Cool Photoshop Effects: how to fake stop-motion photography

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Falling objects captured by stop-motion photography are impressive, but the techniques can be a bit hit and miss. For a simple Photoshop solution, first shoot a background, in this case a cake and tablecloth, and then the object you want to show falling through the air.

Using Photoshop’s layers and masks, we can overlay the two and give the impression of a high-speed shot. Here’s how it’s done…

01 Select Tilt Shift
Duplicate the Background Layer via  Cmd/Ctrl+J and go to Filter>Blur>Tilt-Shift. Move the preview dot over the near edge of the paper case and adjust the blur preview lines. You then need to set the Blur to 35.

02 Overlay the cherry
Copy and paste the cherry image onto the cake image. Use the Quick Selection Brush tool to select the background. Invert the selection and add a Layer Mask. Select a Black brush with the Hardness set to 80%.

03 Stalk cleaning
Use the Brush tool to remove any of the remaining toothpick in the original image, and carefully remove any white from the stalk. Click on the image icon in the layer then use the Clone tool to repair the bottom of the cherry.

04 Add the cherry’s shadow
Hold down Cmd/Ctrl and click the cherry’s mask and invert selection. Deselect, then create a new blank layer under the cherry layer and fill it with black. Apply a Gaussian Blur of 25 pixels and move into position.

05 Tonal adjustments
Add a Layer Mask. Switch the Blend Mode to Overlay. Remove the effect of the shadow from the background and reduce the Opacity to 30%. Add a new Curves Adjustment Layer with an S-curve to improve the tone.

06 Digital ironing
Select the Clone Brush tool and then zoom into the image to 100%. Start to work across the image holding down Alt and clicking to capture a sample point and left-click to clone out creases in the tablecloth.

Posted on Friday, August 3rd, 2012 at 3:00 pm under Photoshop Tutorials, Tutorials.