Garv explained that there is a lot to learn about layers and they will take some time to master but they are not that difficult once you understand how they work.
A layer in its simplest form is just one image stacked on top of another.
On opening our example image (the ‘Background’ layer), Garv explained this layer is always locked and cannot have layer effects applied to it. The little padlock icon on the right, indicates it is locked but can be changed into a normal layer by double clicking on the padlock icon.
First and foremost, please remember to highlight the layer you are working on (Garv made this mistake several times over the night).
We talked about how to add a new layer, why and how we show and hide layers, changing and reasons why we may need to alter layer opacity, how to add adjustment layers and the reasons why they may need to be used (these are none destructive layers and can be deleted without effecting the original layer), how to delete a layer and finally how to create a group and then adding a number of layers to this group.
The group was then taken through the process using layers to modify a blown sky in a layer to darken and bring out detail in the sky.
We had a Q&A session at the end of the meeting to clarify points and the group left this evening understanding how layers can save many a bad photograph.
A young boy goes to the photographers with a photo of his father who had passed away.
He asked the guy in the shop ‘can you change this photo for my mother’?
‘Yes’ he said, ‘we use a program called Photoshop and we can do anything you want, What changes do you want doing’?
The boy said ‘mother would like it enlarging and could you please remove his bowler hat as she never liked him with that hat on’?
‘Yes’ he said, ‘but can you tell me which side your father parted his hair on’?
To which the boy replied ‘Won’t you see that when you take his hat off’?