When using File > Place (invoked from either Photoshop or Bridge) the placed document is automatically converted into a Smart Object as well as resized to fit within the originating image’s canvas size. To change these settings choose Preferences > General and uncheck “Resize image During Place” and “Always Create Smart Objects when Placing”.
To help with the placement/alignment/scale of a document that is being “placed”, the “placed” layer’s opacity and blend mode can be modified in the Layers panel.
