Layers for photographs

a simple example. imagine you have a photo with good exposure on subject but not the background (but with details). you can use layers to balance both to have good exposure. duplicate the photo. adjust the top photo layer for good background exposure and ignore the subject. now create a layer mask beside this layer. use brush to paint away the subject revealing the bottom photo layer with good subject exposure. this is the basic concept. of course there are several ways to do it.

"GordonP" wrote in message

I’m a new user of Photoshop Elements. I’ve been reading in several books about layers, but haven’t found anything that tells me how the Layers capability can help me improve ny printed photographs. From what I’ve read, layers seeme to be something graphics designers might want to use while creating an image. I’d llike to know how a photographer can use layers to enhance an image,

GP

"GordonP" wrote:

I’m a new user of Photoshop Elements. I’ve been reading in several books about layers, but haven’t found anything that tells me how the Layers capability can help me improve ny printed photographs. From what I’ve read, layers seeme to be something graphics designers might want to use while creating an image. I’d llike to know how a photographer can use layers to enhance an image,

GP

You spent $$$ and energy to buy and read *several* books about Layer and you still don’t know anything about Layer?. I don’t think anyone or many people can come up with a simple and better answer than a book can, so I would suggest

– Re-open the books and read again. Or may be just type what the books may say here so other can see if you are on the right track.

– Try to follow few sample steps from the book to see what Layer is about.

And as a photographer I would suggest these simple steps to enhance and make retouching easier.

– A good camera with good setting. P&S is fine as long as you have good lighting and setting. I would recomment DSLR but this will be more expensive and lot more learning from both operating the camera and lot more post processing.

– If you have good DSLR camera then a GOOD FAST LENS or one of the top_of_the_line_lens to be able to capture a better, sharper, clearer image to cut down the time spending on post processing. Or with good lens you will be spending time to learn to enhance the image instad of trying to repair a poor image quality.

– Learning more about your DSLR, your lens, your flash etc.. then you should be 1/2 done, and 1/2 to go <bg>.

a. Just to get around as beginner, and if you shoot JPG then you can use ARC comes with CS3 or LightRoom as those support both RAW and JPG.

b. And if you want to do more than RAW converter can, then you can spend few years on either Photoshop Elements or full Photoshop.

Thanks for the responses, but they don’t address what I want to know. I do understand how to create layers, but I’m looking for specific information about how I can use layers to enhance my photographs.

The books I have and the Web sites I’ve referred to have a lot of useful infomation about working with layers. None that I’ve found address the subject of using layers to enhance photographic inages.

Is there nothing more to this than creating seperate foreground and background layers then adjusting those layers and combining them? Or is there more I need to know?

GP
"GordonP" wrote in message

I’m a new user of Photoshop Elements. I’ve been reading in several books about layers, but haven’t found anything that tells me how the Layers capability can help me improve ny printed photographs. From what I’ve read, layers seeme to be something graphics designers might want to use while creating an image. I’d llike to know how a photographer can use layers to enhance an image,

GP

On Tue, 4 Dec 2007 20:02:27 -0800, "GordonP"
wrote:

Thanks for the responses, but they don’t address what I want to know. I do understand how to create layers, but I’m looking for specific information about how I can use layers to enhance my photographs.

The books I have and the Web sites I’ve referred to have a lot of useful infomation about working with layers. None that I’ve found address the subject of using layers to enhance photographic inages.

Is there nothing more to this than creating seperate foreground and background layers then adjusting those layers and combining them? Or is there more I need to know?

That is all you need to know.

A main reason for using layers when enhancing a photo is to make it easy to totally undo the change should it prove to be the wrong thing.

You may add a layer for color correction, another to clone out an unwanted distraction and another for sharpening. If you then find that your color correction was inappropriate, you can remove or redo that layer. Of course, you may need to redo the cloning as well.

Once you have made your corrections, you might want to turn layers on and off to see exactly what difference each layer makes to the overall image. You could make three different contrast correction layers and then decide which one is the best.

There is an endless number of reasons for using layers. Some are very simple, like the ones above , some are much more complicated.

In article ,
"GordonP" wrote:

Thanks for the responses, but they don’t address what I want to know. I do understand how to create layers, but I’m looking for specific information about how I can use layers to enhance my photographs.

