Sandbox365 - Creating Reflections

[Sandbox365]

This Sandbox tutorial session shows you how easy it can be to create and add reflections to your compositions!

There are all sorts of reflection(s) - just a search of 365 yesterday yielded 23,041 photos tagged with reflection or reflections!
http://365project.org/tags/reflections
http://365project.org/tags/reflection

There is also a discussion thread about the topic -
http://365project.org/discuss/critique/20468/reflection-critique-requested-do-s-and-don-ts

For this session, the starting image is a picture taken for a photography competition in Alameda, CA.



and a mystical doorway is added with a reflection along with some added texturing and 'atmosphere' effects.



Basic reflections can be done in 6 to 10 steps depending on how complex your final image or composition needs to be or you want it to look.

Basic Steps:
1. COPY a section of the image you want to reflect
2 PASTE it as a new layer into your composition
3. FLIP it over by transforming and flip vertical (usually in the Edit menu)
4. With the layer selected, position/MOVE the layer to the desired position (you may need to do some additional tweaking for PERSPECTIVE adjustments or WARPing to match other elements in your composition)
5. Change the layer BLEND mode (TRICK - in Photoshop with the MOVE tool active on the reflection layer, you can scroll through the BLEND modes by using the SHIFT plus the '+' to view on-screen the different effects of changing the BLEND modes)
6. Once you have the desired BLEND mode create a layer MASK and use a linear GRADIENT of foreground to transparent to gradually make the reflected layer disappear
7. Depending on the surface and overall effect you're trying to achieve with your reflection within your composition you may want to try different filters on the reflection (ripple, displacement map, etc)

Here are some on-line tutorial links to refer to as more examples:

http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-create-a-reflection-in-photoshop-in-6-easy-steps/

http://10steps.sg/tutorials/photoshop/a-realistic-water-reflections-photoshop-tutorial/

You can use this technique to add reflections onto sunglasses, windows, eyes, mirrors, and many other surfaces.

Here is an example of a full figure reflection from @aprilmilani




@888rachel @_catherine_ @adambralston @aecasey @aikiuser @amandal @amyleewinfield @andy3168 @aponi @aprilmilani @auroajane @beluga @bill_fe @bizziebeeme @brianarmoured @brigette @bulldog @callymazoo @catwhiskers @charmboxstudios @clarek @creampuff @darylo @dibzgreasley @dmcoile @ethelperry @flyrobin @francoise @frankhymus @gigiz @graemestevens @grammyn @harley84 @homeschoolmom @houser934 @jantan @jo13 @joansmor @jocasta @juliedduncan @jyokota @kali66 @karlow75 @katymac80 @krenneker @kt8ird @ladygator @laetitiapetrussa @lambda @longexposure @lovemy3littles @luvthyclassics @lynnz @maggiemae @mbrunner @megstorey @moviegal1 @myhrhelper @neatz @northy @olivetreeann @overalvandaan @palmilla @panthora @pennyp @pixelchix @pixiemac @polarvrtx @radiogirl @randystreat @rducky @roseolivia @rosiekerr @salza @shailestha @shesnapped @sioux @slash @stiggle @suebarni @thistle @thresheg @tigerdreamer @vignouse @voiceprintz @wenbow @taffy

So there you have it

Please tag your images Sandbox-reflections and feel free to post images, and any resources, comments and questions!

@mikegifford

[Kathy Burzynski]

Awesome! I really hope to be able to do this one. I'm behind on these but thank you all for taking the time to teach PS.

[Islandgirl]

Nice I want to give this a try...........thanks for the tutorial!

[April Milani]

Awesome job!!

[Ann H. LeFevre]

I am really appreciating all the lessons even though my schedule lately has kept me from trying so many of them out. I have printed them out though so I can always refer to them when I want to give a technique a try. Thanks again for all the hard work on these!

[Anja]

Here's my first attempt:



Not quite happy with it. I thought a sharp division between sky and water (which are both textures) would look good, but now I think a diffused line might have been better. Also, the reflection is leaning backwards instead of forwards. Anjyway, I had fun doing this :-)

[Ashley]

Thanks you guys!

[Mike Gifford]

@stiggle Not bad for the first attempt - your picture made the POPULAR PAGE!!!

Anja - yes I can see your point. I mentioned in number 4 the need to possibly adjust for perspective when you flip the reflective image. Nice job in any case!

[Anja]

@mikegifford Thanks Mike! When I have time, I'll try and figure out how to change the perspective.

[Sue]

Though I would try it with a panorama I took a while back.

[Anja]

It may not exactly be a reflection, but it did involve flipping the image and changing the blend mode.

[Mike Gifford]

@stiggle Perfect! Nicely done!

[Mike Gifford]

@sioux Very nicely done! I like it!

[Joyce]

Here's my first attempt. The daisies are floating in a bowl of water but I added the reflection and the ripples. Took me ages and I learnt a lot but would appreciate your advice on the end product!

[Sue]

@mikegifford Thanks Mike,

[Anja]

Here's another one:

[Ethel]

This project raises more questions than answers for me. What is a realistic reflection? a flipped copy is mainly a Rorschach game. So what do I look for? It has mad me realise I look but don't "see" reflections in real life.. Is the reflective surface a puddle, a pool, a stream a lake? Is it stock still, a gentle breeze or a bit of wind?

[Lyn Todd]

@thistle great edit Joyce.I like that you decreased opacity of the reflection and erased the ripples from over the top flowers really well. Another thing you might try (on a second copy of the the relection layer) is the Filter ➡️ Distort ➡️ Ripple or Oceam Ripple. You might need to adjust the size of ripples to suit your image, and even erase parts of the reflections if needed.

[Lyn Todd]

@ethelperry Lovely editing, and it is great that this tutorial has prompted you to look at how light behaves in real reflections more closely. You are right - generally, merely flipping an image does not make a realistic reflection - because the source lighting becomes blended with the flipped lighting. This is the same important concept that applies when you create images that are composites of introduced objects.
It is an example of how learning editing can improve photography - photography means 'painting with light' and those 3 little words can make or break great photographs.
http://www.gettotallyrad.com/blog/read-light/

You might like to investigate combining lighting effects from different layers (or objects) by selecting the reflection layer and go to Filter ➡️ Render ➡️ Lighting Effects

[Ethel]

I have about 4 versions using the courtyard starting image, I finally settled on using a water ripple download for texture layer. This was more challenging than the cat project. The old adage applies, that I learn more from my mistakes than my successes. I am still coming to terms with how to use Lighting effects. haven't given up yet.

[Ethel]

Thank you, Lyn for your support and suggestions.

[Francoise]

This one is a bit late. As @ethelperry says, the exercise seems to raise more questions than anything else.