Ghostly images in photoshop

In Photoshop, i created three creepy looking images. Using the blur tool i managed to get a ghostly looking effect for the guy in the background. I then used an air brush behind him to create a darker, ominous background to add to the ghostly affect. I used the pen tool to select around the male to get rid of the background.  I feel comfortable using the air brush tool and believe it can be handy when creating more spooky images.

  

 For this image, i used the pen tool to crop out the girl. Then i duplicated the layer. With this duplicated layer, i used the blur tool to create a ghostly effect. I kept the original layer underneath to make the edges more sharp so you're able to see the details on the girl.  I feel comfortable using the blur tool now and reckon it can be proven useful when making more ghostly images.

For my final image, i used the blur tool, the pen tool and the airbrush tool. I found it difficult trying to work out where to place my freaky character, but then i decided making the creepy part of the picture almost hidden, adds to the spooky effect as people will find it hard to see whats freaky about it. I used to blur tool on the creature to make fade more into the background so it wasn't so bold as i didn't want it to stick out of the picture too much. I then used the air brush to make the top and bottom of the screen darker to make it seem more ominous.  

After looking back at my images, i decided that some text needed to be added. I chose one picture i thought the text would fit best by using the text tool. I looked through the different fonts and picked the one i thought would suit best but at the same time is eye catching. I duplicated this font layer and placed it behind the original, i then blurred this layer to create a misty effect.

I feel comfortable using Photoshop though i need to improve a lot. There is still some tools i feel would be useful, however im unsure how to use them. I need to develop my knowledge on the tools and how to use them to get the best results.