Learn Photoshop...Layer By Layer Perfection Every Time

To capture a perfect image, a photographer needs to understand the delicate balance between the light conditions, the precise amount of exposure that his image needs and also the precise lenses and filters which will deliver him the final, flawless photograph. However, it so happens that despite these measures, the image does not always figure the way you imagined it to be. Re-shooting the image is not a very viable option, given the large investments in terms of time and money the process calls for. And hence we are lead to the art of editing. A device widely used by conventional and digital photographers, alike, editing software allows you to rework your image until you achieve the exact results you were aiming for. And as time and technology have advanced, many new kinds of software have been developed, of which Adobe Photoshop is undoubtedly one of the most prominent names.

Despite all the benefits that editing software has to offer, many photographers refrain from using this tool for anything more than a few basic touch ups, for fear of compromising on the image quality. Adobe Photoshop does away with this challenge as it does not burn your changes onto the original image, like many other editing tools, but allows you to work on your image without altering your image itself. This remarkable feature is attained by the use of Layers, which, like transparencies, divide your image into different parts, each of which is overlaid on a layer. These layers, when stacked together, recreate the original image. Thus you can work on only specific parts of your image without altering the appearance of the remainder, as your effects will be limited to the specific layer you choose to apply them to.

Hence, if you have a picture which is overexposed at certain parts, you can focus on building density and modifying the color of that particular layer, until it blends in with the rest of the image. And if your judgment is not wholly accurate at the first go, you can also choose to undo the effects in parts until you reach the phase which is workable and take it from there. This is because, you are undoing, not the overall effect of the image itself, but only of the particular layer or even a section of the layer, thus saving you from investing a lot more time and effort which redoing the entire image would have called for. Here, you can also experiment with the Multiple Undo option which lets you experiment to your hearts content and yet stick with only the changes which are appropriate to your final image.

If your editing skills go haywire, and you end up with something you didn't quite expect, you can also undo all the changes you've made and start all over, without even the slightest bit of change to the original image quality. You can also gauge if your editing is proceeding the right way by turning off the visibility of the layer you are working on, to view the overall effect and then turning the visibility back on to proceed with your editing.

You can custom create your own adjustment layer by making your selection from the New Adjustment Layer Sub-menu which you can find in the main Layer Menu, or click on the Palette Icon which opens up a pop up menu for you to make your selection from. Once you've found just the right adjustment layer, you can even preserve your preferences for later images to achieve the same spectacular effect without having to toil for hours over it.

Labeling your layers with distinct names is also helpful as you can distinguish between layers and switch to and fro without any confusion. To name the layer you are working on, double click on the Layer, and enter the moniker you've chosen in the name field and then click on OK to save your preference. To make your task easier, you can also hide all the other layers except for the one you are working on, while will also help you focus better by clicking on the eye icon next to the layers you're not using. To bring them back on, click on the eye icon again and proceed to the next layer. This makes your task a lot easier and more organized, thus saving you a lot of time and patience.

If you divide your image into too many layers, you may find it exceedingly difficult to manage all the layers without messing them up. So, you can either delete the unwanted layers, or merge a combination of layers together using the Merge Layers Option in the Layer Menu. The key to your success with Photoshop undoubtedly lies in perfecting your skills with layers. A little bit of practice and loads of creativity imperfect images will soon be ancient history!

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