Making one simple picture into a collage of pictures!

Before

After

Our last assignment on Photoshop for the semester was to teach the class how to do something that we did not know how to do on Photoshop. My teacher encouraged us to do something that we thought would be somewhat challenging. She encouraged us to look at some Photoshop tutorials online. I have always wanted to learn how to and how people created a collage just using one simple picture. Well after I did some research I discovered how I did it. Here are the steps on how to make your picture into a collage:

1. Open the photo in which you choose to create the collage with.
2. Go to the layers panel in the right hand corner of the screen above the history panel. Select the background layer and press ctrl J. This will duplicate the background layer.
3. Add new blank layer between background and copy.
When layer 1 is selected press the new layer button located on the layers panel.
Make sure to press ctrl and then the new layer button.
Layer 2 will go between the other layers.
4. Fill new layer with black. Make sure layer 1 is selected and also the selected color:
Select the paint bucket tool.
Press ctrl then fill the space in layer 2 with black.
You want to pour the paint bucket on the layer 2 in the layers panel.
5. Add new blank layer:
. Select layer 2 and click the new layer button again
6. Drag out a rectangular marquee selection tool and place it on the inside of your first picture:
Draw a box around the center of your photo.
7. Fill the selection with black:
Make sure the blank layer is selected and press alt backspace. This will make the selected area black.
7. Create a clipping mask from the filled selection:
Click layer 1. Then select layer in the menu --> create clipping mask. or alt ctrl G.
8. Add new blank layer above layer 2:
Click layer 2 then new layer button. It will then create layer 4
9. Drag out another rectangular selection as the border:
10. Fill selection with white layer:
Select layer 4. press ctrl backspace to fill with white space.
Press D to deselect control
11. Add drop shadow layer style.(you will not be able to see it at first):
select layer 4
select layer style icon
drop shadow
make angel 120
opacity 30%
12. Rotate the picture
select layer 3 and 4
select layer 3, then hold down the shift key and press layer 4
free transforms handles will appear around photo
ctrl t will bring up the options to move and rotate photo. you can crop the photos and move them around.
13. Group all three layers that make up the photo:
click shift then layer 1. Once they are all selected press ctrl g which will put them all in group 1
14. Duplicate layer group:
click new layer
right click group 1 and select duplicate.
15. Move and rotate second picture with free transform:
open up the group 1 copy
by opening & clicking the triangle where group one copy is
click one layer then press shift and click the other layer
click on photo and drag
then drag it out until it is placed where you want it. press enter when it is placed where you want it.
16. Add, move and rotate more pictures:
drag the top layer down onto the new layer
continue to duplicate and copy groups
select layer 3 & 4 by selecting layer 3 and then shift and press layer 4
press control T and move the picture where you want it to be placed.
17. Repeat step 16 as much as needed to make the collage.

If you follow all of the above steps then when you are finished you will have a collage of your photos.