Related Posts

• 
  Lighting Quick Tip-Same Set Up, Different Look

  
  

   

  The softbox is a Westcott 50x50.  In the box is a 580 exii speedlight at 1/4 power, triggered by Cactus V2 triggers.

• 
  5 Things to Avoid When Editing Photos

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  Editing photos is magical.  It takes an image that already has your fingerprints all over it, from lens choice, to angles, to lighting, and it gives it that final dusting of you.  It can be absolutely enchanting to watch your vision come alive as you edit, but sometimes as we first start out (and even as we have been doing this awhile), the photo can pass the magically perfect stage and start to veer into over-edited, fake-looking, or just plain wrong.  Let's look at a few things you can avoid to help you keep your editing expressing YOU.

  1)  Selective Color--I know.  I did it as a beginner.  Crystal did it as a beginner.  It's a rite of passage.  But the problem is that it usually brings you right out of the image and shifts the focus away from the image to something that is only part of the image.  The bright blue shirt takes away from the beautiful gaze.  The colorful beach ball takes away from the beachy fun happening on vacation.  Even the piercing blue eyes can overwhelm an image.  Usually the hours of masking don't turn out to really give MORE to the image.  Usually the story told is either strong enough to stand on it's own, or it's not worth the hours of selective coloring.  

  2)  Overcontrasting--A little contrast to an image is like music.  It makes everything in the image richer and more alive.  But once to much is applied the image begins to look overbaked.  The whites lose their texture, the shadows turn into solid black mush and everything looks like it was taken by a cheap Brownie camera.    So, watch the contrast and use it with a gentle hand.  If you need to, walk away in the middle and come back and look with fresh eyes to see if they image is too contrasty.

  3)  Oversharpening-- With the earlier iterations of the digital cameras and digital cameras paired with lenses developed for film cameras there was a LOT of digital haze surrounding images (there still can be to an extent) and it meant that a light unsharp mask layer was often applied.  And of course, with social media, images get web-sised and sharpened abundantly.  And in general, this is a great thing.  It wipes out that mushiness that Facebook can add to an image, and it lifts an image from a slight digital haze.  But like all good things, there can be such thing as too much.  It becomes readily seen when an image is oversharpened, because the sharpening starts to leave artifacts and hair and fibers can start to look really "crunchy" and straw-like.  Also, eyes can get a strangely alien look when they are over sharpened.  So a little sharpening can go a long way.  Be sparing and watchful.  In today's time of increasingly sharp camera bodies and lenses made specifically for the digital medium, images often are very sharp to begin with and don't need a lot of sharpening if the are in focus to begin with.  If an image is out of focus, over sharpening won't help.  

  4)  Over Softening--Just like with sharpening, skin softening can be a fantastic tool.  Sometimes lenses are so sharp that every pore and skin blemish can appear magnified on camera.  So a gentle, judicious skin smoothing and retouching can be fantastic for making a client feel comfortable with their images.  But if you over smooth an image, it can quickly go from lovely to plastic.  A skin without an texture and no lines looks like a doll and really unrealistic.  So watch for that line and dial it back when you smooth skin.  We feel like our totally unique Pure Retouch technique and set is a perfect answer for getting enough smoothing to make a client feel fabulous, but not lose that lovely texture to the skin that gives the subject charm, realism, and vitality.

  5) Adding too much saturation--Vibrant, beautiful images are the goal of many photographers.  A lot of times, especially when shooting RAW, the colorful scenes we see while shooting come back feeling a little flat.  Often that is a combination of needing some contrast and boosting the blacks, but when we first start out, we think we need to crank up the saturation slider.  I'll tell you a secret (lol, just you and me and the rest of the internet now...), even though Pure is know for it's vibrant color, we very very very rarely touch the saturation slider.  It quickly pushes colors out of gamut (what a screen can read and render correctly), and it messes with the reality of the color.  Skin turns red, leaves are blue, shadows turn purple.  The saturation slider should always be approached with caution.

