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Digital Backdrops: Quick Guide To Using Backdrops

This tutorial teaches how to combine photos with digital backdrops in an image editing program like Photoshop. It covers selecting the subject from the original photo, opening and placing the subject onto a backdrop file, and provides tips for adding shadows, creating floors, converting backdrops, and more. The troubleshooting section addresses issues like selections not being correct, files not opening, subjects not positioned right, and subjects being the wrong size for backdrops.

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Alejandro Santiago Ruiz
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96 views5 pages

Digital Backdrops: Quick Guide To Using Backdrops

This tutorial teaches how to combine photos with digital backdrops in an image editing program like Photoshop. It covers selecting the subject from the original photo, opening and placing the subject onto a backdrop file, and provides tips for adding shadows, creating floors, converting backdrops, and more. The troubleshooting section addresses issues like selections not being correct, files not opening, subjects not positioned right, and subjects being the wrong size for backdrops.

Uploaded by

Alejandro Santiago Ruiz
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Digital Backdrops

Quick Guide to Using Backdrops


Contents Me lo encontr en la red, yme ayudo un poco, aunque est en Ingles espero te sirva y sino ignoralo Cesatty en D!"!#$ y Mercado %i&re
This tutorial will teach you all that is needed to drop your photos onto the backgrounds in ' !()* )#!+). Plus tips and tricks to give your photos a more realistic and professional look. Also included is a troubleshooting section for easy to find solutions. )ection ,- Com&ining +.otos and Backdrops in ' !()* )#!+) )ection /- #ips and #ricks )ection '- #rou&les.ooting An extensive how-to of the rules and techniques of portrait or product photography is beyond the scope of this tutorial. This tutorial is intended to teach you how to use the digital backdrops provided on this C . A basic understanding of photography and the use of your image manipulation program is assumed. This tutorial is written for Adobe Photoshop products as they are the most widely used by photo professionals and home users. !our image editing program may have different names for each tool" but the functions will be the same. #f you are looking for the best image editing program available" we reccomend Adobe Photoshop $lements %. This will give you the most powerful program for the money &around '%( on $bay). The term *background+ is used when referring to the original sub,ect photo. The term *backdrop+ is used to refer to the image files on the C . -ac $quivalents. Ctrl / Apple Alt / 0ption 1ight Click / 0ption 2 Click

)ection ,
Com&ining +.otos and Backdrops in ' !()* )#!+)
Using c.roma key 0it. digital &ackdrops1

Chroma key is the use of a solid color background when photographing a sub,ect. This makes it easier to extract the sub,ect from the background. 3sually blue or green is used" but any solid color will work as long as the sub,ect isn4t the same color as the background. The background can be a plain wall" a sheet or any solid color item larger than the sub,ect. The background must also contrast from the sub,ect. #f your sub,ect is wearing black while using a black background" it will be significantly harder to extract the sub,ect from the photo. A hair light should be used as it will eliminate shadows from the background. A hair light is simply a light placed between the sub,ect and the background. 5enerally" it4s aimed at the background from floor level to add depth to portraits. 6or our purposes" it provides better contrast. )#!+ ,-!2tract t.e su&3ect 4rom your picture 4ile 0pen your sub,ect picture file 56ile7$pen7your4ile1ti489. 3sing the -agic Wand Tool, left-click on the background of your sub,ect. The entire background should be selected &Troubleshooting 7)1 #nverse the selected background 5)elect7Inverse9 so that now your sub,ect is highlighted. Copy the selection 5!dit7Copy91 #ip: -ake sure the anti-aliased box is checked. #ip: Create a duplicate layer of the image 5%ayer7Duplicate %ayer9. #t serves as a comparison for the extracted image with the original. #t can also be helpful if corrections are needed. !ou can also drag the 8ackground 9ayer to the :ew 9ayer icon in the 9ayers Palette.
8.tif is an example. !our file may be a .,pg " a .psd file." or any number of files supported by your image manipulating program.

)#!+ /-$pen t.e &ackdrop 4ile 0pen desired backdrop file from the C 56ile7$pen7!:Clouds1ti489&Troubleshooting %).
;$.Clouds.tif is an example. !our drive letter and file name may be different.

