Just a reflection in the water... [aps]

!All *Only a reflection in the water...* _Roman_ _Sabolenko_ I never tire of being amazed at the rich opportunities that have opened up for photographers when personal computers became one of their tools. The computer allows you to build as complex as you like in a matter of seconds. compositions, apply special effects, create non-existent reality objects, etc. etc. If the user does not have to control each effect lasts for several days, this does not mean that it becomes ineffective a master, but a hack. As the well-known Lenya said, “I’m not a hack, I’m - partner." So the computer becomes the artist’s partner, instantly embodying his wildest ideas come to life and leaving him more time just for to think. By the way, what is the difference between a photo artist and a photographer? I don't want to pretend to encyclopedic definitions, but I will express my opinion. Photographer (he's an amateur) or a professional - it doesn’t matter) reproduces the environment in his works, “stops the moment”, saves it for the future. The photographer has others plans. He does not seek to fix objects, his goal is to convey the mood, feelings. And it’s not even necessary that the mood he’s trying to convey, existed at the time of filming. The real world does not limit the photographer. For him, the objects in the photograph arethe material from which he will build a work. How hard it was to study things like this before, until the computer came to the rescue! Look what he is maybe. Here, for example, is a photograph of a wooden Chinese house, from which it smells like summer heat. Silence, the sun is shining, relaxing, not in a hurry, nothing worries... Eh, it would be nice to go there! Shouldn't we set it up on the sandy area in front of there is a small pond with calm water in the house to make the picture even more peaceful and relaxing. Let's do it. Having Photoshop on your computer, this is not difficult. See for yourself. The first thing you need to do is outline the outline of the future reservoir. For this you can use any means of constructing masks or selecting parts of an image. The simplest The option that I will use is to use the lasso tool, activated with the [L] key or selected with the mouse from the tool palette. While holding down left mouse button, draw the shore line. Special precision is not required here. The pond in the picture will stretch from edge to edge, therefore, drawing from left to right shore, I mark sequentially the lower corners of the photograph. For the mask to close, you just need to release the mouse button. When the area is selected and its shape corresponds to the creative plan, we create a new one layer by clicking the button in the layers palette. New layer Layer 1, on which while there is nothing, it immediately becomes active, that is, working, but draw on itis possible only within the limits limited by the mask. Now you need to choose colors for tinting the water. Use a pipette to remove from a photograph one of the darkest shades on the part of the house that will be reflected in the water. This will be the front color. As the background color, choose one of the lightest flowers. By pressing the [Alt] key and clicking the eyedropper, add the background color to the palette tools. Now let's use a stretch, or gradient fill, to Color the selected area on Layer 1 from bottom to top from dark to light. Using stretching, we set the change in the reflection coefficient of the surface water. However, this is not perfectly smooth glass. On the water there is always the smallest ripple. To simulate it, I’ll resort to the Add Noise filter, called via Filter/Noise menu. The noise distribution must be uniform, that is, Uniform, and its quantity must be selected based on the size of the picture and creative plan. As you can see in the third illustration, I settled on the number 20. You You can use other values or even try other filters. We reset the markup, since we will continue to operate with entire layers and it will It's not needed, it can only get in the way. To deselect, click [Ctrl]+[D] keys. Let's start building the reflection. To do this, you need to copy the photo to a new one. layer. Having selected Background in the layers palette, I drag it with the mouse onto the buttoncreate a new layer, located at the bottom of the Layers palette. Layer called Background copy appeared between the Background and Layer 1 layers. Reflection is necessary move to the very top, so I drag it in the layers palette and release it above Layer 1. I hope to explain why the reflection of a house is the same house, only up feet, not required. Flipping a picture in Photoshop is not difficult. Having marked the Background copy layer as working, I call the menu command Layer/Transform/Flip Vertical. This command mirrors the layer in vertical direction, which is what we need. Don't confuse it only with the command Flip Vertical from the Image/Rotate Canvas menu, which flips the entire composition-"canvas", including all layers. The reflection of the house, that is, the Background copy layer, must be mixed down - strictly according to verticals. To prevent the picture from going to the side, press