1 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 PROF VAUGHN: Okay, and this video is at using a gradient as a transparency mask. 2 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 So we think of layer masks as revealing or concealing using black or white paint, 3 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 and a range of grays. 4 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 We can use a gradient that is set from black to white to create a really subtle 5 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 blend inside of a layer mask. 6 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 This gives you a lot of blending opportunity. 7 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 So let's do a really obvious example first, I have a colour photograph open, 8 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 I'm just gonna do a layer adjustment, adjustment layer, I'll do it black and 9 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 white so you can have a quick view of how this might work. 10 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 So of course we know our adjustment layers come with gradients. 11 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 This is the effect, this is the- I'm sorry, they come with a layer mask. 12 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 That is the layer mask. 13 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 So if we wanted to use a gradient to blend in the layer mask as a method of 14 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 transparency blending, you could still use that gradient tool. 15 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 When you look at your gradients, you're gonna pick the black and white 16 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 version here. 17 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 So this is black and white. 18 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Whether or not you reverse it is up to you, remember the way a gradient in a mask 19 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 with black and white will work; black is going to reveal, 20 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 white is going to conceal. 21 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 So, let's just do, um, let's do a radial gradient to see what this might look like. 22 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 I'm gonna click and drag, now remember I've made sure I'm on the layer 23 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 mask thumbnail. 24 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 So this is isolated, it's a pretty small gradient, let's make it a little bit bigger. 25 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 And it's pretty soft, but you can see I've got black and white now here in the middle 26 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 radiating out in my layer mask. 27 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 If you wanted to do a really weird, kind of, small spot, you could. 28 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 Let's look at a linear gradient, now I've sort of moved from black and white, 29 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 shifted it slowly into colour, because again the black and white in the layer mask is 30 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 revealing of concealing, so the white in this case is showing what's underneath. 31 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 So that is a a adjustment layer. 32 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 If we were thinking about using these, um, to perhaps make some actual editing 33 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 adjustments, we could think about not using them for creative purpose, but for 34 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 perhaps fixing an exposure issue. 35 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 So in this particular image, the land is well exposed, it has good contrast, but 36 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 the sky, because the sun is probably over here somewhere, is a little too bright. 37 99:59:59,999 --> 99:59:59,999 It's a little bit blown out, we're losing out