This document provides a 17-step tutorial for creating a ghostly scene in Photoshop using stock photos and photo manipulation techniques. Some of the key steps include darkening the room using a Color Burn blend mode, adding lighting and shadow effects to introduce characters, and using layer masks and blurring to create a spectral ghostly presence. Adjustment layers are also used to modify colors and tones to achieve the final spectral atmosphere.

1. Spectral photo-manipulation
Today I gonna show you how to realize from scratch a ghostly
scene in few steps. We will use a couple of stock photos and
modify them so they will look harmoniously combined. In
particular we will deal with the burn tool, layer masks and
some Photoshop filters often overlooked.
Preview:

2. Step 1
Open the photo in Photoshop.
Step 2
To darken the room, duplicate the layer (ctrl+J) and set the
duplicated layer blend mode to Color Burn with opacity 30%.

3. Step 3
Now I don’t like this “warm” atmosphere. So go to Layer>New
Adjustment Layer>Black & White to play a bit with colors.
Move the cursors to modify the room colors.

4. Step 4
To make the details of the room more evident, press
shift+alt+ctrl+E to merge all the layers into a new layer. Then
apply the high pass filter (Filter>Other>High pass).

5. Then set the layer blending mode to Overlay. Below you can
see the difference between the room before and after the
effect.

6. Step 5
You can notice there is a light coming from the left, there
should be a window in front of the bed. I want this light
stronger, as if the entire left wall disappeared. To do so, we
will use a filter that allows you to manage and create light
effects. As we made in step 4, merge all the layers into a new
layer. Then go to Filter>Render>Lighting Effects. Here you
need to set up the style to “omni blu” and then move the light
to the left, in correspondence with the mirror.
Now press shift+ctrl+U to desaturate the layer and set its
blending mode to screen. The light effects looks perfect now.

7. Step 6
It’s time to introduce the first character of the scene, a
melancholy child. After downloaded the image, extract the
boy with the pen tool and merge him into the Photoshop
document. Then press ctrl+T to re-size the kid, and put him
on the bed.

8. Step 7
Since light comes from the left of the scene, we have to
create the shadow effect of the boy on his left. Create a layer
and move it below the kid’s layer. Grab a large soft (hardness
0%) black brush and paint to create the shadow. Reduce a bit
the layer opacity and create other layers with other shadow
effect. If you use several layers with different opacities the
final result will look more realistic.

9. Step 8
To darken more the boy and to make his color contrasts
stronger, grab the Burn tool in Shadows mode. Reduce
exposure to around 50% and paint over the boy, in particular
on his left (shadow area).

10. Step 9
The kid is too mush saturated. So press ctrl+U and reduce
saturation to -35.

11. Step 10
To create the ghostly presence, I’ve used another beautiful
shot of a child, realized by Angi Nelson. Extract the child with
the pen tool and paste her into the document.

12. Go to Edit>Transform>Flip Horizontal. Then re-size and rotate
the child (ctrl+T) so she will look oriented in the direction of
the boy.

13. Add a layer mask and use a large soft black brush to gently
eliminate the bottom of the child.

14. Step 11
To transmit the idea of a ghostly presence, duplicate the
lady’s layer by pressing ctrl+J. Then go to Filter>Blur>Motion
Blur and enter a distance around 80 pixels.
Then, using the mask, eliminate the head from the duplicate
layer. In this way the head of the original layer will appear
without the blur effect.

15. Step 12
As we made with the boy, reduce the saturation (ctrl+U).

16. Step 13
Create a new layer an set its blending mode to overlay. Then
grab a soft white brush and paint over the child to create a
light effect. Reduce the opacity of the layer if necessary.

17. Step 14
Select all the layers of the flying spectral presence and group
them (ctrl+G). Then add a layer mask to the group and
eliminate another part of the child. Then reduce the opacity of
the group to 80%. Here is how my ghostly child looks at this
stage:

18. Step 15
To increase the dark effect on the right, I created a new
group of layers where I’ve painted on using black soft
brushes.

19. Step 16
It’s time for the last adjustment layers. Let’s start with the
Vibrance layer (Layer>New Adjustment layer>Vibrance) to
lower down saturation to -30.

20. Then use the Color Balance layer (Layers>New Adjustment
Layers>Color balance) to modify the colors of the entire
scene. I played with the options to turn the atmosphere from
“normal” to “spectral”, with a blue cold room as result.

21. And here is the result:
Step 17

22. The last touch: merge all the layers into a new layer
(shift+alt+ctrl+E), then switch the layer blending mode to
Color Burn with opacity 30%.
Finito! For every problem or suggestion, you can use the
comments;-)
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