Turn A Photo Into A Collage Of Polaroids

Step 1: Duplicate The Background Layer

The first thing we need to do for this effect is duplicate our Background layer. With our image open in Photoshop, we can see in the Layers palette that we currently have just one layer, the Background layer, which contains our original image:

The Layers palette in Photoshop showing the original Background layer.

To quickly duplicate the layer, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+J (Win) / Command+J (Mac). Photoshop creates a copy of the Background layer for us, names it "Layer 1", and places it above our Background layer in the Layers palette:

The Layers palette now showing the copy of our Background layer above the original.

Step 2: Add A New Blank Layer Between The Two Layers

Next, we need to add a new blank layer between our Background layer and the copy of it that we just created. Currently the copy is selected in the Layers palette (we can tell the layer is selected because it's highlighted in blue). Normally when we add a new layer, Photoshop places the new layer above the layer that's currently selected, but we want our new layer below "Layer 1", not above it. To tell Photoshop to place the new layer below "Layer 1", hold down your Ctrl (Win) / Command (Mac) key and then click on the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette:

Hold down "Alt" (Win) / "Option" (Mac) and click on the "New Layer" icon at the bottom of the Layers palette.

Photoshop adds a new blank layer named "Layer 2" between "Layer 1" and the original Background layer:

Photoshop adds the new blank layer between the Background layer and "Layer 1".

Step 3: Fill The New Layer With Black

We're going to use black as the background for our effect, so let's reset our Foreground and Background colors if needed by pressing D on your keyboard. This sets black as your Foreground color and white as your Background color, as we can see in the Foreground and Background color swatches near the bottom of the Tools palette:

Press "D" to reset Photoshop's Foreground and Background colors to black and white if needed.

Now with black as our Foreground color and the new blank layer selected in the Layers palette, let's fill the new layer with black using the keyboard shortcut Alt+Backspace (Win) / Option+Delete (Mac). Nothing will appear to have happened to the image itself, and that's because "Layer 1", which contains a copy of our original image, is blocking "Layer 2" from view. But if we look at Layer 2's thumbnail in the Layers palette, we can see that we've filled the layer with black:

Layer 2's thumbnail in the Layers palette now shows that the layer is filled with black, even though we can't see it yet in the image itself.

Step 4: Add A New Blank Layer

With "Layer 2" (the layer we just filled with black) selected, click once again on the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette:

Add a new blank layer.

Photoshop will add a new blank layer between the black-filled layer and the copy of the original image above it:

The new blank layer is added between "Layer 1" and "Layer 2".

Step 5: Drag Out A Rectangular Selection As The Inside Of Your First Polaroid

Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool either from the Tools palette or by pressing M on your keyboard:

Select the Rectangular Marquee Tool.

Then, with the Rectangular Marquee Tool selected, drag out a selection inside your image which will become the inside of the first polaroid (the part which contains the photo). I'm going to drag my selection around the baby's face. It doesn't really matter where you make this selection since you'll be able to move it anywhere you like later:

Drag out a selection in the shape of the inside of a polaroid photo.

Step 6: Fill The Selection With Black

We need to fill the selection with black at this point. Technically, it doesn't matter which color we fill the selection with, but to keep things simple and since black is currently our Foreground color, let's use black. Make sure you have the new blank layer selected in the Layers palette, and then use the keyboard shortcut Alt+Backspace (Win) / Option+Delete (Mac) to fill the selection with the Foreground color, which is set to black. Again, nothing seems to have happened in the document, and that's because the image on "Layer 1" at the top is still blocking everything else from view, but if we look at the thumbnail for the blank layer in the Layers palette, we can see that the selected area has indeed been filled with black:

The new blank layer's thumbnail in the Layers palette now shows the selected area filled with black.