What are you meaning by enhancing your photos? If you know what would be an enhanced photo and you can’t see how to do *that*, then ask. If you have no real idea and are wondering if layers are some sort of magic thing that can lead you to a better understanding of an enhanced photo, then ths is an idle curiousity indeed. It is like wondering if my mechanics toolkit would be useful to me in improving my car in some way or other that I cannot think of for now…

—
dorayme

Hi Gordon,

sorry to say this, but it seems highly unlikely you have read much on layers at all or you would not be asking this question. It may be best to give you an example that gets away from this "exposure correction" everyone carries on about; if you are a decent photographer you get "most" of your images right in-camera anyway.

Say you have an image of a person with little or no makeup on. You want to do a digital makeover. It would be lunacy to start painting away on the original background. What you would do is create a layer for the eyeshadow, a layer for the eyeliner, a layer for the lipstick, the blush, enhanced highlights and shadows, etc. You may have another layer for teeth whitening and another for skin smoothing.

So you paint onto the eyeshadow layer with your eyeshadow. You work away at it and it looks great. You do the eyeliner, blush, lipstick etc and it is all looking good. You save the image with all layers intact. Your client sees the image and wants a different eyeshadow colour, maybe even a different eyeshadow design. Simple: in the case of the colour, you may get away with selecting the eyeshadow layer and simply using Color Balance, HSL, Channel Mixer, etc. It will change the colours on that layer only, not the whole image. Without layers you would have had to make an accurate selection of the eyeshadow and then adjust it. If the eyeshadow was too strong, how would you have dealt with that? On a layer, simple – change the transparency of the layer, change merge modes (how the pixels react with the layer(s) below it. Maybe do a guassian blur on the eyeshadow to gently blend it outwards, give it a more natural appearance. Try that one without layers.

Eyeliner is another good example. Draw your eyeliner in on the original and it may look hard and unrealistic; painted on, in other words. Draw it on its own layer and do a slight blur and it will soften and look more natural. You cannot blur it on the original image or you blur the whole image! Get the picture?

HTH

Best regards,
Brian.

"GordonP" wrote in message

Thanks for the responses, but they don’t address what I want to know. I do understand how to create layers, but I’m looking for specific information about how I can use layers to enhance my photographs.

The books I have and the Web sites I’ve referred to have a lot of useful infomation about working with layers. None that I’ve found address the subject of using layers to enhance photographic inages.

Is there nothing more to this than creating seperate foreground and background layers then adjusting those layers and combining them? Or is there more I need to know?

GP
"GordonP" wrote in message

I’m a new user of Photoshop Elements. I’ve been reading in several books about layers, but haven’t found anything that tells me how the Layers capability can help me improve ny printed photographs. From what I’ve read, layers seeme to be something graphics designers might want to use while creating an image. I’d llike to know how a photographer can use layers to enhance an image,

GP

"GordonP" wrote in message

Thanks for the responses, but they don’t address what I want to know. I do understand how to create layers, but I’m looking for specific information about how I can use layers to enhance my photographs.

The books I have and the Web sites I’ve referred to have a lot of useful infomation about working with layers. None that I’ve found address the subject of using layers to enhance photographic inages.

Is there nothing more to this than creating seperate foreground and background layers then adjusting those layers and combining them? Or is there more I need to know?

GP
"GordonP" wrote in message

I’m a new user of Photoshop Elements. I’ve been reading in several books about layers, but haven’t found anything that tells me how the Layers capability can help me improve ny printed photographs. From what I’ve read, layers seeme to be something graphics designers might want to use while creating an image. I’d llike to know how a photographer can use layers to enhance an image,

GP

The extent in which you can use layers is the extent of your imagination.

Try using them to apply sharpening selectively to your portraits, no need to sharpen the entire image. The same technique can be used to apply surface blur to your subject…

There are also good techniques for toning B&W images using layers and blending modes…

"GordonP" wrote in message

Thanks for the responses, but they don’t address what I want to know. I do understand how to create layers, but I’m looking for specific information about how I can use layers to enhance my photographs.

The books I have and the Web sites I’ve referred to have a lot of useful infomation about working with layers. None that I’ve found address the subject of using layers to enhance photographic inages.

Is there nothing more to this than creating seperate foreground and background layers then adjusting those layers and combining them? Or is there more I need to know?

