Learn how to create a dark and dreamy photo manipulation by blending images seamlessly and applying a color effect using several adjustment layers. You’ll also learn how to use textures, apply lighting effects, and more.

Preview of Final Results

Create a Moody Landscape Photo Manipulation in Photoshop

Resources

• Birds of a Feather - midnightstouch (Brusheezy)
• Star Brushes - kuschelirmel-stock
• Vintage 02 - FructisIndia-Stock
• landscape 45 - night-fate-stock
• desert mountain - night-fate-stock
• Ol' Buttermilk Sky - xDante-stock
• old tree - stock.xchng
• Midnight Scratches - pelleron
• barbwire - angeltouch1
• bench - angeltouch1
• rose - angeltouch1

Step 1: Create a New Image File

Create a new file with a width of 2000 px and a height of 1333 px at 300 dpi (Dots per Inch). Background Contents should be White.

Step 2: Create the Background

First off, let’s open the landscape 45 stock in Photoshop. We will be using the ground on this stock image so we will need to transfer it to our main canvas.

Click the landscape 45 and press V to activate the Move Tool. Left-click the image and drag the image to the main canvas.

Once you have it there, press Ctrl/Cmd + T to activate the Free Transform command and scale the image so that it’s the same size as our canvas. Change layer name to "Background"

Next, activate the Transform tool again (Ctrl/Cmd +T), and then right click on the canvas to bring up the contextual menu. Once open, click on "Warp". When activated follow the instructions below:

Now, goto edit > transform > Flip Horizontal.

The result should be similar to this:

Step 3: Create Mountains

let’s open the desert mountain stock in Photoshop. We will be using the mountain on this stock image so we will need to transfer it to our main canvas.

Click the desert mountain and press V to activate the Move Tool. Left-click the image and drag the image to the main canvas.

Once you have it there, press Ctrl/Cmd + T to activate the Free Transform command and scale the image so that it’s the same size as our canvas. Change layer name to "Mountains"

Next, activate the Transform tool again (Ctrl/Cmd +T), and then right click on the canvas to bring up the contextual menu. Once open, click on "Warp". When activated follow the instructions below:

Next, activate the Eraser tool (E). We're going to make the "Mountain" blend in with the background stoke. Input the following for the Eraser tool (E):

• Brush size: 200px
• Hardness: 0%
• Opacity: 80%
• Flow: 100%

Make sure that you've zoomed in to the image to at least 50% so that you can clearly erase. There is no need of detailing; erase freely. Now, let's erase highlighted areas: