John&Jacq~s Garden

Photoshop tutorial – Collage of illusive garden photos and an inset

Hehe…if you’d browse through this blog and my Flickr photostream, you’d come to know that I’m really a Photoshop maniac! :D

Having learnt recently how to create an illusion of a picture within a picture and presented a Photoshop tutorial on it, I’ve found this craft handy when I needed to illustrate garden flower images in the plants database of my blog.

Unlike the macro flower pictures which usually come out crisp and well-defined, the non-closeup shots are sometimes indistinct or haphazard as in these images.

However, I felt that I can still use these pictures to their best advantage for my article on this plant, Duranta repens ‘Alba’. So, I’ve envisaged a photo collage and with a few basic Photoshop tricks and techniques, the image below is the charming end result!

Here, it is basically drawing attention to the white flowers and golden berries by creating two smaller photo versions around them, using the vector shapes, creating clipping masks and applying some Layer Styles. And then, drag in an inset to show off its magnified flowers from another image!

Let’s begin the tutorial –

Step 1. In Photoshop CS2, open the image that you want to use as the background for this tutorial – Choose File > Open and browse to select your image. You will need to duplicate the opened original image as it is unwise to work on it. With the original image activated, choose Image > Duplicate (a duplicate window pops up, type a new file name as you wish) > OK. Close the original image and make very sure you are now working with its copy. Check image size and if necessary reduce its size to 800 x 600 pixels which is the recommended size for web publishing – go to Image > Image Size and key in the dimensions as you would want the completed image to be.

Step 2. With the Background layer selected in the Layers Palette, you’ll need to duplicate it. Go to Layer > Duplicate Layer > OK or press the shortcut keys Ctrl+J to bring forth a Background copy (Layer 1). Double-click on the words of the layer to change its name to ‘Crop Picture 1’ for easy identification.

Step 3. Now, you’ll need to create a new layer below the Crop Picture 1 layer. To do this, simply hold down your Ctrl key while you click the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers Palette and a new layer will emerge between the two layers – Background and Crop Picture 1. Double-click on this new layer and rename it ‘Vector 1’, as this is where a vector shape will be created.

Step 4. Next thing to do is to define the shape of the cropped picture using any one of the Vector Shape tools. In this example, I’ve dragged out an ellipsed shape where the stalks of white flowers, leaves and berries are centered. With the Vector 1 layer selected in the Layers Palette, choose the Ellipse Tool from the Tool box on the left (the Vector Shape tools are located directly under the Type Tool), then click and drag it over the image area that you’d want your first cropped picture version to represent. If the tool is not visible, click at the location and hold down the mouse button to select your tool from the fly-out list. The shape to be drawn need not be precise, just an approximate one will do since you can transform it later. Once the vector shape is drawn, you’ll observe that the Vector 1 layer in the Layers Palette has changed, creating 2 thumbnails – a color box for the layer and another for the vector mask. You can click on the vector mask thumbnail to toggle on and off.

Step 5. Now, you may want to reposition, resize or rotate your vector shape as desired. With the Vector 1 layer still highlighted in blue (and the vector mask thumbnail highlighted too) in the Layers Palette, press Ctrl+T to bring out the Free Transform box and handles around the cropped picture. To reposition the vector shape, click anywhere inside the box and drag the shape to your desired location, or nudge it with the arrow keys on your keyboard. To resize it, simply click and drag any of side handles or constrain the proportions by holding down Shift as you drag a corner handle, and holding down Shift+Alt as you drag will cause the shape to resize from the center. Should you need to rotate the shape, move your mouse anywhere outside the box and when the cursor change to a double-sided arrow, click and drag as desired. To complete the transformation, press Enter or double-click inside the Free Transform box. To cancel the operation, press Esc and try again. (Later, you may need to repeat this step a few times probably to reshape, resize or reposition the vector shape to create a more balanced overall picture with the inclusion of two more smaller pictures.)

