Graduated filter effect in PSP?

[Michael49]

Is there a gradient filter in PSP (version 10) which will simulate the effect of a graduated filter (ND grad filter)?

Thanks,
Michael

[Trev]

Yes you fill a layer on top of the image With a Gradient. For a ND I would use the black to white gradient. As its black and white its easy to edit this layer with histogram adjustment to create a more black to white (midtones compressor expand)and/or to spread or contract the gradient (gamma).
You can also use various layer modes like Overlay and the opacity slider to adjust the effect. You could also create your own coloured ones too like Cokin

[Michael49]

Yes you fill a layer on top of the image With a Gradient. For a ND I would use the black to white gradient. As its black and white its easy to edit this layer with histogram adjustment to create a more black to white (midtones compressor expand)and/or to spread or contract the gradient (gamma).
You can also use various layer modes like Overlay and the opacity slider to adjust the effect. You could also create your own coloured ones too like Cokin

Thanks for the response. I'll give these a try.

[Michael49]

I have been experimenting with this.....

I guess what I want to do is create a black to white gradient as a Mask - this should simulate an ND grad filter, but how do I do this exactly?

[Trev]

A mask alters the Transparency of the layer below it so that will only work if you duplicate the image and then adjust the brightness. As in say you have an image with burnt out sky but correct foreground so yo dupe and then adjust the top image to darken it so that the sky is correct and the foreground is now too dark. We add a mask show all and fill the mask with a gradient where you paint on the mask with black the bright layer will be transparent and white leaves it opaque. grays are semi transparent. the end result is the correct sky with the correct for ground.

A long way to get back to adding a gradient layer. Did you try more that one layer mode If overlay did not work for you try screen

[Michael49]

A mask alters the Transparency of the layer below it so that will only work if you duplicate the image and then adjust the brightness. As in say you have an image with burnt out sky but correct foreground so yo dupe and then adjust the top image to darken it so that the sky is correct and the foreground is now too dark. We add a mask show all and fill the mask with a gradient where you paint on the mask with black the bright layer will be transparent and white leaves it opaque. grays are semi transparent. the end result is the correct sky with the correct for ground.

A long way to get back to adding a gradient layer. Did you try more that one layer mode If overlay did not work for you try screen

Thanks for your response.

I have two exposures of the same image, one exposed for the foreground and the other exposed for the sky.

I was planning on using layers to combine the images; putting the image with the blown sky on top and then using a mask to allow the properly exposed sky on the bottom to "bleed through" the blown sky layer on top and keep the properly exposed foreground on the top layer.....I'm just not exactly sure how to do this.

[Trev]

You could always Erase the bad sky to allow to good one to show

[Michael49]

You could always Erase the bad sky to allow to good one to show

I did it this way initally and it is OK, except that the border between the sky and the trees is very difficult to get right; the transition between the two exposures is too great - see for yourself.....

[Michael49]

But.....I finally figured out how to make a foreground to background gradient mask, which allowed me to configure a gradual transition betweent the two exposures - here the boundry between the sky and the trees seems more natural.....it took me forever but I finally figured out how to do this!!......