How to remove backgrounds from photos?

[JessicaMassage 16917]

Bonjour,

 

In my latest photo shoot the background is incredibly fromage/ cheesy.

 

I've tried to remove the background using the publishing layout view with Microsoft Word for apple and have found extremely difficult, actually impossible.

Mainly, I haven't been able to properly contour myself without excluding other parts my body and cutting them out. Either a foot, a part of my hair etc.

Would anyone have any tricks or be able to recommend an alternate software capable of removing a background from a portrait?

 

Thank you in advance!

 

Jessica

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

I use Photoshop to do stuff like that. Looks like Adobe offers a free trial download if you're inclined to try it out.

 

"The trial version is fully functional for 30 days and offers unlimited access to the feature set."

 

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=photoshop&loc=en_us

[Leber 1328]

Use photo editing software. I'm not familiar with Mac and not sure if its included app can do it for you. I too use Photoshop.

[Maria Divina 2262]

Photoshop is the best program I know to do such thing.

 

But, to cut a person or an object from a background require a certain dexterity (and practice) to be nicely done.

 

That is like everything else ;-)

[piano8950 32577]

I use Photoshop to do stuff like that. Looks like Adobe offers a free trial download if you're inclined to try it out.

 

"The trial version is fully functional for 30 days and offers unlimited access to the feature set."

 

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=photoshop&loc=en_us

 

Photoshop is the best software for this sort of thing. Quick demonstration

 

Open your picture on Photoshop CS6

 

1. Got this picture from today's news for a demostration, going to try to separate her from the background

 

 

 

2. On the left, the third button from the top, there are the Lasso tools. Click them and then select "Magnetic Lasso Tool"

 

 

 

 

3. Start at a location around your body, waist is usually a good starting point, and slowly move your cursor around the outline of the body. Photoshop analysis the picture and moves along the edges better then free hand mouse movements. Every so often, loop outside, and cut the background part (CTRL -X or Command - X if you're using a Mac)

 

 

 

 

4. As you can see, the body part is easily seperated from the background, the hair looks a little unkempt. It requires more time, and if you have a larger picture, it should be easier. (There are a couple of additional steps you can take to get the hair right)

 

 

 

5. Anyhow, this was a quick photoshop edit, took me 5 minute in total. So if you spend time with it, it should come out great. I chose a simple white background and played around with what's in the back just to give you and idea of what can be done.

 

[xBen 120]

Photoshop is the best option, the only problem is price.

 

piano8950 instructions are the easiest to follow, there is at least 3 ways to do things in Photoshop.

 

Just remember Photoshop is like working with a collage of pictures, so all the pictures will be stacked on top of each other through different layers.

 

If you need help there are lots of documentation online.

[whiteman 14028]

Hi Jessica, as you can see there are Photoshop experts on this board, maybe you can offer one a free session or something in exchange for editing the photos for you? Easier than having to buy & learn Photoshop. :)

[Rassilon 982]

Hello, Jessica. We all know and love photoshop, but you may not love it enough to pay the huge price tag.

 

As an alternative you could try the GIMP. The GIMP is free.

 

The GIMP has a foreground selection tool for these purposes. You use a lasso like tool to draw a rough outline of the object to be isolated away from the background. Then paint with broad strokes over some of the area to be selected. This helps the computer make intelligent guess. Then another tool lets you fine tune the edges. It is fast and does not require too much precision on your part for many photos. Some complicated ones, it will.

 

After extracting the object from the background (this tip applies to any software used for this function) select the empty background, then grow the selection by one pixel. You should have the edge of the subject (I guess in this case a photo of you) selected, but only one pixel all over the edge of the subject. Then blur that one pixel a tiny bit. This reduces the sharpness of the cut and makes the isolated subject look more natural relative to the new background.

 

Depending on the contrast altering the lightness of the photo may help this process. Then return to the original lighting settings after the selection of the subject to be isolated has been made.

 

Please feel free to ask me for further help if you so wish. I can even give advice on the best specific route to take if I can see the original image.

 

Additional Comments:

i am an idiot, I can't believe I forgot about the Resynthesizer plug-in for GIMP. When the researchers came up with the general concepts and released example code I was following it. Very excited when someone made a GIMP plug-in then I forgot about it.

 

This plug-in for GIMP is also free. It is meant to in very few steps remove one subject from a photo then fill in the empty in such a way as to make it look like it belongs with the rest of the picture. Now I understand this is not what you need. but the software is so advanced that it makes a good "remove object from background" type tool as well. You can just Google "Resynthesizer plug-in" and find it The GIMP manual advises how to install plug-ins, but regardless, I am still available to help you if you like.

[shayman 709]

you can try this:

 

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/remove-the-background-of-a-picture-HA010355182.aspx

[JessicaMassage 16917]

Thank you for all your help!

 

I love learning new software, as it can always be beneficial in the future.

 

Much appreciated!