Photoshop: merging a subject and background

To create this image I took a picture of a man walking while reading a book and merged it with this background of the universe and symbols. I will explain the process I went through to accomplish this, using Photoshop CS6 on Mac.

1. I first opened each image separately in Photoshop.
2. I dragged and dropped the image of the man onto the background.
3. I unlocked the background layer.
4. I selected the man using quick select.
5. I clicked "Refine Edge" under the "Select" window.
6. I selected the option to merge both layers.
7. I created a brightness/contrast layer and lightened the subject.
8. I'm finished!

The Lonely Push-Pin

Here is the animation that Alex, Yu Qin, and I created. The theme for this is one of the aspects of community; relationships. The video is a simple demonstration of how good relationships and bring people together to create a healthy community.