Broken mirror

We've all done this, I'm sure, but it is a fun shot to try every so often.

It reminds me, I do need to redecorate the hall after the last fire...



Thanks for looking...back...

I love artistic photography, I could look at this for hours and not manage to work out how it is done.

I am a bit of a purist when it comes to photography, never wandering far from a few adjustments to tidy my pictures up. Maybe I should be more adventurous this year.


cheers Marion

This is really cool! I have never seen this done before. So would you like to share how you did this? Did you by chance use Perfect Layers (an extension of LR)?

Actually it is a 2 minute process in Photoshop Elements

First you need a rock-solid tripod as you're going to be layering two pics that have to key exactly as they will be using most of the same room elements...

Take the background layer, in this case the grumpy old feller staring in to the mirror...self timer or remote shutter is useful for this. I try to look at something specific in the mirror. Check that the shot is okay, then change your appearance. Do not move the camera at all during this...

Take a second exposure, looking at the same thing in the mirror.

That's the picture taking bit done. You can then start to play in Photoshop...



Then open the first shot as the background (Grumpy feller), and open the second *mirror grumpy person* shot as a second layer. (You do that by opening it as a separate image, then pressing *Ctrl A* to select all the image, and *Ctrl C* to copy it. Click on the background image and select *Paste* from the *edit* dropdown (Sorry if this is being patronising, I don't use Photoshop that often so I have to think through each process)

Then select the layer you have just pasted, and select "Add a mask".

Select the eraser tool, and then start to remove all the image you don't need (basically eveything except the mirror image) and this will expose the background layer (grumpy person), but leave the reflection in the mirror.

If you've done it right the two images will key in as they have there.

Once you've done that select the *layer* drop-down, and *flatten image* and that's it.

Once you've mastered it then you can use it in all sorts of ways...

You can do this:



or this


or this

using the same technique

I hope this helps? There are a number of tutorials online that can show you as well

I did have to look at this a couple of times before I got it

Too much wife beater last night is my excuse!

Excellent editing Gaz