In this lesson, you will see how to create your own mountain landscape by combining the stock images using layer masks and adjustment layers. In this lesson, you will also learn about the effective technique of adding waterfalls and fog.
Final result
Source materials:
Archive
Step 1
Create a new document, fill it with white color or any light bright shade. I chose sizes 1300 x 900. Open the stock image Sky. Using tool Rectangular area 
(Rectangular Marquee Tool (M), create a selection as shown in the screenshot below:
Using tool Move 
(Move Tool (V), move the selected part of the sky to our working document.
Step 2
Open the stock image Mountains background. Create a selection just around the background in this image. Next, move the selected part of the background to our working document, placing it on top of the sky layer:
To the layer with the background add a layer mask through the bottom toolbar. Choose a large soft black brush (I used the brush size of 250-260 px) to paint the upper part of the background so that you can see the sky, which we added in the first step:
Step 3
To reduce the saturation and enhance the brightness of the mountains so that the image of the mountains would fit the image of the sky, I used some adjustment layers as clipping masks. Being on a layer with mountains in the background, we go New Layer – New Adjustment Layer – Hue / Saturation (New Layer-New Adjustment Layer-Hue / Saturation):
Curves (Curves).
Step 4
Open the stock image Mountains in the center. Create a selection around the image of the mountains, move the selected image of the mountains to our working paper. Place these mountains in the middle of our composition. Right-click on this layer with mountains and in the menu that appears, select the option Convert to smart object (Convert to Smart Object), then using transformation (Ctrl + T), apply scaling, as shown in the screenshot below:
I decided to hide the right part of the mountain, for this, I added a layer mask to the layer with the mountains. Using tool Polygonal Lasso 
(Polygonal Lasso Tool (L), create a selection in the lower left corner, and also select the right side of the mountain:
Next, being on the layer mask of the layer, using a black brush, process the selected areas to hide the selected images:
Step 5
I used corrective layers to darken the mountains as well as for color correction.
Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation):
Curves (Curves).
Color Balance (Color Balance).
Using a soft black brush with an opacity of about 40%, blur the darkening of the top of the mountain (more light comes from the top of the mountains, so this part should be lighter than the rest of the mountains):
Step 6
Create a new layer as a clipping mask for the layer with mountains to darken the frontal part of the mountains even more. Choose a soft brush, brush color # 7a7e7e. Using this brush, paint over the mountains, while not painting the upper and middle parts. Change the blending mode for this layer. Multiplication (Multiply), layer opacity 80%:
Step 7
Open the stock image Right Rock. In this image, select a part of the mountain. Place the selected part of the mountain on the right side of our composition. Next, convert this layer with the mountain to Smart object (Smart Object) and then apply the appropriate scaling. Place this layer with the mountain below the layer with the middle part of the mountain.
Using a layer mask, hide a small white area on this mountain.
Step 8
To the layer with the right side of the mountain, add adjustment layers as a clipping mask to combine this part of the mountain with the whole composition:
Curves (Curves):
Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation):
Color Balance (Color Balance).
Step 9
I decided to make a color correction in the frontal part of this mountain, therefore, create a new layer as a clipping mask to the right side of the mountain layer. Set the brush color to # a9a9ac (a sample of this shade of color is taken from the top of the mountain), and then paint over the specified area. Next, change the blending mode for this layer to Chromaticity (Color) 50% layer opacity:
Step 10
Create a new layer, set the brush color to # 7a7e7e. Using a brush, paint over the right side of the mountain to darken it. Change the blending mode for this layer to Multiplication (Multiply), 100% layer opacity:
Step 11
Create a new layer, choose a soft white brush to create a light mist effect on the left side of the mountain. Next, reduce the opacity of this layer to 30% (do not forget to vary the opacity of this brush to get the result, as in the screenshot below):
Step 12
Create a new layer as a clipping mask. Change the blending mode for this layer to Overlap (Overlay) 100% layer opacity. Fill this layer with 50% gray (gray):
Next, I use the tool Clarifier 
(Dodge Tool), to slightly brighten a small area on the left edge of the mountain. Settings for this tool: Range (Range) Mid tones (Midtones), Exposition (Exposure) approximately 15%. In the screenshot below, you can see where I applied this tool during blending mode. Normal (Normal) and result in blend mode Overlap (Overlay):
Step 13
Open the stock image Left Rock. In this image, select a part of the mountain. Place the selected part of the mountain on the left side of our composition. Next, convert this layer with the mountain to Smart object (Smart Object) and then apply the appropriate scaling.
