How to Photoshop UFOs Into a Picture
Open your UFO-less photo in Photoshop., Find a photo of a UFO., In Photoshop Click "File > Place..."., Click "Layer > Smart Objects > Edit Contents"., Extract the UFO., Click "Layer > Smart Objects > Replace Contents..."., Press ctrl (cmd) + T to...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Open your UFO-less photo in Photoshop.
Choose a clear photo with a plain background, preferably of a contrasting color.
Don't choose a small blurry or pixelated photo or extracting the UFO will be harder to do.
Save the photo to your hard drive. , Find your UFO picture and click "Place".
Your UFO will be loaded in a new layer above your original photo.
Click the check at the top right to confirm. (You will worry about placement later.) , This opens your UFO photo as a separate file. (Don't panic – your original is still open.
You'll find it as a tab near the top.) , There are a few ways to select an object in Photoshop.
You can use quick mask but depending on your photo, other options may work better.
While you can use whichever method you prefer, the following steps explain how to use the "quick mask" tool.
Click the "quick mask" button on the bottom of the tool bar on the left to enter quick mask mode.
Double-click your "background" layer and rename it to unlock the layer.
This will let you delete the background to make it transparent.
Using the paintbrush tool, paint black for the area you want to select. (It will paint a red mask over your image.) Use white to erase.
In this image, you can see the background has been selected.
You can turn "Quick mask" on and off to make sure your selection is satisfactory.
Press ctrl (cmd) + x to cut the background.
You should be left with just the UFO floating on a transparent background.
Save your newly extracted UFO file as .psd. , Open the .psd UFO you just saved.
Now the UFO image is free floating over your original photo. , Use the handles to adjust the size and position. , This image used "Drop Shadow" and "Bevel and Emboss". , When it looks legit, save your file. , Alien invasion! -
Step 2: Find a photo of a UFO.
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Step 3: In Photoshop Click "File > Place...".
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Step 4: Click "Layer > Smart Objects > Edit Contents".
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Step 5: Extract the UFO.
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Step 6: Click "Layer > Smart Objects > Replace Contents...".
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Step 7: Press ctrl (cmd) + T to free transform your UFO.
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Step 8: Play around with the effects (fx button at bottom of layers panel at the right) to blend your UFO into your image.
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Step 9: If your UFO seems out of place
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Step 10: use adjustment layers to tweak the levels
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Step 11: curves
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Step 12: saturation
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Step 13: whatever works for your particular image.
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Step 14: Ta-da!
Detailed Guide
Choose a clear photo with a plain background, preferably of a contrasting color.
Don't choose a small blurry or pixelated photo or extracting the UFO will be harder to do.
Save the photo to your hard drive. , Find your UFO picture and click "Place".
Your UFO will be loaded in a new layer above your original photo.
Click the check at the top right to confirm. (You will worry about placement later.) , This opens your UFO photo as a separate file. (Don't panic – your original is still open.
You'll find it as a tab near the top.) , There are a few ways to select an object in Photoshop.
You can use quick mask but depending on your photo, other options may work better.
While you can use whichever method you prefer, the following steps explain how to use the "quick mask" tool.
Click the "quick mask" button on the bottom of the tool bar on the left to enter quick mask mode.
Double-click your "background" layer and rename it to unlock the layer.
This will let you delete the background to make it transparent.
Using the paintbrush tool, paint black for the area you want to select. (It will paint a red mask over your image.) Use white to erase.
In this image, you can see the background has been selected.
You can turn "Quick mask" on and off to make sure your selection is satisfactory.
Press ctrl (cmd) + x to cut the background.
You should be left with just the UFO floating on a transparent background.
Save your newly extracted UFO file as .psd. , Open the .psd UFO you just saved.
Now the UFO image is free floating over your original photo. , Use the handles to adjust the size and position. , This image used "Drop Shadow" and "Bevel and Emboss". , When it looks legit, save your file. , Alien invasion!
About the Author
Danielle Ryan
Creates helpful guides on practical skills to inspire and educate readers.
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