How to Add a Realistic Drop Shadow in Photoshop

Adding realistic shadows around objects makes photos look reliable & professional. With the help of Photoshop technology, you can successfully do it without using any hardware and lighting equipment.

In Photoshop with expertise & patience, you can get the true settings & exact lighting that can give your product photographs a professional look. The entire procedures need skill, time, and understanding of how shadows work.

Please stay with us until the end of this article to know the step-by-step process on how to add a realistic drop shadow. We will use Adobe Photoshop CS6 but you can easily do it in Photoshop CC. However, you can use one of that software to follow along.

Here is a guide for you to add a drop shadow in photoshop step-by-step.

Add a Realistic Drop Shadow

Step-1: Separate of your target object from the background

• Select your photo (which you want to add the shadow).
• Open your layer palettes (go for a new file from where you were and then go for window and create the saying layer)
• Cut off your desired object from the main photo.
• Fix the picture on a new white layer.
• Rename your original file (such as isolated one or background removed one etc.) to reduce confusion with different layers because you make your shadows.

To make the background invisible click on the eye icon next to the background layer.

At this stage, your object is present with only a transparent background.

Step -2: Add a unique background behind your free object

• Choose your hidden background layer (in your layers palette).
• Go to Layer>New layer, or you can type shift+ control + N to add a new layer
• This layer (newly created) now will perform as your unique background.
• Fill the new layer with a color (by clicking to Edit>Fill)
• Select a custom brightness from the DropDown Menu if required to add a custom color.

Step -3: Resolution of your cast shadows color

• Shadows may appear in various colors. Select the form shadow and fix the color of your cast shadow.
• Then in your object, you need to consider the form shadow.
• Select the form shadow .After the selection of the form shadow, it will appear as your foreground color.

• Click on the new foreground twice to get the foreground color box.
• Adjust the brightness.
• If done, click ok.

Step-4: Adding a Photoshop drop shadow

• Select the different object layer
• Click on the “fx” option (End of your layer palette)
• Then, choose the drop shadow on the dialogue box,
• Set the shadow color to the foreground color (with the help of the Drop shadow dialog box),
• The distance, blurriness, spread & size levels are not that significant today because you can adjust all that later. But in the screenshot below you can apply the values as a beginning point.
• Now click ok.

Step-5: Add a layer from your drop shadow

• Go to Layer>Layer genre >Add Layer (if you want to Isolate your drop shadow from its layer)
• Thus you can change the shadow of the object

Step -6: Adjusting Realistic drop shadow Color

• Choose the newly added drop shadow layer (In your layers palette)
• Go for Edit>Change>color to draw your drop shadows underneath the floor.

Step-7: Add an alpha-channel

Now the shadow is looking professional & practical. However, you should keep in mind that the shadow becomes blurrier & lighter. So the question is that how can you deal with that situation?

Well, nowadays alpha channel is the best way to deal with the sections of the shadow that requires lightening and blurring. Now follow the instructions below carefully:

• Go to Window>Channels to add an alpha channel
• Open the “Channel Palette”
• To choose a new channel click on the palette table

Step-8: Add a gradient within your alpha channel

• Select the Alpha-1 channel in your channel palette just because you would choose a layer. Now for the entire modes, you need to ensure that the look is toggled on.
• Now opt for the gradient software from the palette
• Ensure that the background is fixed to white
• And the front ground is fixed to black color
• Click on the outer layer of your shadow (when you find the slope setting is fine)
• Now draw the slope or gradient to the particular area of your shadow which is close to the object or thing.

Step-9: Blur selection

When you add your gradient in your alpha channel, you can find a red gradient on top of your photo, showing how the mask within the channel works together with your photo.

You can make the red gradient unseen by toggling the icon next to Alpha 1.

• In your channel palette click on the Top channel (either CMYK or RGB relying on the color style of your photo) to choose your color channels & deselect your alpha channel.
• Go to the layers palette to ensure you have chosen your drop shadow layer
• Go to Filter>Blur> Lens Blur.

Note: You can find a dialogue box where you can get the necessary control over the obscure.

• You should check the box. Choose the Alpha 1 under depth map from the source drop-down menu.
• Make the Blur Focal distance at 0, & next to invert check the box.
• Press ok to leave different values at their defaults.

Step -10: Add a layer mask

• Go to Select>Load selection. A dialogue box will come, and it will give you significant control over your blur setting.
• Select Alpha-1 and ensure the radio option is tested
• If done, Press ok.
• Now in the alpha channel, you can find the darkest part of the gradient or slope you made.
• By typing Shift + Control + I or Choose inverse by going to Select> select inverse.
• Click on the Layer Mask option in your layers palette at the end of the palette.
• While the mask is used, the shadow will look “fade” because it retreats into the distance.

Step-11: Light origin & tidy up shadow

Finally, you need to ensure that the entire shadow is looking good. You should make sure that no shadow looks frontward of the thing because the light origin drives the cast shadow back to the object.

Note: Carefully eliminate the shadows using an eraser that does not belong. Remember that the forelegs of the chair should come to the rear legs of the chair.

The simple way to regenerate these shadows is to make a new layer above your product and the use of your shadow brightness and use the brush to paint in the shadows cast on top of your product.

Fix the layer blend style to increase & adjust the blurriness until it meets the entire shadows.