Learn how to create your own custom backgrounds in Photoshop! Youll learn how to combine and blend multiple landscape photos, mask using channel data, and finish it up with a strong gradient color effect.

Preview of Final Results

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Tutorial Resources

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Step 1

Open the image 'Landscape 1'.

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Step 2

Open the image Lanscape 2 and place it above the Landscape 1 like you see below.

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Step 3

Place your mouse on the Landscape 2 image and add a clipping mask by clicking the button I show you below.

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Step 4

Now we have to delete the unwanted parts of Landscape 2 image by painting with black on the clipping mask.

I painted with a big soft brush at 100%. When I was closer to the image below I set the Opacity of the brush at 20% so that the blending is better. We want the effect that its only one image!

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Step 5

We have now to fix the light of this field. Add a Curves Adjustment Layer only for the Landscape 2 image and set it like you see below. (Output 110; Input 141).

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Step 6

Open the image Mountains and place it above everything.

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Step 7

Now we have to fit this image with the rest. You have to activate only the first layer (like shown below).

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Step 8

Place yourself on Channels. Check which channel has more contrast between the land and the sky. In this case its the blue channel. (Your work will be now in black and white but sont worry, its ok!).

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Step 9

Right click on the Blue channel and choose Duplicate Channel. A pop up window will appear. Click Yes and you will have the Blue channel duplicated. Activate only this channel.

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Step 10

Lets add some more contrast. Go to Image > Adjustments > Levels. Give more contrast moving the tree little arrows like you see below. Your images will be more contrasted.

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Step 11

As you can see there are some parts that are not covered by black. Just paint over them with black color!

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Step 12

Now keep pressed the button CTRL (CMD for mac) and click the Duplicated Blue channel. You will have the top part of the image selected.

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Step 13

Delete the Duplicated Blue channel and reactivatee the other channels. Go back to Layers. Below you can see that the colors are back!

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Step 14

Go to Select > Inverse. The selection will be inverted.

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Step 15

Just add a Clipping mask the the Landscape 1 image and Voil! The sky has gone away!

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Step 16

Reactivate all layers and put the Mountain at the bottom, below everything.

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Step 17

To have a better blending we will add a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer only for the Landscape 1 Image.

We will set the Lightness to -44.

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Step 18

We dont want that this adjustment affects the whole image, but just the top.

Add a clipping mask and with the black color we will paint on it to cover the bottom part of the image.

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Step 19

We need to illuminate a bit the centre of the image.

Create a new layer above everything and with a soft brush and color white paint something like that:

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Step 20

Apply Gaussian Blur: 100px

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Step 21

Set the Layer to Overlay with Fill 35%.

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Step 22

Time to add some adjustments!

Gradient Map: Violet to Orange.

Set it to Soft Light with Opacity and Fill at 90%

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Step 23

Levels Adjustments to give a bit of contrast.

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Step 24

Curves Adjustment:

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Final Results
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