How to Add a Reflection to Sunglasses in Photoshop

A studio portrait with plain, empty sunglasses lenses can look like it was shot outside once a convincing reflection is added in Photoshop. This tutorial covers placing and matching a reflection image across both lenses, masking it precisely into the glass, adjusting its color and darkness to read as a reflection rather than a flat picture, fading it with a gradient, and finally curving it with the Spherize filter to match the shape of the lens.

Placing and Duplicating the Reflection Image

Scaling down the reflection image and duplicating it for the second lens gets both sunglasses ready to receive the same view.

1. Drag the Reflection Image Into the Photo

   Hold Shift and drag the reflection image, such as a cityscape, into the sunglasses photo’s document.

2. Scale the Image Down

   Press Cmd/Ctrl+T, hold Shift and Option/Alt, and scale the image down to roughly the size it should appear inside a lens.

3. Choose a Recognizable Portion

   Position the image so a recognizable element, like a landmark and a bit of sky, sits within the visible area.

Making Both Lenses Match With a Marquee Selection

Both lenses of a pair of sunglasses should show essentially the same reflection, which a Marquee selection and duplicate layer make simple to achieve.

4. Select the Best Area With the Marquee Tool

   Press M for the Marquee tool and select the portion of the reflection image that looks best.

5. Inverse the Selection and Delete the Rest

   Go to Select > Inverse, then press Delete to remove everything outside the selected area.

6. Duplicate the Layer for the Second Lens

   Press Cmd/Ctrl+J to duplicate the layer, then reposition the copy slightly for the second lens.

7. Merge the Two Reflection Layers

   Select both reflection layers and press Cmd/Ctrl+E to merge them into one layer.

Why Matching Both Lenses’ Reflection Matters

Two lenses on the same pair of glasses sit close enough together that they naturally reflect nearly the same view of the world. Using the same source area for both, rather than two completely different sections of the reflection image, keeps the effect physically believable instead of looking like two unrelated pictures happen to be sitting in the same frame.

Masking the Reflection Into the Sunglasses With the Magic Wand and Refine Edge

A Magic Wand selection across both lenses, refined and shifted slightly inward, becomes the mask that keeps the reflection contained to just the glass.

8. Select Both Lenses With the Magic Wand Tool

   Hide the reflection layer, select the Magic Wand tool with Sample All Layers checked, and click each lens, holding Shift to add the second one to the selection.

9. Refine and Shift the Edge Inward

   Open Refine Edge, add a small amount of smoothing, and shift the edge inward slightly so the mask leaves a bit of frame visible around the lens.

Grouping the Layer for a Double Layer Mask

Grouping the reflection layer before applying the lens selection as a mask leaves room to add a second, independent mask directly on the layer later.

10. Group the Reflection Layer

    Turn the reflection layer back on, select it, and press Cmd/Ctrl+G to group it with itself.

11. Apply the Lens Selection as the Group’s Mask

    With the refined lens selection still active, click the layer mask button to add it to the group.

Why Grouping Before Masking Allows a Second Mask Later

A single layer can only carry one layer mask at a time, which would be a problem once the reflection also needs a separate gradient mask for fading later. Putting the first mask on a group instead of directly on the layer frees up the layer itself to receive its own additional mask, effectively allowing two independent masks to control the same image.

Darkening the Reflection With a Clipped Levels Layer

A clipped Levels adjustment layer darkens the reflection image, since a real reflection in tinted sunglasses is rarely as bright as the original photo.

12. Add a Levels Adjustment Layer

    Add a Levels adjustment layer above the reflection layer.

13. Clip the Layer to the Reflection

    Press Cmd/Ctrl+Option/Alt+G to clip the Levels layer so it only affects the reflection image.

14. Darken the Shadows and Output Levels

    Bring the shadow input slider up and adjust the output levels to darken the reflection, particularly the sky.

Coloring the Reflection With a Clipped Hue/Saturation Layer

A clipped, colorized Hue/Saturation layer tints the reflection to match the actual color of the sunglasses lenses.

15. Add a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer

    Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer, clipped to the reflection layer.

16. Enable Colorize

    Check the Colorize option.

17. Match the Lens Color

    Adjust the Hue slider to match the original lens color, such as a purplish tone.

18. Reduce Saturation and Layer Opacity

    Lower the Saturation slider and reduce the adjustment layer’s opacity so the tint looks like a subtle color cast rather than a solid color wash.

Fading the Reflection With a Gradient Layer Mask

A black-to-transparent linear gradient painted onto a new mask on the reflection layer fades it out toward the edges, letting some of the subject’s eyes show through.

19. Add a Layer Mask to the Reflection Layer

    Click the layer mask button on the reflection layer itself, separate from the group’s existing mask.

20. Select the Linear Gradient Tool

    Press G for the Gradient tool and choose the linear gradient option with Foreground to Transparent, using black as the foreground color.

21. Drag the Gradient Across Each Lens

    Drag the gradient across each lens area, letting the reflection fade out toward one side and near the bottom so some of the eyes remain visible.

Why a Gradient Fade Beats a Flat, Solid Reflection

A reflection that fills an entire lens with equal opacity looks more like a photo pasted on top of the glasses than something actually reflecting off them. Fading the reflection with a gradient lets some of the subject’s eyes show through, which is what separates a convincing reflection from an obviously flat overlay.

Adding Curvature With the Spherize Filter

The Spherize filter bows the reflection outward slightly, matching the curved shape of an actual lens instead of leaving it perfectly flat.

22. Select Each Lens With the Marquee Tool

    Make a selection around one lens with the Marquee tool.

23. Apply the Spherize Filter

    Go to Filter > Distort > Spherize, choose a moderate amount, and click OK.

24. Repeat for the Other Lens

    Select the second lens and apply the same Spherize settings to keep both lenses consistent.

25. Adjust the Amount if It Looks Too Strong

    Undo and reapply the filter with a gentler amount if the curvature looks exaggerated.

Why This Approach Works

Matching the reflection between both lenses and darkening and tinting it to match the actual glasses grounds the effect in how a real reflection would physically behave. Grouping the layer before masking is what makes it possible to control both the lens shape and the fade independently, since a single layer can only hold one mask on its own. Fading the reflection with a gradient and curving it with Spherize are the two details that push the effect from looking pasted on to looking like light is genuinely bouncing off curved glass.

Final Thoughts

It takes a lot of small steps, matching, masking, coloring, fading, and curving, but together they turn an empty studio pair of sunglasses into something that looks like it was shot outdoors. The same technique works on any reflective surface, not just sunglasses, whether it’s a car window, a shiny tabletop, or any other glass that needs a convincing reflection added in post.

Quick Reference: Keys, Menus and Settings

• Place and scaleMove tool drag in; Cmd/Ctrl + T with Shift + Alt/Option
• Match the lensesM, Select > Inverse, Delete; Cmd/Ctrl + J, then Cmd/Ctrl + E to merge
• Select the lensesMagic Wand, Sample All Layers; Refine Edge: a little Smooth, Shift Edge in
• Two masksCmd/Ctrl + G, lens mask on the group, fade mask on the layer
• Darken and tintLevels and Hue/Saturation (Colorize), clipped with Cmd/Ctrl + Alt/Option + G
• FadeG, Linear, Foreground to Transparent, black
• Curve itFilter > Distort > Spherize, one lens at a time

No AI, no generative credits.