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Question

Reflection Problem

Forum|Forum|2 days ago
July 18, 2026
8 replies
90 views

Hello all Photoshop Elements pals,

I just bought Photoshop Elements 2026 because I was told that this new software could do far better job and would be more powerful than Photoshop 5.0 CS that I have as well as than both Photoshop Elements 2023 and Photoshop Elements 9.

However I have interesting problem as seen on the two screesnshots below before water reflection and after water reflection.

From the second screenshot, you can see that on right side, the big white strip runs through the water reflection which is correct and realistic considering the fact that water is on top of the white strip.

But look at the stripes in front of the front landing gear wheels, you can see that piano lines run through the water reflection which is correct as water is on top of the piano bars BUT look at the wierd paino bars in angle appearance which is not correct. I have been making tons of screenshots showing cool reflections WITHOUT WITHOUT problems regarding piano bars on runways on Photoshop CS 5.0. Unfortunately, in my new Photoshop Elements 2026, you can see weird problem.

What can I do to fix it please?

Regards,

Aharon

Jeff Arola

Community Expert

Yes that looks much better.

Nice work.

I think that particular runway has lines at a odd angle that when the opacity is reduced give a very odd look.

A

Aharon308821474iatAuthor

Known Participant

Jeff Arola,

I repeated the editing using Photoshop CS5.1 and to my surprise, for first time in about 15 years, CS5.1 failed to show correct reflection and still had same the runway/s weird angle piano bars problem.

So I decided to solve the problem by using PSE2026 to copy piano bars from pre-edited screenshot and pasted on the edited screenshot with water reflection. Now it looks better.

Regards,

Aharon

Jeff Arola

Community Expert

If you still have Photoshop CS5 on your older computer can you post a screenshot of what it looks like that software?

What about PSE 9 and PSE 2023 if you still have those?

A

Aharon308821474iatAuthor

Known Participant

If you still have Photoshop CS5 on your older computer can you post a screenshot of what it looks like that software? What about PSE 9 and PSE 2023 if you still have those?

Okay I will try the same screenshot in the retired laptop using PSP CS5.1. Will let you know. As for other two softwares you were asking about, PSE 9 had been long retired and deleted from old laptop and PSE2023 in the new laptop does not have full abilities for such sophisticated reflection methods which is why Adobe community experts suggested to me to buy PSE2026 if I want full abilities of advanced reflection techniques that I always enjoyed in the Photoshop CS 5.1. PSE2023 can handle one simple refection technique by copying top and pasting on bottom BUT BUT cannot handle pasting into selected areas due to limited capacity which prevents opacity from functioning properly in the pasted area in the selected area on bottom (it turns into checkerboard if I use opacity) and Adobe community experts told me that PSE2023 did not have advanced abilities for advanced water reflections therefore suggesting to me to buy new 2026 version so I waited until the 2026 version was on sale for 60 percent off hence me buying it immediately and me showing up again on Adobe community to report weird problem to all of you. Smiling

Will let you know what happens to the screenshot when I dig the retired laptop out and use the Photoshop.

Regards,

Aharon

A

Aharon308821474iatAuthor

Known Participant

I added PSE2026 to list of accepted programs in NVIDIA Geoforce software and that failed to fix the weird angle appearance of the piano bars on reflection in the screenshot, DARN out of my luck

A

Aharon308821474iatAuthor

Known Participant

When I installed PSE2026, I forgot to get NVIDIA Geoforce to accept PSE2026 as whatever new software installs, Windows always assigns Intel Graphics to the software.
So when I assign PSE2026 to use NVIDIA Geoforce as default setting, I will try again with the same screenshot to see if it works by not displaying weird angle appearance of piano bars on the runway.

Will let you know the results

Regards,

Aharon

Glenn 8675309

Legend

have you tried using the guided edit in pse 2026?

A

Aharon308821474iatAuthor

Known Participant

Well I do not know what is guided edit because I prefer advanced edit which gives me more tools on the left sidebar. I just repeat all my methods from CS 5.1 and apply to PSE2026. Sorry if I am TOTALLY new to PSE2026. I just prefer CS 5.1 techniques that I want to apply on PSE2026 and I even avoid AI stuff. No offense to you and all Adobe professionals.

Regards,

Aharon

Glenn 8675309

Legend

Jeff Arola

Community Expert

Which filter are you using to make the distortion of the reflection?

Are you using some predetermined settings or just whatever settings look good at the time?

A

Aharon308821474iatAuthor

Known Participant

I picked Distort filter and then selected ocean ripple. And then pick Distort and then selected ripple. That is what I always do in my Photoshop CS 5.1 and I applied same methods in PSE2026. I do not use predetermined settings. I selected percentage or whatever it is called to make reflection more realistic as you would see in any airport in winter or rainy conditions.

Regards,

Aharon

Jeff Arola

Community Expert

Can you describe the steps in each software, Photoshop CS5 vs PSE 2026 so maybe we can spot the step(s) that are causing the difference in visual appearance?

A

Aharon308821474iatAuthor

Known Participant

Mr. Jeff Arola,

Interesting question

Funny thing is that I actually used precisely same “step by step” steps in the both editing softwares that you were asking about. In other words, whatever I did in CS5.0, I use same methods on PSE2026. I bought PSE2026 because Adobe refused to allow me to move CS5.0 from retired laptop to new laptop.

Step 1: Use rectangular tool to create square on top of the screenshot from the bottom of the wheels to top of the screenshot and then copy that selected square.

Step 2: Use “straight” lasso to create my desired area on bottom of the screenshot from the bottom of the wheel to bottom of the screenshot while avoiding snow areas on both sides of the runways and I am just focusing on selecting only runway area.

Step 3: using “paste on selection” to paste the copied area on my selected area specified by straight lasso marking and then flip it to turn the plane upside down. Then selected opacity to reduce to 50 percent in order to make runway markings visible through water reflection and then selected distortion effect to pick water ripples.

That is it.

Regards,

Aharon

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