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Step 1 - Display Layers palette, open sample photos |
If it isn't already displayed, display the Layers palette, and then open the photos "Sunset foreground.jpg" and "Sunset sky.jpg" residing in Paint Shop Pro 9's Sample Images folder. You'll be using a Mask Layer to combine the better foreground with the better sky. |
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Step 2 - Copy the foreground photo to the clipboard |
Making sure the "Sunset foreground.jpg" photo is the active image, press Ctrl + C (or choose Edit > Copy) to copy it to the clipboard. |
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Step 3 - Paste as New Layer |
Now make the "Sunset sky.jpg" photo the active image, and then press Ctrl + L (or choose Edit > Paste > Paste as New Layer). Notice in the Layers palette that the "foreground" photo resides on a new Raster layer, and this is the active layer. |
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Step 4 - Duplicate the new layer |
Making sure the new Raster layer is the active layer, duplicate this layer by choosing Layers > Duplicate. This will create a layer called Copy of Raster 1, and it will be the active layer. You'll then essentially use this layer to make your mask. |
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Step 5 - Adjust the Saturation level |
With the duplicated layer active, choose Adjust > Hue and Saturation > Hue/Saturation/Lightness (or press Shift + H). In the Hue/Saturation/Lightness dialog, leave the Hue and Lightness values at 0, but set the Saturation to -100 (negative 100). This will make a grayscale version of the layer. |
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Step 6 - Adjust the Brightness and Contrast |
With the same layer active, choose Adjust > Brightness and Contrast > Brightness/Contrast (or press Shift + B). In the Brightness/Contrast dialog, set the Brightness value to -10 (negative 10) or so, and set Contrast to around 60, and then click OK. This should make the layer's pixels almost entirely all black or all white. With Masks, black is used to hide the layer's pixels, white is used to show the pixels, and depending on their lightness, gray will partially hide pixels. |
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Step 7 - Choose the Raster 1 layer |
On the Layers palette, make Raster 1 (original foreground image pasted as a new layer) the active layer. |
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Step 8 - Create the Mask Layer group |
Choose Layers > New Mask Layer > From Image. In the Add Mask From Image dialog, choose the Source Luminance option, and mark the Invert Mask Data check box, and then click OK. This will create a Mask Layer group, using the duplicated layer as the actual mask. |
Open this dialog for me. |
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Step 9 - Toggle off duplicated layer's visibility |
On the Layers palette, toggle off the duplicated layer's (labeled Copy of Raster 1) visibility -- click its Visibility Toggle icon so a red X appears over it. This will reveal the overall image, where the better sky is now seamlessly combined with the better foreground. |
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Notes and Tips: |
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The two photos used in this Quick Guide were taken with a digital camera attached to a tripod, and the tripod was kept in the same position for both photos, allowing them to be lined up perfectly. The "foreground" photo was purposely overexposed, and the "sky" photo was purposely underexposed. You can do this if your digital camera has an "Exposure Bracketing" feature. |
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If you plan on attempting a similar project with lined-up photos like these, try recording the steps above into a single Script which you could apply to the photos. |
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For more information on the Mask feature, refer to the Help system or the User Guide. |
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Learn More: |
Using Mask Layers - Basic |
Erase an image background |
Create depth of field |
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