Step 7: Create A Clipping Mask From The Filled Selection

We're going to use the selection we just filled with black to create what's called a clipping mask for the layer above it. What this means is that the layer above it, "Layer 1" which contains the copy of our image, is going to be "clipped" by our filled selection on the layer below it. In other words, the only part of the image on "Layer 1" that will remain visible is the part directly above the section filled with black. The rest of the image will become hidden from view. To create our clipping mask, click on "Layer 1" to select it in the Layers palette. Then go up to the Layer menu at the top of the screen and select Create Clipping Mask. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Alt+Ctrl+G (Win) / Option+Command+G (Mac). Either way, Photoshop "clips" the image on "Layer 1", keeping only the area above the black-filled shape below it visible and hiding the rest of the image, revealing our black background on "Layer 2" in its place:

The image on "Layer 1" is now clipped using the black-filled shape on the layer below it.

If we look in the Layers palette now, we can see that "Layer 1" is indented to the right with a small arrow pointing downward on the left. This indicates that the layer is being clipped by the layer below it:

The Layers palette showing that Layer 1 is now being clipped by the layer below it.

Step 8: Add Another New Blank Layer Above "Layer 2"

We need to add another new layer, and we need it between the black-filled layer ("Layer 2") and the layer containing our filled selection ("Layer 3"). To do that, click on "Layer 2" to select it and then click once again on the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette:

Add another new blank layer directly above the black-filled layer ("Layer 2").

Photoshop adds the new layer between "Layer 2" and "Layer 3" and names it, surprisingly enough, "Layer 4":

The new blank layer, "Layer 4", is added between "Layer 2" and "Layer 3".

Step 9: Drag Out Another Rectangular Selection As The Border Of The Polaroid

With your Rectangular Marquee Tool still selected, drag out another rectangular selection, this time around the outside of the original selection, which will become the white border of the polaroid. Keep in mind that polaroid photos have some extra space at the bottom of the border, so add some extra space at the bottom of your selection:

Drag a selection around the outside of the original selection to create the border of the polaroid.

Step 10: Fill The Selection With White

Since the border of a polaroid is usually white, let's fill our selection with white. Make sure that you have the new blank layer, "Layer 4", selected in the Layers palette. Then, since white is currently our Background color, let's use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Backspace (Win) / Command+Delete (Mac) to fill the selection with the Background color (white). Press Ctrl+D (Win) / Command+D (Mac) when you're done to deselect the selection. We now have our first polaroid in our image:

Fill the selection with white to create the first polaroid.

Step 11: Add A Drop Shadow Layer Style

We have our first polaroid, and we're going to use it to easily create as many polaroids as we want. But before we do anything else, let's add a slight drop shadow to it. We won't be able to see the drop shadow just yet, since we're using a black background, but we will see it once we start piling polaroids on top of each other. To add our drop shadow, with "Layer 4" selected, click on the Layer Styles icon at the bottom of the Layers palette:

Click on the "Layer Styles" icon at the bottom of the Layers palette.

Select Drop Shadow from the list of layer styles:

Select "Drop Shadow".

This brings up Photoshop's "Layer Style" dialog box set to the Drop Shadow options in the middle column. I'm going to set my shadow Angle to about 120° and then lower the Opacity value at the top all the way down to about 30% so my shadow isn't too intense:

Lower the "Opacity" of the drop shadow to 30% and set the "Angle" to around 120°.

Click OK to exit out of the Layer Style dialog box. As I said, we won't be able to see the drop shadow just yet thanks to our black background, but don't worry. We'll see it soon enough.

Step 12: Rotate The Polaroid

I'm going to rotate my polaroid to add a bit more interest to it. In order to do that, I need to select both layers in my Layers palette which make up my polaroid. I already have "Layer 4" selected, which makes up the outside of it, but I also need "Layer 3" selected, which makes up the inside, so with "Layer 4" selected, I'm going to hold down my Shift key and click on "Layer 3", which will select both layers at once (they'll both appear highlighted in blue):

Use the "Shift" key to select both "Layer 3" and "Layer 4" in the Layers palette.

