Learn how to combine stock photos to create a saltwater aquarium inside a light bulb. This Photoshop tutorial will show you how to combine and warp images and apply easy color correction.

Final Results

Tutorial Resources

Free stock photography can sometimes disappear. If one of the links is broken, try using the "Alternative" link instead. Many tutorials can be completed with similar stock photos.

• LightBulb - LightBulb
• Water Texture - Water Texture 1
• Water Background - Water Texture 2 (Alternative)
• Desert - Sand Texture 1
• Sand - Sand Texture 2
• Nemo - Fish 1
• Little Nemo - Fish 2
• Castle - Sand Castle
• Shell - Shell
• Beach - Starfish

Step 1 - Modified the lightbulb.

Open the photo with a lightbulb. Make a copy of the Background layer, press Shift + T, and then Flip Horizontal. Go to: Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast and set the Brightness at +25.

Step 2 - Clear the lightbulb.

Pick the Brush tool (B) and with this color #f1f1f1 put the color in the area shown in the picture.

Step 3 - Create the water inside the lightbulb

Open water texture 1 and paste in the document.Go to Edit > Transform or press Ctrl+T to transform the water texture (Flip vertical and make smaller) and position the water texture to the position as seen in the image below.

Hide the layer with water texture 1 and make a path with Pen Tools (P) like in the photo.Right-click and select Make selection and set Father selection to 0,5px .

Go to Select > Inverse or press Shift+Ctrl+I to inverse the selection and hit Delete button. Set Blending Mode to Color Burn and opacity at 41%

Step 4 - Adding a second water texture.

Let's add the second water texture so open the water texture 2 and move in our document. Go to Edit > Transform or press Ctrl+T and transform texture like me.

Press Ctrl+Click on the thumbnail of the previous layer and go to Select > Inverse or press Shift+Ctrl+I to inverse the selection and hit the Delete button. Change Blending Mode on Multiply and Opacity 45%

Step 5

Make a new elliptical selection with Elliptical Marquee Tool on the layer with water texture 2 like in the photo and press Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste and move this up like in the photo.

Step 6 - Adding the sand

Open the sand texture 2 picture and press Ctrl+A and then Ctrl+C. Open the document with a light bulb and press Ctrl+V to paste the texture. Go to Edit > Free Transform or press Ctrl+T to transform the texture and make it small like in the photo.

Press Ctrl+Click on the thumbnail of the "aqua background" layer and press Shift+Ctrl+I or go to Select > Inverse to inverse the selection and then go to Edit > Clear

Step 7 - Adding shadow on sand

Pick the Burn tool and set the size of brush at 83px, exposure on Shadows. Use the settings shown in the photo, and burn the bottom margin of the sand like me.

Step 8 - Make the sand more look 3D

Open the sand texture 1 picture and select Pen Tool (P) and make a new path like me. Right-click and select Make Selection with a feather of 0.5.

Copy the sand dune pressing Ctrl+C and paste it in our project pressing Ctrl+V. Go to Edit > Free Transform or press Ctrl+T and transform the sand dune-like me.

Step 9

Select Elliptical Marquee Tool and make an elliptical selection with father 0. Go to Select > Inverse or press Ctrl+Shift+I and press the Delete button.

Step 10

Go to Edit > Free Transform or press Ctrl+T for transform , go to Edit > Transform > Warp . Transform the sand dune-like me and pull the point exactly in this order.

Step 11

Select the light bulb pressing Ctrl+click on the "aqua background" layer thumbnail. Press Ctrl+Shift+I or go to Select > Inverse and press the Delete button.

Press Ctrl+click on the thumbnail of the sand dune layer an then pick the Rectangular Marquee Tool a set like me and make a new selection like me and go to Select > Inverse and press the Delete button.

And now light bulb should look like this

Not like this

Step 12

Open the sand texture 1 picture and make a new selection with Rectangular Marquee Tool like in the picture. Press Ctrl+C to copy the texture

p>Press Ctrl+V to paste the texture and the go-to Edit > Free Transform or press Ctrl+T and transform the texture like me.

Step 13

Pick Pen Tool and make a new path like me, press Right-Click and select make a selection and set father 0,5. Press Ctrl+Shift+I to inverse selection and then the press the Delete button.

Go to Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast and use the settings shown below.

Step 14

Pick Pen Tool a make a new path like me, press Right-Click and select make a selection, and set father 0,5. Press Ctrl+C to copy the sandcastle.

Step 15

Press Ctrl+V to paste the sandcastle. Go to Edit > Free transform or press Ctrl+T and make the castle smaller like me.

Step 16

Go to Image > Auto Color or press Shift+Ctrl+B.

An now the sandcastle should look like this :

Step 17

Press Ctrl+Click on the thumbnail of the layer castle.

