Reflections in Photo

[Phil P]

In the attached image, I want the lower heart to look like a reflection of the upper one.  I thougt that my first step should be to put a gradient transparency on the lower one. I tried the Transparency tool in both D and Pub, but no luck. Although I select the lower heart, when I use the Transparency tool it applies the transparency to the background. Using version 1.10.5.1342.

Any help much appreciated.

 

[thomaso]

I assume you have the heart and the background as separate layers? Then reducing the heart layer opacity should work, additionally a blend mode may support the impression / your expectation, for instance to make brighter colors reflect more than darker, since darkness reflects less.

The reflection should be a "copy" of its original and not contain different details, as for instance the blue versus white glow at the inner edge of the hearts meeting point. For a reflection they don't have to touch, the reflection can of course also appear with a distance, depending on the perspective of the entire "room" and its objects, respectively the surrounding / background in your image.

There is not just one possible reflection in terms of correct or right. A reflection needs an object on which it gets reflected ('mirrored'). Its surface and the light influences the intensity of the reflection. Also the perspective matters (which in your background doesn't really exist and thus doesn't support the impression of reflection).

In the first sample I just reduced the opacity of the mirrored heart (with an 'background' rectangle on top). For the two others I copied + clipped the top heart and used it lightly offset to achieve an impression of reflecting material's thickness by showing a subtle double, blurry reflection.

[firstdefence]

Take a look at this mock up: Reflection.afphoto

 

Rasterising the gradient to mask should get what you want, if what you want is the faded reflection look., I also grouped the bottom heart and applied the gradient mask to the group.

[Phil P]

 

 

Thomaso, excellent suggestions. Thanks!

First defence, thank you.  Can you help me out a bit?  The faded gradient is exactly what I was looking for. Could you possibly provide the steps you took to achieve that? Did you first group the bottom heart by itself, then applied a gradient, then applied the gradient to mask to the group? I have never used the gradient to mask function so I don't know how that works. How do I do that to obtain the effect you achieved?

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

th

[firstdefence]

Made a short video for you using Affinity Designer 

 

 

[Phil P]

selfdefence,

Freakin, Freak! That's what I was looking for. Thank you!

You showed it in Designer, and the Windows version doesn't have an Appearance panel in Photo, but it works the same.

Now I'm going to try to fuzz the reflection a bit to look more like a reflection. Maybe tonal variations.

Thanks again, the video was very helpful, and you paused between steps long enough for me to find out where your cursor was to determine what you were doing. Grateful. Out.