Help with PP

[gleff]

Hi All,

I have the following image of Lisa McCune that I want to extract from the background and i'm having trouble doing so because of my crappy photoshop CS2 skills. The problem i'm having is with the area around the neck and left side where it blends in with the guys suit, and also the hair.

Can anyone give me some suggestions on the best way (preferably step by step) or via a tutorial on how to extract her from the image so I can plant her on a new background.

Any help would be appreciated.

Here is the image to demonstrate. The one i'm working on doesn't include the frame or watermark though.

Thanks
Geoff

[phillipb]

Hi geoff,
Just a thought, if you're just trying to get rid of the guy next to her, it may be easier to clone out the jacket.

[gleff]

Hi geoff,
Just a thought, if you're just trying to get rid of the guy next to her, it may be easier to clone out the jacket.

I'm trying to get rid of the guy and extract Lisa from the entire background. I'm just having trouble because of the darkness around the next/suit area and with the hair. I think I need to do something with channels and levels but i'm having a hell of a time doing it.. nothing is working.

[shakey]

Well I'm no PS expert but....

use the extract filter (in filter menu) rather than the selection tools.

history brush to paint back in any missing bits

Detailed explanation in Scott Kelby's book "Photoshop CS2 book for digital photographers" p260-265 (if you happen to be walking past a bookshop..) ..if you keep on reading it will also tell how to do digital botox for those eye wrinkles...

[big pix]

http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html

.......will give you the answer........ called background extraction

[joolz]

I agree with Shakey that the extract tool is quite handy and does a decent job.
I have a Katrin Eismann book "masking and compositing" which goes through a few good (but advanced) techniques that I would recommend if you want to learn some complex but effective ones.

[wendellt]

you can use the lasso tool in photoshop to select the jacket and fill the space with black, then you will isolate lisa

anyway as a side not next tiem you do red carpet

ask lisa to step away from her partner the partners know its not rude to ask if you take a shot without them

celebs like lisa are used to being asked to get a solo full length without her partner

[gleff]

Thanks everyone for your help. I've been playing around and it's pretty clear i'm going to need some major practice with this.

Cheers
Geoff

[gleff]

This is the end result of playing.. There are some areas that I can't seem to fix so it's not perfect but as a small photo to someone perhaps not looking for problems it may look okay.. what do you think..

[sirhc55]

Not bad Geoff except I would clone the slight hot spot on the right cheak

[gleff]

Not bad Geoff except I would clone the slight hot spot on the right cheak

Is that any better?

[Oz_Beachside]

nice job. I learned this technique from the "Dr. Brown" tute posted above.

Perhaps you could forgo some of the hair on picture left, below earing height, as your extraction has taken too much out.

But a great extraction non-the-less

Oz

[shakey]

The left shoulder looks a bit strange