Click on the aqua reflection layer and press Ctrl+C and take a piece of the texture and set Blending Mode of the layer on Screen and Opacity to 28%

Step 18

Open the photo with the shell. Select the Pen tool and make a new path like me. Right-click and select Make Selection and set father 0,5 and press Ctrl+C to copy the shell.

Step 19

Press Ctrl+V to paste the shell. Go to Edit > Free Transform or press Ctrl+T and make the shell smaller and put it where you want.

Step 20

Press Ctrl+Click on the thumbnail of the shell layer and move selection with 1px down.

Step 21

Make a new layer behind this shell layer and press Shift+F5 or go to Edit > Fill and select from menu Black and press OK. Set layer opacity to 49%

Step 22

Press Ctrl+Click on the thumbnail of the shell layer.

Click on the aqua reflection layer and press Ctrl+C and take a piece of the texture and set Blending Mode of the layer on Screen and Opacity to 33%

Step 23

Make a copy at the all layer of the shell and press Ctrl+T and transform the shell to make it smaller and put where you want.

Step 24 - Put fish in the bulb

Open the photo with the little Nemo and pick from the menu Pen Tool (P). With the Pen tool make a new path like in the photo. Right-click and select Make Selection and set father 0,5px and press Ctrl+C to copy the fish.

Press Ctrl+V to paste the fish in the document. Go to Edit > Free Transform or press Ctrl + T and make it smaller and put where you want.

Step 25

Pick the Pen tool from the menu and make a new path like me. Right-click and select make selection with father 0px . Go to Layer > New > Layer via Cut or press Shift+Ctrl+J and cut the portion that should be transparent, set the opacity at 80%

Step 26

Select the fish and click on the aqua reflection layer and press Ctrl+C and take a piece of the texture and set Blending Mode on Screen and Opacity at 65%

Step 27 - Put the second fish in the bulb

Open the photo with the second Nemo fish and pick from the menu Pen Tool (P). With the Pen tool make a new path like in the photo. Right-click and select Make Selection and set father 0,5px and press Ctrl+C to copy the fish.

Press Ctrl+V to paste the fish in the document. Go to Edit > Free Transform or press Ctrl + T and make it smaller

Step 28

Ctrl+Click on the thumbnail of the second Nemo fish and click on the aqua reflection layer and press Ctrl+C and take a piece. Paste the texture pressing Ctrl+V and set Blending Mode of the texture on Screen and Opacity 65%

Step 29

Open the photo with the starfish, select from menu Pen Tool (P), and make a new path like in the photo. Right-click and select Make Selection and set father 0,5px and press Ctrl+C to copy the starfish.

Step 30

Press Ctrl+V to paste the starfish in the document. Go to Edit > Free Transform or press Ctrl + T and make it smaller and set the Opacity at 62%

Step 31

Ctrl+Click on the thumbnail of the starfish layer and move the selection with 1px down.

Make a new layer under the layer with starfish and press Shift+D or go to Edit > Fill and select from menu Black and press OK. Set the layer Opacity at 29%

Step 32 - Make the lightbulb shinier

Hide all the layers besides the one with the bulb. Pick Pen Tool (P) from the menu and make a new path like in the image. Right-click and select make selection with father 0,5px . Go to Layer > New > Layer via Copy or press Ctrl+J and move the copy above all of the layers.

Step 33

Go to Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast and use the settings in the image below. Set Blending Mode of the layer to Overlay and Opacity at 20%

Step 34

Press Ctrl+Click on the thumbnail of the previous layer to select the lightbulb and go to Edit > Fill or press Shift+F5, select from menu Color, and put this color #808080.

Step 35

Right-click on this layer and select Blending Option, set the Fill Opacity at 0%.

Go to Gradient Overlay and make new Gradient with these settings.

Set Blend Mode of the Gradient on Overlay, Opacity 50%, Style Radial, set Gradient on Reverse, Angle 90 degrees and Scale at 97%

Step 36

Select the lightbulb and with a black brush with the size around 200-300px make a shadow at the bottom of the bulb like in the photo.

Set Blending Mode of the layer on Soft Light and Opacity 45%.

Step 37

Click on the "Create new Fill ar Adjustment layer " icon and select from the menu Photo Filter.

Select the "Underwater" Filter and set Density at 75%.

Step 38

Select the entire surface of the water pressing Ctrl+Click on the "aqua background" thumbnail layer and go to Select > Inverse or press Ctrl+Shift+I. Click on the Layer mask thumbnail of the Photo Filter (see photo)

Go to Edit > Fill or press Shift+F5 and select from menu Black.

That was it, I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and you will manage to do your own magic world.

Final Results

Download the PSD

Magic World.zip

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