How to Create a Snow Scene from Photograph

Creating a Winter Scene.

Step 1. Open your image and duplicate.

Step 2. Using the Dodge tool with a brush size of 41; Range Shadows and Opacity off around 90% start to brush on the roof tops  around the ground in front of the houses and into the trees, only do a little as you can go back and do more later this is just to get started, also brush over the lake.

Step 3. To hide the reflections in the lake, create a new layer (Layer 1). Using a default brush #100 (change size to 41px) and color b6b19d and opacity of 50% brush over lake, then increase the opacity to 90%  and go over lake again until the reflections are hidden.

Step 4. Using the dodge brush go over the lake but do not make it one solid colour.

Step 5.  Merge the background copy and the Layer 1. At this point I increased the size of the image to 8 inches x 6 inches  for the next step.

Step 6.  Open up Effects and use photo effects icon  (3rd from left)and click on the Blizzard icon and Apply. This will give an effect of snow. When you do this another layer is automatically added (Layer 1 Copy). Merge this new layer with the layer beneath.

 At this point go back and use the Dodge tool to add some more "snow", as you have increased the size of the image you will also have to increase the size of the brush.

Now we are going to add a snow layer, I used this tutorial:

http://www.martinity.com/html/tutorials/snow/snow.htm

With this tutorial, I used black to fill the new layer, as with all tutorials it does not always be exact.  I also use the Adjustment for the Brightness and Contrast. 

At this point I change the blending of the snow layer to Difference at about 40-38% opacity.  Change the blending on Layer 1 copy to Hard Light.  You can always use the dodge tool, but use caution rather than brush just click here and there until you are happy, remember you can always undo. Try a very large brush that covers the whole image (2000px) and one click.  

Also the background copy is not doing anything so turn this layer off.

You can play with the blending on your layers until you are happy. When you are happy, merge all layers.

I used the watercolour filter as one final touch.  One thing I do when playing is not merge all the layers but use Select/All, Edit/Copy Merge and Edit/Copy paste and move the created layer up to the top, this way you can undo before you make your final decision.