Reflection

on Friday 28 June 2013
This is another tutorial on Reflection and use of a Displacement Map. The earlier tutorial is here. I will place the rose on the water and create a reflection artificially in Photoshop.

Step 1 : I have opened these two images in Photoshop for the purpose of the tutorial.
Step 2 : Click on the Magnetic Lasso tool to select it. With the Magnetic Lasso I will proceed to select the rose.
Step 3 : I have begun to click and drag by placing points one after another all around the petals of the rose. You can also see the Magnetic Lasso at the right in the image.

Step 4 : When you come back to first point you clicked the selection will be complete. The selection will be seen as a column of 'marching ants'.
Step 5 : Press ALT+CTRL+D on the keyboard and the Feather dialigue box opens. Set 2 pixels as the Feather Radius. This will soften the edges of the selection.
Step 6 : Press CTRL+J on the keyboard and the selection of the rose will be copied and pasted on a new layer i.e. Layer 1 in the Layers/Channels/Paths pallette.
Step 7 : Click off the eye icon on the Background layer.
Step 8 : As soon as you click the eye icon, the background from the rose disappears.

Step 9 : Now click on the Move tool. It is found on the top of the left panel. Use the Move Tool to drag the rose onto the image of the sea. While dragging keep SHIFT key pressed on the keyboard. This will ensure that the rose will land exactly in the middle of the sea image.
Step 10 : The rose has landed in the middle of the sea image.
Step 11 : Drag Layer 1 containing the image of rose to the New Layer icon shown by the red arrow. It will create a new layer -- Layer 1 copy (see blue arrow).
Step 12 : Go to Edit>Transform>Flip Horizontal.
Step 13 : The rose in Layer 1 copy has been flipped vertically.

Step 14 : Drag the Layer 1 copy to below Layer 1 as shown.
Step 15 : The Layer 1 copy layer is now beneath Layer 1.

Step 16 : The Layer 1 copy which will be the reflection is now behind Layer 1 and is hidden by it.
Step 17 : With the Move Tool drag down the Layer 1 copy (which will become the reflection) to reveal it as shown.
Step 18 : Go to Edit>Transform>Perspective.

Step 19 : Press Alt and drag the left bottom corner handle to the left. It will drag out the image sideways proportionately as shown above.
Step 20 : Now press CTRL+T and drag down the middle handle at the top as shown. The rose reflection becomes almost fully visible now.
Step 21 : Click the Move Tool or any other tool and this dialogue box comes up. Click Apply.
Step 22 : Click on the Layer Mask button shown by the red arrow and the Layer Mask forms next to the Layer thumbnail on Layer 1 copy. Step 23 : Click the Rectangular Marquee Tool.
Step 24 : Now click on a corner at the edge of the image to reveal the edges.
Step 25 : Now draw a selection as shown with the Rectangular Marquee tool.
Step 26 : Change the Foreground color to white. To change it to the default Black foreground and White background click on the tiny black and white squares just below. To switch between the Foreground and Background colors click the small bent two headed arrow on the right corner. Next pess CTRL+BACK SPACE on the keyboard. This will fill the selection with white.

Step 27 : When you fill the selection with white the rose reflection disappears as you can see above.
Step 28 : Click on the Gradient Tool. The Gradient Editor is set to white to black and the Foreground color is set to white.

Step 29 : Drag down with the Gradient Tool as shown.
Step 30 : Now the rose in Layer 1 copy is beginning to look like a reflection. Press CTRL+D to deselect.

Step 31 : In the Layers/Channels/Paths pallette lower the Opacity as shown by dragging the slider to the left.
Step 32 : The rose with the Opacity decreased.
Step 33 : Now double click the Background layer in the Layers/Channels/Paths pallette (A). This opens the New Layer dialogue box (B). By default the name of the layer becomes Layer 0. A Background layer cannot be edited. This has been done to make it editable. Click ok in the New Layer dialogue box.
Step 34 : Now to create the Displacement Map, in the Layers/Channels/Paths pallette click the Channels. It will open the Channels pallette. See above.

