New Layer Via Copy

[mahjohn]

i'm using Photoshop Restoration and Retouching Vol II and can't seem to get what appears to be a simple step right.

Task: remove Palm leaves from womans head.
Steps:
1. work on copy of background
2. use Lasso tool to select Palm leaf 0 feather
3. [Q] Gaussian Blur 3 [Q]
4. move selection to god section of wall....(no leaf)
5. [CTRL + J] move good section over Palm leaf to hide
6.....repeat for other leaves etc..

When I do step 4, the selection moved is a copy of the leaf...not the outline of it. So the Layer in step 5 is the Leaf, not the wall needed to hide the leaf ??

So where did i go wrong ?

[Leah]

Notice the "With any selection tool" bit at the start of step 4. You need to be on one of the selection tools (marquee, lasso, magic wand) in order to drag the selection outline rather than the leaf itself. And (the bit she doesn't mention in words of one syllable) you need to have the selection option set to "New Selection" rather than "Add to selection" "Subtract from selection" or "Intersect with selection" for it to know that you want to drag the selection (rather than add to, subtract from, or intersect with it). Choose one of the selection tools and make sure it's set to "New Selection" and move the cursor over your selection of the leaf you finished in step 3 - you'll see the cursor shape change to a dotted marquee with a white arrow. That shows you that if you click and drag at that point you'll move the selection outline.

[mahjohn]

thanks that worked great. Your picture reminds me of when I was in school in North London.

thanks again.....more noob questions to follow i'm sure