Adobe Fireworks CS3 Photo Realistic Tutorial

Tutorial Written by: Thierry Lorey (Fireworks Zone)

A great tutorial for how to make compositions involving photos look a little more realistic.

1 - Setting Up The Photo

First, we create the base photograph. Use the Rectangle Tool to draw a rectangle with (more or less) the proportions of a standard 4R print, (in our example, 161 x 200px) then fill it with a gradient going across the diagonal, from dirty white to pure white. This will serve as your base rectangle.

Follow it up with another rectangle (in our example, 151 x 190px), this time with a solid color, slightly smaller than and centered on top of the base rectangle. This will serve as your image mask, and creates a nice "white border" around the image. Nobody likes fingerprints on their glossies, you know.

Next, import your image (Ctrl+R) or File > Import into the current document, set the mask opacity to 30% to make it easier for you to fit and align your image over the mask. Place the photo you want inside the mask under the mask. Make sure that your image subject is properly cropped inside the mask, and that no part of the mask is "peeking" outside the image.

Tip: Before transforming an imported image, convert it first into a symbol (F8) to retain the original image information that you normally lose when resizing or rotating an image as is.

2 - The masking techniques: Paste as Mask vs Paste Inside

Once you are satisfied with the adjustments, bring the mask´s opacity back to 100% and then cut the mask to the clipboard (Edit > Cut) or (Ctrl+X) then select the photograph and Modify > Mask > Paste as Mask. Alternatively, you can opt for the Paste Inside technique. Place your photo under your mask, then select the photo cut it to the clipboard (Edit > Cut) and paste your image inside of it (Ctrl+Shift+V). Finally, place your masked image in the middle of your base rectangle filled with a gradient. Now you have a complete base photograph! Give yourself half-a-pat on the back.

Discussion:Paste inside is different from Paste as Mask which is different from Mask Group, etc, so don´t use Paste Inside method unless you want stroke and fill displayed. Since I seldom want stroke and fill displayed, I generally use the Paste as Mask method, cutting the mask object, selecting the image element and choosing Modify > Mask >Paste as Mask.

Editing the mask.If you have opted for the Paste Inside masking method, to avoid to see pixels from the mask when it is rotated, edit the Mask by selecting the Mask in the Layers, then select Edit in the menu (right hand corner of the layer). Check now the Properties and uncheck the "Show Fill and Stroke".

3 - Highlights & Lowlights

Here is where the realism starts to fill in. Select and copy your base rectangle (Ctrl+C) into the topmost layer. Change its gradient, going from black (100%) to black (0%), and set its opacity to 50%. Adjust the gradient so that it covers only the upper corner of the base photograph. Decrease the rectangle´s width and height by 2px each, and center it on the base rectangle; this gives the appearance of a highlighted edge contrasted against a gradient shadow.

Clone the rectangle you just made (Ctrl+Shift+D) and rotate the new copy 180° (Modify > Transform > Rotate 180°). Then, change its gradient, going from white (100%) to white (0%); this produces the effect of a gradient highlight and a shadowed edge.

4 - Nothing Like A Good Shadow

Select all the objects on your canvas and to rotate them (Ctrl+Shift+T, Rotate) 12-15° clockwise. This will give your photograph a more natural and spontaneous placement. Also, this tops off the highlight effect with the earlier gradient fills, as it aligns their directions with our light source situated directly above.

And now for the final element: lets add our shadow. But instead of using the built-in Drop Shadow Live Effect, we make use of a more flexible technique.

5 - Natural Shadow Mini-Tutorial

Start off by cloning your base rectangle and moving the copy to the bottommost layer (Ctrl+?). Give it some shadow-like characteristics with a solid black fill, 60% opacity, and a Gaussian Blur effect (Blur Radius: 4). Nudge it 10px down (Shift+?) so our shadow coincides with the position of our light source.

Ungroup your "shadow rectangle" (Ctrl+Shift+G) to turn it into an editable path. Use the Pen Tool to add some Bézier points to it, one on each side. This will help remove the stiffness that digital images usually suffer from, and allow you to produce more natural-looking shadows. To learn how to use the Pen Tool go to the tutorial Pen Tool and Curves

Now, arrange the points of your shadow such that the Bézier points are lined up with the edges of your base rectangle. Pull each of the corner points down a little further to emphasize "lift" on the corners of the photograph.

Select everything on your canvas and group them together (Ctrl+G). Now your photograph is ready for use as a template for photos on your swanky blog or as part of an edgy digital collage! Life is great, isn´t it?

6 - Finishing Touches

After you have set a backdrop for your photograph, you will need to make some minor adjustments to the opacity of your shadows and highlights. Also, if you change your mind about the position of your light source, you will have to make the direction of your gradients and the shape of your custom shadow conform to it. In my example, I gave the base rectangle a slightly rounded edge to make it look dented.

I hope you enjoyed reading this tutorial as much as I did working on it.

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