Get a background image (preferably a person). Then duplicate it onto another layer. Hide the top layer and then select the background layer.
Click the lasso tool and go around the image. Once done, right click the image and click “Fill”. Make sure Content-Aware is applied and then click “Ok”. Deselect the image.
Next, make the top layer visible again. Select the top layer and then select the quick selection tool. Select the entire image. Once finished, click “Select and Mask” at the top. Then click on the Refine Edge Brush Tool.
Start off by selecting the top part of the image (with a person, the hair). Output this to “Layer Mask (sidebar selection).Then hit “Ok”. Image will now be on a seperate background. Duplicate the layer.
Right click on the mask (duplicated layer) and select “Apply Layer Mask”. Then hide the middle layer. Name the layer whatever you’d like to name it (named “Dispersion Effect” in video). Next, duplicate the layer that you just applied the layer mask to. Name layer (named “Man” in video)
Select “Dispersion” layer and go up to “Filter” and select “Liquify”. Select the “Forward Warp Tool” and warp the picture by dragging it up and to the right diagonally from the top right, and all along the right. Once done, hit “Ok”. Next, hold Alt while clicking on mask (White rectangle at bottom with black circle in it) (Fill mask with black)
Select the “Man” layer and select mask again at bottom. Foreground color should be set to black.
Next, select the brush tool and select a dispersion brush within the options. Open up the brush panel and start to add the effect by clicking along the edge of the image (on the right side where the warp took place). Be sure to rotate your brush frequently (using the brush panel). You can also select other brushes as well as increase and decrease your brush sizes.
Once you are good with this effect, select the Dispersion mask (on Dispersion layer). Foreground color should be set to white. Now, do the same as before be start clicking more off of the main image and start to put the effect into the more open space of the rest of the image. Use the same techniques as before, as well as starting to add bigger particles.
Now, select the top mask (in the “Man” layer) and make sure that the foreground color is white. Select a small brush with soft edges. Use the zoom tool to zoom in and begin to mask out any unnecessary parts that are on your image. Zoom back out.
Create a new Adjustment Layer and select “Gradient Map”. Next, select the Gradient Presents and select a gradient of your choosing for this. Hit “Ok” when you’re done and close it. Bring the opacity down to 20%
To sharpen up the dispersion, we need to merge the layers. If you hit CTRL + SHIFT + ALT + E, this will merge all visible layers. Name the layer (named “Sharpen” in video). Right click this layer and convert it into a Smart Object.
Click on Filter, then Sharpen, then Unsharp Mask. Set the amount to 60% and select “Ok”.