and hold until move the object with the mouse, [Shift] key. The reflection should be moved approximately to middle of the picture. It’s difficult to aim for now, and there’s no need to, because later the situation reflections can be corrected very accurately and, most importantly, clearly. From the layers Layer 1 and Background copy we organize the group to be cut. For this you need hold down the [Alt] key and click on the line separating these layers in the Layers palette. At the moment when you can click, the cursor will take the form of twocircles with an arrow in the middle. In the cut group, the source of information about transparency for all merged layers is the lowest layer of the group, That’s why we immediately saw the coastline drawn at the very beginning. Now you can use the move tool (it is quickly called [V] key), correct the reflection shift. Be guided by your ideas about the surrounding world. Have you seen how objects are reflected in water? repeatedly, so move the Background copy layer so that it occupies the correct position position. However, it is too early to rejoice, since although there is a reflection, it is in no way looks like water. From now on we will move from geometric constructions-movements to work with shades, which will give the composition high degree of realism. Don't be alarmed, there isn't much to do. First, let's combine the reflection with the previously created "reflective map" characteristics" of water, if you allow me to resort to the terminology of 3D graphics. This the scary “map” is our Layer 1 layer. To overlay pixels, you need to switch to in the layers palette for the Background copy layer, set the mode from Normal to Multiply. Let me remind you that The Multiply mode specifies the “multiplication” of colors, in which the resulting color will always be darker than the original one, that is, taken from the bottom layer. Added color, in in our case, taken from the Background copy layer will not affect the result onlywhere the reflection is completely white. In other places we will get darker shade. Moreover, it is the Layer 1 layer that is darkened, and not the Background copy, as may seem at first glance. Okay, it’s easy to get confused here. The main thing is that the desired effect is achieved. We don’t need the reflection map anymore, so let’s merge the Background copy and Layer 1 with the Merge Down command. It can be called up from the Layer menu, from the palette menu Layers or simply using the [Ctrl]+[E] keys. Just check that at this moment The Background copy layer was active, not Layer 1, otherwise everything would go to hell. Where did you see, the question arises, such a correct reflection in the water? It's always a little blurry. These are not the gnome wells from Tolkien’s fairy tales. That's right, Now is the time to use the shading filters, or rather, the filter Motion Blur. I call it from the Filters/Blur menu. The Motion Blur effect is based on shifting the image in one direction to a distance specified in pixels. The feathering direction is specified in degrees. In this case, it should be performed strictly vertically, that is, at an angle of 90 degrees. The shading amplitude specified by the Distance parameter depends on picture size. I liked the value of 5 pixels, although perhaps it too big. Well, okay, I’m trying to make sure that you’re in the newspaperAfter our favorite printing house we were able to see at least something. In practice this number selected by trial and usually not very large. Having applied the Motion Blur filter, we get an almost ready-made reflection of the house in water and, consider, the pond in front of him is ready. The last step remains. However, it cannot be neglected, since it sets the mood of the picture by 50%. Our summer is hot, there is sand and dust all around. By the way, it also gets on the water. Water actually transparent, in case anyone has forgotten. The sun's rays pierce right through it, illuminating the bottom of the reservoir. Reflected from the bottom, the rays again make their way to the surface water and break on it. Dust settling on the water causes the scattering of rays. The most complex optical phenomena, you say? You won’t be able to do them with just one mouse movement imitate? You are wrong. In the layers palette for Layer 1, on which we are focused water, change the transparency a little. Here again we need to be guided creative idea and ideas about nature, if, of course, you want to achieve maximum likelihood. I moved the Opacity slider from 100% just 85%. At the same time, the water completely magically changed its view It became transparent and cloudy from the sun on its surface The shadow from the neighboring building, which remained behind the scenes, was restored. This shadow which was previously visible only in the first illustration, gives the photographmaximum realism. I hope you see it on the newspaper page too You will find that she looks amazing on the screen. That's all, actually. While I was writing the article, I practiced drawing a puddle faster than a minute. I wonder how much time I would spend on this a photographer who doesn't have a computer? Schafft Color of Magic:Brothers:Zeitnot