Hi Gwen – maybe so:
select your background image and foreground image then
1 – open both in PS
2 – shift & left click drag foreground image to background image
2a – close foreground image to reduce onscreen clutter
3 – on the foreground image add a mask (i think it’s the button next to flying f)
4 – select your mask – a gradient one seems fine to begin with (G on the keyboard)
5 – choose your gradient type or just use whatever the machine has chosen for you
6 – shift & left click on the image then drag (this defines the start and end points for the jimmy-jiggler [sometimes called an algorithm] that affects the gradient
if the above doesn’t work do it again taking care that you are in the right layer
OK what’s the aim?
The aim is to use a gradient mask to blend parts of the background image with the foreground image – it really is as simple as that
the mask is or may be interpretted as the way both images interact to create the output image
in effect using parts of 2 images to create a 3rd composed from each
a mask has a dual prrpose in this case
the neat trick is using the click n drag to define how the mask takes effect – this is probably an intuitive or aesthetic step (or both)
"Gwen" wrote in message
I’ve never been able to really figure out the process of making masks and using them.
One I’d like to master is being able to drop background and replace them. Like for a portrait replacing background with landscape…
Any words of wisdom?