There’s one thing that’s been on my mind for a few years. What’s up with Blending Modes? They always seem to behave differently. In Photoshop, opacity ruins the effect. In Flash, it all relies on alpha, not luminosity. In AfterEffects?

Here’s an image that I’ve concocted which checks for exposure-like qualities.

In conclusion, Adobe really needs to stop calling Linear Dodge ‘Add’ because that’s really not what it is. ‘Add’ should work with luminosity and transparency the way it does in After Effects.

• Photoshop should add two blending modes: Add and Subtract. These should function similarly to Linear Dodge and Linear Burn, but also work with alpha (the way Add does in After Effects).
• After Effects should add a blending mode entitled Subtract, which is the exact opposite effect of Add.