Layers question...

[Disney Chick]

I'm trying to add objects in PS elements 5. I got it to work, but I think there's an easier and better way I just haven't found. Here's the shot:



ETA: Any better?


I had to erase the part of my body that the wings were covering in order to put them behind me. Is there a way to just move one layer forward? I just couldn't find one.

[JMI]

I haven't used elements so I can't say for sure. Isn't there a "Layers" pallet? If so, you should be able to just click and drag the layers to put them in the order you want. It's such a fundamental part of CS that I'd be really surprised if the did it differently in Elements.

[Disney Chick]

Thanks, I'll try that. I was trying to do it from the layers dropdown box.

[Disney Chick]

Hmmmm....I tried to drag it, but it didn't work.

[rogerfsmith]

No, you can't move layers in the way you are asking. You have to first knock out the subject and make that a layer and then you add the wings layer and then you can move the layers back and forth in the stack. But it looks like in your example you just have the one layer (the wings) and the subject is the base layer. By the way the eyes are very soft on this shot. I think it would work better with sharp eyes. Also the wings don't really look attached to the subject the way you've done it. If this is not clear --- think of it this way. If you had the model on a transparent layer and the wings on a transparent layer, then you could move one above the other and have the top layer cover the bottom layer. But your base layer (the subject) does not have a transparent background since you haven't done a knockout.

cheers,
Roger

[rogerfsmith]

Originally Posted by JMI

I haven't used elements so I can't say for sure. Isn't there a "Layers" pallet? If so, you should be able to just click and drag the layers to put them in the order you want. It's such a fundamental part of CS that I'd be really surprised if the did it differently in Elements.

She only has one layer, the wings. The subject and its background is the base layer of the photo and thus if she moves it on top of the wings, then the wings will be covered by the base photo. She would have to do a knockout of the subject in the base layer and make it a layer and then you could drag layers around and it would work.

Cheers,
Roger

[Disney Chick]

Okay, then that really wouldn't be simpler. I don't want to have to knock out the subject, so I'll just do it the way I have been.

Here's a different one. These are pictures of me that I'm really just practicing on.

[rogerfsmith]

Originally Posted by Disney Chick

Okay, then that really wouldn't be simpler. I don't want to have to knock out the subject, so I'll just do it the way I have been.

Here's a different one. These are pictures of me that I'm really just practicing on.

Actually the way you did it is the easy way to do it. I often just place the layer I want behind, over the main layer, and reduce its opacity to about 50% so I can see the underlying layer. I then use the history brush in PS to paint the part of the background that needs to show through. You can also use the black mask technique. Naturally Element is more limited in its range of choices.

Here's an example of the knockout method where I knocked out the rectangle of the frame and then slipped another photo under the foreground photo so it would show through the knocked out area.



cheers,
rfs

[carrbowl]

I like it, but I think if the photo is soft you need to make the wings soft...otherwise they look pasted on,,which I'm sure is not your goal!!

Hey I was just thinking...what if you duplicated the layer of you...put the wings in the middle and then just "erased" where the wings go?? Would that make it look better??? more attached and part of the photo??

[Disney Chick]

"I often just place the layer I want behind, over the main layer, and reduce its opacity to about 50% so I can see the underlying layer."

That's what I did. I just thought that I might be making it harder than it had to be. I guess not!

I love that image, BTW!

[rogerfsmith]

Another note about these kinds of shots. Lighting is critical for each of the components. You have a very soft photo and a very sharp pair of wings. They both need to be consistent. Here is a soft wings example



Cheers,
Roger

[Disney Chick]

Renae, the first one was a quick stab at the idea, so it's not a finished product. I will try that idea, though. I probably need to adjust the angle of the wings as well.

[Disney Chick]

Roger, I actually softened the wings quite a bit. Just not enough?

[Disney Chick]

I edited the top post and added a different version.

[JMI]

Yes, Roger, you're right. You can't move the "Background" layer. That occurred to me when I read her response.

BUT... If you simply rename it you can juggle it around like any other layer. However, I usually duplicate it because I don't like to make destructive changes to the original layer.