MacFormat UK – September 2019

Yo u c a n

make the fake

reflection look

mill-pond still

or rippled

44 | MACFORMAT | SEPTEMBER 2019

Adding scenic reflections

Use layers, filters and masks to add reflective water to a landscape shot

IT WILL TAKE

15 minutes

YOU WILL LEARN

How to transform a

layer to create a mirror

image; add effects to

the ‘watery’ surface

YOU’LL NEED

A landscape shot,

Affinity Photo

Lakes can enhance a

landscape, especially if the

weather conditions are right.

The absence of a breeze can

turn a body of water into a giant mirror that

adds a pleasing symmetry to your landscape

photographs. However it can be a challenge

to find a suitable location that juxtaposes both

mountains and water. You’ll also have to hope

that the location is not too windy to capture a

clean reflection in the lake’s rippling surface.

Thanks to Affinity Photo’s pixel pushing

tools, you can turn on the taps and add a

watery surface to any landscape shot. In

this tutorial, we’ll demonstrate how to

transform and flip a duplicated photo

layer to create a mirror-like reflection.

Make a splash

Thanks to Affinity Photo’s filters you can

make the fake reflection look as mill-pond

still or as rippled as you like without having

to worry about wind. We’ll demonstrate how

the Zoom Blur filter helps add depth and

perspective to our computer-generated

lake’s surface. We’ll also use the Ripple filter

to break up parts of the reflection and create

a more realistic water surface. As a finishing

touch, we’ll use adjustment layers to alter the

colour and tone of the digital reflection to

differentiate it from the rest of the image. This

subtle tweak will help sell the illusion of having

a lake in your landscape. George Cairns

Most landscapes can be enhanced with water. Placing a

person in the frame also helps to add a sense of scale.

Using Affinity Photo’s layers and

masks, you can add a reflective

‘water feature’ to your image.

Image credit: Serif