Next, I used an adjustment layer. Curves (Curves) as a clipping mask to the mountain layer located on the left side of our scene to darken this mountain:
Step 14
Create two more new layers as clipping masks to the layer located on the left side of our scene to darken the frontal part of this mountain, which is hidden from the direction of the main light source. Choose a soft brush, brush color # 7a7e7e. Change the blending mode for both layers to Multiplication (Multiply), opacity for the first layer 80%, for the second 70%:
Step 15
Create another new layer as a clipping mask. Choose a soft brush, brush color # e9eded. Using this brush, paint over the upper left side of the mountain. Next, reduce the opacity of this layer to 20% to create a slight fog effect in this part of the mountain:
Step 16
Create a new layer (not as a clipping mask) on top of the layer with the left mountain, but below the layer with the mountains in the center. Choose a soft brush, brush color # e9eded. Using this brush, paint over the rocks to create a fog effect. Reduce the layer opacity to 20%:
Step 17
Open the stock image of Waterfall 1. Separate the waterfall from the background (for these purposes, I used Channels (Channels). Move the selected image of the waterfall to our working paper, placing the waterfall in the middle of the mountains, located in the center. Transform the waterfall layer into a smart object, and also apply scaling. Flip horizontally (Flip it horizontally), let’s go Editing – Transformation – Flip Horizontal (Edit-Transform-Flip Horizontal):
To the waterfall layer, add a layer mask to hide the right side of the waterfall:
Name this layer with a waterfall “Waterfall 1 part 1 ?.
Step 18
Copy only part of the waterfall using the stock image of the waterfall. Place the copied part of the waterfall at the top of the Waterfall 1. Transform this part with the waterfall into a smart object, I used the transformation option Deformation (Warp Tool) to combine the highlighted part of the waterfall with the main image of the waterfall:
Using a layer mask, hide the extra areas for better alignment with the waterfall part 1:
Step 19
Next, we will conduct a color correction of the waterfall, as well as shade the waterfall. First, select all the layers related to the waterfall, and then press the keys (Ctrl + G) to group them into one group. Change the blending mode for this group to Skip (Pass Through (default group mode)) to Normal (Normal), layer opacity with 100% band. Next, go New Layer – New Adjustment Layer – Hue / Saturation (New Layer-New Adjustment Layer-Hue / Saturation):
Curves (Curves):
Result.
Since we changed the blending mode for this group to Normal (Normal), 100% adjustment layers will only affect the layers within this group (waterfall 1).
Step 20
Open the stock image of Waterfall 2. Select the image of the waterfall. Then move the selected waterfall image to our working paper. Flip the image of the waterfall horizontally. Place this waterfall on the left side of the composition in the rock to the left. With the help of layer masks, hide the extra areas of the waterfall:
I used two adjustment layers Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation) and Curves (Curves) to combine the color shades and light and shade of this waterfall with the rest of the scene.
Being on the layer mask of the adjustment layer Curves (Curves), process the upper part of the waterfall with a soft black brush to hide the effect of the curves and add more light in the upper part than in the lower part of the waterfall:
Step 21
Open the stock image Trees 1. First, with Channels (Channels), remove the background on the image with trees. Next, copy / paste the selected tree image onto our working paper. Place the trees on the rocks in the center, do not forget to convert this layer with trees into a smart object before you apply the scaling:
With the help of layer masks, you can remove extra areas of trees.
Step 22
Group all the layers with trees the same as you did with the waterfall layers 1. Apply the adjustment layer Curves (Curves) to darken and change the color shades of trees, because they are too bright:
Being on the layer mask of the adjustment layer Curves (Curves), brush the left side of the tree with a soft black brush, because on the left side light comes from the sky:
Step 23
Open the stock image of Arch 1. Create a selection around the image of the arch, then copy / paste the selected image of the arch onto our working paper by positioning the arch in the middle of the mountains located in the middle. Transform this layer with an arch into a smart object, flip horizontally and scale using transformation (Ctrl + T). Add a layer mask to the layer with the arch, and on the layer mask of the layer, remove the sides of the arch to combine the image of the arch with the image of the mountains:
Step 24
I used adjustment layers Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation) and Color Balance (Color Balance) as a clipping mask to the layer with the arch for color correction.