  BONUS: Working on an uncalibrated monitor-- If you are going to edit your images, you need to know what colors your screen is actually showing.  Most screens arrive from the manufacturer with color issues.  In general, most are a lot cooler (more blue/cyan) than they should be.  Macs tend to be closer, but most are not spot on either.  So if you start manipulating the colors and the exposure of your images and then want to print or view them on a different device, a lot of times the colors will surprise you if you are not calibrated.  What you thought was just warming up a cool image, suddenly becomes a vibrantly orange image, because you were correcting the overly cool monitor color.  So, getting a calibration device can really help you to know what your images really look like.  These calibrators also work off an international color standard, so a professional, dedicated print company will use the same profiles, which means you are making sure that your images will print just the way you see them on your screen.  When I send my photos off to Millers I know I will be getting back exactly what I saw on my screen when I sent it in.  While it does cost money to buy a calibrator, a few messed up print orders will quickly eat up any savings you get from not calibrating your monitor.  I personally use ColorMunki by X-Rite*, and Crystal likes Eye-One Display Pro from Xrite*  (Both are fabulous.)  (Another fabulous and cheaper version is the ColorMunki Smile)*. Many of our colleagues also really like the Spyder products* for their calibration needs.  When you have the calibration software you can also run it every few weeks to a month to make sure that as your monitor is used and ages, the calibration does not slip and change.  So, having a calibrator is a fantastic and important investment in photography.                                                                           

  PS!!  Don't forget that our entire store is on sale for 50% off!  You can also purchase our entire store for only $99!  HURRY!  Ends this week!! 
• 
  Tips for Photographing Families with Autism

  The whole reason that I (Rachel) started into photography was because my oldest two boys are autistic. It was almost impossible to get a decent family portrait. For almost a decade we went without because the harsh flashing of the chain studios and the bewilderment of those taking our photographs just was impossible to overcome.

  As our family grew, I became more and more restless about this state of affairs and got a camera and started to voraciously learn all I could about photography so that I could capture our family’s memories and HOPEFULLY get a family portrait.

  A few years ago, the first portrait was realized and I am overjoyed. Crystal took the images and I did some head-swapping and it hangs proudly in my home.  I have since also gotten an image of all 6 kids after Max, my 3-year-old, was born.  And then another with all 6.  And then I got one with all 7, just a bit ago.  So I am blessed many times over now.  I also have realized the importance of having images of my family and the sadness I felt over not having one, and so I do all I can to photograph families I know with autism, so that they have one less thing in their worry bucket. So, I’ve had a lot of opportunities now to photograph and interact with these wonderful families.

  I wanted to write today to those in the position of photographer to these amazing families, because it can be a little daunting to enter into these situations.

  The main point I want to stress today is…don’t stress! I know it is natural to feel a little trepidation at the thought of going into an unfamiliar situation. So I want to make it less mysterious.

  Autism is a spectrum disorder, which means that every child is different. Some are more severe and some are much milder. What works perfectly in one situation won’t be the answer in the next situation, and ya know, that’s ok! It’s just like any other family, really. Some kids are slow to warm up, some want to follow you home. It is important to listen to the parents about what their child likes or doesn’t like, etc. But taking family portraits is likely a fairly new situation to the whole family, so the parents might not know exactly how their child will take to it. So here are a few tips that have worked well for me.

  1) Don’t stress.

  When stress starts, it is easy to escalate. Parents can feel it, the kids can feel it and it spirals. So feeling calm and loose is a great way to perpetuate those good feelings. And ya know what? I can speak from personal experience here, these families will be THRILLED with just having ANYTHING, so don’t go in with undue stress, because it will throw you off.

  2) Talk to mom and dad ahead of time

  This way you know if Jr hates grass on his bare feet, or is sensitive to sounds etc. That will help you know how to be. Also talk about favorites. I have yet to find a child with autism who doesn’t just LOVE something. That way you can brush up a little on trains, or Buzz Lightyear or whatever so you can chat about it as you take pictures. That is a great way to get the child to look at you naturally and smile. Find out what makes them tick. Often times things like Thomas the Train and Buzz Lightyear, etc. are big favorites and you can find (or borrow) Pez dispensers which fit conveniently in your hot shoe. That helps the kids look into your camera and smile, and it is a built in reward mechanism for them! Awesome on both counts!

  3) When talking to mom, tell her to talk about the upcoming shoot to her kids.

  Walk though what will happen (“We will be getting dressed up. You will be wearing your red shirt and blue jeans. When we get there, she will have a camera and she will want to take pictures of you feeling happy.”) I find the more the child has heard about what is coming up, the easier it is to settle into the routine.

  4) Speak calmly.