Step 6. You’ll then need to use the vector shape to create a clipping mask. This means that it will clip the layer above it into the dimensions of the first cropped version of the picture. To do this, hold down the Alt key and move your cursor directly between the Crop Picture 1 and Vector 1 layers in the Layers Palette until you see your cursor change into the clipping mask icon. Then, double-click to create the clipping mask. You will know that you’ve done it correctly when the Crop Picture 1 layer is indented to the right, confirming that it’s clipped by the vector shape below it.

Step 7. Now you’ll need to frame the cropped image to bring it into focus. Just adding a combination of a few layer styles to its vector shape can create an arty and fancy border. With the Vector 1 layer and mask thumbnail in the Layers Palette still being selected, click on the Layer Style icon at the bottom of the palette and select Blending Options (or double-click to the right of the Vector 1 layer) to open the Layer Style window. In this example, I’ve applied a Stroke, Inner Glow and Bevel and Emboss.
(a) Stroke – click on the name Stroke on the left side of the Layer Style window to open its options for you to choose. Check that Preview (on the right side of window) is selected to allow you to view simultaneously the effects of your choices made on image itself. Here, I’ve set the following options: Stroke size – 6px, Position – Inside so that the stroke appears within the boundaries of the vector shape, Blend mode – Normal, Opacity to 100% and color #144703 (a dark green color taken from the cropped picture – click on the color box to open the Color Picker, then use the Eyedropper Tool to select the color from your image and click OK when done). Do not close the Layer Style window yet as there are 2 more layer effects to be applied.
(b) Inner Glow – click on the name Inner Glow to bring out its options. Selections made were: Blend Mode – Dissolve, Opacity – 100%, Color – White #ffffff, Technique – Precise, Source – Edge, Choke – 22%, Size – 18px, Contour – Cone, deselect Anti-aliased, Range – 18%.
(c) Bevel and Emboss – click on the words Bevel and Emboss to open its options. The choices made were: Style – Inner Bevel, Technique – Chisel Soft, Depth – 180%, Direction – Up, Size – 18px, Soften – 0px, Angle – 30º, select Global Light, Altitude – 30º, Gloss Contour – Linear, deselect Anti-aliased, Highlight Mode – Screen, Color – #f1fae4, Opacity – 30%, Shadow Mode – Multiply, Color – #2c6303, Opacity – 35%. Also, click on the word Contour on the right side of window, and for Contour – pick Linear (click on the drop-arrow to open the Contour Picker to make your choice), deselect Anti-aliased, Range – 34%.
(d) Acceptance – View cropped image to see the overall effects of the Layer Styles applied. Enjoy and do not be afraid to try out the many styles+options available! If you want to cancel any styling effect, just deselect in the box to the left of its name, or click on its name to open options and make changes. When you’re finally satisfied with all the styling results made on your photo, save your styling efforts as a New Style (button displayed on the right side) for future use. Then, click OK to accept and close the Layer Style window. Should you change your mind again after exiting, just return to it by double-clicking on the Layer style button (letter f with a circle) in the Layers Palette and make the desired changes.

Step 8. Next, create the second vector shape to enclose the golden berries by repeating steps 2 to 6 and naming the new layers created as Crop Picture 2 and Vector 2 instead. You’d observe that once the second shape is drawn following step 4, the Vector 2 layer in the Layers Palette will show 2 thumbnails and a Layer Style icon (letter f within a circle) at the right end, indicating layer effects. Here, Photoshop automatically copies the effects previously applied to the first vector shape, and they become visible when the clipping mask is created as in step 6. If you want to make changes to the layer effects, just double-click on the icon to open the Layer Style window and select your preferred options, then click OK to exit.
(Tip – also, if you prefer the second cropped picture be positioned above the first one, select both the Crop Picture 2 and Vector 2 layers (hold down Shift key to select the second layer) and drag them to stack above the Crop Picture 1 layer in the Layers Palette. Try it and if you want to undo, just press Ctrl+Z. (Note – In the stacking order of layers, the higher up on the stack the given layer is, the closer to the top of the overall photo it will be).

