Retouching and Layers

Work with the following images:
Wine tasters
Red girls in bar
Julia in car
Really bad cave shot

1. The Clone Stamp
**Assignmnent: Open up the Wine tasters.. you must use the clone tool to get rid of the bread basket by cloning the table cloth and using it to get rid of the basket.. if you have time, also clone the bag to get rid of the basket by the arms.

The clone stamp tool takes a sample of an image, which you can then apply over another image or part of the same image. Each stroke of the tool paints on more of the sample. Cross hairs mark the original sampling point.
To use the clone stamp tool:
1. Select the clone stamp tool .
2. Choose a brush from the pop-up palette in the options bar, and drag the Size pop-up slider to set the brush size.
3. Specify a blending mode and opacity.
4. Select Aligned to copy the sampled area once, regardless of how many times you stop and resume painting. This option is useful when you want to eliminate unwanted areas such as a telephone line across the skyline or a rip in a scanned photo.
If Aligned is deselected, the clone stamp tool applies the sampled area from the initial sampling point each time you stop and resume painting. This option is useful for applying multiple copies of the same part of an image to different areas within the same image or to another image.
[5. To sample data from all visible layers, select Use All Layers. To sample data from only the active layer, deselect this option.
6. Position the pointer on the part of any open image you want to sample, and Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS). This sample point is the location from which the tool duplicates your image as you paint.
7. Drag to paint with the tool]

2. Add Fill Flash

**Assignment: Using Julia in car.. first try the flashfill over the whole image.. not so good? next use the selection brush to carefully select Julia's face only, then use the fill flash. Much better though not great.

In pictures taken in bright light, shadows are often so dark that they show little detail. You can lighten such shadows using the Fill Flash command.
Original image, and Fill Flash applied
To use the Fill Flash command:
1. Do one of the following:
* To make adjustments to your entire image, choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is selected. If your image has multiple layers, select a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.
* To make adjustments to a portion of your image, make a selection in the document window. See Selecting pixels.
2. Choose Enhance > Adjust Lighting > Fill Flash.
3. Drag the Lighter slider or enter a value in the text box to adjust the tonal variation in the image. Values can range from 0 to 100.
4. Click OK..

Remove Color Cast

**Assignment: Using the bad cave shot, first try the color cast.. does it improve the photo much? try the white of the sneakers etc. Next Open Layers.. use each color individually.. red, then green, the blue.. does it help? what would you try next?

The Color Cast command changes the overall mixture of colors to remove color casts in your image.
To use the Color Cast command:
1. Do one of the following:
* To make adjustments to your entire image, choose Select > Deselect to make sure nothing is selected. If your image has multiple layers, select a layer to adjust in the Layers palette.
* To make adjustments to a portion of your image, make a selection in the document window. (See Selecting pixels.)
2. Choose Enhance > Adjust Color > Color Cast.
3. In your image, click an area that should be neutral gray, white, or black. The image changes based on the color you selected.
To start over, and undo the changes made to the image, click the Reset button.
4. Click OK

You create and manage layers using the Layers palette and the Layers menu. Layers give you the freedom to rearrange your image, adjust its color and brightness, apply special effects, edit, and add new elements to your image. With layers, all these things can be done without making permanent changes to your original image and without affecting other layers.

The power of layers is that they enable you to work on one element of your image without disturbing the others, and without making tedious selections. Until you combine, or merge, the layers, each layer remains independent. This means you can experiment freely with different compositions without making permanent changes to your overall image. In addition, special features such as adjustment layers, fill layers, and layer styles let you create sophisticated effects.

A good way to think of layers is as sheets of transparent glass stacked one on top of the other. Where there is no image on a layer, you can see through to the layers below. Behind all of the layers is the Background layer. In the following illustration, each animal and the map are on separate layers. Depending on how you stack and position the layers, the composition changes.
Transparent areas on a layer let you see through to the layers below.

You can also create sophisticated visual effects with layers. Grouped layers use a base layer to define the image boundaries of a layer group, and you can use layers to create a Web animation.
In addition, the Layer Styles palette lets you apply special visual effects to a layer.
In addition to pixel-based image layers, there are several other layer types. Fill layers are filled with a color gradient, solid color, or pattern. You can fill the entire image area or just a selected area. You can fine-tune the color, brightness, saturation of your image using

About layers in the Layers palette

Except in the case of adjustment layers and some changes to linked layers, changes to an image affect only the selected or active layer, which appears highlighted in the Layers palette.