Step 35 : See all the channels. The Red channel has the most contrast as can be seen from the above. Drag the Red channel to the New Channel icon shown by the red arrow and it will form a Red copy channel (blue arrow). The contrast is high in the Red channel for this image, in other images it may be the Blue or the Green channel. In such a case duplicate that channel.
Step 36 : See the small black arrow at the top right hand corner of the channels pallette. Click it. Step 37 : As soon as you click the arrow, this drop down dialogue appears. Click the Duplicate Channel.
Step 38 : When you click the Duplicate channel, this dialogue box opens. From the dropdown in Document, choose New and click ok.
Step 39 : The new red copy has formed.

Step 40 : Go to Image>Adjustment>Levels.
Step 41 : The Levels dialogue box opens. Drag the black slider a little to the right to darken the image. Click ok.

Step 42 : This is how the image looks It has become darker.
Step 43 : Press CTRL+M on the keyboard. It will bring up the Curves dialogue box (shown at right). Drag the diagonal line in the middle slightly upwards. This will darken the image a bit more. Click ok.
Step 44 : Press SHIFT+CTRL+S on your keyboard to save the Red Copy. I am saving it in My Pictures folder. You can also save it there or anywhere else you want. I have given Rose Reflection as the File Name and am saving it in psd format. After saving close the Red copy. Step 45 : Now click back on the RGB channel in the Channels pallette. This will restore the color to your image.
The color has been restored.
Step 46 : Now click back on the Layers pallette. Click on the Layer 1 copy 1 layer to select it.
Step 47 : Go to Filter>Distort>Displace.
Step 48 : This dialogue box appears. Click ok.
Step 49 : The Choose a Displacement Map dialogue box appears. I will click on Rose Reflection I saved earlier to select it.
Step 50 : Again go to Filter. You will always find the last filter applied on top. Reapply Displace by clicking on it. It is not always necessary to apply it twice. I am doing so to heighten the effect.
Step 51 : This is the image after application of the Displacement Map. The reflection of the rose on the water looks as if it is contoured to the ripples.

Step 52 : Now click back on Layer 1 which contains the original rose.
Step 53 : Now use the Move Tool to move the rose up to the horizon. Press Alt on the keyboard and drag the left or right bottom corner handle outwards. It will proportionately increase the size of the image. Now click on the Move Tool and the Apply transformation dialogue box appears. Click Apply. (See Steps 19 to 21).

Step 54 : Now click on the Add Layer Mask button shown by the red arrow and a layer mask forms beside the layer thumbnail on Layer 1.
Step 55 : Click on the Zoom Tool (A) and you will find two magnifying glass like icons on top (B). The one with the plus sign zooms in and the with the minus sign zooms out. You can also use the Bracket key [ ] to zoom in or out.
Step 56 : Click the Brush Tool to select it.
Step 57 : Make sure that the Foreground color is set to black.
Step 58 : With the Brush Tool wipe away parts of the petals to make the waves on the horizon visible.

Step 59 : Now click back on Layer 1 copy, which is the reflection layer. Click on the Layer thumbnail.
Step 60 : Using the Move Tool drag up the reflection till it is beneath the rose on the horizon.
Step 61 : Press CTRL+T and drag down with the Move Tool holding the middle handle.
Step 62 : Now press ALT and drag one of the corner handles as shown. The reflection now covers the water. But we are not finished yet.

Step 63 : Press CTRL+T and drag down so that the reflection comes below the horizon. Click the Move Tool after dragging. Apply the transformation.
If you files are heavy, you may see this dialogue while the Transformation is applied.
Step 64 : Now click back on Layer containing the original rose image.
Step 65 : Change the Blend Mode to Overlay. I have choisen Overlay becuase it works fine with the image. This may vary from image to image. You can try other options also.

A closer look at the Blend Modes available.

The Blend Mode has been changed to Overlay on top and kept at Normal in the bottom picture. You can use the Blend Mode that appeals to you. That is all.

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