Editing with layers

[Jimbo111]

Hi all. I have Photoshop Elements 6 and Scott Kelby's book. On Pgs 81-84 he shows how to "Expand the Range of Your Photos". He starts with a photo with an over-exposed bright sky background and an under-exposed shadowy dark foreground. His Step 1 is to open the photo in Editor in Camera Raw and get the background (the sky) right. He then instructs to click Open Image to create the first version of the edited photo. This automatically creates a background layer in the Layers palette.
He then instructs to save the edited photo under a new name e.g. ...background.jpg.
In Steps 2, 3 and 4 he instructs one to go under the File menu and, under Open Recently Edited File, choose the original RAW photo you originally opened. It opens in RAW. He then creates a second version of the photo with the foreground correctly exposed. The sky gets trashed, of course. One then clicks Open Image. He then says: "Arrange the windows so you can see both onscreen at the same time". I don't understand this - how does one do this?

Next to the Step 4 text he shows the 'foreground' picture and the Layers palette - with two layers: Background and Layer 1. I don't get this - I've still got only a Background layer. However I do have two separate photos in the Show Open Files tray.
What am I doing wrong please?
Jimbo

[buso23]

I don't know what you are doing wrong as I don't understand the question completly, but if you have two versions of the same image as separate photos and you want them on layers, you can always copy one of the photos (CTRL +A then CTRL+C) and paste it (CTRL +V) in the other photo. They will be perfectly alligned since it's the same photo.
Regards, Lj

[Tony W]

Hi Jimbo
Not sure about PSE 6 i.e. if it works same way as CS4/5 but you could try this:

Originally Posted by Jimbo111

.......He then says: "Arrange the windows so you can see both onscreen at the same time". I don't understand this - how does one do this?
Have a look on the top menu bar one of the entries should be Windows. Click on this then select Arrange/Tile. Hopefully you should get both images side by side within PS.

Next to the Step 4 text he shows the 'foreground' picture and the Layers palette - with two layers: Background and Layer 1. I don't get this - I've still got only a Background layer. However I do have two separate photos in the Show Open Files tray.
What am I doing wrong please?
If you select the Move tool then hold left mouse button down and drag the image from one window to the other you should get the 2 layers you require. Alternatively use Select All on one image copy then paste into second image.
Jimbo

Hope this helps

Tony

[Jimbo111]

Thanks LJ - that works. What, in words, does Ctrl-A mean - and Ctrl-C?
Jimbo

[Jimbo111]

Thanks Tony. No, the menu item 'Windows' doesn't have the 'Arrange/Tile' option in Elements 6. However using the Ctrl+A and then Ctrl+V shortcuts HAS allowed me to gain control over what's in the layers palette. Thanks for your interest.
Jimbo

[Steve13]

Control-a is select all, Control-c is copy, Control-x is cut, Control-v is paste. Is that what you're asking?