I have PS Elements 2.0, which I am slowly learning. I would like to learn how to combine exposures. I have followed some directions that someone gave me, but it did not work. I can't find any directions in the "PS Elements for Dummies" book. Hoping someone out there can give me some advise. I use 2-stop and 3-stop ND grad filters, sometimes together, but find I still have scenes where that is not enough and would like to expose 2 images separately and put them together. Thanks for any suggestions!
Posted by Tom Nevesely on June 22, 2006 at 10:39 AM
Alice, I also use PSE and I use the Fred Miranda DRI Pro plugin. http://www.fredmiranda.com/shopping/DRI
It seems to work well for me. I got it because I don't think that Elements has Later Masks.
Posted by Mel Ladewig on June 22, 2006 at 11:19 AM
Elements is a pain for this (I use PSE 3).
To do this you need
1) background (1 of the exposures of you image)
2) an adjustment layer to which you will not make any changes (levels is fine)
3) the second exposure of your scene.
Then you group the layer with the second exposure of your scene to the levels layer, making the levels layer the parent. Then paint on the levels layer mask with black.
In PSE2, you can create a layer mask. It's hidden (Adobe doesn't advertise it), but you can do it like this:
Open the image you want to make a layer mask for, in a separate window. Go to the effects pallette and choose Ripple. Now here's the important part: Hold the ALT key down while clicking on "Apply". (I hold the ALT key down until it's done applying, but I don't really know how long you actually have to hold it down for.) Once it has finished doing its thing, there will be a few layers. One of them will have the image and a layer mask. Copy this layer into the file you want to work with. And then you need to ALT-click on the layer mask thumbnail and paint out the ripple edge.
This works in PSE2. I don't know about PSE3 or PSE4. In PSE1 there's a different method to get a layer mask.
When combining exposures, I put the darker image on top, which means it's the one that needs the layer mask.
Discussion
4 repliesI use Layers and Layer Mask, with the technique described in this article:
Layers and Layer Mask
It seems to work well for me. I got it because I don't think that Elements has Later Masks.
To do this you need
1) background (1 of the exposures of you image)
2) an adjustment layer to which you will not make any changes (levels is fine)
3) the second exposure of your scene.
Then you group the layer with the second exposure of your scene to the levels layer, making the levels layer the parent. Then paint on the levels layer mask with black.
Open the image you want to make a layer mask for, in a separate window. Go to the effects pallette and choose Ripple. Now here's the important part: Hold the ALT key down while clicking on "Apply". (I hold the ALT key down until it's done applying, but I don't really know how long you actually have to hold it down for.) Once it has finished doing its thing, there will be a few layers. One of them will have the image and a layer mask. Copy this layer into the file you want to work with. And then you need to ALT-click on the layer mask thumbnail and paint out the ripple edge.
This works in PSE2. I don't know about PSE3 or PSE4. In PSE1 there's a different method to get a layer mask.
When combining exposures, I put the darker image on top, which means it's the one that needs the layer mask.
-Paul