Can't get two images into same layers pallet.

[AlphaBjerke]

I have a number of books on Photoshop, but I must be missing something that they describe so simply: Taking two images and dragging them both onto the same layers pallet.

I have CS2. I open one image, then I open another. I want to make each of them a different layer., but when I drag one over to the layer dialog box, it goes in there as a replacement for the one that was already there. So what the heck, what am I doing wrong?

Maybe it will help to give an example of why I want to do this. My most recent example is a picture where the person is properly exposed, but the sky is blown out. It is in RAW, so I can save the sky in one image and the person in the other. I want to combine them and make a mask to let the sky come through.

Thanks!

[WVCoalMiner]

OK I have CS4 and I have to click on the ARRANGE DOCUMENTS button and then choose the icon where my red arrow is pointing and then I can drag one over to the other.
See if that works....

[AlphaBjerke]

Thanks, Coalminer, but I can't find anything like that in CS2. I messed with it awhile. Anyone else?

[WVCoalMiner]

OK I found this after searching for you.....

Make a new document and drag and drop both images into the document to make separate layers.

[SandeeWig]

Yah, generally I just select all of one image (ctrl-A), copy it (ctrl-c), then click on the document I want to create a new layer on and paste it (ctrl-v); it creates a new layer automatically.

Sizing then becomes the issue....ctrl-T will allow you to transform or reduce it to fit the image you're pasting into.

I hope this is what you're talking about...Good luck!

[AlphaBjerke]

Appreciate the help, Coalminer. I found that if I select the entire document with "select all" and then copy or cut that selection, THEN put it on top of the new document, it works and gives me two layers, one which I can use as a mask. For some reason it doesn't do anything but select the other other document when I do it as you describe (or as the book describes.) Thanks!