Finishing Touches - RAW 101: Better Images with Photoshop and Photoshop Elements - page 131

Now the fun and magic starts. Just follow these steps:

1.

Select the window with the darker of the two images. Choose Edit > Select All
(Ctrl/Cmd+A), and then choose Edit > Copy (Ctrl/Cmd+C).

2.

Now select the window with the lighter image, and choose Edit > Paste
(Ctrl/Cmd+V). If you look at the Layers palette, you'll see two layers (Figure
7.6). The Background is the lighter image, and Layer 1 is the darker image.

Figure 7.6
The Layers palette shows both
versions of the file and is now
ready for optimizing.

Note: Yo u can close the darker image to free up memory. All edits will be performed on the com-
bined image.

131

At this point, the two programs differ. The next step for Photoshop users is to
add a layer mask to Layer 1. Photoshop Elements users should skip this Step 3 and go
down to the alternative Step 3 that follows Figure 7.10.
3.

With Layer 1 selected in the Layers palette, click the Layer Mask icon at
the bottom of the palette. Layer 1 will then have a white rectangle next to the
thumbnail, as seen in Figure 7.7.

Figure 7.7
After adding a Layer Mask, a
white rectangle is shown next to
the thumbnail for Layer 1.

4. Select the Background in the Layers palette, and copy it with Select > All and

Edit > Copy.

5. Press the Alt/Option key, and click the white rectangle in Layer 1. The image

looks like Figure 7.8.

6. Select Edit > Paste. Both the Layer Mask icon and the image window will have a

black-and-white version of your image, as seen in Figure 7.9.