Learn how to combine photos with fractals to create your own surreal photomanipulation. In this tutorial you´ll learn different blending techniques and advanced lighting techniques. Let´s get started!

This image was created to show a dream world which everyone enters when asleep. To create this photo manipulation you´ll start by blending the fractals together. Next you´ll add and adjust stairs and girl. And in the end you´ll focus on creating interesting light scene. You´ll need Photoshop CS or newer to follow this tutorial.

Tutorial Resources

• Stairs - almudena-stock
• Fractals, Girl - Jarka Hrnèárková

Step 1 - Preparing Background

Open Photoshop and create a new document. Set its Height on 939px, Weigh on 1410px and Resolution on 72px/inch.

Grab the Paint Bucket Tool (G) and fill the Background with black color.

Step 2 - Adding Main Fractal

Download image named fractal.png listed in the beginning of the tutorial and drag it into your photo manipulation. Double click on the layer and name it FRACTAL.

If you don´t see the palette Layers go to Window>Layers and it will appear.

Quick tip: It´s a good habit to name all your layers. It´s easier to navigate in them once you work with more layers.

Step 3 - Adding Stairs

Download photo of stairs listed in the beginning of the tutorial and drag it into your photo manipulation. Place this layer on the top of all layers and name it STAIRS.

Go to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal to flip them.

On the following image you can see how your photo manipulation should look like so far. In bottom left corner of the image you can see your layer order as well.

Step 4 - Blending Stairs

As you can see STAIRS are too bright and yellow right now. In this step you´ll adjust them to fit into the scene.

Click on the layer STAIRS to make sure it´s active. Go to Image > Adjustments > Match Color... and set the dialogue window same as on the following image.

Press OK to apply changes. As you can see STAIRS are bluer but still too bright. To fix that add new adjustment layer Curves on the top of all layers and set the curve as on the following image.

You can find the button Add new fill or adjutment layer on the bottom part of your Layers palette.

You want to adjust only one layer below (=STAIRS) and not the rest of the image. To achieve that create clipping mask from it by clicking the button in the bottom part (it´s also highlighted with cyan color on the image below).

Lets take a look how your photo manipulation looks like so far.

Step 5 - More Blending

In this step you´ll hide some parts of STAIRS to make fractal below more visible. Add layer mask to the layer STAIRS. You can find the button Add layer mask on the bottom part of your palette Layers.

Grab the Brush Tool (B), select some soft round brush and set its Opacity on 80%. Pick black color. Make sure the layer mask is active by clicking on it and start painting over the areas of stairs you want to hide.

On the following image you can see where you should paint with the Brush Tool (B). That areas are highlighted with blue color.

Step 6 - Adding Second Fractal

Download image named fractal2.png listed in the beginning of the tutorial and drag it into your photo manipulation. Place this new layer on the top of all layers and name it FRACTAL 2.

Add layer mask to FRACTAL 2. Grab the Brush Tool (B). Use the same settings as in the previous step and blend the fractal with the rest of the image. Focus on creating smooth transition between bottom part of FRACTAL 2 and the rest of the image.

Let´s take a look at how your photo manipulation should look like so far.

Step 7 - Color Adjustment

In this step you´ll make your photo manipulation less saturated and more contrasted to create stronger atmosphere.

Let´s start with saturation. Add new adjustment layer Hue/Saturation on the top of all layers and set the value Saturation on -60.

To increase contrast add new adjustment layer Brightness/Contrast on the top of all layers and set the value Contrast on 55.

On the image below you can compare how each adjustment affects the photo manipulation.

Step 8 - Creating Vignette

In this step you´ll add vignette to create more depth.

Grab the Eliptical Marquee Tool (M) and select the whole picture.

To make the selection smoother go to Select > Modify > Feather... and set the value Feather Radius on 300px. Press OK.

Go to Select > Inverse.

Add new adjustment layer Curves on  the top of all layers and set it as on the following image. As you can see only borders of the image are darker.

