How to Use Light and Shadow to Create a Dramatic Photo Effect with Photoshop

Mask based on the Blue copy Channel appears. Go to Select > Inverse or press Ctrl + Shift + I on your keyboard to invert it.

Click on the layer mask of the SKY, grab the Brush Tool (B) and pick black color. Now paint over women’s face and upper parts of trees. After you’re done press Ctrl + D to deselect it.

On the following picture you can see how your picture should look like so far.

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Step 6 – Adjusting the Sky

Blending of the sky is done, now you need to adjust it a little to better fits to the rest of the picture. You’ll do two things – increase the contrast and desaturate it.

Let’s start with desaturation. Add new adjustment layer Hue/Saturation. You can find the button Add new fill or adjustment layer on the bottom part of Layers palette next to the button Add new layer mask you’ve used in previous steps.

Using adjustment layers instead of direct adjustments has the same advantage as using layer masks instead of the Eraser Tool (E) I mentioned earlier – everything is reversible for the whole time. You don’t need to count on your History, you can change the adjustments whenever you want.

As I said add new adjustment layer Hue/Saturation and set the value Saturation on -100.

You want to this adjustment affects only one layer below = SKY and not the rest of the picture. To achieve that right click on the adjustment layer and select the option Create Clipping Mask.

Second thing which should be done is to increase contrast a little. Add new adjustment layer Levels and set the Input Levels on 43; 1,38; 240.

Create clipping mask from this adjustment layer too.

On the following picture you can see how your picture should look like.

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Step 7 – Adding Face

To add this picture little supernatural look you’ll add some faces into the clouds in this step.

Click on the BACKGROUND layer and select the Marquee Tool (M). Select women’s face with it. Go to Edit > Copy or press Ctrl + C on your keyboard to copy it.

Place this new layer on the top of all layers and name it e.g. FACE I. Press Ctrl + T on your keyboard (or go to Edit > Free Transform) to activate Free Transform tool and make the face bigger. Hold Shift while doing it to preserve same proportions.

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