)#!+ '-+lace your su&3ect onto t.e &ackdrop Paste your copied sub,ect file onto the backdrop 5!dit7+aste9&Troubleshooting <)1

)ection /

#ips and #ricks


#ip ,-(dding a ).ado0 =elect the layer containing the sub,ect file &9ayer 7). 3se the Magic Wand Tool to select the empty background behind the sub,ect. #nverse the selection 5)elect7Inverse9" create a new layer 5%ayer7;e07%ayer9" then fill with black 5!dit76ill7Black9 to create a silhouette. -ove your cursor to 9ayer % in the 9ayers Palette. 9eft-click and hold to drag 9ayer % under 9ayer 7. Press Ctrl while left-clicking and holding over the silhouette in the image file to offset shadow according to lighting conditions &i.e. #f lighting is from the left" move silhouette right). 8lur the silhouette 56ilter7Blur7Gaussian Blur9" then ad,ust the opacity in the 9ayers Palette. #ip /-Creating a 6loor Click on the Rectangular Marquee Tool. Create a rectangular selection covering the entire bottom ten percent of the background. Click !dit7#rans4orm7)ke0 and pull the bottom left and right handles farther to their respective sides. This should give it a perspective look. Create another layer 5%ayer7;e07%ayer9 and draw a soft" thin black line where the wall meets the floor. 8lur it 56ilter7Blur7Gaussian Blur9" then ad,ust opacity in the 9ayers Palette. #ip '-Converting <ertical Backdrop to =ori>ontal Click Image7"otate Canvas, then select from the options given. -ost of the backdrops can be functionally rotated. #ip ?-6i2ing "ed-!ye Click the Paintbrush Tool and choose a soft-edged brush approximately the same si>e of the area needing fixed. -ake sure the foreground color is set on black" click the blend mode to Color in the 0ptions 8ar" and paint over affected area. #ip @-(dding "e4lective Glint to !yes Click the Airbrush Tool" choose a small pixel brush and make white the foreground color. raw a small *?+ in the top right or left quadrant of the pupil. Then use a slightly smaller soft-edged brush and click once on the center of the ?. Pull back and see if it needs to be blurred. 3se the Blur Tool if needed. #ip A-Using +ortions o4 Backdrops =ometimes a good backdrop ,ust needs be a color or two to set off the sub,ect. 9ook at different segments of each backdrop. -aybe ,ust a portion of the backdrop is all you need. Click on the Crop Tool and highlight the desired area. Click #mage7Image )i>e" then ad,ust to desired si>e. $nlarging the image may make it grainy. 8lur the new backdrop until pixelation is smoothed out. #ip B-Blurring 4or Dept. #f your finished pro,ect doesn4t seem quite right but you can4t put your finger on the problem" it may be too much texture in the background. 8lurring the backdrop 56ilter7Blur7Gaussian Blur9 can give the image depth and draw out the sub,ect.

#ip C- Blending t.e su&3ect 0it. t.e Backdrop 1arely does the sub,ect look natural after pasting it on the backdrop. 3se the !raser #ool around the edges of the sub,ect to get rid of any remaining pixels from the original background. After that" use the Blur #ool to blend the edges of the sub,ect to the background.

)ection '
#rou&les.ooting ,1D )election is not as desired1
Ad,ust the tolerance of the Magic Wand starting with a setting of *7+. #f your selection still isn4t right" ad,ust the tolerance setting in steps of *7(+ until desired selection is achieved. #f this does not produce the desired selection area" use your Lasso Tool and carefully trace around the edges of your sub,ect. #f you have a newer version of Photoshop" you can choose from a Magnetic Lasso Tool or the $xtract function in your 6ilters.

/1D 6ile 0onEt open


Try left-clicking the icon directly from the C . #f it still doesn4t open" your image manipulating program may not support a .tif file. Contact distributor.

'1D )u&3ect isnEt positioned correctly on &ackground


9eft-click and hold while pressing the Ctrl button. This will allow you to move your sub,ect at will.

'1, )u&3ect is too large or small in relation to t.e &ackground


To si>e an image click !dit7#rans4orm7)cale or !dit76ree #rans4orm@ then click one of the handles on the selection marquee and drag the image to the desired si>e. To keep the image proportionate press =hift before dragging the selection.
The backdrops are <(( ppi &pixels per inch) or dpi &dot per inch). #f your sub,ect has been saved at a different ppi" the differences will show when the sub,ect has been pasted onto the backdrop &fileAimage =i>e). Ad,ust the backdrop or the original sub,ect file so they are compatible with the smaller ppi of the two files. :0T$. #f you are planning to print a picture-quality photo" you should not reduce the ppi to less than <((. !ou should reshoot or rescan accordingly.

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