fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

No kidding. I feel like a fish out of water with some of these. But thats good.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I am not posting a revision this week because I have no idea how to do what I think needs to be done. My hat is off to those who have replaced the background, as that would be my first choice of revisions, but I don't know how to do that. My other thing would be to crop to just head and shoulders, I think. So if someone knows how to do that, please do it and tell me how, OK?

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

Well, I feel you. I managed to remember to use the quick selection tool in PS to isolate and blur the background. I made a pretty crude job of it. I have read tutorials on how to refine the results, but its not the kind of thing I encounter until times like these. PS is the only program I am familiar with. I hope you get some helpful feedback, and put one in.

Jim-Pops Loc: Granbury, Texas

Changing backgrounds/masking can be quite challenging. All my masking is done in Photoshop. Learned how to do it by watching many YouTube videos. Still watch them and occasionally pick up some new ways and tricks. Some better some not so much. The biggest problem with most of the instructors explaining how to mask on YouTube is they have a relatively simple masking jobs to start out with. The contrast or definition between your subject and the unwanted area is well defined to start with. This makes it easy using the Refine tool in PS. In very tight areas I have learned to use the pen tool, an extremely hard tool to use with confidence. I put off learning it several years until I just had to use it for some fine delicate areas. Other ways to help mask is using channels or Color Range to get the area you need.
So here you go no simple way to do masking. Every picture has its own challenges. YouTube has all the answers but takes hours of viewing and practicing to be good at it. Take some time each week to watch another video learning more tricks becoming accustom the tools provided in Photoshop. To me its like going to college for Photoshop.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Thanks, Jim.

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

I also spent hours over the years learning to use the different selection tools in PS . . . then discovered Topaz Remask . . . a plug-in for PS that makes cutting out the background relatively simple, and in most cases very accurate, with all kinds of backgrounds. Once the background is removed it is simply replaced with another image on a separate layer. That new background layer can be adjusted as to colour, brightness, saturation, blurred, etc.

Topaz Remask can also be used as a stand alone program for those that do no have PS, and you can go to their website and get it for a thirty day free trial. I use it all the time for my portraits.

To effectively replace backgrounds one does need an editing program that supports layers. To my senior's photo group that I help out, I recommend Photo Shop Elements, as it is a very inexpensive alternative to PS (on sale often at B&H for under $75) . . . has all the necessary tools and abilities . . . and when learned, makes it an easy transition into the use of PS should one ever feel the need to upgrade. One of the huge advantages of PS Elements, as apposed to most of the free programs out there, is the incredible array of You Tube instructional videos available to learn the program.

Play with the free trial of Topaz Remask for a month . . . you'll love it! Topaz has a couple of videos also that show how Remask works.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

OK, so I thought better of my earlier remark. Here's my feeble attempt. I tried to erase the background. Didn't work. Tried to do an overlay. Didn't work. So I paint bucketed it! Got a wierd effect and had to clone some places. In so doing I screwed up his ear and didn't know how to fix that. It also seemed that I had screwed up the colour of his skin. However, thanks to the intelligence of UHH folk (Thanks, Linda!!!), I learned something new about colour. For the internet, one needs sRGB. However, that's not available in my PS program, so it automatically comes out RGB, and that looks funky in the thumbnail on UHH. Hummmmm. I've learned a lot today. Think I'll go have a bloody mary and contemplate my learnings.

(Download)

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

I can imagine your frustration but its a creditable effort. Don't be too hard on yourself. I will sleep better tonight because you did post. That wicked wedding guy really strained us with this one.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Now that sounds like a good plan. There were many days when I was attempting to wrap my head around layers and layer masks that I contemplated how satisfying it would feel to just toss the computer off the balcony

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

What editing program are you using??? AzPicLady sounds a lot like Arizona . . . and if that wasn't so darn far I'd join you for one of those bloody marys!

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

Welcome to the real world!

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I usually work in LR. I have the 6.13 version. For this one I used my CS5 to try to do something with the background. And yes, I'm in AZ currently.

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

Used to spend every March in Casa Grande . . . love it there!

CS5 is very capable and would be extra great with the Remax 5 plug-in