Step 9. Now, to blur the surrounding background which appeared too cluttered so as to highlight the two newly created images. With the Background layer selected in the Layers Palette, press the shortcut keys Ctrl+J to bring forth a Background copy. Double-click on the words of the layer to change its name to ‘Blur’. Then go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian, and key in 8.0 pixels for Radius and click OK to close its window. If you want to undo blur, simply press Ctrl+Z and try again. Sometimes, if I think that the blur needs to be slightly adjusted, I’d just go to the Opacity setting in the top right corner of the Layers Palette, let the cursor rest on the word Opacity to turn it into a slider icon, then click and drag to the left to lower the opacity.

Step 10. At this stage, we have already created an illusion of 2 smaller pictures within the main background photo to resemble a photo collage. Looks good now, don’t you think so? ;) Well, it’ll look better when we include an inset. In this example, I’ve chosen to crop a macro image of the white flowers from another photo. To do this:
(a) Go to File > Open and browse to select your image. Then duplicate it as advised in step 1. Working on the duplicate image, tap C key to turn on the Crop Tool (or select it from the tool bar) and drag the Crop Tool over the part of the image you want to keep to create a marquee. The marquee doesn’t have to be precise as you can adjust it later by dragging any side handle. To complete the crop, press Enter or double-click inside the cropping marquee. To cancel the cropping operation, press Esc and start again.
(b) Now, go back to the collage (main picture) window and select the Blur layer in the Layers Palette so that Photoshop will place the inset above the Blur layer but below the Vector 2 layer as desired. Then, return to the cropped macro photo, tap V key to turn on the Move Tool and click anywhere on the cropped image and drag it onto the collage. Observe that as the cropped image is added to the collage, a new layer is produced above the Blur layer in the Layers Palette. Double-click on the name and rename it ‘Inset’. Next, press Ctrl+T to resize and reposition this added image (refer step 5 above).
(c) We will now want to enhance the inset by applying some layer effects. Here, I gave the same style as for the vector shapes with minimal changes. Double-click on the Inset layer to open the Layer Style window. Select Styles on the top left to show the collection of preset styles and choose the ‘New Style’ that was saved earlier at step 7(d) above. Here, some slight changes were made – click on the words Inner Glow and change its Size to 25px and Contour Range to 15%; then click on Bevel and Emboss to change its depth to 31%. Click OK when done to close window.

Step 11. Give a final check to see whether you’re satisfied with the position and shape of all the three images in the collage. If necessary, make changes again by targeting the specific layer in the Layers Palette, then press Ctrl+T to reshape or reposition and press Enter to accept changes. We can now finally move on to complete the collage by adding a fancy border. Here again, select the Blur layer, then double-click on the layer to open the Layer Style window and apply the following layer styles:
(a) Stroke – set the following options: Stroke size – 6px, Position – Inside, Blend mode – Normal, Opacity to 100% and color #1c480d (a dark green color picked from the collage, using the Eyedropper Tool).
(b) Bevel and Emboss – the choices made were: Style – Inner Bevel, Technique – Smooth, Depth – 100%, Direction – Up, Size – 13px, Soften – 0px, Angle – 30º, select Global Light, Altitude – 30º, Gloss Contour – Linear, deselect Anti-aliased, Highlight Mode – Screen, Color – #89fa04, Opacity – 100%, Shadow Mode – Multiply, Color – #1a3d02, Opacity – 100%. Also, click on the word Contour on the right side of window, and for Contour – pick Ring, deselect Anti-aliased, Range – 40%. When done, click OK to accept layer effects and close window.

HOORAY! THAT’S ALL AND THE FINAL RESULT!

GO…HAVE FUN! BE CREATIVE! :D

View more of my Photoshop Tutorials

Tags: clipping masks, collage, vector shapes