How to: Levitate A Your Type with Photoshop in 3 Easy Steps

Who has not ever dreamed of flying? The feeling of weightlessness and freedom that produces flight is something that all human beings, by our inability to detach the ground more than a few seconds, awakens us some envy, is not it?

What if I tell you that I have a formula to allow you to fly in the model you choose, if only in your photographs, and what you say?, you want to know how to get it? So do not miss this simple tutorial for you to levitate people in your photos.

So, before proceeding to actual steps, I would suggest you go through my previous article on basics of photoshop where you will get info on adjustment layers.

1. Preparing Scene and the Team

Levitation – Preparing making the first to get levitate your subject is viewing the scene and prepare decision before shooting. Some recommendations for this preparation:

• You’ll have to opt inside or outside. Usually opt for interior scenes, but you can also get fantastic outdoor effects.


• As we shall see, simulate levitation get through the fusion of a pair of images. For this reason, you should search environments motionless except exclusively the model. Avoid air currents can move plants and curtains, with activity funds, etc…


• Prepare your team, considering that you cannot miss your tripod and external flash (especially if it’s a scene inside).


• Imagine where you will place the “levitating” and the position will be prepared and the appropriate frame.

After these points, you have everything ready, right? Well, let’s shoot and see the whole process of levitation

2. Take 2 pictures: one with and one without

To achieve our subject levitate need two images: one with the “clean” scene and another with the subject “levitating”. How do you levitate on the second? For helping with a bench, a chair or a stack of books. What did you think?

Come first with the first shot, which only shows the scene. For this, I chose the following parameters: 17mm, f/4.5, 1/60 sec, ISO 100 Flash and Manual 1/1 bounced off the ceiling. The approach I noticed the plane in which thought then place the subject. The result you can see below.

For the second, I kept the same settings (this is critical), because, although I have not mentioned, I chose to use manual mode on my camera, as well as the manual focus mode. Flash, as it said, also was in manual mode with power 1/1 and bounced off the ceiling, to also ensure the same power and lighting in both shots.

The only difference, therefore, was the incorporation of the subject “levitating” on a stool, which will disappear after processing. Here’s the image with the subject (in this case, myself, so I had to change my timer camera and give me a little rush put me )

From here I think you can imagine what we will do. Still not? Then do not worry, what you sleepless in the following section. Not long to go.

3. Processed in Photoshop to Achieve Levitation

What you might want two virtually identical images except for the presence of the subject? That is, to merge and stay with the part of each that interests us.

1. Open the two images as layers in Photoshop. If you have a catalog in Light room simply select them, click the right mouse button on one of them and select Edit> Open as layers in Photoshop…

You’ll have to put up with the subject layer. If you do not like, drag it to the top.

It is also desirable; as it has been some movement between takes, align both layers. To do so, select and click on Edit> Auto-Align Layers…

2. We apply a layer mask on the top layer, this layer through the stool or delete anyone who has been the subject when the subject has gained.

After creating the layer mask, begin to clear the stool with black paint on it, what will happen to load the contents of the lower layer. You know how this tool works, right?

3. With size image 100% or higher and patiently, carefully removing the stool looks respects possible shadows may have left the subject, not the stool and looking for a natural result.

To achieve a good result you need to Varies size, brush opacity and flow depending on the regions to use at any time the type of brush that most interests you.

The end result? Quiet, here it is:

What do you think?, Do you find it natural?, Do you think he’s got enough and believable?

4. Reframing and more processing (this time in Light room). I have chosen to bring the frame and modify some parameters to give a different look. Here everyone should put their stamp.

Adjustments, if you’re interested, are as follows: Contrast: +9, White: +6, Clarity: +23, Strength: +70, Saturation: -35, Focus: 11 Luminance: +18 and Vignetting-Quantity -25.

What do you think? Do you like the result?

Now That I Have Assembled All, Try Other Positions

If you have a very clear picture that you want, you could ignore this advice, though you would not recommend. But if not, try with different positions. You have everything ready, simply changing the position of the subject and shoot. You can get very good results and, above all, very different.

Here are a few more examples of the same meeting:

How about “the plane” and “Yoga time”. Funny, is not it? For it was only a matter of changing position and pull two other photographs, since photography background and had.

You understand now why I recommend further testing, is not it?

A levitating!

You already have everything you need: you know the machine, some recommendations on the scene; you know the steps to follow and how to perform processing.

Well, throw yourself try! Teach us your results. To see who gets the best flight:)

How to: Levitate A Your Type with Photoshop in 3 Easy Steps