GP
"GordonP" wrote in message

I’m a new user of Photoshop Elements. I’ve been reading in several books about layers, but haven’t found anything that tells me how the Layers capability can help me improve ny printed photographs. From what I’ve read, layers seeme to be something graphics designers might want to use while creating an image. I’d llike to know how a photographer can use layers to enhance an image,

GP

you are only limited by your lack of imagination
layers can do lots of things
You need an idea what you want to do first
can’t give directions if you don’t know where you want to go dude

me I use layers a lot

I dupe my backgorund and retouch on it
or can use a blank layer and set clone healer to use all layers

I use a layer to color correct all or certain areas of an image or make it lighter darker change the color completely etc you can add images letters objects shapes above the image and blend in several modes to make collages,or sandwiches
on layers you can move all these objects separately make them different transparencies
much simpler than re cutting out every part and moving about

I suggest a look at the tutorials on Adobe website in the Exchange part or Russell Brown’s vids
layers can be used to hand tint a BW pic
or the reverse make a BW or sepia from a color image

selections and layers and masks are the most important to master in PS and will give you a control over photos you never achieved in dark room you can dodge burn very selectively on a 50% gray layer on overlay mode

assuming you know how to take a decent photo in the first place and that you didn’t ask us about shooting
Joe or Joel says a lot of stuff that is not nice or right so just ignore it

I do not use elements but PS CS
I have a screenshot here that shows how to adjust each area of an image separately
by using layers and masks
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=439224275&contex t=set-72157600005475635&size=o

used one layer with a selection to enhance the green
another to enhance the blue
one to fix the date
remove warm from white areas etc

the more typical usage of selections is to cutout and put other backgrounds yes
as here
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=424477678&contex t=set-72157600005475635&size=o which also has a layer of star burst light on layer between the background and subject

On Wed, 5 Dec 2007 17:28:57 -0500, "KatWoman" wrote:

"GordonP" wrote in message

Thanks for the responses, but they don’t address what I want to know. I do understand how to create layers, but I’m looking for specific information about how I can use layers to enhance my photographs.

The books I have and the Web sites I’ve referred to have a lot of useful infomation about working with layers. None that I’ve found address the subject of using layers to enhance photographic inages.

Is there nothing more to this than creating seperate foreground and background layers then adjusting those layers and combining them? Or is there more I need to know?

GP
"GordonP" wrote in message

I’m a new user of Photoshop Elements. I’ve been reading in several books about layers, but haven’t found anything that tells me how the Layers capability can help me improve ny printed photographs. From what I’ve read, layers seeme to be something graphics designers might want to use while creating an image. I’d llike to know how a photographer can use layers to enhance an image,

GP

you are only limited by your lack of imagination
layers can do lots of things
You need an idea what you want to do first
can’t give directions if you don’t know where you want to go dude

me I use layers a lot

I dupe my backgorund and retouch on it
or can use a blank layer and set clone healer to use all layers
I use a layer to color correct all or certain areas of an image or make it lighter darker change the color completely etc you can add images letters objects shapes above the image and blend in several modes to make collages,or sandwiches
on layers you can move all these objects separately make them different transparencies
much simpler than re cutting out every part and moving about
I suggest a look at the tutorials on Adobe website in the Exchange part or Russell Brown’s vids
layers can be used to hand tint a BW pic
or the reverse make a BW or sepia from a color image

selections and layers and masks are the most important to master in PS and will give you a control over photos you never achieved in dark room you can dodge burn very selectively on a 50% gray layer on overlay mode
assuming you know how to take a decent photo in the first place and that you didn’t ask us about shooting
Joe or Joel says a lot of stuff that is not nice or right so just ignore it
I do not use elements but PS CS
I have a screenshot here that shows how to adjust each area of an image separately
by using layers and masks
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=439224275&contex t=set-72157600005475635&size=o
used one layer with a selection to enhance the green
another to enhance the blue
one to fix the date
remove warm from white areas etc

the more typical usage of selections is to cutout and put other backgrounds yes
as here
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=424477678&contex t=set-72157600005475635&size=o which also has a layer of star burst light on layer between the background and subject

You tease! Both links are "private" viewing areas.

