Floating Photos Layout: How-To

I have gotten numerous requests for either turning this layout into a template, or sharing the secret behind how it was created. Well, I can't turn it into a template, because I used an action that isn't mine. So I will GLADLY share the secret behind it.... AND share the amazing [FREE] action I found that created it!! Follow the link below that offers this action in the Photoshop software you use. (For step by step instructions on how to download and load actions into Photoshop, see my tutorial on Photoshop Actions.)

B&BIG PICTURE ACTION: For Photoshop 6 (or higher) & Photoshop CS3

B&BIG PICTURE ACTION: For Photoshop Elements 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7

Now... let's get started. Here is the layout we will be making:



* NOTE: In order to use this action, you will need to begin with a Landscape photo (as opposed to a Portrait photo).

1.) Open your desired landscape photo in Photoshop. On your Actions palette, choose the B&BIG PICTURE action and press play. (*NOTE: This is a HUGE action in that it has a TON of steps to perform, so running the action on your photo will take a couple of minutes. So feel free to sit back, get comfy, and watch the show!! It still blows me away everytime I run it.)

2.) If you are using Photoshop Elements, you will simply hit Continue to complete your action. (I only have Photoshop Elements 4, so I'm not sure how newer versions do this.) In CS3, it will give you the option of pressing Continue to have a slight "wind" blow across the photo blocks, or to press Stop and keep the effect as is. Feel free to press Continue to see how you like the "wind-blown" effect. But for this particular layout, I chose to press Stop and keep the initial results.

Let's take a second to talk about what your layers palette will look like after running the action. The action creates 5 rows and 5 columns of photo blocks.

Photoshop Elements 4: When testing the action in PSE4, I see that the layers are simply that... individual layers. They are not grouped or linked. You will want to link them together. Choose all of the layers (by clicking on the first layer, scroll down to the last layer, and then pressing and holding your SHIFT key, click on the last layer). Then either click on the little Chain Link icon at the top of your layers palette to link them together... or you can right click anywhere on your layers and choose Link Layers.

Photoshop CS3: All 25 layers will be in a Layer Group once the action is complete.

Below is a visual of how the layers are organized and named.

3.) Now, press your Restore Down button to leave room in our workspace to see another document.

4.) Then, go to File and choose New (or CTRL+N) to create a new document. Your new document should open in front of your photo document.

5.) Now we're going to move your photo blocks over onto your new document. First, look to the top and make sure your Auto Select option is checked and choose Group from the drop down menu. This will allow you to move the entire group as if it were one big photo no matter where you click on it. (*If your version of Photoshop does not have the Auto-Select feature, you should be able to simply keep your layers grouped or linked and they should move around as one photo automatically.)

6.) Now, choose your Move Tool from your tools palette. Then click on the blue strip of your photo document. This will bring it to the top. Then click anywhere on the photo blocks and drag them over onto your new document. (Since your Auto-Select is set to Group, it will move all of the photos at once.)

7. As you can see, when you use this method, it only pulls a "copy" of your photos onto your new document. Then you can simply close out of your photo document. Now, because the action is so easily accessible, I don't usually save mine just to keep from taking up extra space on my hard drive, but you can certainly answer YES when it asks you if you want to save it. Or you can answer NO and then just run the action on the photo again should you ever want or need to use it again. :)

8. Now, maximize your new document with the photo blocks on it so we can have it full screen. As you can see, your photo blocks may take up your entire canvas depending on how large your photo was. If this is the case, simply zoom out until you see the outline of your photo around your document. Then click on the corner of your photo, press and hold your SHIFT key and drag it inward to make it smaller.

9. I made mine quite a bit smaller to have room to move the squares around to customize my layout, but you can make it whatever size you like.

10. For the next steps, you will need to go back to your Auto-Select option and choose Layers from the drop down menu. (Again, if your version of Photoshop does not have the Auto-Select option, you can follow the steps on number 32 of this tutorial to manually ungroup the layers, which will allow you to move the individual layers instead of the group as a whole. Or, if your layers are linked, simply choose all layers as we did earlier and click your chain link icon to Unlink them.)

11. Now we can begin moving our individual photo blocks around as desired to create a custom image. Make sure your Move Tool is still activated. Then click on any of the photo blocks and simply drag it to a new position.

12. Continue to do this with as many of the photo blocks as you wish, but making sure the focal point of your subject (such as the face) stays in tact. You can also take away some of the layers to help it appear less cluttered. Instead of deleting the layers, simply make them invisible in case you decide later that you actually want to keep that layer. To make a layer invisible, just click on the photo block you wish to make disappear and then on your layers palette, click the little eyeball icon beside that layer.

This will make that layer not visible on your layout, but preserves it in case you change your mind later.

13. To create a bit more interest and make his face more of a focal point, I duplicated the layer that contained the main portion of his face to enlarge it. Choose your Move Tool, then click on the block you want to enlarge, right click on the layer and choose Duplicate Layer.

14. Click on the corner of your square, press and hold your SHIFT key and drag outward to enlarge.

15. Then click on your photo block and move it to the desired location on your layout.

Here's what mine looks like...

16. So I am a little obsessive about placement, so on some of the layers, I just felt that they would look better in front of one of the other photo blocks, or behind one of the other photo blocks. To do this, just change the position of that layer on your layers palette. Just click on block you want to move...

17. Then on your layers palette, click, hold, and drag that layer up or down depending on whether you want to move it above or under another block.

Then just release the layer in it's new desired place and it will appear (in this case) on top of another photo block.

18. Now, to scatter a few blocks across the entire page, just duplicate one of your photo block layers and then move it across the page. You can also move your cursor slightly outside of the transform controls until the double-sided arrow changes from straight to curved and then click and rotate the square slightly. (Not too much... just enough to make it look a bit "tossed".)

19. Then, just add any desired papers, word arts, and/or elements to make it your own, and your're done!

Again, here is our finished layout...

I would love to know what you think of this tutorial! Feel free to leave comments! If you happen to have a question or request, be sure to either leave your contact information or you can simply email me at taylormade8330@yahoo.com.

You can also find a PRINTABLE VERSION of this tutorial (and all of my others) in the Tutorial Section of Oscraps.com!

LAYOUT CREDITS:

-"This Moment" Word art from Press Lines No. 2 by Paislee Press (oscraps)

-"Remember" word art from Press Blocks No. 1 by Paislee Press (oscraps)

-Paper from Tales of the Manor collab kit by Paislee Press and Angela Powers (wearestorytellers)

-mesh brush from Meshy Brusy by Emily Merritt (wearestorytellers)

-Sanding Overlay from Lush Textures Vol. 1 by Vicki Stegall Designs (oscraps)

-brush strokes from Different Strokes Vol. 1 by Fei-Fei's Stuff (oscraps)

-B&BIG Photo Action by Panos Efstathiadis (panosfx.com)