Page 4 | How to Create Dramatic Sci-Fi Photo Manipulation in Photoshop

There also should be some aura around the moon. Add new layer under MOON and name it MOON'S AURA. Grab the Brush Tool (B), select some big soft round brush and lower the Opacity on 15%. Pick some very light cyan or blue color and paint one big dot under the moon to create the aura. Below you can see what I mean.

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Your photo manipulation should be similar to the one shown below.

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Step 23 - Another Adjustments

Time for another two adjustments - Levels and Curves. Let's start with Levels.

Add new adjustment layer Levels on the top of all layers and set it as shown below.

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This kind of adjustment adds much colder color palette and also makes it bit lighter. To bring back the original darkness add new adjustment layer Curves and set the curve similarly as on the following picture.

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Step 24 - Local Adjustment

In this step you'll adjust some small areas of the picture to create bigger harmony - you'll make woman's face bit lighter, her sunglasses darker and also add highlights on her coat.

Let's start with lightening her face. Add new adjustment layer Levels and set the Input Levels on 0; 1,00; 213. Fill the layer mask of this layer with black to hide the adjustment and let it reappear by painting over woman's face with white brush.

On the following picture you can see how her face looks before and after adjustment.

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It's rather small change but it has big impact on the image. Many times the point of adjustment some image is not to make some drastic, dramatic changes but to play with details to create perfect piece.

To darken woman's sunglasses add new adjustment layer Levels on the top of all layers again and this time set the Input Levels on 0; 0,52; 255. Fill the layer mask with black to hide the adjustment and then let it be visible again on the sunglasses. As usually use the Brush Tool and white color to achieve that.

Below you can compare how the sunglasses looks before and after.

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Last thing to be done in this step is to adjust highlights on the coat. To do that add new adjustment layer Levels on the top of all layers and set the Input Levels on 0; 2,22; 255. Fill the layer mask with black color. Grab the Brush Tool (B), select some soft round brush and lower its Opacity on about 20%. Then paint highlights on similar areas as those highlighted in the following picture.

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On the following picture you can take a look at how the photo manipulation looks so far.

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Step 25 - Better Blending of Helicopters

Helicopters in the background should be little less contrasted and also should have more cyan tones because of the color of sky.

To fix it add new layer on the top of all layers and name it e.g. HELICOPTERS - BLENDING. Grab the Stamp Tool (S), lower its Opacity on 15% - 25% and gently clone parts of the sky over the helicopters. You can get the idea of what I mean in the picture below.

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There is always more ways how to achieve certain effect in Photoshop. You can achieve pretty similar result in this step if you paint with the Brush Tool (B) on very low opacity and with cyan color over the helicopters. Or you could lower the opacity of helicopters themselves.

Step 26 - Adding Birds

This is rather quick step in which you'll add some birds around the moon to have more details in the picture.

Download the bird brushes listed in the beginning of the tutorial and install them into Photoshop. Add new layer on the top of all layers. Name it simply BIRDS. Grab the Brush Tool (B), select some of the birds brushes you've just installed. Set the Opacity on 100% and pick some very dark blue or cyan color. Paint some bird.

On the following picture it's shown how your image looks so far.

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Step 27 - Lightening

Another very quick step. You'll make the picture bit lighter now. To achieve that add new adjustment layer Levels on the top of all layers and set the Input Levels on 0; 1,18; 250.

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I told you it will be quick :)

Step 28 - Reshaping the Stone

This is the last bigger step before you finish your piece.

If you look closely on the stone on which the woman stands you may notice that it has shape on which it won't be possible to stand. That's why you'll reshape it in this step by changing its lights and shadows.

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You'll start with lightening the upper part of the stone. Add new adjustment layer Levels on the top of all layers and set the Input Levels on 0; 1,52; 255. Fill the layer mask with black. Grab the Brush Tool (B), select some soft round brush, pick white color and paint to get the same look as on the following picture.

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Front side of the stone should be darker. Add new adjustment layer Levels on the top of all layers and set the Input Levels on 0; 0,84; 255. Fill the layer mask with black and then grab the Brush Tool (B). Use the same setting as before and darken the front part of the stone.

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Last thing to add is shadow under the shoe. To do that add another adjustment layer Levels and set the Input Levels on 0; 0,62; 255. Fill the layer mask with black again and grab the Brush Tool (B). Lower the Opacity of the brush on 30% and start building up the shadow to get something similar to the picture below.

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Step 29 - Desaturation

This is the very last step in which you'll desaturate cyan tones little bit. To do that add new adjustment layer Hue/Saturation, as color choose Cyans and set the value Saturation on -15.

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