Step 1:: Duplicate The Background Layer
Step 1:: Duplicate The Background Layer
Step 1:: Duplicate The Background Layer
To quickly duplicate the layer, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+J (Win)
/ Command+J (Mac). Photoshop creates a copy of the Background
layer for us, names it "Layer 1", and places it above our Background
layer in the Layers palette:
The Layers palette now showing the copy of our Background layer above the original.
Hold down "Alt" (Win) / "Option" (Mac) and click on the "New Layer" icon at the bottom of the Layers
palette.
Photoshop adds a new blank layer named "Layer 2" between "Layer
1" and the original Background layer:
Photoshop adds the new blank layer between the Background layer and "Layer 1".
Press "D" to reset Photoshop's Foreground and Background colors to black and white if needed.
Now with black as our Foreground color and the new blank layer
selected in the Layers palette, let's fill the new layer with black using
the keyboard
shortcut Alt+Backspace (Win) / Option+Delete (Mac). Nothing
will appear to have happened to the image itself, and that's because
Layer 2's thumbnail in the Layers palette now shows that the layer is filled with black, even though we
can't see it yet in the image itself.
Photoshop will add a new blank layer between the black-filled layer
and the copy of the original image above it:
The new blank layer is added between "Layer 1" and "Layer 2".
make this selection since you'll be able to move it anywhere you like
later:
The new blank layer's thumbnail in the Layers palette now shows the selected area filled with black.
The image on "Layer 1" is now clipped using the black-filled shape on the layer below it.
If we look in the Layers palette now, we can see that "Layer 1" is
indented to the right with a small arrow pointing downward on the left.
This indicates that the layer is being clipped by the layer below it:
The Layers palette showing that Layer 1 is now being clipped by the layer below it.
Add another new blank layer directly above the black-filled layer ("Layer 2").
Photoshop adds the new layer between "Layer 2" and "Layer 3" and
names it, surprisingly enough, "Layer 4":
The new blank layer, "Layer 4", is added between "Layer 2" and "Layer 3".
Drag a selection around the outside of the original selection to create the border of the polaroid.
a slight drop shadow to it. We won't be able to see the drop shadow
just yet, since we're using a black background, but we will see it once
we start piling polaroids on top of each other. To add our drop shadow,
with "Layer 4" selected, click on the Layer Styles icon at the bottom
of the Layers palette:
Click on the "Layer Styles" icon at the bottom of the Layers palette.
This brings up Photoshop's "Layer Style" dialog box set to the Drop
Shadow options in the middle column. I'm going to set my
shadow Angle to about 120 and then lower the Opacity value at
the top all the way down to about 30%so my shadow isn't too intense:
Lower the "Opacity" of the drop shadow to 30% and set the "Angle" to around 120.
Click OK to exit out of the Layer Style dialog box. As I said, we won't
be able to see the drop shadow just yet thanks to our black
background, but don't worry. We'll see it soon enough.
Step 12: Rotate The Polaroid
I'm going to rotate my polaroid to add a bit more interest to it. In order
to do that, I need to select both layers in my Layers palette which
make up my polaroid. I already have "Layer 4" selected, which makes
up the outside of it, but I also need "Layer 3" selected, which makes
up the inside, so with "Layer 4" selected, I'm going to hold down
myShift key and click on "Layer 3", which will select both layers at
once (they'll both appear highlighted in blue):
Use the "Shift" key to select both "Layer 3" and "Layer 4" in the Layers palette.
Click and drag anywhere outside of the Free Transform handles to rotate the polaroid.
You can also move the polaroid to a new location if you wish by
clicking inside of it and dragging it around the screen with your mouse.
I'm going to leave mine where it is for now and simply rotate it. As you
drag, you'll notice that the border of the polaroid moves and rotates
but the image inside of it does not, and that's because we're not
moving the actual image. It remains fixed in place. The only thing
we're moving is the polaroid itself, and this is what's going to allow us
to create our final effect, as we'll see.
When you're happy with the location and angle of the polaroid ,
press Enter (Win) / Return (Mac) to apply the transformation.
Step 13: Group All Three Layers Which Make Up The
Polaroid
We have our first polaroid created and rotated into place. Now we're
going to use it to create as many polaroids as we want. Before we can
do that though, we need to group all three layers which make up the
polaroid , which are the top three layers in the Layers palette. "Layer
1" contains the image itself, "Layer 3" contains the inside of the
polaroid , and "Layer 4" contains the outside of it. In order to group
them, we need them all selected. We already have "Layer 3" and
"Layer 4" selected, so once again hold down your Shift key and click
on "Layer 1" to add it, so all three layers are selected and highlighted
in blue:
The three layers which make up the polaroid are now inside a Layer Group.
Duplicate the Layer Group by dragging it down onto the "New Layer" icon.
When you release your mouse button, you'll see the copy of the Layer
Group appear above the original:
Select the bottom two layers inside the copy of the Layer Group.
You'll also notice that with the second polaroid overlapping the
original, we can now see the drop shadow, which gives the image a bit
of depth. When you're happy with the location and angle of your
second polaroid , pressEnter (Win) / Return (Mac) to apply the
transformation. We now have two polaroids completed:
then repeat the process again until you've added enough polaroids
that you're happy with the results.
There's no "right or wrong" placement of the polaroids , so don't be
afraid to play around with it, and you can always go back and move or
rotate any of the polaroids at any time by selecting its Layer Group,
twirling it open, selecting the two bottom layers, then using Free
Transform to move and/or rotate it again.
I'm going to add, move and rotate more polaroids here with my image,
and after creating about 16 polaroids, moving and rotating each with
the Free Transform command, here is my final result: