Create a Fantasy Space Photo Manipulation Using Photoshop

Open file "Fat Boy 2". Make a selection of the part shown below than copy and paste it into our document. Use Free transform to position and distort it until it looks like shown below.

Go to file "Fat Boy 2". Make a selection of the part shown below than copy and paste it into our document. Use Free transform to position and distort it until it looks like shown below.

Go to file "Fat Boy 2". Make a selection of the part shown below than copy and paste it into our document. Use Free transform to position and distort it until it looks like shown below.

Go to file "Fat Boy 2". Make a selection of the part shown below than copy and paste it into our document. Use Free transform to position and distort it until it looks like shown below.

Go to file "Fat Boy 2". Make a selection of the part shown below than copy and paste it into our document. Use Free transform to position and distort it until it looks like shown below.

Go to file "Fat Boy 2". Make a selection of the part shown below than copy and paste it into our document. Use Free transform to position and distort it until it looks like shown below.

Select all metal layers and merge them using Ctrl+E. Add a layer mask and mask away until it looks like in the image shown below. Name this layer "Right Metal".

Double click the layer to enter advanced blending mode and use the settings shown below. Make a new layer and select a soft brush at 10% opacity. Sample some orange color from the fire and paint over the metallic parts. Alt+Click in between these 2 layers ( the painted layer and the right metal layer ) to clip the paint layer to the metal layer. This way we make sure that all the painting is applied only to the metallic parts.

Make a duplicate of the "Right Metal " , press Ctrl+T to enter Free Transform, right click and choose Flip Horizontally than position this on the other side of the face. Make a new layer and select a soft brush at 10% opacity. Sample some blue color from the icy hair and paint over the metallic parts. Alt+Click in between these 2 layers ( the painted layer and the right metal layer ) to clip the paint layer to the metal layer. This way we make sure that all the painting is applied only to the metallic parts.

Let's improve the fire reflectio in the right metal layer. To do this add a curves adjustment layer and use the settings shown below. Group the layers shown below than change this group blend mode to normal. This way the curves adjustment layer will only apply to the visible layers inside the group only. Select the layer mask of the curves adjustment layer and paint with black the icy metal parts.

Open file "Earth Seen From Apollo 17" and make a selection of the Earth. Copy it than paste it into our document. Use Free Transform to position the Earth like shown below.

Double click the Earth layer to enter advanced blending mode and apply the setting shown below. With these settings we will make the Earth look more 3D.

Add a new clipped layer above the Earth layer and select a round soft brush at 10 opacity. Sample a color from the fire and paint the left side of the earth. Change the layer blend mode to Overlay.

Make a new layer and set black as Foreground color. Select a tree brush and paint a tree on the Earth.

Duplicate the earth layer and free transform like shown below. Choose a 50% gray as foreground color and using the gradient tool mask the outer part of the shadow tree. Change the layer blend mode to Multiply.

Make a new layer and using a light beam brush paint like shown below.

Is time for the overall tweaks. Add a Vibrance adjustment layer and use the settingsh shown below. Fil the layer mask with black than using a round soft white brush at 50% opacity paint over the hair, the eyes and the Earth. This step will give us some vivid colors.

Let's improve the blue colors in the eyes and left side of the earth by adding a curves adjustment layer, fill it with black and paint with a soft white brush at 50% opacity over the eyes and the earth.

The right side of the Earth should be more orange because the fire is burning close so let's correct this by adding a curves adjustment layer, fill the layer mask with black and using a round white soft brush paint over the right side of the earth. Lower the layer opacity to 65%.

Let's improve the contrast. Add a Black/White adjustment layer and change the blending mode to Soft Light. Lower the opacity to 90%. Paint with black in the layer mask the corners of the eyes and the earth because not doing so will clip the black colors completely.

I am stil not satisfied by the contrast so let's increase it even more. Add a gradient map adjustment layer and choose Black, White from the gradients presets. Change the layer blend mode to Luminosity. Fill the layer mask with black and using a white soft brush at 50% opacity paint over the eyes and the icy hair.

Add a curves adjustment layer and drag the curve downwards to decrease luminosity. Fill the layer mask with black and using a white soft brush at 80% opacity paint over the stars background.