Surreal Reflected Landscapes! Photoshop Tutorial
Basic Photoshop tutorial
Feel like giving your photos a surreal flare with some basic Photoshop techniques? Reflecting -or inverting- a section of your image is an interesting way to do this; using just a few simple tools, you can produce an image like the one above.
Start by opening your chosen photo in Photoshop (I'm using Adobe Photoshop Elements for this tutorial). Landscapes with interesting geometric features are good for this technique though there are many options for where you could use this style.
A good habit when editing an image in Photoshop is to make a copy by right clicking the image preview (under the layers tab, usually to the right) and selecting "duplicate layer". This way if you make a mistake, you were only ever editing a copy of the original image so it won't matter.
Next, select the part of the image you want to make a reflection from. Do this using the marquee tool, shown in the tool bar -near the top- as either a rectangle or circle (depending on which you're using). Once you have selected the area you want to reflect, right click inside the shape and choose "layer via copy"; this will make a new layer from a copy of whatever is in your highlighted area.
After that it's time to edit the reflection. You can rotate it by locating the image tab, top left, and going under rotate (make sure to choose a "rotate layer" option as this will rotate the one layer rather than the whole image). Alternatively you can go to image, free transform (shortcut ctrl+t or cmd+t on Mac) to rotate and scale the image manually.
Layer masks are an easy to use tool in Photoshop that are well worth learning; they allow you to erase parts of an image without removing the detail. This way, you can always bring back the detail if you make a mistake. In this technique, we're using a layer mask to make the reflection fade out with a gradient. Add a layer mask to the layer with the reflection by clicking the layer mask button on the layers tab, represented by a picture of a rectangle with a hole (or right click the layer and choose "add layer mask").
Next choose the brush tool, the one with a picture of a paintbrush. You can change the brush settings with the sliders or under the "brush settings" button; you'll want a brush with minimal hardness -I used 0%- which will give it very soft edges. The brush size needs to be quite big, maybe a third to a half the size of the reflection (as a starting point).
Make the brush colour black and start painting over the area you want to fade out - in the example, I did this on the sky. Painting black onto a layer mask will erase detail (painting white will bring it back, in case you make a mistake) and since the brush has minimal hardness, it will create a faded look. Experiment and see what looks best.
Remember you can always select Image, transform, free transform (or ctrl+t/cmd+t on Mac) to change the location and scale of your reflection if you want.
And that's the bulk of it! This is a technique that has lots of room for experimentation, so play around with the shape of the reflection, the amount you use the layer mask and other options like colour and sharpness (I'd love to see your creations).
How I Made the Thumbnail Image
Most of the process of making this photo was the same as the one in this tutorial, with a few extra bits added in for experimentation.
I made the background image upside down by choosing the background layer, going to Image, rotate, flip layer vertical.
The crumbling effect of the ruins was achieved with the brush tool and a layer mask.
I started by making a copy of the reflection; I then stretched it downwards and erased it all by giving it a layer mask and painting over it (this meant it was there but it was hidden).
With the brush tool selected, you can click the brush preview (the long black mark in the example image above) to see other types of brush. These are great for playing around with, there are brushes with: leaf patterns, stars and many other textures. I chose a square brush. I then went into "brush settings" and played with two options: spacing and scatter. These changed how far apart and how randomly scattered the squares in the brush were. This meant I could paint onto the layer mask with scattered squares, revealing the stretched reflection in the areas I painted. The effect made it look like the ruins were crumbling.
Further Inspiration
I've compiled the images I've made with this technique here. Alternatively, have a look at the work of an artist called "Victoria Siemer" who has made many interesting images with reflected landscapes
Hope this gives you some interesting ideas ~~Liam J. Turner
Extra Info
Some ideas for experimentation could be: use the layer mask to draw straight through the reflection, splitting it in two; use multiple reflections in one picture; change the brush you're drawing with; or use the technique with different genres, like floral or portraiture.
Photoshop Elements is a great quality piece of software for professional artists and will prove very helpful for amateurs too. It is purchased once (no need for continued payments like with Photoshop CC) and, while expensive, will be well worth it. I highly recommend it (I'm not sponsored, I just believe it to be a must have piece of software for artists so don't let it intimidate you - you will see a visual improvement in your work).
Surrealism is an art style that deals with the complexities of the mind, creating fictional looking, sometimes spooky scenes; it has been used in many arts, not just photography. People who have used surrealism include Man Ray, Tommy Ingberg and Vladimir Kush.
