New to PS CS4

I need a lil help its a newb question but i need to no lol. How do i open more then 1 picture? Im looking to open one picture and then on the same screen open another and blend them. I cant seem to figure it out. This is my 1st time opening Photoshop (Use PSP7). I've been at it for awhile and cant seem to do it. Also if i were to take like 7 pics and blend them all together (multiple flash shots) and merge them all together. I was looking all over then net and really can't seem to find it.

Thank you for your help,
Rob

You can either select multiple images in Bridge and then do an Open in Photoshop command/right-click or just open them one at a time. They will each open in their own window, and you can select a "background" image and then either drag the others into their own layer on the background image or copy and past them into their own layer.

If you do this you want to in Photoshop do an Edit/Auto Align Layers or File/Automate/Photomer​ge if the pictures are of the same basic scene.

Or, you can select the files use Bridge to do a Merge (Tools/Photoshop/Photo​merge) and see how automating works for you.

Ahh ok thanks, So if i take a pic of a car and move my flashes 5-6 times around the car all i need to do is just merge all the pics together? Dont have to manually do it? Also whats the easiest way to put in a diff sky? I have 2 pics that i like but the sky is blown out in the pic. I have some pics of just sky's, how can i put the sky into the pic and make it look like its supposed to be there?

To merge several shots with different lighting, you can try after selecting the files in Bridge using Tools/Photoshop/Merge to HDR and see what you come up with. If the results are "not so good" (HDR photos can often look "plastic" at least until you learn the fine points of tonemapping involved) you can try Tools/Photoshop/Photom​erge in which Photoshop will open the selected images in one layered image (each on their own layer) with their own masks in place with some masking applied and you can then manually work on those layers to your heart's content. It's actually a very nice "starting point" for manually blending photos that share content. Otherwise, copying and pasting can work if the above methods don't.

Replacing the background would have to be done manually, either by selecting and replacing/pasting or by adding a "Sky" layer and using a mask to brush in the sky into the background image (or vice versa). There are threads here on doing this -- try a search on "background replace" and you should find a few with info and links, or do a google search for "photoshop background replace tutorial" (or some such) and see what's out there on the InterWebs.

Hope this helps!

Ok i got it now, thank you for all your help

PSCS4 or PSCS4 extended?
If extended: Have a look here: Stack-a-Matic

Alternatively, easiest is to open the folder containing the shots to be merged in Bridge.
Select the shots, then go Tools > Photoshop > Load files into Photoshop Layers.

Edit: On the "drag and drop" in PSCS4 (assuming you are working tabbed):

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