| One of the greatest benefits of Photoshop is the ability to add objects to photos that weren't there at the time of the shoot. Items are often added after the fact, such as clouds to skies, grass to lawns, and leaves to trees. Another great benefit of Photoshop is the ability to add surface treatments to photographs that were either impossible to achieve at the time of the shot, or not thought of until well after the fact. Shadows, ripples, and reflections are all examples of treatments that can add a little pizzazz to an otherwise less-than-awesome image. We'll put these abilities to work and show you how to create a realistic-looking reflection like the one shown in Figure A.
Figure A. 
Creating a reflection Let's create a reflection for an object by selecting a photo that was taken from a medium angle viewpoint, as shown in Figure B. Looking at the photo, you'll notice that not much of the top and bottom of the car is seen, making it a good candidate for adding a reflection. You can add a reflection to either side or to the bottom of the photo and make it realistic in appearance. We want to add it to the bottom to give the impression that the auto is sitting on a highly polished floor.
Figure B. 
Enlarging the canvas Since we want to be able to see the entire reflection, we have to make the canvas larger. Right now the canvas measures 9 3/8" by 6". If we double the depth (length) of the image, we'll have plenty of room to work in. 1. | Select Image  Canvas Size.
| 2. | Select Percent in the Height dropdown list, as shown in Figure C.
Figure C. 
| 3. | Enter 200 in the Height text box. The Anchor selection shows the direction the canvas will be expandeddownward.
| 4. | Select the top-middle button, as shown in Figure D, and the canvas expands in the direction shown.
Figure D. 
| 5. | Click OK and the canvas enlarges, as shown in Figure E.
Figure E. 
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Filling in the floor We now want to fill in the expanded canvas with a color that visually continues the floor into the foreground. 1. | Select the Eyedropper tool  from the Toolbox and click in the bottom-middle of the image to select a floor color. Now, we'll fill in the area with the color we just selected.
| 2. | Choose the Paint Bucket tool  from the Toolbox, position your mouse pointer in the transparent area of the image, click, and the floor image fills in, as shown in Figure F on the next page.
Figure F. 
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Copying and flipping the reflection image Next, we need to copy and flip the auto image. 1. | Choose the Rectangular Marquee tool  from the Toolbox and drag out a selection border that only includes the auto, as shown in the example in Figure G.
Figure G. 
| 2. | Press [Ctrl]C ( C on the Mac) to copy the auto image, and then press [Ctrl]V (V on the Mac) to paste the image. In the Layers palette, a new layer is automatically created that includes the selection.
| 3. | Rename the layer by double-clicking on the name Layer 1 and entering Reflection in the text box.
| 4. | Select Edit Transform  Flip Vertical from the menu bar and the reflection image is flipped, as shown in Figure H. 
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Positioning the reflection image Next, we'll move the reflection image down to just under the wheels of the auto. 1. | Make certain that the Reflection layer in the Layers palette is still selected.
| 2. | Select the Move tool  from the Toolbox.
| 3. | Click on the reflection image, and drag it into position, as shown in Figure I.
Figure I. 
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Adjusting the opacity of the reflection image The reflection image now has a natural look to it. But to fine-tune it, let's make the reflection somewhat transparent, since no reflection is as bright as the original object. In the Layers palette, enter 60 in the Opacity text box. The result is a more realistic reflection, as shown in Figure A. Modifying the reflection image Since the reflection image is a layer, you can modify it using a number of interesting effects without affecting the original auto image. We'll briefly step through using the Liquify and Glass filters to show a couple of unique effects. The possibilities with various filters, however, are endless. Applying the Liquify filter 1. | Choose Filter Liquify from the menu bar.
| 2. | Select the Forward Warp tool  from the Liquify Toolbox located along the left side of the dialog box.
| 3. | Set the Brush Size pop-up slider box to about 65 px in the tool options section located along the right side of the dialog box.
| 4. | Move your mouse pointer to the center preview section, and drag it using short strokes up and down over the reflection image to produce a ripple effect.
| 5. | Click OK when you've finished and the Liquify filter effect is applied to your reflection, as shown in Figure J.
Figure J. 
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Applying the Glass filter 1. | Choose Filter Distort Glass from the menu bar.
| 2. | Enter 7 in the Distortion text box, enter 3 in the Smoothness text box, select Frosted from the Texture dropdown list, and enter 100 in the Scaling text box to follow our example.
| 3. | Click OK and that's all there is to getting a glass effect, as shown in Figure K.
Figure K. 
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Reflect on this Surface treatments, such as reflections, can add great interest and excitement to images. They're quick, easy to do, and can add a visual feature to an image that wasn't possible when photographing the subject. Looking at reflections in detail  | A reflection is simply a visual copy of an image that's flipped upside down. That statement is correct, but there's a little more to it. By understanding a little of what's going on, you'll be able to create more realistic reflections. When light hits an object, it bounces off in all directions. If part of it bounces off directly to our eyes, we see an image. If part of it bounces off, hits a surface, and then bounces off that surface to our eyes, we see a reflection of the image. What the reflection looks like depends on the position of the surface relative to us. Positioning of the reflecting surface If the surface is positioned behind the object, the reflection we see is the back of the object. If it's below, we see the bottom of the object, and if it's at the side, we see the side of the object, as shown in Figure A.
Figure A1. 
Figure A2. 
Figure A3. 
Testing it out Let's do a visual test and try out the notion that a reflection is simply a copy of an image that's flipped upside down. The example in Figure B1 is an image and a reflection that's bouncing off a surface located below the object. The example in Figure B2 is an image and a copy of just the image flipped upside down and positioned below the object. Now, compare the two examples. As you can see, a reflection isn't just an upside down copy of an original image.
Figure B1. 
Figure B2. 
Reflecting a viewpoint Study just the reflection of the object, as shown in Figure C. Notice that you not only see the front of the object but the underside as well. Where would you have to position yourself to see the same thing? You'd actually have to be below the object in the same location as the reflecting surface to have the same viewpoint. What this means, then, is that a reflection is actually a visual copy of an image as seen from the viewpoint of the reflecting surface.
Figure C. 
Changing your viewpoint Let's do one more quick visual test. Let's keep the object the same, the reflecting surface the same, but change the viewpoint of the observer to a high, medium, and low angle, as shown in Figure D. Each viewpoint shows a real reflection of the object, and one made by copying it and flipping it upside down. Which pair looks most alike? The answer is the medium angle set, because from that viewpoint the smallest amount of the top and bottom of the object is seen.
Figure D1. 
Figure D2. 
Figure D3. 
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