Not happy with the background in your photograph? Swap it out for a new one. And I will show you how in today’s Digital Tutorial. There are a few things you need to know and do in order for this to be successful.
Let’s start with the original photograph. Now you can’t take a photo while inside and place it on an outdoor background because the lighting will be way off. The lighting on the background needs to match the lighting of the subject in your photograph. it also helps to use a background that is uniform in color and in contrast with your subject.
Back in December I was commissioned by a Marine to take a photograph of him in uniform because he wanted one really good photograph before he retired from service. When I met him he should me a large wall of examples of the look he was going for. Basically he wanted the American flag displayed in the background. So I took some photos of him inside as well as outside so that I would have some options when choosing my background.
Then i went on the hunt for the perfect background. Found some on Fotolio.com. I downloaded the comp versions to test them out with the images before making my purchase. Once I was satisfied I bought the background and now it was time to do a little Photoshop magic.
The background I had chosen looked to have been taken outdoors so I used one of the photographs taken outdoors. Makes sense, right?
First step: Open you photo in Photoshop.
Second step: You will need to make a selection around the background. You can use one of the many selection tools available to you in Photoshop. I generally use the “Selection Brush Tool” in Photoshop Elements. Your selection needs to be precise so take your time and get it right. Otherwise people will be able to tell you used a digital background.
Third step: Once you have made your selection, click on “Select” from the top Navigation Menu and then scroll down to “Refine Edge”. A dialogue box will appear and the color will change around your selection. it does this so you can visible see with contrast where you have made your selection. You can adjust it here by sliding the “Contract/Expand” bar or “Feather” it out or do any “Smoothing” of your edges.
Fourth step: Once you are happy with your selection, simply delete the background. This will put your subject onto a Transparent background. if this is not working for you, check to make sure that your photograph is on a “Layer” and not a locked background.
Fifth step: Now you are ready to bring in your digital background. The easiest way to do this is by clicking on “File” from the navigation Menu up top and then scroll down to “Place”. Locate the digital background on your hard drive and press OK. This will bring the digital background in as a “Smart Object” will you can manipulate without distorting the background.
Final step: Make any adjustments you need to to place the subject in front of the digital background. You will want to save this as a JPG and as a PSD file. The PSD file is so that you can come back and make any further adjustments if you need to.
