Step by Step Editing your seascape image
 

Just tried this and get all the way up to selecting the gradient tool. When I press shift for vertical alignment and draw the white to transparent linear gradiant the whole picture fades down not just the water line. Can anyone steer me in the right direction.
Thanks

It sound like your drawing the line over the whole image. Try drawing the line over where you'd like the transition to be. Then if the effect is upside down, just ctrl I to invert. I hope that helps

Thanks for responding. Tried all sorts of line lengths from just across the water line to the whole pic. Still get the whole picture lightning. Adjusted transparency everything. I must be missing something. Just like to hear from somebody who has tried it to see what happens.

Have a look at this.. [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jul2mkM3dZE[/url] fast forward to about 4.30. He is merging 2 images, but uses the gradient tool to blend the 2 layers. May help.

Interesting but didn't give me the answer and I’ll certainly have a go at that. Checked what I was doing yet again and this time could not find the gradient white to transparent. Thought I had selected it previously but obviously not. Using Elements 10 could not find a standard gradient white to transparent so made one (white foreground and background, gradient editor right top slider to 0 transparency and saved it). Then hey presto did exactly as it shows on the video. I can only assume White to transparent is not standard? Thanks for your help CR3Snapper.

Welcome.
On mine, when you click on the gradient tool editor, it's the third preset you need, which is the black/white box. After all if you notice in the layers palette, the masks for each layer are white, which means it applies the layer to the whole of the image. If you invert the layer,(ctrl i) it turns black, and doesn't apply any of the layer effects. So when using the gradient tool it will set a gradient from black to white, or visa versa. and apply the effect according to where you click on your image.