|
Author: Fabian Barajas Article source: http://www.digital-photography-toolkit.com/. Used with author's permission.
The article given here was written for Adobe Photoshop 5,6,7,CS, and Adobe Photoshop Elements 2 and 3.
Most photographers who are serious about improving their portrait taking skills have realized that a beautiful background can greatly enhance their photographs.
Muslins are a very popular choice among professionals. However, they can get very costly at several hundred dollars each. For the professional who is well established, this may not seem too much, but for the hobbyist, this may be a stretch.
A less costly alternative is a digital background. With a digital background, one can get the look and feel of a professional looking portrait without the additional cost of muslin.
Many Photography websites also sell digital backgrounds on cd. In some cases…as low as $15.00 dollars for an assorted collection. As with anything else…you usually get what you pay for. Some of these pre-made digital backgrounds are not worth the cd they're printed on, but some of them are very beautifully made. Even so, you may be wondering how YOU can make your very own digital background. That being said, the following information will help guide you along the way.
Okay, let's create a digital backdrop using Adobe Elements 2.0. We will create an 8x10 300dpi (dpi = dots per inch or ppi = pixels per inch) digital backdrop. For printing purposes, 300dpi is strongly recommended for a high quality print. This will also create a large file approximately 20.6megs.
Having a fast processor (Pentium 4 or Athlon XP) and at least 256megs of ram will definitely help. Also having your screen resolution on your monitor set to its highest setting 24 or 32bit will give the best results.
Okay let's begin! If you haven't already opened Photoshop Elements, do so now.
1. Click on File < New.
When the window opens up,make sure to set it to 8x10 inches at 300dpi.
2. Make a copy of the background layer you just created by pressing
Control-J on your keyboard. If you look at the bottom right corner of your
monitor, you should see an exact copy of your background layer named layer 1.
3. Select the "foreground" color for your background by clicking on the foreground square on your toolbar… the black one. (Bottom left)
4. The Color Picker window should now be open. Select a light red by clicking on the top right corner of the color palette. Click ok.
5. Now select the "background" color by clicking on the background square on your toolbar… the white one. (Bottom right)
6. The Color Picker window should open again. Select a darker red by clicking halfway below the lighter red you previously chose. Click ok.
7. Now comes the fun part! Let's put some clouds in there. On the top of your screen, click on Filter
8. First, make sure that layer 1 is not locked! Look at your layers palette on the bottom right of your screen. Do you see the little black "lock" icon? Make sure that the little white square to the left is NOT checked!
9. Okay, now press "m" on your keyboard. At the top left corner of your backdrop, click and drag your mouse to create a 2x3 inch square.
If you do not see the ruler along side your backdrop, press "control-r" on your keyboard.
10. Press "v" on your keyboard. Your selection should now have little handles on all sides that you can click on to pull to any size you want. If you do not see any handles, click on "Show Bounding Box" at the top.
11. Click on the lower right handle in the corner and drag and stretch it to the bottom right corner of your backdrop.
12. Double click anywhere on the red backdrop to apply the resizing. Now press "L" on your keyboard then "control-d".
Okay, now you should have a beautiful looking backdrop ready to use, but wait, there is still more we can do to take it to another level.
You will be simply amazed at the results you will be getting in the next few steps. You may have noticed that many types of muslins on the market have painted on them what's known, as a "hot spot".
What is a hot spot? A hot spot is a circular area near the center of the backdrop that is lighter in color. Why is this there? It allows the subject to stand out and creates a vignette at the borders. This will greatly enhance your backdrop. Are you ready? Okay, let's do it!
13.On the top, click on Filter-Render-Lighting Effects. Select "Omni" for your "Light Type" and move the slider for your intensity to 25. Now click on the middle handle in the circle and raise the circle just above the halfway point to where the person's head will appear.Click ok.