Step 25
Open the stock image Ruins 1. Create a selection around the image of the ruins, then copy / paste the selected image of the ruins onto our working document, placing it on the middle mountain. As usual, convert this layer to a smart object, and then scale down this image according to the size of the document:
Step 26
I used three adjustment layers Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation), Color Balance (Color Balance) Curves (Curves) to change color and darken these ruins:
After blackout Curves (Curves), go to the layer mask of this adjustment layer and using a soft black brush, process the left side of the ruins to reduce the shading effect on the left side of the structure, since this side has more light than the right:
Step 27
Open the stock image Ruins 2. I selected only the right part of the image. Move the selected image to our working document, centered on the mountain near the ruins 1. Using the layer mask, hide the bottom of the ruins:
Step 28
I used three adjustment layers Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation), Color Balance (Color Balance) Curves (Curves) to change color and darken these ruins:
After blackout Curves (Curves), go to the layer mask of this adjustment layer and using a soft black brush, process the left side of the ruins to reduce the shading effect on the left side of the structure, since this side has more light than the right:
Step 29
Do the same with the image of Ruins 3. Place these ruins on the left mountain in the center of our composition:
Step 30
Create a new layer with the same settings as in Step 12. I used the tool Dimmer 
(Burn Tool) to darken the right side a bit:
Step 31
Open the stock image of Arch 2, create a selection, as shown in the screenshot below. Move the selected arch image to our working paper, placing the arch behind the ruins 3. In the layers palette, position the layer with the arch below the layer with the ruins 3. Transform the layer with the arch into a smart object. Next, using the transform option Deformation (Warp Tool), warp the arch, as shown in the screenshot below. With the help of layer masks, hide the extra sections of the arch.
Since we transformed the layer with the arch into a smart object, then you can safely deform the arch without loss of image quality and even more, later you can return to the original form.
Apply the following adjustment layers to the arch layer:
Step 32
Create a new layer on top of all other layers. Set the Fog brushes, then set the foreground color to # e9eded. I chose the brush, which is shown in the screenshot below. Using the fog brush, paint over the bottom of our composition:
Reduce the layer opacity to 80%. Using a layer mask, reduce the fog saturation between the rocks. In the screenshot below, you can see where you brushed:
Duplicate the fog layer, reduce the opacity of the duplicate layer to 50%. Use layer mask 
, to get the result, as in the screenshot below:
Step 33
Open the stock image of the Lower Right Rock. Select only part of this rock, then copy / paste the selected image of the rock onto our working paper, placing this part of the rock in the lower right corner in the foreground of our composition. Convert this rock layer to a smart object.
Using a layer mask, hide a small tree located on a rock:
Step 34
I used 2 adjustment layers to darken the rock and perform color correction:
Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation):
Curves(Curves):
Step 35
To create a shallow depth of field to our picture, being on a layer with a rock in the foreground, then go Filter – Blur – Gaussian Blur (Filter-Blur-Gaussian Blur) and apply radius (radius) blur 2.5 px:
Step 36
Open the stock image Tree 2. Create a selection around the tree image, then move the selected tree image to our working document. Place the tree on the rock on the left side of the scene:
Next, add a layer mask to the tree layer to hide the bottom of the tree to create the feeling that the tree is growing from a crevice in the rock:
I used Curves (Curves) to darken the tree:
Step 37
Open the stock image Tree 3. Select the tree in the lower left corner of the stock image. Next, move the selected tree image to our working document, having placed this tree in the lower left part of our composition, do not forget to convert this tree layer into a smart object:
For dimming and color correction, use Curves (Curves), further, blur this part of the tree with a filter Gaussian blur (Gaussian Blur filter), blur radius 2.5 px:
Step 38
Open the stock image Tree 4. Create a selection and then move the selected image of the tree to our working document, placing this tree in the upper right part of our composition, as in the screenshot below:
Correct the color and brightness of the tree in accordance with the background using the adjustment layers Color Balance (Color Balance) and Curves (Curves):
Step 39
We have completed the creation of the composition. It’s time for a general correction. Create a new adjustment layer on top of all other layers in the layers palette.
Gradient Map (Gradient Map).
Reduce the opacity of this adjustment layer. Gradient Map (Gradient Map) up to 20%.
Color Balance (Color Balance).
Hue / Saturation (Hue / Saturation):
Step 40
In conclusion, I created two new layers. Choose a soft brush, brush color # f3ebe1 to create a small fog and lighten the upper part of the picture, especially the left part of the scene. Change the blending mode for the first layer to Soft light (Soft Light), the opacity of the layer is 30% and for the second layer on Overlap (Overlay), layer opacity 70%:
Final result
Link to the PSD file of the lesson
Author: Jenny Le
