Layers and Me

[errantsun]

Please, I am not so new at photography, just photo software and the use of it to my advantage.

I need, desperately, a good tutorial on layers. For some reason my mind sees the thought of layers and shuts itself down from cognitive thinking. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

[mgbeach]

Think of them like a stack of transparent pages stacked on top of your image. Each one either hides or changes the appearance of parts or all of the original image and all layers beneath it.

[ap.]

errantsun,
Exactly what Michael said! Layers are a great way to seperate elements of your image so you can move or edit them at any time without effecting the other pieces. If you think you may want to change your mind about something later put it on a layer. Here's the easiest way to copy something to a new layer.

1. Either, click on the layer name (OR) select the part of your image you want using the lasso or other means.
2. Press CTRL + J to duplicate it to a new layer.

I like this method because it keeps everything in the same place. Copy and paste will sometimes center what you're duplicating.

[Carlton]

You should be able to find all you need and more here......

http://www.photozo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=14067&highlight=#14067

[tchiara]

I'm in the same boat with errantsun--not new to photography but new to digital photography software. Also am frustrated with trying to get a handle on layers. I took a look at the links provided and they all seem too advanced for me. Any other suggestions on where to find some more basic tutorials on use of layers in photography editing?

[Carlton]

Check this one out....

http://www.graphicssoft.about.com/cs/photoshoplayers

click on "Basic Layers"