How to feather?

[USLatin]

Again... posting with what I think might be a noob question for the level of many in this section.
I am trying to figure out how to make a feather so that an image dissolves into an other. I found the feather option but even after looking at the little butterfly explanation in the help section I have no clue as to how to achieve what I want.

:undecided
I used the Magic Wand to select the dark sky on the top edge of the picture I want to feather
then right click to get the feather option... selecting values of 50 150 and 250 only manage to
give me a weird rounded selection which is roughly (very roughly) what I had already selected...
then I can move this thing?!? I just don't get it.

Anyone care to help me out please?

[milksac]

…selecting values of 50 150 and 250 only manage to
give me a weird rounded selection which is roughly (very roughly) what I had already selected...
You're halfway there. Copy this weird rounded selection and paste it into a new layer, admire the feathering.

What version of Photoshop are you working with? The new version CS3 has the option to refine selection. This allows you to dynamically see changes in feathering, choking the selection, etc. Refine selection is a great tool.

A better way of compositing is layer masking. Here's a quick tutorial on layer masking, there's a bunch of other tutes out there.
http://www.elated.com/articles/fading-one-image-into-another/

[USLatin]

Thanks Milksac!

Now one more question before I look at the tutorials and get into other more advanced capabilities. How do I set in which direction the feather will occur?

Unfortunately I am using CS2 so I will be shooting in the dark...

[USLatin]

Oh, I think I might have not been clear enough. I am trying to feather a bright image all the way to the black sky of a dark image below it. So I am looking for a gradual fade in opasity from top to bottom from 100% to 0% of the selected lower portion of the bright image.

[USLatin]

Hey, sorry I keep posting like mad...

It seems I can get what I want with a gradient on the layer in the blending options. Is that the way to do this?

[Cryogenic Filmworks]

I think this (http://www.mediacollege.com/adobe/photoshop/transparent/gradient.html) is what you are looking for. I was trying to do about the same thing last week and found this tutorial (http://www.mediacollege.com/adobe/photoshop/transparent/gradient.html).

[USLatin]

AHA!!! Well it wasn't instantaneous, first I had to mess with the different types of gradients and modes but it was the first gradient with the darken mode that did the trick for the narrow fade to black from the backround images in the back of the DVD sleeve so there is some sort of transition to the edge of the case.

I really need to get going using those adjustment layers/masks!!! Right now I am doing everything onto the actual images in each layer other than the blending options... and that makes me lose the ability to go back.

I am going to try it on the fade from the bright image to the dark one on the bottom and see how it works... it should help. I allready got the darker one blended to perfect 0 0 0 with it but the bright one needs a slightly better gradient.

Good stuff guys! I am having a blast messing with PS!

I can't wait to show it to you!

Thanks for the help Cryo and Milk!
(more Q's to come I am sure :D)

[Tom Marshall]

Here's a tip. When you have your selection, and then feather that selection, hit the 'Q' key, which is quick mask. That will give you a good idea of what your selection looks like. It will show you what is selected by the actual alpha channel. The redder the selection, the less that is selected. The less red the selection, the more that's selected. In other words, complete white is a selected area and the red overlay is unselected. Press 'Q' again to exit quick mask mode.

[USLatin]

Tommy, thank's for that. So the quick mask can help me make up for the real-time display of your progress, what I don't have available in CS2... thank's for the tip.

How much more is there on CS3?
Nevermind, scratch that... I don't think I am ready to realize that :D

[mikkowilson]

Quick-Mask has been in PS for ages!

- Mikko

[USLatin]

I meand that the quick mask feature sounds like in a way it helps you do what some of the CS3 features do automatically for you. But I am not sure I know how that works really as I haven't checked it out yet... I am on my internet and gaming HDD right now... and drinking beer :D