Layering Help Needed

[Ethan Landers]

Hello.  I was wondering if someone could help me with layering in photoshop.  I am performing different adjustments to this image with different layers and groups.  Some of the things I want to do require that I make a duplicate layer to work with, like the duplicate layers under the sharpening category.  Something I want to do is create a duplicate layer in order to remove dark circles.  If I were to perform (on Mac) command, option, shift, and 'e', it would create a merged duplicate layer, however I don't really want that because what if I want to go back and edit different aspects of the photo like the eyes?  But if I create a duplicate layer of the background layer, the effects don't show up.  Let me know if my question makes sense, thank you.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

You already employ a Smart Object, so why are you also working with plain pixel Layers instead of using multiple instances of the same Smart Object?

[Ethan Landers]

Could you further explain what that all means?  I am relatively new to Photoshop, and I use separate YouTube videos as guides to achieve the desired effects I want, like iris pop.

Like in the YouTube videos, they tell me to convert certain things to smart objects, but I am not really sure of how they work.

[edgrimley]

Converting to smart objects has many advantages. One of which is allowing you to apply a filter and then adjust or even delete it entirely later non-destructively.

[Ethan Landers]

Do you have an example?

[edgrimley]

Convert a layer to a smart object, then add unsharp mask. Later you can double click the unsharp mask and re-adjust it, turn it off, change the blending mode, or delete it completely; leaving the original layer intact as it was.

[Ethan Landers]

What is an unsharp mask?

[John Waller]

https://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-editing/how-to-sharpen-images-in-photoshop-with-unsharp-ma...

[c.pfaffenbichler]

If Filtering and/or complex Adjustments (spread across Groups and with Layer Masks) are involved you may want to consider starting with a Smart Object. 

That way touch-up (applied within the Smart Object) will apply to all the instances instead of just the one with the Filter applied. 

[Ethan Landers]

Which layer in my project would I convert to a smart object?