To make a layer active, you can select a layer in the Layers palette. You can accomplish many tasks--such as creating, hiding, linking, locking, and deleting a layer--using the icons in the Layers palette. You can access additional commands and options in the Layers menu and in the More menu in the Layers palette.

The Layers palette uses icons to provide information about layers.
The leftmost column in the palette displays an eye icon next to visible layers and no eye icon next to hidden layers.
The second column from the left shows a paintbrush icon or layer mask icon next to the active layer; layers without either of these icons can't be modified. It also shows a link icon for layers that are linked to the active layer.
The right column lists the layer's name and may display additional icons. By default, this column also shows a thumbnail image of the layer which is updated as you edit the layer. You can change the thumbnail size or choose not to show thumbnails in the Layers palette by changing the Layers palette options.

Layers palette A. Layer lock options (from left to right): Transparency, All B. Show/Hide layer C. Indicates active layer D. Link/Unlink E. Layer thumbnail F. More menu G. Highlighted layer is active layer H. Locked layer I. Create a new fill or adjustment layer J. Create a new layer K. Delete a layer

To show or hide a layer in the document window:Do one of the following:
* In the Layers palette, click the eye icon next to a layer to hide that layer. Click in the leftmost column again to redisplay the layer.
* Drag through the eye column to show or hide multiple layers.
* To display just one layer, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the eye icon for that layer. Alt/Option-click in the eye column again to redisplay all the layers.

To select a layer:Do one of the following:
* In the Layers palette, select a layer's thumbnail or name to make it active.
* Select the move tool, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) in the image, and choose the layer you want from the context menu. The context menu lists all the layers that contain pixels under the current pointer location, and all adjustment layers.

To create a new transparent layer with default options:Click the New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers palette. The layer uses Normal mode with 100% opacity and is named according to its order of creation.
To add a new layer and specify options:
1. Do one of the following:
* Choose Layer > New > Layer.
* Choose New Layer from the Layers palette menu.
* Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers palette.
2. Name the layer, and set other layer options. (See Specifying layer blending modes, Specifying opacity, and Creating grouped layers.)
3. Click OK.
To turn a selected area into a new layer:
1. Select an existing layer, and make a selection. (See Selecting pixels.)
2. Choose Layer > New, and choose one of the following commands from the submenu:
* Layer Via Copy to copy the selection into a new layer.
* Layer Via Cut to cut the selection and paste it into a new layer.
The selected area appears in a new layer in the same position relative to the image boundaries.
New layer created from feathered selection with Layer Via Copy command, and then moved
To create a layer from the background:
1. Do one of the following:
* Double-click the background in the Layers palette to convert it to a layer.
* Choose Layer > New > Layer from Background to convert the background to a layer.
* Select the background, and choose Duplicate Layer from the Layers palette More menu to leave the background intact and create a copy of it as a new layer.
2. Rename the layer in the New Layer dialog box, and click OK.
If you drag the background eraser tool on the background layer, the background is automatically converted to a regular layer, and erased areas become transparent.
To convert a layer into a background:
1. Select a layer in the Layers palette.
2. Choose Layer > New > Background from Layer.
Any transparent areas in the original layer are filled with the background color.

To change the order of a layer:
1. In the Layers palette, select the layer that you want to move.
2. Choose Layer > Arrange, and choose a command from the submenu to arrange the layer:
* Bring to Front to make the layer the topmost layer.
* Bring Forward to move the layer one level up in the stacking order.
* Send Backward to move the layer one level down in the stacking order.
* Send to Back to make the layer the bottommost layer in the image (except for the background).

To duplicate a layer in an image:
1. Select the layer in the Layers palette, and do one of the following to duplicate it:
* To duplicate and rename the layer, choose Layer > Duplicate Layer, or choose Duplicate Layer from the Layers palette More menu. Name the duplicate layer, and click OK.
* To duplicate without naming, select the layer and drag it to the New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers palette.
* (Windows only) Right-click on the layer name (not the thumbnail) and choose Duplicate Layer.
To copy a layer between images:
1. Open the two images you want to use.
2. In the Layers palette of the source image, select the layer that you want to copy.
3. Do one of the following:
* Choose Select > All to select all of the pixels on the layer, and choose Edit > Copy. Then make the destination image active, and choose Edit > Paste.
* Drag the layer's name from the Layers palette of the source image into the destination image.
* Use the move tool to drag the layer from the source image to the destination image.
The copied layer appears in the destination image where you release the mouse button (and above the active layer in the Layers palette). If the layer you're dragging is larger than the destination image, only part of the layer is visible. You can use the move tool to drag other sections of the layer into view.

