Anyone help with Layers?

[Steve P]

I am trying to extract a portrait from a busy background via layers. It's one of those step by step manuals that's not proving to be the case. What I want is my portrait on a white background. It says to turn the background layer which is by default locked into a normal layer that can be masked. If you double click on the layer thumbnail in the layers palette and click ok when the new layer window appears.

This is where I get lost. In the manual the new layer is plain white but mine is the checkered affair in white and grey :confused: . I want my portrait on a white background also to simulate a studio effect.

Any ideas?

[sandman]

Steve not sure how you're trying to do this , but what i do is
quick mask the subject
invert the mask
cut out
new file
white background
paste

this example is very quick , in under 2 minutes , but is this what your trying to achieve?

Brian

[Tom V]

I used up a lot of electrons writing a tutorial of sorts on how I select and mask (S&M). It was prompted by the infamous "viola challenge"

The challenge:
http://theswampbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1977

Here is my tutorial:
http://www.s2pro.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2037

I don't think I can explain it any better.

Here are some more threads I wrote about masking:
Clothing: http://theswampbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9589
Motorcycle: http://theswampbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4075
Multiple Exposure composite: http://theswampbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1842
The "Reloaded" composite: http://theswampbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5224

[Rockyw]

I use the extract filter a lot. If I plan on cutting a subject out I shot on a white background. The problem with this image is the hair. Not that it looks bad but its very hard to cut that spiked hair off a background almost the same color as the hair. I gave him hair cut but thats the best I can do in a few min.

[JPS]

The best way to completely clean the background might be to follow Russell Brown't technique... i found and downloaded his "movie" explaining How-To, at: http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html

Near the bottom of the page, you'll find a Quick Time movie called "Advanced Masking", wich is 21 Mb. ! Right-click on it and download it into your HD so that you can look and re-look at it whenever you want... it's quite complicated -for me- but the technique he's using is GREAT !

Hope this helps ?
:cheers:

[Tom V]

The best way to completely clean the background might be to follow Russell Brown't technique... i found and downloaded his "movie" explaining How-To, at: http://www.russellbrown.com/tips_tech.html
... :cheers:


Thanks for the link Jean-Pierre!

[jeffinkansas]

if your subject is already on a semi light background this technique works fairly well.

first go into channels and copy the green channel. Then, on that channel copy, select apple m which opens up the curves dialouge. Then bring the top point to the left one box and the bottom point to the right one box. Close the dialouge, reopen and repeat until your image becomes essentially without much tone. Then gaussian blur your channel copy a couple of points, decide if you need to invert or not, and drag the entire copy onto the selection loading button. then you can use that selection as a mask creation which will often get the hairs on the head for you. good luck, I hope that all made sense!

Jeff