Digital Backgrounds

[Alztybrn]

So...I was browsing ebay for some Christmas backgrounds to use for the kids, and I see somebody selling dvd's of digital backgrounds. My question...how do these work? I have very limited PP skills, so can someone give me an idea of how these work? Are they difficult to pull off? Are they a waste of time? I do have LR 2 and have just begun to learn how to use it. Can these be used in LR or do I need something else?

All thought/suggestions are appreciated!

 

[ukcatfan]

I doubt what you are talking about could be done in LR, but I do not have enough experience with it to say for sure. It is primarily a RAW conversion program. To do a background, you need something like PS, PSP, GIMP, etc.

 

[Alztybrn]

What about with Elements? I am looking at getting that program anyway....

 

[ukcatfan]

Yes, it would work. You might want to search for free backgrounds before going and buying something.

 

[Alztybrn]

Thanks...I guess what I am really looking for is a tutorial. Does anybody know where one exists that applies directly to this?

 

[wenrob]

Can you post a link for them? I do digi scrapping and we use a lot of back round "papers" I wonder if this is the same? It seems you would have to extract your subjects to put them on a back round. Extraction takes a lot of practice and patience. The best way to do an extraction is to have the plainest back round possible so it may defeat your purpose. If this is what you're talking about (removing your subjects from a pic and placing them on these back rounds) just google "Elements, extraction tutoriol," you'll get a ton.

 

[MICKEY88]

usually photographers use a green or blue chromakey backdrop, for this, it makes it much easier to to swap out your background...

here is a sample of my first shoot attempting this , not perfect, but acceptable...

 

[wenrob]

Oh, I see, that makes more sense.

 

[Alztybrn]

usually photographers use a green or blue chromakey backdrop, for this, it makes it much easier to to swap out your background...

here is a sample of my first shoot attempting this , not perfect, but acceptable...

Yea...that is what I am looking to do. Do you know any sites that give tutorials how to do this? I will probably be getting PS Elements and start playing around, but do not know where to begin...