Create a realistic photo in Fireworks

Mar8

Create a realistic photo in Fireworks

create a realistic photo in Fireworks
The first in a series of tutorials for Macromedia / Adobe Fireworks. I’m still using Fireworks 8 but these examples can be followed in any version up to and including CS3. The basic principals can be applied to pretty much any graphics package.

It is expected that you have some basic skills with the pen tool and gradient fills.

1. Open your photo and resize it to a workable size.
create a realistic photo in Fireworks - step 1

2. Draw a white rectangle slightly larger than your photo and send to back…
create a realistic photo in Fireworks - step 2

3. then select both items and centre align them (both vertical and horizontal).
create a realistic photo in Fireworks - step 3

4. Copy and paste the white rectangle and bring to front. With only the copied rectangle selected, ungroup it and fill it with black. Use the pen tool to add some extra nodes to the edges. Click and drag to create Bezier handles.
create a realistic photo in Fireworks - step 4

5. Adjust the shape so that the corners just peek past the corners of the photo. Set the edge to feather with a setting of 10, and change the layer opacity to 50%. Send this ‘shadow’ shape to the back.
create a realistic photo in Fireworks - step 5

6. Use the sub-selection tool to adjust the shape of the ‘shadow’ shape to create realistic shadows.
create a realistic photo in Fireworks - step 6

7. Duplicate the white rectangle and bring to front. Change the fill to Gradient > Linear, then shorten and move the gradient fill handle over the top left corner. Change both colours of the gradient to #000000 (black) and set the top corner on the gradient to an opacity of around 10% and the other selector to 0% opacity - this creates a subtle page curl shadow effect.
create a realistic photo in Fireworks - step 7