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Step One: Create Your Product Shot |
Step 1.1: Open the image of your product.
This tutorial applies to physical products only. We are not making ebook graphics here but do so in another part of this product.
So open Elements then choose FILE: OPEN and choose the image of your product.
I started with a photo of a banana since it's the image used in the tutorial I went through awhile back on how to create product shots.
Please Note: Make sure your image is on a white background.
If the image you are using is NOT on a white background then go to the ADD IMAGES icon and go through the "Selection Secrets" video tutorial on how to extract images and/or remove backgrounds.
Step 1.2:
Next open the image then get the MAGIC WAND from the TOOLBAR and click next to the item in your image.
That puts a selection around the item.
Step 1.3:
Now click SELECT > INVERSE
At this time your LAYER MENU should look like this:
Step 1.4:
Now HOLD DOWN THE CTRL KEY and hit the letter J on the keyboard to put the selected banana in the image on it's own layer.
The two banana layers in your LAYER MENU should look like this:
Step 1.5:
Now DELETE the background layer by holding it and dragging it to the garbage can icon.
Your layer menu should now look like this:
Step 1.6:
Hold down the CTRL key and click the NEW LAYER ICON to create a new layer.
By holding down the CTRL key and making a new layer, it creates the new layer BELOW the existing layer, so now you'll have two layers in the palette that look like this:
Step 1.7:
Now go to the GRADIENT TOOL and load the custom gradient called "dashboard.grd"
Step 1.8:
Set the gradient to RADIAL (shown in the screen cap above with the red border around it) and then click with your mouse in the middle of the image, (try to click just before the bottom right hand side peel) and while holding down the SHIFT key, click and drag downwards until you get to the end of the viewable image area.
Then let go of the mouse.
At this time your LAYER MENU should look like this:
Step 1.9:
Now, staying on the same layer you're on now, click to select the RECTANGULAR MARQUEE TOOL from the TOOLBAR and create a rectangular selection on the lower 1/3 of your image.
Step 1.10: In the LAYER MENU click the NEW LAYER ICON and this will create a new layer under the banana layer and above the Gradient layer.
DO NOT DESELECT THE 1/3 OF THE IMAGE YET. It must be selected for the next step to work right.
Step 1.11: Fill this new layer with BLACK by hitting the letter "D" on the keyboard, then hold down the ALT key and hit BACKSPACE.
This fills the bottom 1/3 of the layer with black and lets you see the top 2/3'rds of the banana layer and gradient.
Your layers should now look like this:
The end result the last step produces is:
Step 1.12:
Select your banana layer and press CTRL & J to duplicate it.
Your layer menu should now look like this:
Step 1.13:
Select your lower, original banana layer (LAYER 1 in the layer menu) and press CTRL & T to bring up the free-transform.
Step 1.14: Go to the MENU BAR and choose IMAGE > ROTATE > FLIP LAYER VERTICAL and you will see your banana layer flip upside down just like you see in the image below:
Step 1.15: Click the CHECKMARK to apply the "flip vertical" effect to the banana layer and now you need to hold down the SHIFT key on the keyboard and DRAG the banana layer down the screen until the ends meet, just like you see below:
Step 1.16: Now go to the GRADIENTS in the TOOLBAR and choose RESET GRADIENTS from the menu, like this:
Step 1.17: Select the gradient tool that is black to transparent.
It is the 2nd one in the gradients list that you see after you've reset them.
Step 1.18:
Now in the GRADIENT OPTIONS bar, choose REFLECTED GRADIENT which is the 4th icon from the left, as shown below:
Step 1.19:
Now click with your mouse at the bottom of the upside down banana and drag your gradient tool UPWARDS (from bottom to top) on the active layer until you get a nice reflective effect.
When you're done, you should see a nice reflection instead of the upside down banana layer, like this:
That's the last step in creating your product shot. Of course you can apply these steps to any product image you have.
