Step 1
At first you need a concept or idea what your image should look like. In case you have no idea you might get one while searching for stock images - they can be really inspiring. The background is the base of a photomanipulation so we will start with its creation. I have chosen two images for thw background:
Image I should be the floor which the model sits on - the foreground. Image 2 is the background scene. Now click on File - Place and choose image 1. Place it into the spase. I usually work in a resolution of 3000x3000 dpi and I could highly recommend you to do this as well.
After placing image 1, immediately place image 2. Image 2 needs to cover all of image 1.
Step 2
In this step I will show you the method of blending. It is quite easy and I use it for every kind of background I do, no matter if it is detailed or not. Click on the eraser tool. Now you should see a menu on the top were you can modificate your eraser. I use a big and soft brush:
Now erase carefully the lower part of image2. You result should look like this:
Stap 3
Now we have a fore- and a -background. But their colors are still too different to look realistic. Also I want another color scheme to add more ambient to the whole composition. At first I desaturate both images. Click on the upper layer and then click on the little symbol beneath the layers to get the image adjustments menu.
Click on Hue/Saturation
As you can see I have set the saturation to -50. Now the colors are less strong but the image isn't black and white.
Step 4
Dodge and burn. This is a very important part of doing a photomanipulation. It will be done on every element that is used in a composition.
With the dodge and burn tools I can add shadows and lights or make them stronger. The burn tool with the modifications I use:
And the dodge tool:
This "before - after" image will show you were I have dodge and burnt the scene.
Step 5
Once I am done with the dodge and burn procedure it is time to care about the colors. In a manipulation you are surely free to choose the ambient - sometimes I do not add a specific color to the image and leave everything natural but in this case I will show you how to chance the color scheme. For this composition I want some yellow - greenish tones.
Click on the upper layer (the hue/saturation layer). Then click the image adjustments menu below the layers. Click on color balance next.
Now, play around with the colors until you are satisfied with the result. Here I show you the presets I used to change the color:
Please remember: you can modifiy shadows, highights and midtones. People often forget or don't notice these options.
This is the current result I achieved:
Step 6
This step is about the model. Once you found a nice stock model which you want for your comosition, click on File - Place and place it on your background. The first thing that I am going to do is tracing the model. For that purpose I use the pen tool with the following presets:
Attention: having the Rubber Band activated is very important! Now go around the model with the pen tool the way you want to cut it out. It might look like this when you are finished:
Keep the pen tool and right click on the model. Than click on make selection. Set the feather radius to 0 if it isn't already. Click ok and you will see that the line of the pen tool became a selection! Now click on Select - Inverse and press DEL on your keyboard. That will remove everything from the model that you don't need. Zoom in to get a detailed view of the model and remove everything that remains from the background with the eraser, using a small and hard brush. Your image should look like this now:
Well, it still doesn't look very realistic so I need to work on the model. The editing here is almost the same like on the background: desaturating, dodging and burning shadows and hightlights, playing around with the color balance. One thing I like to do after the desaturation and D&B-process is painting on the model. It is not necessairily but can be an impressive result. For painting I use a hard and snmall brush with a low flow and opacity. The layer blending mode is OVERLAY. (Layer - Layer style - Blending Options - Blend Mode: Overlay )
Drawing on the model
Now this step isn't really necessary but the final result will look much better if you want to display it anewhere if you do this.
Once i am done with drawing light effects on the model I open a new document on Photoshop with a resolution of 1024x768 px.
Place the finished image on it and resize it until you are content with the size. Then click Filter - Sharpen - Sharpen.
The image looks now more detailed and sharper that before.
Put your credit on it if you want - you are done!
