7 THE POWER OF LAYER MASKING ome men have commitment problems—or so the Scliché goes. Well, I’ve met quite a few Photoshop users with deep-rooted commitment problems, and yes, I count myself among them. We fear the commitment of making an irrevocable image-editing decision that we’ll regret in the morning. In fact, if it wasn’t for one essential feature in Photoshop—layer masks—I would be a nail-biting, sleep-deprived wreck. Layer masks allow the commitment-wary and -weary the opportunity to try various approaches to their images without losing the flexibility to change their minds. In this chapter, you’ll be introduced to the per- fect partnership—layers and layer masks—and how they work hand in hand (or should I say pixel in pixel?). This chapter addresses • How to work with painted, gradated, and selec- tive layer masks • When to use pixel or vector layer masks • Why layer masks are powerful, flexible, and creative • How to combine multiple image exposures If I had to decide between giving up coffee or layer masks, I wouldn’t think twice. I hear that tea has caf- feine, too. So brew a cup of your favorite beverage and let’s explore one of the most exciting and essential fea- tures of Photoshop. 208 Photoshop Masking & Compositing WORKING WITH LAYER MASKS Painted Layer Masks Layer masks are the soul of Photoshop—the key to When layers were introduced with Photoshop 3.0, combining images in a completely nondestructive I was having a problem adopting the new layered, manner. They enable you to move, hide, blend, dimensional approach to combining images. To conceal, and experiment with image combinations understand how layers and layer masks worked, one to your heart’s content—all without ever losing a night I opened two images that I liked (figure 7.1), single pixel. literally plopped one on top of the other by drag- ging the Pegasus image over to the tree image, Each layer can support a pixel and a vector layer added a layer mask to the top one, and then started mask. Pixel-based masks are used for blending pho- painting. If you, too, have struggled to grasp the tographs together, to gradually have images or tone concept of combining images using layer masks, fol- and color changes fade in and out, and wherever lowing the same steps I did may help: painted or soft edge quality is desired. Vector-based masks are employed when Bézier accuracy and ch7_wintertrees.jpg crispness is required. Both types are very useful, but the pixel-based mask is the true workhorse of the ch7_pegasus.jpg compositing artist. Background and type layers do not support layer masks. Adjustment Layers automatically come with a layer mask. To add a layer mask to an image layer, either click on the Mask button in the Layers palette to add a white layer mask, or (Option-click) [Alt-click] to add a black layer mask. You can also choose Layer > Add Layer Mask > Reveal All to add a white layer mask, or Layer > Add Layer Mask > Hide All to add a black layer mask. Just like Channel masks, pixel layer masks can be black or white with all shades of gray in between. Wherever the mask is darker, less image effect will show through; wherever it is lighter, more image effect shows through. In a nutshell, black conceals and white reveals—meaning that if you want part figure 7.1 of an image to show through, then the correspon- The two source images. ding mask must be light. If you don’t want an image 1. Open both images and decide which one will area to be visible, the mask must be black. serve as the image background. I chose the Tip winter tree branches image as the background, Use the masking mnemonic, “White Reveals and and the Pegasus image as the foreground Black Conceals” when working with layer masks. subject. 2. Use the Move tool to drag the Pegasus over to the winter tree branches image and name the layer Pegasus. Chapter 7 The Power of Layer Masking 209 3. Click on the Layer Mask button. Notice that 5. In a few minutes, you should have the image nothing has changed in your image and that roughly combined. To fine-tune the image Photoshop has added a white layer mask to edges, zoom in on an area (figure 7.4) and the Pegasus layer (figure 7.2). paint with a smaller, harder brush. Press x to 4. Paint with a soft, black brush over those areas paint with black or conceal, or white to reveal of the Pegasus layer that you do not want to the Pegasus layer. (Option-click) [Alt-click] see (figure 7.3). If by accident you paint over on the layer mask to view it (figure 7.5). an area that you do want to see, press x to switch the foreground and background colors, and paint over the area you want to see with white. Keep in mind, white reveals and black conceals—meaning that if you paint with black on the layer mask, you will be hiding “Pegasus” pixels. figure 7.2 Adding a white layer mask does not alter the image in any way. figure 7.4 Zoom in and paint with a smaller, harder brush to fine-tune how the image elements come together. figure 7.3 figure 7.5 Painting with a large, soft black brush quickly conceals areas of the Pegasus image you do not want to see. Viewing the layer mask shows that white reveals and black conceals. 210 Photoshop Masking & Compositing 6. When you’ve finished, select File > Save As White and Black Layer Masks and save the file in the PSD or TIFF format When you click on the Layer Mask button in the (these are the two recommended formats that Layers palette, Photoshop adds a white layer mask, will maintain the layers). When you return to which reveals the entire image. Starting with a this image, you can readjust it any way you white layer mask is a subtractive mode of working. want by painting on the layer mask again. You see the entire image and paint away with black or gray the areas you do not want to see. Now you know how I learned layer masking—I spent an evening with these two images and kept (Option-clicking) [Alt-clicking] the Layer Mask painting back and forth to create the image shown button adds a black layer mask, which hides the in figure 7.6. It took me a few hours, but I finally entire layer. You need to paint with white to add got it and haven’t looked back since. the image back—to work additively you bring the image back into view. This technique is used very often in portrait retouching. Photographers will sharpen the entire portrait, and then by adding a black layer mask to the sharpened layer, they paint back in the sharp- ness only where it is needed—in most cases the eyes and lips (figure 7.7). figure 7.6 The final image playfully reveals winter trees interspersed with a Las Vegas shopping arcade. Chapter 7 The Power of Layer Masking 211 © Mark Beckelman Without sharpening Sharpened eyes figure 7.7 The layer mask controls where the sharpening effect is applied to the original image. Gradated Layer Masks you want to draw attention. Light areas attract the viewer’s focus, whereas dark areas are of less visual The largest paintbrush in Photoshop is the interest. Gradient tool. You can use it on layer masks to con- trol tonal and color effects and to seamlessly blend Traditionally, photographers often burned or dark- images together. ened the edges of their prints to focus the viewer’s attention on the center. If you employ this tech- Darkening Image Edges nique, you should do it as subtly as possible so that Adjustment Layers in combination with blending it’s not noticeable. After finishing a composite, I modes and layer masks offer a straightforward often add a slight edge burn to darken the outer method for lightening and darkening (traditionally edges and keep the viewer’s eyes focused on the cen- called dodging and burning) areas in an image where ter, as figure 7.8 illustrates. ch7_pear.jpg 212 Photoshop Masking & Compositing You can quickly create this darkening effect using an Adjustment Layer and the Gradient tool: 1. Activate the topmost layer of your composite or image. 2. Add a Levels or Curves Adjustment Layer— it doesn’t matter which one you choose. As soon as the interface pops up, click OK with- out changing anything. 3. Change the blending mode to Multiply and reduce the opacity to 50%. The entire image will become darker (figure 7.9). figure 7.9 Changing the layer blending mode to Multiply darkens the entire image. 4. Select Image > Adjustments > Invert or (Cmd + I) [Ctrl + I] to invert the layer mask, which will turn it black. 5. Activate the Gradient tool and select the second gradient from the Gradient picker— Foreground to Transparent (figure 7.10). figure 7.8 Verify that white is the foreground color; if Framing the pear with a hint of darkness maintains the focus it isn’t, press x to switch the foreground and on the center of the image. background colors. Chapter 7 The Power of Layer Masking 213 figure 7.10 You need the Foreground to Transparent gradient for this technique to work. 6. Press f to place the image into full-screen mode and zoom out to see the entire image.