Blend Modes & Opacity

Topics Covered in This Photoshop Tutorial:

Blend Modes, Opacity, Placing & Editing Smart Objects

Exercise Preview

Exercise Overview

In this hands-on exercise, you'll master the art of seamlessly blending photographs using Photoshop's powerful blend modes and opacity controls. Beyond basic compositing, you'll dive deep into smart object workflows—a cornerstone technique that professional designers rely on for non-destructive editing. This exercise combines technical precision with creative vision, teaching you to transform separate images into cohesive, atmospheric compositions that look naturally integrated rather than obviously assembled.

Importing a Fog Photo

We'll begin by incorporating atmospheric elements into your existing composition. The Place Embedded command is your gateway to professional smart object workflows.

1. Go to File > Open.

2. Navigate into the Photoshop Class folder and:

   • If you completed the previous exercise open the file you made:
     yourname-Man on trees.psd
   • If you did not complete the previous exercise, open a file we're prepared for you: 2B Man on trees.psd
3. Choose View > Fit on Screen to optimize your workspace view.
4. Go to File > Place Embedded. This command creates a smart object automatically, preserving your source file's editability.
5. From the Photoshop Class folder, double–click on the file 2B Fog.jpg.
6. You'll see the photo with transform handles around its perimeter. Double-click anywhere on the image to accept the current dimensions and confirm the placement.

7. In the Layers panel:

   • Notice that Photoshop automatically created a new layer named 2B Fog (matching the source filename). The small icon in the layer thumbnail indicates this is a smart object.
   • Double–click directly on the name 2B Fog and rename it fog for clarity.
   • Hit Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) to apply the name change.

8. Now we'll explore blend modes—Photoshop's mathematical formulas for combining pixel values. Near the top left of the Layers panel, click on the dropdown menu that currently says Normal and:

   Hover over the first three blend modes in the Lighten section (don't click yet, just preview):

   • Lighten • Screen • Color Dodge

   Each blend mode uses different algorithms to combine your fog layer with underlying pixels. The Lighten group specifically targets darker areas: Lighten compares pixels and shows only the lighter values, Screen multiplies the inverse of both layers (creating a brighter result), and Color Dodge brightens the base color by decreasing contrast. This is why black areas become transparent—mathematically, they can only darken other pixels, so they become invisible in these modes.

9. Select Lighten for the most natural atmospheric effect.

10. The fog effect is currently too prominent for realistic atmospheric perspective. Reduce its visual impact by adjusting the Opacity slider at the top of the Layers panel to 40%.

    Pro Tip: With any layer selected, you can quickly set opacity using number keys—press 4 for 40%, 6 for 60%, or 0 for 100%. This keyboard shortcut dramatically speeds up your workflow during the refinement process.

Editing the Smart Object

Here's where smart objects truly shine. Our atmospheric "fog" is actually a deep space photograph, but there's an unwanted planet visible behind the figure. Rather than starting over, we'll edit the smart object non-destructively.

1. In the Layers panel, double-click on the fog layer's thumbnail (the image icon, not the layer name) to enter smart object editing mode.

2. Photoshop opens the source image in a new document window. This is the beauty of smart objects—you're editing the original while automatically updating all instances.

   The Background layer should be selected in the Layers panel. Create a working copy by pressing Cmd–J (Mac) or Ctrl–J (Windows) to duplicate the layer. This preserves your original pixels as a safety net.

3. In the Tools panel, select the Spot Healing Brush tool . You may need to click and hold on the Healing Brush tool to access it from the tool group.
4. Position your cursor over the unwanted planet in the lower portion of the image.
5. Use the bracket keys [ or ] to resize your brush until it's slightly larger than the planet. Proper brush sizing ensures complete coverage without affecting surrounding detail.
6. Click once. The Spot Healing Brush analyzes surrounding pixels and seamlessly removes the planet by blending nearby textures and tones.

7. Before returning to your main composition, you must save your changes. Go to the File menu and choose Save.

   • You'll encounter a warning about save limitations. This occurs because the original fog image was a JPEG—a format that doesn't support multiple layers. Photoshop maintained the original format within the smart object, creating this constraint.
   • Click OK to proceed.
8. Go to Layer > Flatten Image to merge your edits into a single layer compatible with JPEG format.

9. Perform File > Save again.

   In the JPEG Options dialog, drag the Quality slider to maximum (12 or rightmost position) to preserve image fidelity, then click OK.

10. Execute File > Close to return to your main composition.

    Your fog layer now reflects the planet removal—this is smart object magic in action.

11. Your atmospheric composite is complete. Save your work using Cmd–S (Mac) or Ctrl–S (Windows). Since this is a PSD file, all layers and smart objects remain fully editable.