how to create a new layer on adobe photoshop elements?

Question

i want to lighten a shadow on a photo without lightening any other part of the picture.
someone suggested creatign a new layer with just the shadow on it, then lightening that layer.
ok, so how do i create a new layer?
step by step instructions please. thanks

Answer 1

First, take a deep breath and repeat to yourself "The computer is my friend but I am its master.";-)



OK, first you have to select the shadow. This is kind of easy if the shadow falls across one or just a few colors - like if the shadow's on the lawn. In this case just click on it with the Magic Wand Tool.



It might be easier for you to use the Selection Brush because you'll have more control. If you don't know where the Selection Brush is in the Toolbar, press A on your keyboard and its location will highlight. It's there with the Quick Selection Brush. Up in the Options Bar, starting over on the left side: 2 groups of little boxes, the first is "Add To Selection" and the second is "Subtract From Selection". Click on "Add..." because you're starting out and want to make a selection. Next is the Brush Selector. Pick a fuzzy edged brush if the shadow has fuzzy edges and a hard-edged brush if the shadow is on concrete or some other hard surface and has a distinct edge. Next is "Size". You want to start off with a large size so you can quickly do most of the shadow except along the edges. "Mode" is either Selection or Mask. Choose "Selection". "Hardness" you don't want to brush to be too soft so increase the Hardness to around 60%. Now start painting on the shadow to select it.



When you get most of the shadow selected you might have some small places to do. Zoom in and make the brush smaller to do this.



If you accidently, select the area outside the shadow. Click on the "Subtract From Selection" set of boxes up in the Options Bar and "paint" over the mistake.



When you finish selecting - and SELECTING IS THE HARDEST PART so take your time with it and do a good job - anywho, you can now put the shadow on its own layer by pressing CTRL+J on your keyboard or you can just use the Enhance Menu to lighten it in place without moving it to its own layer. Because the shadow is selected, only it will be changed and the rest of the photo (that's unselected) will stay the same.



Besides lightening it, you might also see what lowering its opacity does. Opacity is "see-through-it-ness". You can find the Opacity slider in the Layers Palette. It's the little rectangle that says "100%". Click the little arrow on the right side to bring up the slider.

Answer 2

well what you can do is, select the layer which you want on top, then go to Layers option on menu bar, then select add layer mask> Hide all. This will hide that layer, and now select Brush tool with Black as the color. And now drag the brush tool around wherever you want, you can drag it on only the top portion, ie this reveals the hidden areas in whichever area you want, and when you want to hide some areas again then select white as color and drag over it. this will help you Merge the pictures, but if you just wanna place it one below other then plcae them so by making image size smaller and then merging both layers by linking them and then Ctrl+E. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

here is the link.. open it and u will find how to create a new link