Red Apple Shadow

In order to extract the apple from the original image, I used the Quick Selection tool. I drew an outline around the apple and then I refined the edges. By refining the edges, I eliminated the possibility of a pixel fringe. A realistic shadow was created when I used the free transform tool to create the shape of the apple. Then I used the black-to-white gradient on the apple shape. After adding the gradient to the apple, I adjusted the opacity to make the shadow more realistic.

Frozen Text

I did a firefly/Frozen text tutorial in Photoshop. The tutorial for this was very easy to follow. I made a brush using the brush tool in Photoshop. Then I downloaded the font. After typing my name using the font, I applied the brush to it. I'm really happy with how this project turned out!
Tutorial:
http://textuts.com/simple-fireflies-text-effect/

Land of the Unknown

How?

I created the Flying Mountain Tutorial in Photoshop. In addition to the rock, I added a moon and butterfly. I learned that in Photoshop you are able to edit an image in a separate file and drag it into another file to create one picture.

With?

This project was very layer heavy. Several layers were altered and merged together throughout the process. A layer mask was used to merge the desaturated layer. The content aware tool allowed me to select part of the sky and bring it forward to make it look like the cloud is in front of the flying rock. The quick select tool allowed me to select only part of an image. Surprisingly, the rock in this photo came from an image of an island. The blending mode tool was used to tone down the vibrance of the bright sky. This gave the picture an eerier effect. The refine edge tool was used to soften the edges of the images. The Hue and Saturation tool allowed me to tone down the vibrance of the image. 

Why?

Before making this project, I knew that I wanted to make it very mystical and mysterious. I think that the moon and butterfly really add to this effect. I resized the size of the butterfly to really make it stand out. I learned how to use several mask layers to create the exact effect that I was aiming for. I also learned more about Photoshop and used several short cuts to make the process smoother and easier. I also used my classmates to help inspire my ideas. Next time, I would add a waterfall on the rock because I think that would add to the mystical touch. I would continue with the mystical theme because it really goes with the mystical theme. From this experience I will continue to use similar masking tools to enhance my projects.