Fading between images in Photoshop

Here is a tutorial on how to fade images in Adobe Photoshop CS5 (it works in CS4 also).
First of all, open Photoshop. Then, go to File > Open. Choose an image you want to use. Then, repeat and open another image. When you have two images, one in each folder, use the Rectangular Marquee tool and mark the area you want from the image.

 Selected area 

If you can move the marked area, but not move the picture, be sure to have the "Subtract from selection" -button selected:

Subtract from selection

After selecting an area use the Move Tool to drag it over to the other image:

You can either have two separate windows or drag and release
 it by holding over the folder.

Now, if you don't have the layers window open go to Window > Layer. You will now have two layers, containing your images. The first layer, named Background, is locked. Double-click on it and press OK. Drag the image-layer you want to fade out on top.

Layer Window - removing the locked layer

I chose the landscape image to be faded out, and the bubbles to be in the background. Then, click on the upper layer and click on the "Add Layer Mask" -button.

The "Add Layer mask" button is right next
to the "fx" button.

There will now appear a white rectangle on the layer. Make sure the rectangle is marked (mark it by clicking on it) before the next step. To make these images or layers fade, I use the Gradient Tool that 

Gradient effects

can be found in the Tool box. When you activate it, the tool bar for Gradient tool appears on top. Choose one of the effects, I would recommend "Foreground to Transparent". 
Now comes the funny part: click and hold anywhere on your image and drag in the direction you want and Voila! You have a super-amazing creative and action filled image!!!!! You can also use different type of gradients like shown in the picture, those tiny black and white icons.


Here is my image:

If you look to the right you can see how much of the image that is faded by looking at the second picture on Layer 0. You can also fade several images and make a collage, you only have to use layer mask on every image you want to fade, and remember to be in the correct layer and layer masks when your using Gradient tool. Here is an example that I made for fun. I combined 5 images:

Hope this helped :)
Have a nice day!
This supplication was published 14.43.