Q:

Is there a way to apply blending modes without duplicating layers?

When I work on images in Photoshop, I normally do a number of adjustments (spot healing, dodge/burn, curves, etc) before I mess around with blending modes.  I then merge visible to a new layer and apply Soft Light.  I don't really like to do this though because I might then stack additional adjustment layers on top of this blended layer.  If for any reason I need to change the layers beneath this new layer, the Soft Light layer won't reflect the change.  Is there a way to apply blending modes without duplicating layers?

A:

When you finish editing the picture, select all layers and convert them to a smart object instead of merging the layers.
Then duplicate your smart layer to apply the blending mode you want. 