Then with both layers selected, I'm going to bring up Photoshop's Free Transform handles around my polaroid using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+T (Win) / Command+T (Mac). To rotate it, all I need to do is drag my mouse cursor anywhere outside of the Free Transform handles. The mouse cursor will change to a "rotate" cursor with curved arrows on either end of it. As I drag my mouse, the polaroid will rotate:

Click and drag anywhere outside of the Free Transform handles to rotate the polaroid.

You can also move the polaroid to a new location if you wish by clicking inside of it and dragging it around the screen with your mouse. I'm going to leave mine where it is for now and simply rotate it. As you drag, you'll notice that the border of the polaroid moves and rotates but the image inside of it does not, and that's because we're not moving the actual image. It remains fixed in place. The only thing we're moving is the polaroid itself, and this is what's going to allow us to create our final effect, as we'll see.

When you're happy with the location and angle of the polaroid , press Enter (Win) / Return (Mac) to apply the transformation.

Step 13: Group All Three Layers Which Make Up The Polaroid

We have our first polaroid created and rotated into place. Now we're going to use it to create as many polaroids as we want. Before we can do that though, we need to group all three layers which make up the polaroid , which are the top three layers in the Layers palette. "Layer 1" contains the image itself, "Layer 3" contains the inside of the polaroid , and "Layer 4" contains the outside of it. In order to group them, we need them all selected. We already have "Layer 3" and "Layer 4" selected, so once again hold down your Shift key and click on "Layer 1" to add it, so all three layers are selected and highlighted in blue:

Select the three top layers in the Layers palette at once.

Then, with all three layer selected, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+G (Win) / Command+G (Mac) to group them. You'll see all three layers disappear from the Layers palette and be replaced by a layer named "Group 1", which contains a folder icon to indicate that it's a Layer Group. If you click on the right-pointing triangle to the left of the folder icon, the group will open and you'll see your three layers inside of it:

The three layers which make up the polaroid are now inside a Layer Group.

Step 14: Duplicate The Layer Group

We're going to use this Layer Group to create our second polaroid , and we're going to do that by duplicating the group. First, click once again on the triangle to the left of the folder in the Layers palette to close the group so your Layers palette doesn't get too cluttered. Then simply click on the group and drag it down onto the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette:

Duplicate the Layer Group by dragging it down onto the "New Layer" icon.

When you release your mouse button, you'll see the copy of the Layer Group appear above the original:

Photoshop Tutorials: The copy of the Layer Group appears above the original.

We now have our second polaroid.

Step 15: Move And Rotate The Second Polaroid With The Free Transform Command

Just as we did with the original, we're going to move and rotate this second polaroid using Free Transform (I didn't actually move my first one, but you may have, so let's pretend I did as well). First, twirl open the newly created copy of our Layer Group by clicking on the triangle to the left of its folder icon. Just as before, you'll see all three layers inside of it which make up the polaroid . We need to select the bottom two layers which make up the inside and outside of it, so click on one, then hold down Shift and click on the other to select them both:

Select the bottom two layers inside the copy of the Layer Group.

Then with both layers selected, press Ctrl+T (Win) / Command+T (Mac) to bring up the Free Transform handles around the polaroid . At the moment, it looks like there's only the one polaroid in the image, and that's because both of them are directly on top of each other. Click inside the polaroid and drag it to move it to a new location, and you'll see that you do in fact have two. Drag this second one to wherever you like in your document, and then rotate it just as before, by moving your mouse anywhere outside of the Free Transform handles and dragging your mouse to rotate it left or right. You'll see that once again, we're only moving the polaroid itself. The image inside of it remains fixed in place, and now that we've added a second polaroid , we're displaying more of the full size image:

Use Free Transform to move and rotate the second polaroid .

You'll also notice that with the second polaroid overlapping the original, we can now see the drop shadow, which gives the image a bit of depth. When you're happy with the location and angle of your second polaroid , press Enter (Win) / Return (Mac) to apply the transformation. We now have two polaroids completed:

Two polaroids have now been added to the image.

