Blend Modes, How to use them - 2 Overlay

The earlier Tutorial on Blend Modes is here.

This tutorial deals with Overlay in Blend Mode. This is the second part of the Blend Mode tutorial. Add a Levels adjustment layer and change its blend mode to Overlay. Besides a noticeable improvement to the contrast, dark areas become darker and the light areas become lighter when you use Overlay.

Step 1 : I have opened this photo in Photoshop. I took this photo with my mobile phone camera. Nothing very impressive.

Step 2 : In the Layers/Channels/Paths pallette click the New Fill or Adjustment layer by clicking the icon shown.

Step 3 : From the popup click on Levels.

Step 4 : The Levels dialogue box opens up. Click ok without changing any setting.

Step 5 : The Levels 1 Layer is now visible in the Layers/Channels/Paths pallete.

Step 6 : Change the Blend Mode from the pop up to Overlay.

Step 7 : The Blend Mode is now set to Overlay.

Step 8 : The same photo has changed. The color is better and so is the contrast.
Step 9 : Press CTRL+J on the keyboard. A new duplicate layer -- Layer 1 Copy forms.

Step 10 : The color has become darker and the contrast is now much greater.

Step 11 : Reduce the Opacity of Levels 1 copy to 60 %.

Step 12 : The completed image. Try it out.

The next part of the tutorial is here.