The idea is to take your image and make it seem as if it is standing by itself on a wet floor.  You can do this with very high end 3D programs, using opacity, depth, and transparency effects.  We will do this without the use of a 3D program, using simple steps in Adobe Photo Shop.  The first time I perfected my version, 5 or 6 hours easily vanished.  Now it takes about 2 minutes, just following the steps.  But it's important to understand why to use the steps, not just blindly follow them along.

First create a transparent window in Adobe Photo Shop, mine will be 200 x 200 pixels.

The reason to create a new transparent window is so that later you can automate this process if you want.  Transparency allows any color to be visible in your final image, so you can overlay the finished image on video, websites, or other images.

I am choosing the IVA logo.  I resized it to 200 x 200 pixels and then inserted it into my blank, transprent new window:

The next step is to make the Canvas larger by about 25%.  This part is important, the Canvas, not the image.  When you make the image larger, everything grows.  Instead, you are simply adding more space to the bottom of your transparent Canvas.  In Windows, you can do this by clicking on the Image menu, then selecting Canvas Size ...  Make sure the top center Anchor box, is clicked, and create a height of 250 pixels.

Your image should now look like the image below, with extra transparent space.  This is an easy step to make an error in.  I've often selected colored New Windows instead of transparent ones, or forgotten to click the correct Anchor box.  If you correctly selected the anchor, gave it more pixels, and press OK, you should get 50 more transparent pixels below your image.

I always keep the Layers Window open because I constantly have to add, change, or delete layer information.  If your Layer window isn't open, click on the Window Menu, then Layers.  In this step duplicate your original layer.  There are lots of ways to duplicate layers, but by selecting the current layer and dragging it onto the new layer icon, you can duplicate one or dozens of layers using drag and drop.  You should now see 2 layers -- your original image, and the extra image you created on top as a new layer called Layer 1 copy:

At this point we should talk theory again for a moment.  Your end result needs to be a transparent reflection.  The next few steps will take your current image and apply a few effects we see in the natural world around us to give the illusion that we are seeing a mirror effect.  We will position your new layer below your current layer, reduce its brightness, and blend it into the background.  I am giving you exact numbers, but you can achieve your desired effects by playing with numbers so you get the kind of effect you want.

Click on the Image menu, then Rotate Canvas, then select Flip Canvas Vertical to get a reflected image on the top layer of your original image.

Now for the magic.  Move your reflected layer below your original layer.  Again, errors can be easily made in this step.  You have to select the correct layer (Layer 1 Copy).  Then use the arrow tool to move your layer position down just a few pixels below your image.  In nature almost no reflection touches its original object, so move your duplicate reflected image a few pixels visibly below your original image.  In your final image this will create a nice floating effect, as if your image is not actually touching the ground it's reflected upon.  Also, a note about reflections:  They are never as bright as their original object.  So in your Layers window, create an opacity and fill amount of 70%.  I use this 70% number over white backgrounds because it's dull enough to give the effect of slight transparency, but still bright enough to be seen.  Your numbers can change here, to get your own desired effect.  The numbers will change if your background is dark, if it's textured, or you prefer a different effect.

By now your image should be looking something like this:

The 25% of your extra tranparency is now filled with the reflected, reduced opacity image, shifted down to fill this extra space.  Again to refresh, you started with an original image, and added space to fill it with this effect.

One final effect which occurs in nature to keep in mind, so that your image looks somewhat realistic:  Most reflections disappear in addition to being much less opaque.  So in these final steps we will create a gradient to match your background.  This gradient will give the impression that your reflected object is disappearing into the background.  Because I mostly create for the web, my backgrounds are almost always white.  If your background is different choose the color appropriate to your choice.  To add a gradient create another layer.

At this point you have to make sure a couple of the palettes have been correctly selected before you undertake the next step.  Make sure your photoShop icons are selected as follows.  I have created Red, Green, and Blue ovals to highlight them.  First click the gradient tool.  This allows you to create gradients in PhotoShop, from foreground color to background color.  The gradient tool is highlighted with a red oval.  Then make sure your foreground color is white, if you want to fade to white in your final image.  This foreground selection is highlighted by a green oval in the image below.  Finally, use the dropdown menu to select foreground to transparent for your gradient choice.  This tool eluded me for years.  I didn't know where it was, almost no reference was made to it in any how to manuals.  This is highlighted by the blue oval in the image below.  When you click the dropdown just under the Image menu after selecting the gradient tool, you get a lot of presets.  The first is gradient, from foreground to background.  You don't want that one, you want the second preset.  Foreground to transparent.

Now select the image portion, on the third layer you created.  You can see a marching ants type selection below.  In this selection, use the gradient tool to go from the bottom to the top of your selection.  This final step gives you white to transparent.

In this particular case I did not give any space between the original image and the reflection.  Just 1 pixel space, and your final image can look amazing.  Like your object is jumping just slightly off the ground.

To show you how variations of color, text, and texture appear, I programmed an automated action in my PhotoShop actions palette to recreate some familiar logos and headers.  The logos below have this mirror effect applied.  Each of these logos point to their owners websites.  These logos belong to IVA videographers who were gracious enough and allowed IVA to share their video demos online at our website.  Our member online demo video player is undergoing a slight change, but will be up soon.

This has been a very simple introduction to making reflective, reduced opacity, fade to background objects.  You can create much more complex effects using layer masks and saving the image as a .psd file for use in future situations. Use this transparent mirror effect with care.  If you use it too often it loses appeal.  It works best on large images with a lot of contrast in your original image.  The smaller an image or less contrast, the less this effect will work for you.  You also need to know what objects look great when the mirror is applied to it.  Some objects really don't stand out any more after the mirror has been applied.  Others really pop.  Experiment.

Send any samples you have mirrored; I'd like to see that you have learned and grown.

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