Now you should have an amazing looking backdrop! Fabian Barajas is author of several Photoshop ebook tutorials including "How to Create Your Very Own Professional Looking Digital Backdrop!" His website which includes samples of his work is http://www.digital-background.net/
Why PR Can be Effective Medicine
It's easy-to-swallow "medicine" when it leads managers to persuade those key outside folks to their way of thinking.
Managing Stress Around Christmas
Many of us are acutely aware that depsite Christmas being considered a time of joy it can also be a time of heightened stress and anxiety.
Preteen Relationships
Even preteens have relationships that are important to them. In this critical time, though, the most important preteen relationship is always with parents. It i...
The Three Most Common Mistakes Sales Managers Make
In most organizations, sales managers are the essential bridge between the company's sales goals and the realization of those goals. The gritty day-to-day inter...
Should I Have A Face Lift?
Questions to consider before spending a lot of money on a face lift.
The 7 Deadly Barriers to Success
You want to start up a business on the Internet but it hasn't happened. What can you do to put yourself on the journey to success?
10 “No Money Down” Ways to Buy Real Estate
Turn the Television on any Sunday morning and you'll find yourself in the middle of a "how to buy real estate" infomercial. Can you really buy a house with no d...
Goal Attainment: The Other Side of Challenge
Study the biographies of some of the greatest personalities of our time, and you can identify moments and experiences, which served as a point of awakening, for...
Health & Longevity With BelAir Aromatherapy
Clean and Fresh Air
A Guide to Disposable Digital Cameras
Disposable Cameras first came on the market as film cameras. You would take the entire camera back where you bought it and they would crack it open, take out t...
Get Polarized Lenses For Great Fishing Sunglasses
You need proper fishing sunglasses when on the water.
Ease Your Stress … Change Your Life!
Feeling stressed? Who isn't!! In today's society, feeling "stressed out," overwhelmed and exhausted is the norm. The good news is … reducing stress is in your c...
Renegotiating a Cell Tower Lease- Can It Be Done?
With over 150,000 cell towers built in the United States, there have to be over 100,000 landowners who are currently leasing land to a wireless carrier or a tow...
3 Tips for a Great Summer - Developing Life & Business While Having a Blast
As the last day of school arrives I feel the same tendency I had as a child... to drop everything and scream "let's go play!" After all, extreme self-care is so...
How to Motivate Yourself
As anyone who has ever tried to keep a New Year's resolution will tell you, motivating yourself to get something done is not always very easy. When the time com...
What Does It Take To Have It All In Life?
Many people have asked me why I wrote my book, 'The Street Kid's Guide to Having it All', and I realized that some people simply do not believe that it is possi...
Fire Your Diet
Do you truly believe that not eating or cutting back on calories will cause weight to be lost? Guess what you are correct -You Heard Me, the WEIGHT will come o...
5 Amazing Diet Tips for Powerful Weightloss
Before you try starving yourself or turning to diet drugs in order
to lose weight, take some time to research and discover more natural
and safer methods of rea...
Game-Set-Match
Direct Answers - Column for the week of July 21, 2003 I don't know whether to call it jealousy or insecurity. My husband and I have been married almost 30 year...
Look Familiar?
Learn some quick fixes for your investing mistakes. What to do with a sinking stock, how to spot a promotional stock, when not to second guess your stock choic...
Ignore Stock Market Talking Heads
This article explains to the novice and experienced investor alike that most analyst "talking heads" on TV, radio and print don't know what they are talking abo...
How To Give A Manicure
This guide will give you the basic directions for nail care, however, it cannot provide the same direction and hands-on experience offered by a Professional Sch...
Home Mortgage Quotes Online - How Do They Compare To a Quote From a Broker in The Real World?
There are many similarities between the mortgage brokers in the real world and the brokers you will deal with online, but here are some of the differences.
Help for the Meeting-Weary Manager
Most of us have found ourselves working on a team at one time or another. That means we have been asked to attend, and even participate, in lots of meetings. ...
|
Print this page