Welcome on the forum, Min
You are right, masking is a very important resource for Elements!
Elements offers masks in adjustment layers and solid color layers. Unfortunately, not so for common layers, so that you'll have either to install free add-ons for masks in normal layers, or learn the way to use an adjustment layer mask as a work-around.
Using a mask is simple in theory and practice: If you paint black in the mask, you are hiding those parts; with white, the parts show through; with grey they show with reduced opacity...
Do a search in the tutorials or resources sections of this forum. Other members will certainly give you links to tutorials; anyway please ask any question about this!
Edit:
Here is one:
http://coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.co ... orial.html
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:45 am
Hi can anyone out there tell me how to go about masking certain parts of a photo in elements 5.I'm min and I love surreal photography as well as wild life.I think elements 5 is so cool and I'm one of those people who wants to run before Ican walk. Can anyone help me ?.
Good Lord that has to be the quickest email reply I'v ever recieved.thank you so much, I will look up the site asap.many thanks. Up to now I'v just been dragging one photo on top of another and then rubbing out what I dont want from the background !,it's very time consuming,so cant wait to get to grips with a proper method.will let you know how I get on.