Photoshop transparancy problems

[SammyC]

Hello,

I have a photo that is way too light at the top and way too dark at the bottom (sky with a pond under a tree). What I want in the final picture is a nice clear blue sky and the pond and tree nice and clear and green.

What I can do is play with the levels such that the sky looks nice and blue OR the pond and tree are clearly visible. So, I've been thinking that what I want is the top of one version and the bottom of the other. I tried using colour select to just take the sky but it never looked correct so I was wondering if there is a way of applying a graduated alpha channel fill to a coipy and merging the two after applying appropriate levels?

That way I can duplicate the layer and blend the two layers together after one has had this applied.

Sam.
:)

[Steve]

Matt has written a tutorial to allow you to do just what you are asking.

http://www.thephotographyforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1349

Obviously you will have to make two copies of your picture first, one for the correct sky exposure and one for the correct pond exposure then follow the steps that Matt has written.

Don't forget to show us your results :)

[matty]

ignore me, steve got it covered

[CT]

Duplicate the pic so you have two copies of it. Adjust the foeground levels to how you want them in one pic and the sky to how you want it in the other pic. Copy and paste the sky pic onto the foreground pic as a new layer. Adjust the transparency of the sky layer until the two pics blend together as you want them. Combine (flatten) the layers to finish.

There are actually several alternative ways to tackle this job dependig on how tricky it is. If you have problems post the pic - it might help to have a look at it. :)

[Steve]

The early bird gets the worm :woot:

[SammyC]

Thanks chaps, I'll have a look at that when I get home. :)

I think the missing feature was the mask bit, different name in Gimp (alpha channel).

[jobe]

1

[HIMUPNORTH]

If the shots are in RAW I would process two files; one for sky, one for foreground and do some masking/blending until I was happy(er) and then start on levels/curves, etc.

edit - Oops Steve said that. Sorry must wake up more!

[Marcel]

Holy thread revival batman!

[matty]

aye innit!