FORGE A SCIFI COMPOSITE FROM PHOTOS
TIE COLOURS TOGETHER
When you’re adding in high contrast stock photos
to a sci-fi cityscape, set them to Screen and the
darker areas will disappear. This trick using
Screen mode is really useful and is used here not
just on the waterfall but with many other
elements of the piece. Working with dark stock
images, the blacker the better, the lights in the
city, the neon signs, the afterburners and
contrails of the vehicles, are all created using the
same technique. Even the mist and shards of
light in sky are achieved this way.17
ADD THE WATERFALL
For the waterfall, find a suitable image with
light water against a darker background. Change the
opacity mode to Screen, and you’ll notice that the
darker areas start to disappear. Clipping on a Levels
adjustment and deepening the blacks while nudging
up the whites will take this even further. Then it’s just
a case of masking away what’s left, while keeping
any rocks etc that you might want, for a cleanly
isolated flow.18
FINISHING TOUCHES
Finally, create another Adjustments folder.
This one will sit right at the top. Add a Color Balance
layer, select Shadows then pull the slider -15 towards
Cyan. The next Color Balance layer will be used forthe Midtones. Increase these slightly, particularly
the Green as this will help with some of the
organic elements without contradicting the desert.
Play with Levels, Vibrance, Brightness and
Contrast, until you find a look you are happy with.