Blending Modes in Photoshop

High Pass Sharpening

1. Course Sharpening

   1. Create a layer that is a composite of the current image (shift-control-alt-E, Stamp Visible)

   2. Name the layer “Hi Pass Course”.

   3. With the command “filter-other-high pass” get the hi pass dialog box. Set the radius to 5.0. Note: the radius can vary as you wish. Also note that the hi pass layer is outlining the edges of the image.

   4. Change the blending mode of the hi pass layer to “hard light”. You may also experiment with soft light, vivid light, and overlay for different intensities of the sharpening.

   5. Change the opacity of the hi pass layer to 50%. More or less as desired.

   6. The use of the eraser tool on the hi pass layer can selectively soften the effect of the sharpening.

2. Fine Sharpening

   1. Create a layer that is a composite of the current image (shift-control-alt-E, Stamp Visible)

   2. Name the layer “Hi Pass Fine”.

   3. With the command “filter-other-high pass” get the hi pass dialog box. Set the radius to 1.0. Note: the radius can vary as you wish. Also note that the hi pass layer is outlining the edges of the image but with the fine the outline is more subtle.

   4. Change the blending mode of the hi pass layer to “hard light”. Change the opacity of the hi pass layer to 50%.

Non-destructive Dodge & Burn

1. Create a new blank layer. Name it Dodge/Burn

2. Click on the background color indicator in the tool bar to bring up the color picker dialog box.

3. In the dialog box enter 128 in to the R box, the G box and the B box. This is neutral grey.

4. With the paint bucket tool selected and the Dodge/Burn layer active click anywhere on the image to paint the entire Dodge/Burn layer neutral grey.

5. Change the blending mode of the Dodge/Burn layer to overlay.

6. What you should now see is your original image unchanged. The overlay blending mode will cause the image to lighten if blended layer has a luminescence value of less than 128 and darken the image if the luminescence value is greater than 128.

7. With the Dodge/Burn layer active dodge (to lighten) and burn (to darken) the image as you would normally do. Except that this will lighten and darken the grey Dodge/Burn layer instead of the original image layer(s). The overlay mode will give the effect of lightening the image itself.

8. If you make a mistake, paint over the bad area with neutral grey, which is still the current background color.

9. You can deliberately dodge or burn too much and soften the effect by changing the opacity of the Dodge/Burn layer.

Combining Images with Blending Modes

This can give some interesting and artistic results that are similar to double exposures when using film. But you have far greater freedom and control in the computer than you do when using film in the darkroom.

Self-Blending Techniques

Self-blending refers to creating a duplicate layer then give a blending mode to the top layer. For example, if you use the mode “screen” you will lighten the image and if you use the mode “multiply” you will darken the image. You can erase the top layer or use a layer mask on the top layer to apply the effect locally. And you can use the opacity of the top layer to control the amount of the effect.