—

Tony Cooper
Orlando, FL

"DBLEXPOSURE" wrote in message

"GordonP" wrote in message

Thanks for the responses, but they don’t address what I want to know. I do understand how to create layers, but I’m looking for specific information about how I can use layers to enhance my photographs.
The books I have and the Web sites I’ve referred to have a lot of useful infomation about working with layers. None that I’ve found address the subject of using layers to enhance photographic inages.

Is there nothing more to this than creating seperate foreground and background layers then adjusting those layers and combining them? Or is there more I need to know?

GP
"GordonP" wrote in message

I’m a new user of Photoshop Elements. I’ve been reading in several books about layers, but haven’t found anything that tells me how the Layers capability can help me improve ny printed photographs. From what I’ve read, layers seeme to be something graphics designers might want to use while creating an image. I’d llike to know how a photographer can use layers to enhance an image,

GP

The extent in which you can use layers is the extent of your imagination.
Try using them to apply sharpening selectively to your portraits, no need to sharpen the entire image. The same technique can be used to apply surface blur to your subject…

There are also good techniques for toning B&W images using layers and blending modes…

Another I use allot, If I am doing a portrait of someone with not-so-good skin, I will apply massive surface blur (20 pxl & threshold 20 for full-res 12MP image) to one layer the then using a layer mask, paint black to heal the skin with a pin-point brush zoomed in at 100%. Makes for a very natural looking re-touch.

On Dec 4, 8:02 pm, "GordonP" wrote:

Thanks for the responses, but they don’t address what I want to know. I do understand how to create layers, but I’m looking for specific information about how I can use layers to enhance my photographs.

The books I have and the Web sites I’ve referred to have a lot of useful infomation about working with layers. None that I’ve found address the subject of using layers to enhance photographic inages.

There are tobs of techniques that use layers, but they are going to be listed by the technique, not in a chapter on layers.

For example, I really like the book by Scott Kelby – The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers.

There are techniques to improve exposure that involve using layers. Several techniques on editing photos of people to remove blemishes, wrinkles, etc. But they are chapters for improving exposure and editing people.

Using layers is not a sepeate category, but a useful tool that is used for many different techniques.

I do pet photography, and I often use layers to create a scene or group photo. I do Christmas photos that involve a vaiety of cats and dogs in various positions. Rather than shoot them all the time, which would be extremely stresseful, and unlikely to produce results with 5+ animals acting perfectly; I choose to shoot each one individually in their correct locations in the scene, and then I use layers to copy and move everybody into the same photo. By using layers, I can paste in an animal with some of the background around them, lower the opacity a bit so that I can see both layers at once, and then I move it into place and blend it in so that it looks natural. An example of this is here:

http://www.zoocrewphoto.com/cats.htm

Every animal (except the cat on the top shelf) was in that spot when the photo was taken. This is a total of 10 photos put together.

Another thing I do with layers is adjust eye color. I photograph cats at cat shows. Many times, the owner of the cat will tell me that the eyes need to be a bit darker, brighter, more gold, etc. It is easy for colors to come out a little different than natural since I am editing the photos without the cat in sight to judge color by. I can duplicate the layer, then use the paintbrush with color mode and a lower flow percentage and paint over the eye to add a little more color. I have found it is easier and looks more natural than trying to select the iris manually and adjust color that way.

Perhaps if you could tell us more about what you would like to do, we could give you examples that would apply to your subject matter and goals.

I would also recommend a book that is geared toward photographers and not graphic artists.

"DBLEXPOSURE" wrote:

<snip>

The extent in which you can use layers is the extent of your imagination.
Try using them to apply sharpening selectively to your portraits, no need to sharpen the entire image. The same technique can be used to apply surface blur to your subject…

There are also good techniques for toning B&W images using layers and blending modes…

Another I use allot, If I am doing a portrait of someone with not-so-good skin, I will apply massive surface blur (20 pxl & threshold 20 for full-res 12MP image) to one layer the then using a layer mask, paint black to heal the skin with a pin-point brush zoomed in at 100%. Makes for a very natural looking re-touch.

"Layer" and "Mask" are ones of my most use, or pretty much on 95-99% of my work real work, and I do portrait more often than other.

<snip>>

http://www.zoocrewphoto.com/cats.htm

Every animal (except the cat on the top shelf) was in that spot when the photo was taken. This is a total of 10 photos put together.

<end snip>

I hate to say it, but it was quite obvious that the images were taken separately and then brought together. The lighting varied a little on some of the cats, some had more contrast than others, some were more exposed than others and some were clearly cut out from another background.

