How to make this shadow in Photoshop for object which lifts high enough to allow light to pass through in one area?

Question

Ever since I found designs that has this warped shadow effect I couldn't stop trying it out and see if I could do it. I've already done my research and I can't seem to get it perfectly. I'm trying to achieve this:

I'm trying to achieve that shadow effect below the large image. It's on the green background. But so far this is what I came up with:

I don't think it's the same as the first image. Well, it's not really the same cause the shadow on the first picture is on a green background but I'm saying, it's really not perfect like the first one. Please tell me how to make this perfectly. I know there are a lot of ways to achieve this but I am really running out of ideas. I already tried every method I know of.

I already checked the said "duplicate". It's quite not the same as what I'm trying to achieve. I wanna achieve the first image's shadow PERFECTLY not similarly. I've already gotten it similarly now I wanna achieve it perfectly.

Here's more of what I came up with:

Okay, so this question is about modifying curved shadows to simulate a bulge that lifts high enough for some light scatter to soften the middle of the shadow. - user568458

^ that is exactly the problem. Thank you for pointing it out for me user568458

An update:

It's still not perfect but this is what I came up with trying what user568458's suggestion.

Answer 1

If you look at it very carefully, it's not a centred shadow, and its not symmetrical.

The user has probably hand drawn a mask of the shape they desired, and then used a brush to scrape out some of the shadow where they felt it gave the best feeling of depth.

An easier way to do this is to use iBooks Author or Pages, they both have presets that do something very similar to this.

Answer 2

Make a Background and the Main Image Layer

Create a vector upside-down pentagon from the center

Transform the pentagon until getting an extended triangle at the bottom of the Main Image layer

Deselect the vector and add a mask to this vector layer. Click the mask thumbnail to make it active and using the gradient tool, make a reflected gradient from black to white from the center to the pentagon left or right

Select the pentagon transparency holding Cmd Mac or Ctrl Win and clicking the vector object thumbnail. Invert the selection.

Click the mask and fill the selection with 100% black. This is the resultant mask:

Select this mask holding Cmd Mac or Ctrl Win and clicking on it. Delete this vector layer. From the Background layer, with the mask selection active, make a Solid Color fill layer, 100% black multiply mode.

Click the Solid Color layer mask, apply a Gaussian Blur Effect and decrease the opacity

Transform and move up or down this Solid Color Fill layer until getting the exact shadow shape

_{Image from unsplash.com}

Answer 3

This is my starting image. It's a photo copied from the question and a new colored paper stripe below it (by Photoshop's notepaper filter). There's an empty layer in the middle for the shadow.

Draw a black narrow approximately circle sector to the empty layer. Make a selection and fill it. Place the sharp tip in the middle of the image. That's needed for easy blurring later:

Warp the sector to curved. This is exaggerated and it will cause much deeper bump in the background than the original:

We need blur which increases from left to right. One way to get it is to warp constant blur, but I use Filters > Blur > Radial Blur > Zoom:

Place the blurred shape in a good place. Scale and rotate if needed. Have the transform handles ON for easy stepping to transforms (it's a move tool option):

Insert a gradient layer mask for good transparency at the wider end. Duplicate the layer and flip the duplicate to make the other side:

A variation - not the same, but this is what I thought at first it to be:

The photo has a slight curved hole. The shadow is a blurred rectangle which in the middle is thinned with a layer mask and warped a little downwards: