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This lesson demonstrates how to create soft, colourful landscapes; to work along exactly, you are welcome to download the start image Here. Unzip the file and open the image onto Photoshop’s workspace.
Undo and Navigation Steps
Two ways of undoing steps are from the top menu, Edit then Step Backwards.
Alternatively, click a previous snapshot in the History Palette.
Navigate (zoom in and pan) your image using the Navigator Palette,
or the Zoom Tool. 
Activate The Hand Tool by tapping the Spacebar, keeping the Spacebar pressed, pan your image in the usual way. 
1/
Open your start image onto Photoshop’s workspace, and extend its grey workspace by dragging out one of its corners.
2/
Then press Ctrl then A. Then press Ctrl then J. This duplicates the Background layer.
3/
Working on Layer 1, from the top menu, choose Filter then choose Blur then choose Gaussian Blur. In the subsequent dialogue box, enter the following settings, then click OK.
Note
The Radius is dependant upon your image’s resolution.
 
4/
Still working on Layer 1 - change its Blend Mode from Normal to Overlay. This improves your image’s overall contrast.
 
5/
Now, duplicate Layer 1 by dragging it over the following Create a new layer icon.
 
6/
Then from the toolbar, activate the Eraser Tool.
Eraser Tool Tutorial
And enter the following Soft/Round (Basic) brush attributes into its Options bar.
Tip
Quickly resize your brush by tapping the square bracket keys.
7/
Working on the top layer, (Layer 1 copy), gently apply the Eraser Tool to the left-side tree; reapplying the brush to remove the blurred tree’s layer - and any other areas of your image.
 
8/
Then activate the second layer, (Layer 1), and repeat Chapters 6 and 7, subsequently removing the left-side tree’s blurred layer - this time lowering the Eraser Tool’s Opacity to around 30%.
 
9/
When you are satisfied with your soft focus effect - from the top menu, choose Layer then choose Flatten Image, and save your work.
Wendi E M Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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