Step 16: Add, Move And Rotate More Polaroids As Needed

At this point, we just repeat the exact same process over and over until we've added enough polaroids to reveal enough of the original image. First, drag the top-most Layer Group down onto the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette. This will create a copy of the last polaroid you made. Then twirl the new Layer Group open by clicking on the arrow to the left of its folder icon and select the two bottom layers which make up the inside and outside of the polaroid. Press Ctrl+T (Win) / Command+T (Mac) to bring up the Free Transform handles, click inside them and drag the image into a new location to reveal more of the overall image, then move your mouse outside of the handles and drag to rotate the new polaroid. Press Enter (Win) / Return (Mac) to accept the transformation, then repeat the process again until you've added enough polaroids that you're happy with the results. There's no "right or wrong" placement of the polaroids , so don't be afraid to play around with it, and you can always go back and move or rotate any of the polaroids at any time by selecting its Layer Group, twirling it open, selecting the two bottom layers, then using Free Transform to move and/or rotate it again.

I'm going to add, move and rotate more polaroids here with my image, and after creating about 16 polaroids, moving and rotating each with the Free Transform command, here is my final result:

And there we have it!

Selective Sepia

Selective Sepia Photoshop Tutorial

Step 1: Open an image into Photoshop

Open the File menu and select Open. Browse for the photo you would like to add a selective sepia effect to and click OK.

Step 2: Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer

In the Layers pallet, click on the New Adjustment Layer icon and select Hue/Saturation.

A Hue/Saturation window should appear. With this tool, we'll specify where the sepia effect will appear. Decide if you want to select the sepia toned areas according to the color of the image or by manually painting the areas where you would like the sepia tone.

Choose one of the following:

A) Select by color

Selecting the sepia areas based on color will give the most natural effect.

First, decide which color in the photo that you want to keep. Then, select from the edit drop down menu the each color in the list except for the colors you want to keep and reduce the saturation to -100. For example, to keep the reds in the photo use the following settings:

Reds: 0 Saturation
Yellows: -100 Saturation
Greens: -100 Saturation
Cyans: -100 Saturation
Blues: -100 Saturation
Magenta : -100 Saturation

B) Select manually

Manually selecting the sepia toned areas will let you specify precisely the area that you would like toned.

Set the master saturation to -100 and click OK. Your image should now appear grayscale.

Activate the layer mask by clicking on the layer mask thumbnail in the Layers pallet. Select the Eraser tool and erase the areas where you don't want the sepia tone to be applied to.

Step 3: Add a Black & White adjustment layer

In the Layers pallet, click on the New Adjustment Layer icon and select Black & White. If you are using Photoshop CS2 or older, select Hue/Saturation instead.

A Black & White (or Hue/Saturation if you're using Photoshop CS2 or older) adjustment layer should appear. Simply click OK without editing the settings. Then, change the blend mode of the top adjustment layer to Overlay. Double click back on the icon of the layer to bring back the tool.

Photoshop CS2 or older:

You will be using the Hue/Saturation tool to add a sepia tone. Checkmark "Colorize" and apply the settings below:

Photoshop CS3:

If you're using Photoshop CS3, you can use the Black and White adjustment to add a sepia tone. This will give you more adjustable settings compared to using the Hue/Saturation adjustment.

First, adjust the settings to get the black and white look that you like. Or, you can scroll through the presets menu to select one of your own. I chose the Red Filter preset to bring up the reds and darken the sky.

Checkmark the Tint and adjust the tone to create a sepia effect. Click OK when done.

Final Results

Red

Blue and Cyan

Yellow and Green

Red, Yellow, and Green

Retouching a Studio Portrait

Before and After

This Photoshop tutorial is written for experienced Photoshop users and will show you unique techniques for retouching photos. You’ll learn how to enhance backgrounds, dodge and burn, brighten eyes, and add hair shine while keeping a low count of layers. The techniques you learn from this tutorial can be used for other portrait photos.

