The Art of Photo Manipulation

Photo Manipulation is deeper than cut-and-paste. The goal is to create a believable alternate reality.

1. Masking quality

• Pen Tool for sharp edges
• Select Subject + Refine Edge for hair
• Channels for complex edges

2. Unifying lighting

1. Same direction of light
2. Same intensity
3. Same color temperature

A shadow isn't a black line. Shadows are composite colors.

3. Final color grading

This is what unifies the layers visually. Use Color Lookup or Camera Raw.