Photoshop Elements &

Hello everyone.

I have just been given Photoshop Elements & and wow-what a huge program it is!  However, if any of you have used it I would appreciate a little help.  I have got the book Photoshop for Dummies but am beginning to think I need a book called Dummies books for Dummies because it's driving me crazy!  The thing I am stuck on is how to build up layers to make a composite picture, and also, how to extract a selection and drop it into another photo.  In the book it says 'just drag the selection and drop it into another photo' but how?  AAGH!!  Should I have all the photos I wish to work with open at the same time or what?  HHHEEELLLPPP LOL

Thanking you in anticipation that there may someone on our lovely website who can bail me out!!

Best wishes, Maz x

Hello Marianne.

I'm sorry I can't help you, but I know someone who can, and may be along later.

Thank you Ray and Paul for your replies.  I had time to really study the book last night and I feel a real idiot!  I wasn't using the correct tool for moving a selection!  I have now practiced cut and paste and it's great!  Paul thank you so much for your offer of help-I shall take you up on that should I encounter another stumbling block.  I think you are right when you say it's not as difficult as I am making it LOL.  It's a brilliant programme!

Many thanks

Maz

Glad you're making headway noe Marianne, and you always know how to find us if you hit a snag or two.  I presume you're trying to do something along the lines here of a friend's car I did awhile back from two pics taken in an underground car park.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31284687@N05/3320669612/

Exactly!  That car picture is amazing!  I think I just need to slow down and take in the info in the book and on the Elements help files!  Having sucessfully extracted the selection, I am practising adjusting the join to make the whole composite more natural-looking.  Mind you, I did choose a complicated selection of my grandchildren and then deposited them into a fantasy backdrop!  I look forward to working with this programme and my poor husband looks forward to not hearing me cussing when it doesn't go right!

Many thanks for your replies-Have a good weekend

Hello Marianne,

As you are a new to 'photoshop' can I suggest that you look at a cd called 'getting started with photoshop' by digital photo magazine.

It goes through most of the tools in depth, together with 'understanding selections', 'understanding layers', 'removing red-eye', 'multi image presentations', etc.  It's like having lessons on a one to one basis.  I think it's about £20.  I wished it had been out when I studied photoshop at college.  It would have saved me taking many hours of notes and then I would have had much more time to listen to the tutor.  If I was you I would get the cd and let the experts teach you.

Hope this helps.

With ref to my last post, I apologize for the delay.

You can get 'Getting started with photoshop' from www.greatmagazines.co.uk/dpcd1

There are 177 minutes of 'Photoshop' video lessons.

They also have other 'Photoshop' CDs for individual subjects.