How DiD He Do That? Ghosting/Phantom View

[JustWakinUp]

Kevin Hulseys website is great inspiration. I have a question that I hope someone will be able to answer. If you take a look at the bottom of the page @ this link (

http://www.khulsey.com/style.html)

you will see something that resembles a oil filter. He applies what he terms ghosting/phantom view to the filter on the right. It looks extremely clean with no edges. Now I have to assume with my years of photoshop work that it is a mask fo sorts with somewhat of a feather on it. But when i attempt it i always get a hard edge or I should say a noticable edge.
Any thoughts on how this may have been achieved? He does it on alot of his images and it is a rather great effect.

 

[dmacster]

I'm assuming layer mask > reveal all with soft brush or lower opacity

 

[DelphiAaron]

i'd say he isnt using photoshop but a 3d modeling program.

Aaron Taylor
John Mutch Electronics

http://www.jme.com.au