  There might be some children who need you to be boisterous, but starting calmly will prevent an accidental overwhelming of the child. Lots of sensitivities to sounds, social situations, new situations, etc. So easing into the situation is a great way to go. Talking calmly and softly, using natural light where possible, and going at a slower pace is a great way to earn the child’s trust.

  5) Reward liberally.

  Ask mom to bring some of the child’s favorite motivators. It could be fish crackers, M&Ms, etc. When things are going well, let the child know how pleased you are and give rewards.

  6) Enlist the rest of the family.

  Explain to mom and dad and the rest of the kids that you are relying on all of them to do doing what they need to be doing so that the second the child with autism is looking, you can get that shot. Make sure they know that they are so important to you and that you are partners with them in getting this done. (Mom and dad are often the ones who need the most reminding! They want to look at their child and admonish them often and so when the child is looking, mom is looking off and talking. Oops!)

  7) Practice head-swapping.

  Ha ha. I know, I know, but it can really help reduce your stress if you know you can combine the best couple shots into one amazing image.

  8) Embrace the fact that sometimes...

  setting up a shot where eye-contact is not needed can be easier on everyone and give you a beautiful window into reality.  I often have to get those shots where my boys are not looking right into the eyes of others or into the camera.  It's not comfortable for them and it can be hard to coordinate them looking into the camera for long periods of time.  But some of my favorite images are the final shots from these situations.

  I know that lots of people love the images of everyone interacting, but often an image with everyone looking is what people think they are after. So being able to even create that in post is a great skill to have.   We have a super tutorial on head swapping on our YouTube page!

   

  

• 
  Pro-Tip: Thinking Like Your Camera

  Man, cameras these days. So smart.

  There are so many options in making an image with a camera now. You can keep all of the control of the camera (this is what Crystal and I (Rachel) do. When people oooh and ahh over our cameras and say, "Wow, those must take GREAT pictures!", we smile and say, "Yep, we taught them everything they know!" ;)), you can keep some of the control of the camera, but let the camera make some decisions, or you can let the camera make the decisions. Each way has pros and cons, and some models of camera will only allow a one or maybe two of these choices. A point and shoot is a good example of a camera that will usually only allow you to let the camera call the shots.

  Sigh...so that means you have no control, right? If the picture turns out good, it was all the camera? And if it turns out bad, there was nothing to be done? Should we just sit in the corner and sulk?

  Absolutely not! You have a lot more control than you think, even if the camera is on auto mode.

  So, we know the camera is looking at the picture you want to take, and SOMEHOW the camera is figuring out what settings to apply to that image. You can't usually SEE those settings, so how can you influence them?

  That is where I come in! I am going to show you how your camera thinks! Once we learn this, we can apply it to other lessons. Once you're "at one" with the mind of your camera, you'll be able to have some measure of control in using even a point and shoot camera.

  First of all, when a camera looks at a scene that you intend to shoot, it doesn't really see the scene like you do. Say you're shooting your kids at the park on the playground. There's green grass, a red slide, a blue sky. Junior's wearing a yellow shirt. The camera doesn't see that. The camera doesn't see colors. It sees TONES.

  
  

  (image by graynoisemusic.tumblr.com)

  The camera sees the scene in gradations of brightness.

  Ok, great! But how is it choosing the settings?

  Well, the camera is looking at the whole scene you have framed and is averaging the scene to 18% or MIDDLE gray. It wants to pick the settings that will average the frame towards the middle of that pattern.

  And lots of times, it works great!

  But what if I want to shoot a picture of my kid standing against a black board, writing his name? Or something primarily black? (Or a VERY dark color.)

  
  

   

  Is this a middle tone? NO WAY! But guess what? Your camera will let in enough light automatically to make it look 18% gray. So that chalkboard will no longer be black. It will be gray. Oh...and hmm. If that black is moved up the grayscale...then what do you think happens to all those tones (like skin, hair, etc.) that are LIGHTER than the black that has been shoved up the scale? Uh oh. It's not good. They're going to be WAY brighter than they should be. They might even get shoved entirely off the scale, into white nothingness.

  We've all had those pictures right? The overexposed ones. ALL the detail is gone. Everything is just an icky, white blob. It looks bad on screen and prints even worse. All the details get shoved into the white category and they are gone forever. Let's all have a moment of silence for our fallen highlights. *sniffle*

  Ok, so that's a time where our camera's plan of making everything middle gray has failed us. D'oh!

