Layer Mask/Background Question

I'm trying to complete the final step of adding a different background to an image and I can't seem to get part of the final step done properly.
Everything else up to this point is going as it should.
The below picture is not what I'm working on, it's just part of the instructions I'm following.

These are the steps I did to get the layer mask.
I used the Magnetic Lasso tool around the object I wanted to keep.
Clicked on "Add Layer Mask" icon at the bottom of the layers panel.
The new layer mask then appears in the layers panel.

Part of the instructions involve using the refine mask and that's why there are so many steps up to this point.

Step 12 seems like it should be easy to complete but, the problem is, when I open up the image I want to use as the new background, the layers mask disappears from the layers panel and the only thing that appears in the layers panel is the newly opened background image.
Because of that (I think), I can't drag the cut out image into the new background image.

There must be a step I need to do first that isn't included in the instructions.
Probably something that is simple and common knowledge to experienced Photoshop users, which I'm not.

When I do first open the new background image into Photoshop, there is a tab for both that and the layer mask.
When I click on the background image tab, only that shows in the layers panel.
When I click on the layer mask tab, only that shows in the layers panel.

How do I get the layer mask and background image to appear in the layers panel at the same time as shown below?

You need to bring the new background into the working subject+mask document to composite the two images together.

If you have been working on the subject image and created a mask to reveal the subject (white in the mask) and conceal the old background (black in the mask) then you will have a layer in your working document like that shown in your screenshot for the giraffe layer.

Open your new background image - it will open in a new document. Select All in the new document (CTRL-A), copy the new background (CRTL-C) and then make the working image document active and Paste (CTRL-V) the new background from the clipboard into your working document. The new background will be pasted into a new layer ABOVE the layer with subject + mask. Click-drag on the new background layer and drag it BELOW the subject+mask layer, as shown in the layer stack in your screen shot.

Now, the subject + mask layer will preserve the subject where the mask is white and pass the underlying background where the mask is black.


kirk

Wow, that's quite a bit of missing information not included in the instructions I was following.
I don't know how this person expected someone to complete the process without this information.

Is it not possible to do exactly what it is saying to do in step 12?

If you are interested, here is the link to the instructions I'm using.
Maybe I completely overlooked something in the instructions to get to the end result.

http://www.digitalarts​online.co.uk …ackground-in-photoshop/#2


I will try your instructions.

Thanks

either copy or drag your BG image onto your subject image, re-arrange the layers so the BG is on the bottom. Create your mask for your subject....

You can drag one image into another, but that may get dicey, if you do not understand the basics of how layers can be exchanged between documents.

kirk

Making realistic selections to make compositions is an art form given the plethora of techniques/methods.

kirkt wrote in post #17717612
You can drag one image into another, but that may get dicey, if you do not understand the basics of how layers can be exchanged between documents.

kirk

If you hold down Shift when you do that, the layers should be in register.

The problem is that the documents might be different sizes - holding down shift will center the layer you are bringing in onto the existing document. Going the copy-paste route does the same thing and you don't have to monkey with your tabbed view scheme (2 up) to perform the move. That's why I avoided using the drag method in my description to the OP.

kirk

Thats assuming you're working in a tabbed view. I never have and always use drag/drop and resize if needed.

I assumed the OP was working in tabbed view.

kirk

kirkt wrote in post #17717463
You need to bring the new background into the working subject+mask document to composite the two images together.

If you have been working on the subject image and created a mask to reveal the subject (white in the mask) and conceal the old background (black in the mask) then you will have a layer in your working document like that shown in your screenshot for the giraffe layer.

Open your new background image - it will open in a new document. Select All in the new document (CTRL-A), copy the new background (CRTL-C) and then make the working image document active and Paste (CTRL-V) the new background from the clipboard into your working document. The new background will be pasted into a new layer ABOVE the layer with subject + mask. Click-drag on the new background layer and drag it BELOW the subject+mask layer, as shown in the layer stack in your screen shot.

Now, the subject + mask layer will preserve the subject where the mask is white and pass the underlying background where the mask is black.


kirk

Hello Kirk
Your instructions worked perfectly for what I wanted to do.

Thank you and thanks as well to the other members that posted suggestions.