Experimenting for the assignment;

After researching different ways of reflecting an image. I experimented using photoshop to create a water reflection of a landscape image.

The original Image

The outcome

The process;

To start off. I created a white 'canvas' below the image. I then created a guide line making sure 'rulers' and 'snap' have been selected. Opening the 'rectangular tool' select the outline of your image and then copy the image and paste into a new layer. Make a second copy after this. Creating a mirror image; press 'Control+T' to open the transform tool. grabbing the top middle box, drag the image down into your canvas space. the image will automatically mirror.

After you have mirrored the image. Drag the copy layer below layer one. Name it reflection. Then name the top layer opera house (Or what ever the photo associates with)

• Make a copy of the reflection layer. Go to 'filter' 'blur' 'MotionBlur'. Make the angle 90 Degrees and the distance 35pixels. Now create a new layer and then press 'control' and 'delete' to colour the layer white. Go to filter 'noise' and the 'AddNoise'. Make the amount 400%, add gaussian and tick monochromatic. 
• Go to Filter. 'Blur' then to 'MotionBlur'
• Make the angle '0' and the distance '50Pixels'

We then need to control the contrast of the image.

• hold down 'Control' + 'L'
• Change the output levels to '147. The Midtones '1.53' and the output levels '219'

I wanted to make the ripples of the water longer towards the bottom of the image and smaller and condensed towards the top of the image. to do this;

• Open the transform tool by pressing 'control' and 'T'
• Go to 'Edit' 'Transform' and 'Perspective'
• Go to the bottom corner and drag outwards. You will see the lines getting wider towards the bottom.
• Then drag the top corners inwards. The image above demonstrates.

• Then go to 'Filter' 'Blur' and 'Gaussian Blur' . Blur it at 2.0 pixels
• Make a copy of it (As shown in the image above)
• The first copy will be the shadows of the ripples in the water. Switch it off active (hide eyeball) and then click the original layer to make that active.
• I then changed the blend mode to 'Soft light'
• And the opacity to 40%
• Image below shows the process

• Make the second layer active, and click the eye to activate the layer
• Convert the image by pressing 'Convert' and 'I'
• Make the blend mode 'Overlay'
• And the opacity 30%

'Overlay'

• Click onto the move tool and then use the arrows on your keyboard to point the direction of where you want the shadows to go. In my case i pressed 'down'

Optional; Use the 'BlurTool' to blur the water

Last step; create a gradient.

• 'Command' 'Shift' 'Option' + 'E' to put all layers together into one image

Using the gradient tool. select which gradient you would prefer and then drag from the bottom of the image (Or location you wish) and let go to create the gradient.