help me get rid of my mother

JimmyJaceyMom · Dec 30, 2006

hey how do you think the best way would be to get my mom out of this picture. I know the hat on my kid is unsitely anyhow but I like this picture because that is his favorite miserable expresson lol. I just wish she wasn't in the background. Should I try to clone her out or put an entirely new background in?

LaFoto · Dec 30, 2006

A combination of cropping (to vertical) and cloning, maybe? That is what springs to mind immediately ...

The_Traveler · Dec 30, 2006

This would be a relatively simple masking effort (using channel masks probably). It is only complicated by the low resolution and softness at the interface between boy and woman in this picture.

If you put a link to a higher res color image I can do the mask for you in PS and post the boy isolated so you can try other background behind him. I can send you the PSD file if you like so you can see the masking process.

JimmyJaceyMom · Dec 30, 2006

thank you very much, but I dont know how to send one other than from photobucket link... is that what you mean. Thanks for offering to help me with that, you're awesome! :wink:

The_Traveler · Dec 30, 2006

Photobucket doesn't allow uploading of files greater than 1 M so you can't use that to send the file. Sooooo.

Go to www.yousendit.com and register for free acount. This will allow you to send files up to 50 megabytes.
Once you have an account, follow the instructions on the screen to locate the file on your computer and upload it. Send the file to yourself by entering your own email address in the 'To:' space. This will upload the file and send you an email with a link to download it.

Post that link here or send it to me on a PM and I can download the file. Upload the original color file in full size, so I can use the color to make the mask.

Hope this is clear.

The_Traveler · Dec 30, 2006

BTW, here is Jimmy isolated on a neutral grey background. (maybe 3 minutes work)
On the high-res image it would be much smoother and nicer.

If you want to try some backgrounds, open this in PS.
Use the magic selection want to click on and select the neutral grey
Invert the selection, now Jimmy is selected,
Control C to copy him.
Control V pastes him onto a new layer (which is created automatically)
Now slide some new background layers in below this second layer.

JimmyJaceyMom · Dec 30, 2006

AH ha! cool. I just checked in to see if you had seen my post and I am dying to try those things but I have company arriving in 1/2 hour and my house is soooo far from ready for company! Hopefully they'll leave early (lol just kidding) cause I am dying to try these things out. I learn so much here!
I'll be back soon!

LifesMirror · Dec 31, 2006

Very cute kid. And BTW, its the HAT that really makes this picture IMO.

JimmyJaceyMom · Jan 1, 2007

The_Traveler said:
BTW, here is Jimmy isolated on a neutral grey background. (maybe 3 minutes work)
On the high-res image it would be much smoother and nicer.

If you want to try some backgrounds, open this in PS.
Use the magic selection want to click on and select the neutral grey
Invert the selection, now Jimmy is selected,
Control C to copy him.
Control V pastes him onto a new layer (which is created automatically)
Now slide some new background layers in below this second layer.

oh thank you i am going to go try that now.

The_Traveler · Jan 1, 2007

I didn't say, but should have, to set the tolerance on the magic wand to something like 5 so it won't also select the tonalities in the face. (At 5 it works perfectly)

viperhawk · Jan 2, 2007

What do you mean by inverting the selection. I can't get him to light up after doing this.

Big Mike · Jan 2, 2007

viperhawk said:
What do you mean by inverting the selection. I can't get him to light up after doing this.

Inverting the selection...is changing the selection from what is selected...to everything that is not selected. Got that :scratch: :lol:

Just go to the top menu and pull down the Select menu, then pick Inverse. Or you could use the short cut of Ctrl-Shift-I

JimmyJaceyMom · Jan 2, 2007

I'm still trying.

But I'm learning even by messing up. Thanks.

The_Traveler · Jan 2, 2007

When you use the magic wand to select the neutral grey area there will be the line of 'marching ants' around the margin of the entire picture and around the boy's figure - the grey is selected. You can tell that it is selected because when you move the cursor into the grey area, it will change from the magic wand to an arrow and a small box - this symbol indicates that the cursor is in a selected area.

As Big Mike said, click on Select>Inverse and the marching ants around the periphery of the picture will disappear, although those around the boy will remain. Before the boy was outside of the selected area now you have 'inverted' the selection and the boy is in the selected area. Confirm this by moving the cursor inside the figure of the boy and the magic wand cursor will be replaced by the arrow/box cursor.

Now you can copy and paste the boy.