taking the red out of eyes

1. make a copy of the background layer

2. create an adjustment layer with channel mixer

3. make the Red channel 0%, Green 50%, Blue 50% 

4. Click on the mask of the adjustment layer ( a small white box )
5. use Command I  to invert the mask
6. set the foreground color is set to white and select a soft edge brush.

6. paint over the eyes ( only the part that is red)

          before                                                                        after

Create a Reflection

1. Duplicate the background layer ( Command J )  twice so you have 3 layers
2. Using the top layer:
       • invert it vertically
       • reduce its opacity to about 50%
       • slide it down so the boundary of where you want your reflection matches the
         background layer ( in this case, the base of the mosque)
       • go to Filter... Distort.... Wave  ( use whichever settings look good to you)
         ( keep the vertical scale as small as possible   1%)
       • if needed  go to Edit and choose Fade Wave
       • choose a new layer mask and paint out the overlapping area
            ( make sure foreground color is black)
       • change the blending mode to overlay and drop the opacity  if needed
3. Using the second layer
       • use the lasso tool to select the reflection area
       • apply the Wave filter ( Command F)
       • lower the opacity a littlle bit

                                  before                                                                         after

                                                                      

based on episode 36 of Photoshop TV