Elements 11 help please........

[Phil-D]

I would like to be able to stack/blend/layer (whatever the term) two images. What I'm after doing is taking two images, one at high ISO, no more than 15 seconds, to pull as much detail out of a starry night sky with out trails, then take a second image with a lot longer exposure, to pull detail out of the landscape. I then want to put the two together.

There's loads of tutorials on youtube, just not sure what I'm looking for, cheers

 

[overbez]

Hi Phil..

Sounds to me like you want to have the landscape one open first.... Presume this gives a dark sky with no stars?

Then open and copy + paste the star image onto this one as a new layer... Blend mode lighten will do a fair amount of the work.

Might need to add a layer mask to the star layer and paint on this mask to remove some of the high iso landscape.

If you have stars and trails in this image you want a layer mask on this layer to paint them away to let the 'static' stars come through.

If you get really stuck.. Link to the 2 images and someone will I'm sure show you a result.. If you're lucky and it's someone helpful they may even tell you what they did.

 

[Phil-D]

Graham @overbez

Thanks for the reply As you may well remember from last years '52, as times I struggle to write down exactly what I'm trying to get across
but yes, that's basically what I'm after

The other thing that I'd like to have a go at is opening the raw in ACR and adjusting the sliders till I'm happy with the starry sky, then open another raw of the same image and work on the landscape, then use the two as one image......... does that make sense?

I've had a quick look on Youtube and I'm guessing that its 'layers' that I need to learn to use

 

[overbez]

Tis indeed going to be "layers", and "layer masks", and possibly layer "blend mode" that you need to be researching.

Not an elements or acr user.... But see no reason why you can't get two differently edited versions of the same, (or even a different) raw file open at the same time, bring them into the same PSE document as two different layers... And then mask off to use the parts of each that you want.

Star trails use this method, layering each section of the trails and use blend mode lighten to only allow pixels that are lighter than the one below then to show through.

I've not done exactly what you are after myself... But my darth Vader shot from last years 52 used these same techniques. I had two shots of Darth, (sooc of each linked in above post), one had the rim light as I wanted, one had the front of the body sufficiently lit, and then the star layer. Obv I didn't want the stars on DV so I used a mask to remove them.

 

[Phil-D]

@overbez Thanks for the help Graham, its much appreciated I've a certain shot in mind, something similar to one I've done before, that I'd like to take again try the technique on

I'll have a good look on Youtube and let you know how I get on, cheers