Step Three: Now let’s combine all
visible layers into a brand-new layer,
leaving the original layers intact. First,
activate the topmost layer (the Gradi-
ent Map adjustment layer), and then
press Shift-Option-Command-E (PC:
Shift-Alt-Ctrl-E). You can also press-
and-hold Option (PC: Alt) as you
choose Merge Visible from the Layers
panel’s flyout menu. Turn off the layer
visibility for the two original layers by
clicking the Eye icon to the left of their
layer thumbnails (the area is circled
here with the icons turned off).
Note: If you used Lightroom to go
black-and-white, it’s time to open the
photo in Photoshop. Select its thumb-
nail and choose Photo>Edit In>Edit In
Adobe Photoshop CC 2020.
Step Four: Select your subject. There
are many ways to do this, but if you have
good contrast between the subject and
the background, as we do here, try Pho-
toshop’s new Object Selection tool (cir-
cled), which lives within the Magic Wand
and Quick Selection toolset. Mouse over
to your document and click-and-drag to
draw a box around the subject. Release
your mouse button and Photoshop cre-
ates a selection.
Step Five: Next, hide the original back-
ground using a layer mask. Here’s
how: Click the circle-within-a-square
icon at the bottom of the Layers panel
(circled), and Photoshop will create a
layer mask based on your selection.
In the realm of the layer mask, black
conceals and white reveals; take a
peek at the layer mask thumbnail and
you’ll see that the background area is
black and the subject is white.
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