Overall you took some nice images though 🙂

Thanks to all who replied to my original question. You’ve all given me a lot to think about and use.

GP
"GordonP" wrote in message

I’m a new user of Photoshop Elements. I’ve been reading in several books about layers, but haven’t found anything that tells me how the Layers capability can help me improve ny printed photographs. From what I’ve read, layers seeme to be something graphics designers might want to use while creating an image. I’d llike to know how a photographer can use layers to enhance an image,

GP

In article , says…

http://www.zoocrewphoto.com/cats.htm

Every animal (except the cat on the top shelf) was in that spot when the photo was taken. This is a total of 10 photos put together.

Getting those turtles to sit still must have been hell!

Gordon,

Sounds like your looking for a special hidden easy way to do something.

Layers is actually the first major stop in learning on how to do Digital Darkroom Corrections. In some of the posts they actually give great examples on what is done in starting you off in your workflow. There are plenty of Online Video Tutorials around that you can watch for free and also some great Plug-Ins that will help you in your quest for better quality Photographs.

Try also going to your local library and looking for anything about the Photoshop Edition you are using.

Not4wood

"GordonP" wrote in message

Thanks for the responses, but they don’t address what I want to know. I do understand how to create layers, but I’m looking for specific information about how I can use layers to enhance my photographs.

The books I have and the Web sites I’ve referred to have a lot of useful infomation about working with layers. None that I’ve found address the subject of using layers to enhance photographic inages.

Is there nothing more to this than creating seperate foreground and background layers then adjusting those layers and combining them? Or is there more I need to know?

GP
"GordonP" wrote in message

I’m a new user of Photoshop Elements. I’ve been reading in several books about layers, but haven’t found anything that tells me how the Layers capability can help me improve ny printed photographs. From what I’ve read, layers seeme to be something graphics designers might want to use while creating an image. I’d llike to know how a photographer can use layers to enhance an image,

GP

On Dec 5, 7:08 pm, "Brian" wrote:

<snip>>>http://www.zoocrewphoto.com/cats.htm

Every animal (except the cat on the top shelf) was in that spot when the photo was taken. This is a total of 10 photos put together.

<end snip>

I hate to say it, but it was quite obvious that the images were taken separately and then brought together. The lighting varied a little on some of the cats, some had more contrast than others, some were more exposed than others and some were clearly cut out from another background.
Overall you took some nice images though 🙂

Check your eyes. Only one cat was from a different background. ALL other cats, dogs, and turtles were photographed on the cat tree within half an hour of each other with the same lighting and the camera on a tripod.

I took each photo, lowered the opcacity, and moved them into place. I did have to remove teh background on the side on the cat in front so that the dog would not be blocked by a layer of photo. But that’s it. I can’t imagine who you are getting the idea that the lighting varied when the lighting was the same for the whole shoot. And there was no other background (except for the kitty angel).

I am sorry if I offended you, as that was not my intention. Quite honestly, even after what you have just stated, the lighting definitely "looks" different on some of the animals and same with the contrast. Did you shoot RAW and then process the images individually before making the composite?

They just look like they have been placed there, rather than photographed there due to the differences in the apparent lighting. You did a great job of photographing all those little guys; I love animals and really enjoyed looking at your images. Thank you.

wrote in message

On Dec 5, 7:08 pm, "Brian" wrote:

<snip>>>http://www.zoocrewphoto.com/cats.htm

Every animal (except the cat on the top shelf) was in that spot when the photo was taken. This is a total of 10 photos put together.

<end snip>

I hate to say it, but it was quite obvious that the images were taken separately and then brought together. The lighting varied a little on some
of the cats, some had more contrast than others, some were more exposed than
others and some were clearly cut out from another background.
Overall you took some nice images though 🙂

Check your eyes. Only one cat was from a different background. ALL other cats, dogs, and turtles were photographed on the cat tree within half an hour of each other with the same lighting and the camera on a tripod.

I took each photo, lowered the opcacity, and moved them into place. I did have to remove teh background on the side on the cat in front so that the dog would not be blocked by a layer of photo. But that’s it. I can’t imagine who you are getting the idea that the lighting varied when the lighting was the same for the whole shoot. And there was no other background (except for the kitty angel).