Step 9 - Adding Girl

Download image of girl listed in the beginning of the tutorial and grab it into your photo manipulation. Place it on the top of all layers and name it GIRL.

To blend GIRL properly with the rest of the image you need to lower saturation and make it darker.

Add new adjustment layer Vibrance on the top of all layers and set the value Vibrance on -70. Create clipping mask from this adjustment layer to adjust only GIRL and not the rest of the image.

To make GIRL bit darker add new adjustment layer Curves on the top of all layers and set it as you can see on the following image.

Create clipping mask from this adjustment layer too.

On the image below you can see how your photo manipulation should look like so far.

On the image below you can see how your photo manipulation should look like so far.

Step 11 - Adding Shadow

In this step you´ll add shadow under GIRL to make it more believable she´s really there.

Pro tip: When creating photo manipulation remember that every object you place into your image should have some sort of shadow.

Add new empty layer below GIRL and name it SHADOW. Grab the Brush Tool (B), select some soft round brush and set its Opacity on 100%.

Press Alt on your keyboard to activate the Eyedropper Tool and pick some very dark color from your image. Now paint shadow similarly as you can see on the following image.

Step 12 - Creating Mist

In this step you´ll add mist to your photo manipulation to create more magical atmosphere.

Drag fractal1.png from the beginning of the tutorial into your photo manipulation. Place it on the top of all layers and name it MIST.

To blend it well with the rest of the image lower its Opacity on 60%.

Add layer mask to MIST. Grab the Brush Tool (B). Select some soft round brush, set the Opacity on 80%. Pick black color. Make sure layer mask of MIST is active by clicking on it.

Paint over the areas you want to hide. See image below for guidlines where you should paint. These areas are highlighted with cyan color.

Basicaly you want to have visible only mist on the stairs.

On the following image you can see how your photo manipulation should look like after this step.

Step 13 - Adding Fractal in Front of Girl

Download fractal3.png listed in the beginning of the tutorial and drag it into your photo manipulation. Place it on the top of all layers and name it FRACTAL 3.

Make sure FRACTAL 3 is placed in front of the girl. This way she looks like she belongs better to the scene. Let´s take a look at the following image to compare how your photo manipulation looks before and after this step.

Step 14 - Changing Lights and Shadows

In this step you´ll focus on creating more interesting light scene.

Add new empty layer on the top of all layers and name it SHADOWS. Change its Blending Mode from Normal to Soft Light.

Grab the Brush Tool (B). Select some soft round brush and lower its Opacity on 10%. Pick white color and paint over the areas which are highlighted with cyan color on the following image.

After you´re done pick black color and paint over the areas highlighted on the image below.

Step 15 - More Light

In this step you´ll add more blue light to the center of the image to create more depth.

Add new empty layer to the top of all layers and change its Blending Mode from Normal to Soft Light. Name this new layer LIGHT.

Grab the Brush Tool (B). Select some soft round brush and set its Opacity on 25%. Pick some bright cyan color. I used #2de3bf.

Now simply paint big dot in the center of the image. Take a look at the image below to see where you should paint.

Step 16 - Adding Contrast

In this step you´ll focus on increasing contrast of your photo manipulation. To do that you´ll use two adjustment layers Curves.

Add new adjustment layer Curves on the top of all layers and set the curve as on the image below.

Add second adjustment layer Curves on the top of all layers and set the curve similarly as on the following image.

On this image you can compare how each adjustment affects your photo manipulation.

Step 17 - Color Adjustments

In this final step you´ll add colder tones to your photo manipulation and desaturate it slightly.

To adjust colors add new adjustment layer Color Balance on the top of all layers and set the values as you can see on the following image.

To lower its saturation add new adjutment layer Hue/Saturation on the top of all layers and set the value Saturation on - 10.

Final Results

Download the PSD

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Tutorial by Jarka Hrnèárková

Thank you for following the tutorial. I hope you´ve learnt something new or found inspiration for your new artwork.

If you want to see more from me please follow me on my Behance profile!

- Jarka Hrnèárková