  Let's think of another. And you all know this one too, I bet. Say you're darling and precocious child is sitting in front of the bright window reading a book. It is an ADORABLE picture in your mind. The angelic child is framed by the bright window, it's perfection! But...you take that picture with SO much of it SOOOO bright, and what happens?

  
  

   

  The average of this scene is really white. Not middle gray. It's at the TOP of the scale. So, the camera pushes allll that white, bright light down the scale to 18%. And what happens to the child's face, which is pretty much in shadow? It also gets shoved down the scale. Suddenly you can barely make out the child for all of the shadow. Some of the details might even be lost to total blackness. *sniffle* Isn't this story just SO sad??? All of these missing details that we could have had!

  By the way, the above technique is a good way to get a silhouette. So if that was what you were planning...a silhouette of junior reading in the window, WOOHOO! (It's always nice to know what you want to do and how to do it.)

  Ok, so now we have an idea of what the camera is thinking. How it is trying to read the scene. This will help you choose lighting/color situations that your camera can better handle. (Or you can add flash to help even the exposure. There are pros and cons to using a small flash on your camera, but we'll discuss those later.) One thing that is very hard for a point and shoot is backlight. In general, it is best to steer clear if you want to be able to make out the faces of the people in your picture.

  But here's my big tip for how to get a backlit photo with your point and shoot. But first, I have to share a secret. Shhhhh. Your shutter button is a double agent. Shhhhhhh. It lives a secret life. Not only can you push it and it will faithfully release the shutter and take the picture, it can also LOCK THE EXPOSURE!! So, all of what we were talking about above is the basics of making an exposure. We've learned how your camera determines the exposure it will use on automatic. SO now, let's use that knowledge. If you know that you want your child sitting in the window to be properly exposed and you want the window to be bright, then walk up to your child's face and fill most of the frame with it, push your shutter button halfway down and HOLD IT! This will lock what your camera is seeing as middle gray. It is seeing your child's face this way. (Which is technically a little underexposed, but not THAT bad for a snapshot with a point and shoot) Now, back up and frame the picture as you would like to see it (again, keeping that button halfway pressed down.) Now, once you have the picture framed as you'd like it, press the shutter down the rest of the way. VOILA! Your image is now properly exposed! Or a lot closer, anyway. (What can I say? I'm an exposure purist. I can't call 36% gray 18% gray. ;) )  Also, good to note:  If you are using a DLSR and have the ability, look into setting BACK BUTTON FOCUS, that way you can free up your shutter to JUST lock exposure and allow the back AF-ON button to handle all of that focus stuff.

  Would it work the same as the child against the blackboard? You bet. Pick what you want to be properly exposed and press that shutter button halfway down and reframe your shot and then press the shutter button the rest of the way.

  Now that you know how your camera thinks, you'll be able to start looking at what might happen if your camera is thinking the whole scene needs to be 18% gray. Sometimes it will be perfect, and sometimes it won't, so that is where you can either lock your exposure, add some flash, or change your angle to the light.  The next step from here is to start moving into MANUAL mode.  Watch for coming posts to erase the mystery from manual mode!

• 
  The Magic of Working as a Team

   

  Peanut butter and jelly. Batman and Robin. Chocolate and Vanilla. Laurel and Hardy. Mickey and Donald. Thelma and Louise. Mario and Luigi.

  We all know good things come in pairs, and working as a photographer is no exception to that rule.

  One of the things we get quizzed about most often in relation to Pure is the fact that Crystal and I (Rachel) work together as a team. We shoot a vast amount of our sessions together, and work at the business end together too. It's a mysterious and inviting concept to many. And people are always curious how it works for us and if it could work for them too. Since I am not a legal expert, this won't be an extensive legal how-to on the workings of business partnerships. Rather it will be an overview of how it's worked out for Crystal

  Crystal and I met in 2008 on a ParentsPlace message board for expecting moms. We both had a love of photography and were dabbling in part time photography businesses. We were still learning a lot of the business part and were both at a point where we were trying to decide what to do with our businesses.

  We finally got the chance to shoot together at a bridal session and something clicked. We realized we shot a lot better together. We had more fun, we felt more relaxed and that translated into more relaxed clients and better images too. So one shoot together, turned into a wedding we shot together, which turned into more and more things we shot together. Eventually, we stopped formally inviting the other to shoots and started to call and see if the other was booked before scheduling a client.

  Slowly our businesses melded into one and Pure was born. (Ok, ok, so we went through a few name changes before we landed on Pure, but you get what we mean.)