Retouching a Studio Portrait Photoshop Tutorial

Retouching the background

Here is the original image. As a photo it looks fine but it looks flat and boring. This Photoshop tutorial will show you techniques used to make the photo have a stronger impact. You can follow this tutorial with one of your own image or you can use the image below:

Creating the mask

The first step is to isolate the model from the background. I used the extract and color range tool to create this. First I used the extract tool (Filter > Extract) but it didn’t work very well for the hair.

I then use the color range tool (Select > Color Range) to select the areas that were hard to extract using the extract tool.

Now we have a mask in it’s own layer.

Adding a gradient to the background

With the mask created, I can add a gradient to the background. Adding a gradient to the background is a simple and effective way to enhance a boring background. Here is a preview of what the layers will look like in the end.

To create a gradient background, we’ll be adding a gradient fill layer using the mask that we just created. To do that, hold down the Ctrl key and click on the layer thumbnail of the layer “Mask”. It will load the selection of the layer. Choose Select > Inverse to inverse the selection. Then, choose Layer > New Fill Layer > Gradient.

In the Gradient Fill tool, move the center of the gradient behind the head. You can do this by clicking and dragging on the document window.

To increase contrast, you can change the gradient so that it is like the image below.

Finally, adjust the opacity of the Gradient Fill layer. I set mine to 50% opacity.

Tone

Begin by creating a new layer for dodging and burning. Position the layer above the gradient fill adjustment layer. Then, change the blending mode to soft light.

Choose Edit > Fill and use the settings below.

The layer should now be filled with a 50% gray.

Add a layer mask using the shape from the Mask layer. Hold down the Ctrl key and click on the layer thumbnail of the Mask layer . Then, click on the in the layers palette to add a layer mask.

Click back on the 50% gray layer thumbnail and use the dodge and burn tools. For the image below, I used the burn tool to darken the models right side of the face, hair, top, and her arms. Then, I use the dodge tool to brighten the other side of the models face.

Here is a before and after effect of the dodging and burning.

Eye Brightening

Brightening the eyes will have a dramatic effect. It can be easily done by using a Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer. Choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Brightness/Contrast to add a new Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer. Rename this layer to Brighten Eyes.

For now, set the brightness to 50 and contrast to 33.

Select the layer mask and choose Image > Adjustments > Invert. This will invert the layer mask from white to black.

Using the brush tool, paint the layer mask where the eyes are. You should see the eyes brighten as you paint. Then, go back into the Brightness/Contrast settings and readjust the settings.

Hair Shine

Finally, we’ll add a shine to the hair. Start by using the quick selection or magic wand tool to create a selection of the hair around the area where you want the shine to appear.

With the selection, choose Layer > New Fill Layer > Gradient. Position the layer above the Brighten Eye layer. Change the blending mode of the Hair Shine layer to overlay. You should have a layer like the image below.

Go back into the Gradient Fill settings. Set the gradient to white to black and style to reflected. Checkmark the reverse option then click and drag on the document window and position the gradient where you want the hair shine to appear. Adjust the scale.

In the Gradient Fill window, click on the gradient to edit it. You should have a window like the image below. Create a gradient like the image below. To do this, click and drag the top left input slider to the middle of the gradient bar. Do the same with the bottom left input slider. Then, click on the individual input sliders and adjust the settings as shown in the image below.

We now have a hair shine but it does not match the color of the hair. We’ll add back a little of the hair color to the shine.

1. Click on the bottom left input slider.
2. Click on the color setting and a color picker window will appear.
3. Click on the hair to capture the color of the hair.
4. Move the color picker towards the top left until the hair color looks natural.
5. Click OK three times to exit out of the gradient settings.

We have added the hair shine but if you look closely, you can see some artifacts.

We can easily fix this by blurring the layer mask. Select the Hair Shine layer mask then choose Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Adjust the settings until the unclean edge fades.

If the hair shine is overlapping the skin, use the Minimum filter to hide it. Choose Filter > Other > Minimum and adjust the slider.

Here is the before and after effect of adding hair shine. You can add emphasis to the eyes by aligning the hair shine with the eyes.

Final Results