Photo Editing Help--What are layers and how do they work?

Question

Right now, I use Paint.NET to edit my pictures and I've heard that using layers can really improve your photos. I have a few questions–
How do layers work?
How do you select the object that you want to put in a new layer–right now I use the free lasso and I have to carefully outline the object and sometimes I miss–is there an easier feature that I could use for doing this?
For example– I messed up on editing this photo because I accidently didn't go over and blur the part of the house right by the foot..


Thank you so much for any help!

Answer 1

Think of layers as a stack of clear plastic sheets, each with only a small piece of the total picture on it. The order in which the layers are stacked determines what details you can see. You can stack them differently if a layer on top of another layer is hiding a detail.

Now, imagine that each layer can be made a little transparent (or a lot), so that you CAN see some of the details in layers that are beneath it.

Layers can be selected so that only the objects on that layer are available to tools and can be modified. Conversely, layers can be locked so that they can not be touched or modified. Layers can be "turned off", which temporarily removes them from the stack.

You can copy a layer to a new one so that you can try editing some detail and then if you don't like it, you can just delete that layer and you haven't messed up your original layer.

Layers can be moved around so that you can place objects in the picture where you want them.

...and on and on. The possibilities with layers are endless, which makes them one of the most useful tools in graphics design.

How to use them depends on the graphics program. Generally, you can select one layer at a time and do stuff to it. In some cases, tools like the select tools will operate on everything you see, but an effect will only go against the layer you're on (not sure if that's a very clear description).

When you're trying to break an existing image up into layers, what you are doing now is as good as any technique. You might try to work in the opposite direction by selectively removing parts of the image until you only have what you want in that layer. Then open the image again in another window, copy/paste it into another layer and keep doing that until you have everything you want separated out. Just be careful not to save over your original image after deleting portions of it.

Answer 2

I'll answer the general question.

Layers enable you to put each and every change you make into its own "file" which stays with the image.

You can view your image with some of the changes visible, all of them or none of them.

You can save the image with all of the layers intact. So when you open it again, all the changes are still separate and can be modified and deleted.

As for your specific question, there are usually several ways to select objects. Getting good results requires study and a lot of practice.

A good book on image editing will be your best friend.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Screen Dash. Its the only photo editor that can take screenshots, do paint and photo editing, and host images. Thus, you can share images with your friends and family. Its free, easy to use, and provides very professional photo editing. And it supports layers it is amazing.

Answer 4

Excellent question!

I am old school and do mostly film. But I have a feeling that "layers" is a very important part of digital processing.


Great question.

Answer 5

There are a couple of good descriptions above, but see http://www.popphoto.com/popularphotographyfeatures/4789/digital-toolbox-back-to-basics.html for all you need to know to get started using layers