  So, what do we get out of team shooting?

  We're mainly wedding and family photographers, and the parlance in the wedding industry is often centered on "second shooters." That's not actually how we roll. When we shoot, we both are main shooters. No one is THE shooter and no one is secondary and relegated to an eternity of table shots.

  So what does that mean? It means that we are able to divide and conquer. While one person is doing all the pre-wedding detail shots, the other is with the bride and her dad doing dad seeing his little girl in her wedding dress for the first time, or groom with his daughter or niece or bride and her mom. While one is doing ring shots and reception details, the other is getting formal groups. All important details, but we can give each one more attention and focus.

  
  
  

   

   

   

  The above images were captured at roughly the same time in the wedding day. Using all that good light as efficiently as possible!

  But if the situation arises and there is a very large group or a lot of small children, then having someone shoot large group shots and someone getting everyone's attention, posing quickly, and making sure everyone in the shot looks there best is wonderful. A group's attention for group shots is not very long, so having two people getting things done is perfect.

  In those situations where we are shooting together at weddings, or in regular client sessions where we shoot together, how does it help? We generally have at least 3 cameras on us at all times. Sometimes 4. Rachel shoots 2 cameras most of the time. So we try to have multiple focal lengths, and then we simply choose different angles, different focal lengths, and different light to tell the same story. So our clients get so many more choices to choose from (and eventually buy) with team shooting.

  Below are a few examples of nearly the same moment, but wildly different images resulting. So much choice for clients!

  
   

   
  These shots are also at almost the same moment, but give the client vastly different experiences they can relate to.  You will notice how we are shooting with different lenses and focal lengths. 

   

  

   

   

  This can be invaluable for shooting things like first looks for brides.  Again, almost the same moment, but a completely different perspective.

  We've found that being able to offer such rich and varied galleries to clients has helped us to sell more album pages, ask a higher price for sessions, and sell more images.  Our word-of-mouth is pretty good too, because we underpromise, but really overdeliver.

  Ok, ok, so you can get a lot of shots with two shooters.  Good good, but you could probably get a second for some of that.  (Though I would argue that you would have a hard time getting such reliability in that situation.)  What ELSE does it help with?

  Crystal and Rachel have fairly different, but compatible personalities.  Crystal is creative and enthusiastic.  She embraces the fact she is loud!  She's funny and very friendly and loves to make raucous jokes.  Rachel is a little more cerebral.  She's the technical nut and tends to like a little more dry humor.  What works amazingly in this situation is that clients come in all shapes, sizes, and personality types too.  So while one couple or client might warm right to Crystal, another feels very at home with Rachel, and so that tends to be how we choose who will lead in the situations where someone in obviously in charge as we shoot.  The team member that the clients feels most comfortable with is the one who typically leads out.  It helps us easily and naturally tailor the client's experience with us.

  Another amazing benefit we will tout constantly when people ask us about team shooting is how much we can grow in a short amount of time.  Working with someone gives you instant feedback.  We brainstorm together, we troubleshoot together, we critique each other and we provide ideas.  We can come to the shoot with ideas and if something is not working the way we think it should, we can quickly troubleshoot problematic things.  I think half of the reason that we have been able to continue refining our signature lighting styles is because there are two of us.  In the beginning, when something was not going as planned, one would be able to keep shooting and keep all the balls in the air, while the other stayed back and tweaked the lights until they worked.  It was not a situation where we would have to junk an idea just because some little thing popped up.

   

   

   

  Above is a situation where the flashes were not quite working, so we got a safe shot and Rachel kept shooting the getting ready while Crystal tinkered with the flashes and got them working just right so we could give our images that perfect polish we want to be known for.

  One of my favorite stories of the benefits of team shooting and troubleshooting happened when we were shooting a small wedding at a beautiful outdoor enclosed pavilion.  The front was a very large floor to ceiling window and Crystal went out to get a shot of the party from outside of the window to give the album a sense of place and document the venue better.  There was a small step down out the door that was almost imperceptible and tripped up quite a few guests that night.  As Crystal was walking out looking at her camera and changing settings for the outdoor shot, she lost her footing and fell face first (and CAMERA first!) to the pavement.  She got up, very shaken.  She tried to take a shot and her camera would not focus.  She came back into the reception quite upset by the fall.  She showed Rachel the camera and Rachel quickly realized, in her non-shaken by a surprise fall mind, that the switch that turned off the auto focus on the lens had been switched to manual in the fall and that switching it back fixed the situation.  It seems simple but having that second pair of eyes and second mind is often invaluable.

