Posted by John Williams on November 20, 2016 at 9:11 PM
In a photo I recently posted, Igor asked what I did to make the mountain larger and Preston suggested I post information here. This is certainly something not all are comfortable with, and you do lose some image quality when you transform. But with those caveats, here is what I did in Photoshop (I'm using CS6) for the image I posted:
Turn on Snap To Guides. (View:Snap To:Guides)
Drag new guides to the top and bottom of the image (Select the top ruler, and while holding left mouse button down drag a guide to the bottom, then repeat the step to drag a guide to the top.)
Copy the Background into a new Layer. (New:Layer:Layer Via Copy)
Expand the canvas vertically. (For the image I posted, I kept the anchor in the center and did not check the Relative box.) I find 10% to 15% works well. For example, if your image is 2000 pixels high, expand the canvas to 2200. (Image:Canvas Size)
Drag new guides to the top and bottom of your new canvas. You will now have four guides, representing the top and bottom of both the original and newly-sized images.
Create a selection of the top layer. (Right-click on the top layer’s icon and left-click on Select Pixels.)
Transform the selection by dragging the top-center handle (the little squares) to the top guide, and the bottom-center handle to the bottom guide. (In the example of the image I posted, it’s fine to leave the Reference Point, the crosshairs in the center, in the center.) Hit the enter key to complete the Transform. (Edit:Transform:Scale)
Deselect the current selection. (Select:Deselect)
Use the Rectangular Marquee Tool (Style = Normal) to select the top of the image, just to, but not including, the mountain.
Transform this selection. Set the Reference Point to the bottom-center this time, and then drag the top-center handle down to the guide that lines up with the top of the original image (the second guide from the top). Again, hit the enter key to complete the transformation. (Edit:Transform:Scale)
Deselect the current selection. (Select:Deselect)
Select the bottom of the image (Rectangular Marquee Tool) as you did the top, up to, but not including, the reflection. Transform this selection also, but this time choose the top-center Reference Point, and drag the bottom-center handle up to the bottom of the original image (the third guide from the top). Again hit enter. (Edit:Transform:Scale)
Deselect the current selection. (Select:Deselect)
Select the original canvas size using the inner guides and the Rectangular Marquee Tool.
Crop the image back to its original dimensions. (Image:Crop)
I can post example images of any steps that are confusing when I have more time; let me know. You should end up with a “stretched” top layer, and your original bottom layer. Depending on the image, you can play with how you extend your canvas, what part(s) of the image you manipulate, and how you set your Reference Points. Hopefully this will give ideas.
Posted by Igor Doncov on November 20, 2016 at 9:39 PM
Wow, this sounds complicated. Could you please answer one simple question that may actually be described in your directions. How does the transformed (enlarged) mountain smoothly merge with the nontransformed remainder of the image?
Discussion
1 repliesTurn on Snap To Guides. (View:Snap To:Guides)
Drag new guides to the top and bottom of the image (Select the top ruler, and while holding left mouse button down drag a guide to the bottom, then repeat the step to drag a guide to the top.)
Copy the Background into a new Layer. (New:Layer:Layer Via Copy)
Expand the canvas vertically. (For the image I posted, I kept the anchor in the center and did not check the Relative box.) I find 10% to 15% works well. For example, if your image is 2000 pixels high, expand the canvas to 2200. (Image:Canvas Size)
Drag new guides to the top and bottom of your new canvas. You will now have four guides, representing the top and bottom of both the original and newly-sized images.
Create a selection of the top layer. (Right-click on the top layer’s icon and left-click on Select Pixels.)
Transform the selection by dragging the top-center handle (the little squares) to the top guide, and the bottom-center handle to the bottom guide. (In the example of the image I posted, it’s fine to leave the Reference Point, the crosshairs in the center, in the center.) Hit the enter key to complete the Transform. (Edit:Transform:Scale)
Deselect the current selection. (Select:Deselect)
Use the Rectangular Marquee Tool (Style = Normal) to select the top of the image, just to, but not including, the mountain.
Transform this selection. Set the Reference Point to the bottom-center this time, and then drag the top-center handle down to the guide that lines up with the top of the original image (the second guide from the top). Again, hit the enter key to complete the transformation. (Edit:Transform:Scale)
Deselect the current selection. (Select:Deselect)
Select the bottom of the image (Rectangular Marquee Tool) as you did the top, up to, but not including, the reflection. Transform this selection also, but this time choose the top-center Reference Point, and drag the bottom-center handle up to the bottom of the original image (the third guide from the top). Again hit enter. (Edit:Transform:Scale)
Deselect the current selection. (Select:Deselect)
Select the original canvas size using the inner guides and the Rectangular Marquee Tool.
Crop the image back to its original dimensions. (Image:Crop)
I can post example images of any steps that are confusing when I have more time; let me know. You should end up with a “stretched” top layer, and your original bottom layer. Depending on the image, you can play with how you extend your canvas, what part(s) of the image you manipulate, and how you set your Reference Points. Hopefully this will give ideas.