When working with Photoshop images, don’t create all the effects to the picture directly. Instead, create layers to add effects and adjustments.

The following example shows how you can create a gradient and text layer to the original sunset picture and also light the top portion of the picture using a simple black and white gradient layer.

Scenario:
Enhance the sunset picture with a lighter sky at the top but blending into the sunset. Also, put some text title at the top.

Steps:

1. Create a blank layer on top of the sunset picture layer and add white to black gradient.

2. Use a blending mode to smoothly display the gradient of white to black, such as a screen or linear dodge blending mode.

3. Add a Text Layer to add the Title and choose the Font and Size.

The picture, the gradient and the title are all in separate layers allowing flexibility for effects. Once the effect has been achieved, the layers then be compressed when saving as a JPEG image. Keep the Photoshop native file (.psd) to perform other variations to the picture, for other purposes.

The following illustration shows the 3 layers: sunset, gradient and text layers. You can add as many layers as possible, and choose to display or not display, to create the effect you want. The adjustment layers do not affect the original picture and so this method offers a number of ways to alter the final output safely.

Example 2:

Same original picture but altered with a different color gradient and a different blending mode.

Gradient Color: blue to purple (vertical linear)

Blending Mode: overlay

Text Color: sampled from the dark area of the cloud