> PHOTOSHOP USER>^ OCTOBER 2020[ 68 ]
With the top layer active, click the Add a Layer Style icon (ƒx) at
the bottom of the Layers panel, and choose Blending Options.
Among the options is a pair of sliders labeled “Blend If.” The
default setting is Gray, but if the sky is mostly blue it may work better
by selecting Blue in the drop-down menu. From here, it’s simply a
case of adjusting the highlight slider on the right side of This Layer.
Drag it to the left until the replacement sky is revealed on the layer
beneath. Bonus Tip: To make the change more subtle, split the slider
by clicking on it while holding the Option (PC: Alt) key, and then
adjust the two halves for a smoother transition between the layers.- VIEWING LAYERS ONE AT A TIME
When you have multiple layers in a document, particularly when com-
positing, it can help to view a single layer at a time. Oftentimes, users
will switch off all the layers in the Layers panel except for the one they
want to work on in isolation, and then they’ll turn all the layers back on
once they’re done. Instead, hold the Option (PC: Alt) key and, in the
Layers panel, click the Eye icon next to the layer that you want to view by
itself. This will hide all the other layers at the same time; repeat to turn
the visibility back on for all those other layers. This is extremely useful
for isolating a single layer in a crowd. - PRECISE LENS FLARE POSITION
When you add a Lens Flare to an image in Photoshop, it can be tricky
to place the flare exactly where you need it. To resolve this problem,
first decide where you want to place the lens flare. Select Window>Info
to display the Info panel. The position of your cursor is reflected as a
numerical value in the Info panel, so if you hover your cursor where you
want the flare in the image, you’ll see the X and Y coordinates. Remem-
ber these!
Now, go to Filter >Render >Lens Flare. To place the Lens Flare
exactly at those coordinates, click on the preview panel while holding
the Option (PC: Alt) key, and a dialog will appear labeled Precise Flare
Center. Enter the coordinates, and click OK to close the Precise Flare
Center dialog. Click OK again to apply your Lens Flare exactly where
you want it. - OPEN THE SAME IMAGE IN TWO WINDOWS
WHILE RETOUCHING
There may be times when you want to see an overview of an image
you’re working on alongside a zoomed-in view of the same image so
you can see your detail work and the overall image simultaneously; and
yes, there is a way to open the same image in two windows. With an image
open, go to Window>Arrange>New Window for [filename]. This opens
a second window for that document. You can then arrange the windows
side by side (or however you want) by selecting Window>Arrange>2-Up
Vertical. Any action you carry out on one image will reflect instantly in
the other, while both can be at different levels of zoom. - TEMPORARY TOOL SELECTION
No, there isn’t a new tool called the “Temporary Tool.” This is just a
helpful trick that can speed up your workflow by allowing you to tempo-
rarily switch to another tool by simply pressing-and-holding the tool’s
shortcut while using your predominant tool. Let’s say you’re working
with the Brush tool (B) and want to quickly remove a blemish with the
Clone Stamp tool. Press-and-hold the letter S on your keyboard to tem-
porarily switch to the Clone Stamp tool, remove the blemish, and when
you let go of the letter S, you’ll be right back to the Brush tool so you
can keep painting. - REPLACE A SKY WITH BLEND IF
We can’t always have picture-perfect skies, but we can add them in
Photoshop! Blend If is a feature in Adobe Photoshop that allows you
to blend layers together based on their colors and tones. Using Blend If
to replace a sky can be done quickly and efficiently by using the tones
in the image to create your selection.
To replace a sky, first place the new sky image on a layer above
the original image. Make sure the replacement sky completely cov-
ers the original sky. Press Command-J (PC: Ctrl-J) to duplicate the
Background layer, and place the copy above the replacement sky layer.