> If the above is correct, what is ticking me off is it is so dark, when I 
> render in the renderer, it's nice,...
are you looking at it with proper gamma correction?
oh right it’s photoshop...
well, in XSI you are probably seeing the linear image with a gamma correction 
added (which is the desired way to work) – but most other software will show it 
without gamma - So if you add a gamma of 2.2, chances are it will look like 
what you expected. 
But here’s the twist: you should not be using that gamma – first do the comp 
and add it in the end. Or actually – better not add the gamma at all and rather 
export the image to the correct target color space.
> Photoshop 'add' blend mode doesn't work in 32-bit color space, what is the 
> correct alternative ?

Nuke.
Really – you can’t expect to use Photoshop for a comp like that and have the 
same result as in the renderer – it has the maths all wrong and doesn’t even 
know how to handle an alpha. What you’re trying to do will work correctly the 
first time around you try it in nuke (ok – perhaps that’s wishful thinking)
Add (or Plus in Nuke terms) is the one and only proper blend mode to use - it’s 
called linear dodge or something senseless like that in Photoshop I think. 
Screen is not correct - though handy at times, it will never give you the same 
result as in the renderer. (except for the speculars in the mr skin shader – 
but that’s another story)
Seriously – photoshop isn’t worth all the pain for this kind of thing. I know 
it might sound harsh but that’s just how it is – photoshop will not work the 
same way as the renderer. If you just want to mess around with some layers and 
make something whatever – I guess you can use photoshop – but if you want to 
get the same, correct result, as in the renderer – don’t use photoshop.
If your client wants to receive a layered photoshop comp... then though luck. 

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