To reposition layers:
1. In the Layers palette, select the layer that you want to reposition. To reposition multiple layers at the same time, link the layers together in the Layers palette. (See Linking layers.)
2. Select the move tool .
3. Do one of the following:
* Drag in the image to move the selected layer to the desired position.
* Press the arrow keys on the keyboard to move the layer in 1-pixel increments, or press Shift and an arrow key to move the layer in 10-pixel increments.
* Hold down Shift as you drag to move the layer directly up or down, directly to either side, or on a 45° diagonal.

By linking two or more layers, you can move their contents together. You can also copy, paste, merge, and apply transformations to all linked layers simultaneously.
To link layers:
1. Select a layer in the Layers palette.
2. Click in the column immediately to the left of any layers you want to link to the active layer. The link icon appears in the column.
To unlink layers:In the Layers palette, click the link icons to remove them.

Adjustment layers

**Assignment: Choose the image of the 2 students with the red tone.
Create an adjustment layer.. choose levels...choose only the red ( not RGB) and tone down the red flavor the picture.
Next create a second adjustment layer after you have selected the girl's face on the right which is too light. Here you will again use layers to darken her face using the triangle on the bottom ( black).

Layers that allow you to experiment with color and tonal adjustments without permanently modifying the pixels in the image.
The color and tonal changes reside within the adjustment layer, which acts as a veil through which the underlying layers appear. By default, an adjustment layer affects all the layers below it. This means that you can correct multiple layers by making a single adjustment, rather than making the adjustment to each layer separately. To limit the adjustment to a portion of the image, you can select an area in your image before adding the adjustment layer. If you want the adjustment layer to only affect a single layer, you can group them together. (See Creating grouped layers.)

Creating adjustment layers
Adjustment layers have the same opacity and blending mode options as image layers and can be rearranged in the layer stacking order, deleted, hidden, and duplicated in the same manner as image layers. By default, adjustment layers take the name of the adjustment type.

New Fill or Adjustment Layer menu A. Fill layers B. Adjustment layers
To create an adjustment layer:
1. In the Layers palette, select the topmost layer you want to affect.
2. To confine the effects of the adjustment layer to a selected area, make a selection.
3. Do one of the following:
* To affect all the layers below the adjustment layer, click the New Fill or Adjustment Layer button at the bottom of the Layers palette, and choose the adjustment type you want to create. (Note that the first three commands in the menu are fill layers, not adjustment layers.)
* To affect only one or more successive layers below the adjustment layer, Choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer, and choose an adjustment type from the submenu. In the New Layer dialog box, select Group With Previous Layer, and then click OK.
4. In the [adjustment type] dialog box, set the options for the adjustment type you chose

Selecting a blending mode

**Assignment: choose the wine tasters or any of the pictures above that can be fixed.. and try each of the following in sequence on a copy layer. Next to each of the adjustments, write in for yourself what changes you note. Pay special attention to the screen,

