Create an Abstract Landscape Blend

The purpose of this tutorial is to show you how to create an abstract, bright blend by using pictures of landscapes.

We will start by using these two images:

 

Step 1. Open the first image and paste the second one on top of it, using the blending mode: Lighten, 100%.

Step 2. Emphasize the colours of the image by applying successively three Selective Color layers, as follows:

The first layer:
Reds: -92 0 0 0
Cyans: -44 +100 0 -36
Blues: +100 -43 0 +25
Neutrals: -51 0 +100 +52

The second layer:
Reds: -100 0 +100 0
Cyans: 0 0 -100 0
Blues: -57 0 -100 0
Neutrals: +25 0 -40 0

The third layer:
Reds: -100 0 +100 0
Neutrals: +20 0 -20 0

To further emphasize the image, we will use a Curves adjustment:



Step 3. Now we will add the text. A handwriting font will always look great on this type of blend. I chose the font Carpenter, 130 pts, Color: white, without applying to it any further effects and wrote 'Summer bliss'. Then I duplicated the layer, moved it slightly upwards and changed its color to 5857fd (the color code is inserted here).

Another alternative for styling the text would have been (without duplicating the text layer) to go to Blending Options -> Stroke and add a 1 pt pink or orange outer border to it.


Step 4. Add a thick outer border to the final image by going to Image -> Canvas Size… and inserting the value 20 pixels for both Width and Height, and choosing the color white. Then go to the same menu again and choose 2 pixels for both Width and Height, and choose the color gray (notice that it will appear as orange because of the Selective Color layers).


The final result:

Give a dull landscape a vibrant photographic effect

This tutorial will show you how to transform a dull photo of a waterscape into a vibrant image with a photographic effect. This easy technique can be used to enhance your personal travel pictures or your photographer’s portfolio.

1. Start off by downloading this image and opening it in Photoshop.



2. Then, duplicate the layer and set the resulting layer to grayscale. Then, with a medium soft brush, mask out everything but the sky (it doesn’t have to be perfect), as shown below:



3. Next, we’re going to add some better clouds to replace this rather dull sky. Download this image and position it as shown below over the image and mask away everything but the sky. Set the layer’s blending mode to Darken.



4. Then, we’re going to create a vivid photographic effect that will bring out the best in this image, by adding several adjustment layers as follows:

Add a new Hue/Saturation… adjustment layer with the settings below:



Add a new Channel Mixer adjustment layer with the following settings:



Add a new Curves… adjustment layer and modify the RGB curves as shown:




Add a new Selective Color… adjustment layer with the settings below:



Finally, add another Hue/Saturation… adjustment layer:



At this point, the image should look something like this:



5. To add a dark vignette effect, create a new layer and paint on its edges with a very large, round and soft brush, to get something similar to this:



6. Flatten the image and add a dark gray border (exact color: #212121) by going to Image -> Canvas Size… and using these settings:



7. Go to Filter -> Sharpen -> Smart Sharpen… and use the following settings:



The final result: