34 25 May 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
Technique
James Paterson
James is as skilled a photo editor as he is a photographer. His
work has appeared in countless magazines and books, and in
2014 he was appointed editor of Practical Photoshop magazine.
His subjects range from portraits to landscapes, architecture
and underwater scenes. For James, Photoshop is more than
just a work tool. Visit http://www.patersonphotos.com.ALL PICTURES © JAMES PATERSON
O
f all the image-
editing Photoshop
tools that
have changed
photography in the past 25
years, Layers is undoubtedly
the most important. Among
the many things you can
do with them, they let you
combine images, change
tones, add design elements
like text, try out fi lters and
take your images in all kinds
of diff erent directions. What’s
more, by keeping each element
within an image separate and
editable, they’re essential for
a non-destructive workfl ow.
Over the following pages we’ll
explore some of the ways in
which layers enable us to get
creative with our images in
Photoshop Elements. We’ll
begin with the fundamentals
and explore features like
Blend Modes and Layer Masks,
before explaining how to create
stunning layer-based eff ects.Get to grips with this cornerstone of
photo editing. James Paterson shows
you how layers can be used for all
kinds of techniques and eff ects
Master
layers
in Elements
How layers work
One of the greatest strengths of Photoshop Elements is its Layer
controls. These are found in the Elements Expert mode. The other
editing modes hide layers from you, but if you want to get the most
out of Elements, then it’s essential that you explore the possibilities of
working with them. But what exactly are they? Layers are like sheets
of tracing paper laid out on top of one another. Any transparent or
semi-transparent parts allow the layers below to show through. As such,
you can do all manner of creative things, like combine several photos
into a composite, blend layers with opacity or blending modes, change
colours, add tonal effects and much more. Crucially, because each
individual element within the image is housed on a separate layer, they
all remain editable throughout the workfl ow. Saving the image as a PSD
fi le means that all layers will be intact the next time you open the image.
Layers can either be created
by making a new one, or they
are automatically generated
whenever you copy in a
separate image or part of an
image. These layers form a
stack, which can be viewed and
edited using the Layers Panel.
The hierarchy of the layer stack
is important, as layers on top
will obscure those below. As
well as pixel-based layers like
images, there are other types
too. Adjustment Layers are
tonal effects that work over
all the layers below them in
the stack. And vector-based
layers like text or shapes let
you include design elements
in your document.The layer stack