  Another amazing benefit is that there is simply less overall pressure.  Less pressure to get a million epic shots per wedding.  (Yep, I only have to get HALF a million, right?)  Less pressure to edit a million images.  Sure we both edit and deliver a ton, but to give a very impressive representation, it takes a lot less stress from both of us.  We can focus on the story as we see it and edit our favorite shots.  Even if one of us feels a session or wedding was a little more ho-hum, the fact we both were looking for creative angles, lighting, focal lengths, poses, framing and whatnot to tell the story means that there is usually a pretty cool story there.

  And finally we have found that creativity begets creativity.  Sounds basic, I know.  But when we start brainstorming, it is amazing to see how one idea from one person starts another idea from the other, which gets spun in a completely different direction by the original person, and on and on.  Sometimes the trouble we have is not that there are too MANY of us in the team, it is that we need more manpower to help fuel all of our original and awesome ideas that come out of different creative minds working together.

  These are just a few of our whys.  Next time I will start writing about the hows of our partnership.   How do we divide work, who edits, etc.  Would there be interest in a follow up like that?

   

   

• 
  Photoshop Blending Modes--How to Use Them

  Blending Modes

  How to achieve a clean and fast edit in Photoshop using blending modes

  
  

  Photoshop blending modes can be confusing if you don't know what they do or even where to find them. 

  Photoshop is a massive program.  When you first download and open the program it can be overwhelming; not knowing where to start, or what anything does can be discouraging. 

  So today, we are going to talk about Blending modes.  More specifically, we are going to talk about the 3 blending modes that we use the most. The blending modes are broken up into groups:  Normal, Darken, Lighten, and Contrast.  There are other blending modes and groups, but for this post, we are going to only be talking about a few of these. 

   

   

  Soft Light -This mode darkens or lightens the the photo depending on the colors in the photos.  If the color in a photo is lighter than 50% grey, it will lighten the area (kind of like dodging the area).  If the color is darker than 50% grey it will make that color darker (kind of like burning that area).  This blending mode can produce a nice contrast pop to your image.   Just be aware that it can be overpowering at 100% often.  So make sure you have duplicated your layer (command/ctrl+J) and decrease the opacity to taste.

  Multiply - This mode will darken your overall image.  When you duplicate your layer (so you have a duplicate of your image), this mode will look at those colors and multiply the base image (your original image) by your blend image (the duplicate layer).  If you chose a solid color instead of a duplicate of your image, it would do the same.  This is great to tone down your image if it is too bright in certain spots or overall.  It is also great to use on the background of the image to add some pop.  If you are a more advanced user, you can use a mask and just use Multiply on areas where you want a lot of deep, rich color.

  Screen - This will lighten your overall image.  This is great for adding some light and brightness to parts of your image or the entire image. 

  

  To access your blending modes you need a new layer.  This can be done in different ways, duplicating your background, using an adjustment layer, a solid color layer, etc.  Today we are going to be just duplicating your image layer.

  To do that open your image and hold down Command + J to duplicate your layer.   Then choose the blending mode you want.  Play around with the different blending modes to see what each of them do. 

  

  You will also want to add a mask to this layer, so you can brush off the effect where you do not want it.  Sometimes blending modes can mess up skin tone or be too dark or too bright, and you want to get rid of it in just one area.  A white mask is great for this. To brush off the effect, you will want to choose a brush the opposite color of the mask.  If the mask is white (showing everything you have done) you will need a black brush to conceal the areas of the image you don't want showing.  If the mask is black (hiding what you did) and you need to brush on the effect, you will need a white brush. Make sure the lower the hardness of the brush to 0%. 

  

   

  You can then duplicate your layers more then once to achieve the look you are going for.  You can see where I brushed on and off the different layers to get my final edit.    (I changed the name of my layers to show you what blending modes I chose for those particular layers.)  By default they will say something along the lines of background copy)

  

  Now that you know a little bit about Blending Modes, where to find them, and how to use them, you can easily start to apply this lesson to more situations.  Changing the blending mode on different layers or groups of our actions can affect the whole look of the action and give you a more customized look.  Try it next time you're looking to switch things up a little!  We offer tons of fast editing solutions in our STORE.