Get the Image You Want: Essential Photoshop Editing Techniques

Create convincing reflections

One of the greatest benefits of Photoshop is the ability to add objects to photos that weren't there at the time of the shoot. Items are often added after the fact, such as clouds to skies, grass to lawns, and leaves to trees. Another great benefit of Photoshop is the ability to add surface treatments to photographs that were either impossible to achieve at the time of the shot, or not thought of until well after the fact. Shadows, ripples, and reflections are all examples of treatments that can add a little pizzazz to an otherwise less-than-awesome image. We'll put these abilities to work and show you how to create a realistic-looking reflection like the one shown in Figure A.

Figure A.

Creating a reflection