The blending mode specified in the options bar controls how pixels in the image are affected by a painting or editing tool. It's helpful to think in terms of the following colors when visualizing a blending mode's effect:
* The base color is the original color in the image.
* The blend color is the color being applied with the painting or editing tool.
* The result color is the color resulting from the blend.
To select a blending mode for a tool:Choose from the Mode menu in the options bar.
Normal
Edits or paints each pixel to make it the result color. This is the default mode. (Normal mode is called Threshold when you're working with an image in Bitmap or Indexed Color mode.)
Dissolve
Edits or paints each pixel to make it the result color. However, the result color is a random replacement of the pixels with the base color or the blend color, depending on the opacity at any pixel location. This mode works best with the brush tool and a large brush.
Behind
Edits or paints only on the transparent part of a layer. This mode works only on layers with Lock Transparency deselected, and is analogous to painting on the back of transparent areas on a sheet of glass.
Clear
Edits or paints each pixel and makes it transparent. You must be on a layer with Lock Transparency deselected in the Layers palette to use this mode.
Darken
Looks at the color information in each channel and selects the base or blend color--whichever is darker--as the result color. Pixels lighter than the blend color are replaced, and pixels darker than the blend color do not change.
Multiply
Looks at the color information in each channel and multiplies the base color by the blend color. The result color is always a darker color. Multiplying any color with black produces black. Multiplying any color with white leaves the color unchanged. When you're painting with a color other than black or white, successive strokes with a painting tool produce progressively darker colors. The effect is similar to drawing on the image with multiple felt-tipped pens.
Color Burn
Looks at the color information in each channel and darkens the base color to reflect the blend color. Blending with white produces no change.
Linear Burn
Looks at the color information in each channel and darkens the base color to reflect the blend color by decreasing the brightness. Blending with white produces no change.
Lighten
Looks at the color information in each channel and selects the base or blend color--whichever is lighter--as the result color. Pixels darker than the blend color are replaced, and pixels lighter than the blend color do not change.
Screen
Looks at each channel's color information and multiplies the inverse of the blend and base colors. The result color is always a lighter color. Screening with black leaves the color unchanged. Screening with white produces white. The effect is similar to projecting multiple photographic slides on top of each other.
Color Dodge
Looks at the color information in each channel and brightens the base color to reflect the blend color. Blending with black produces no change.
Linear Dodge
Looks at the color information in each channel and brightens the base color to reflect the blend color by increasing the brightness. Blending with black produces no change.
Overlay
Multiplies or screens the colors, depending on the base color. Patterns or colors overlay the existing pixels while preserving the highlights and shadows of the base color. The base color is mixed with the blend color to reflect the lightness or darkness of the original color.
Soft Light
Darkens or lightens the colors, depending on the blend color. The effect is similar to shining a diffused spotlight on the image.
If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the image is lightened as if it were dodged. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, the image is darkened as if it were burned in. Painting with pure black or white produces a distinctly darker or lighter area but does not result in pure black or white.
Hard Light
Multiplies or screens the colors, depending on the blend color. The effect is similar to shining a harsh spotlight on the image.
If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the image is lightened as if it were screened. This is useful for adding highlights to an image. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, the image is darkened as if it were multiplied. This is useful for adding shadows to an image. Painting with pure black or white results in pure black or white.
Vivid Light
Burns or dodges the colors by increasing or decreasing the contrast, depending on the blend color. If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the image is lightened by decreasing the contrast. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, the image is darkened by increasing the contrast.
Linear Light
Burns or dodges the colors by decreasing or increasing the brightness, depending on the blend color. If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, the image is lightened by increasing the brightness. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, the image is darkened by decreasing the brightness.
Pin Light
Replaces the colors, depending on the blend color. If the blend color (light source) is lighter than 50% gray, pixels darker than the blend color are replaced, and pixels lighter than the blend color do not change. If the blend color is darker than 50% gray, pixels lighter than the blend color are replaced, and pixels darker than the blend color do not change. This mode is useful for adding special effects to an image.
Difference
Looks at the color information in each channel and subtracts either the blend color from the base color or the base color from the blend color, depending on which has the greater brightness value. Blending with white inverts the base color values; blending with black produces no change.
Exclusion
Creates an effect similar to but lower in contrast than the Difference mode. Blending with white inverts the base color values. Blending with black produces no change.
Hue
Creates a result color with the luminance and saturation of the base color and the hue of the blend color.
Saturation
Creates a result color with the luminance and hue of the base color and the saturation of the blend color. Painting with this mode in an area with zero saturation (a neutral gray area) causes no change.
Color
Creates a result color with the luminance of the base color and the hue and saturation of the blend color. This preserves the gray levels in the image and is useful for coloring monochrome images and for tinting color images.
Luminosity
Creates a result color with the hue and saturation of the base color and the luminance of the blend color. This mode creates an inverse effect from that of the Color mode.

When you flatten an image, Photoshop Elements merges all visible layers into the background, greatly reducing the file size. Flattening an image discards all hidden layers, and fills any transparent areas with white. In most cases, you won't want to flatten a file until you've finished editing individual layers.
You can see the difference between your image's layered file size and its flattened file size by choosing Document Sizes from the status bar pop-up menu. See Tracking file size.
To flatten an image:
1. Make sure that the layers you want to keep in your image are visible.
2. Choose Flatten Image from either the Layers menu or the Layers palette menu.