Newbie here!

[Just Starting]

Hi all!

First time here, just wanted to say Hi!
Just wanted to introduce myself. I gave up on PS6, so overwhelming :confused:.
Just d/l trial version of Elements 6, so I am sure I will have a ton of ?'s.

As soon as I get comfy with the trial, I am going to purchase the program, and hopefully will be able to do some of the amazing things I have seen accomplished with this program.

[mrod]

Welcome aboard, Sharon. Have fun experimenting, and don't be shy about asking questions when you need some help, even if it seems like a simple question. Folks here are very understanding and patient.

Enjoy!
Mike

[dj_paige]

Sharon

Don't feel bad. I have had PSE5 for 2 years and Photoshop Album 2 for several years before that, and I am still learning tricks on how to get better edited images, or better ways to use the organizer. If you think there's a lot to learn, you are right, but you can go at whatever speed works for you.

[Lesa]

Howdy Sharon! I understand your frustration with PS and that's something I hear from a lot of photographers. The good news is that many folks feel very comfortable with Elements as it's written/designed for normal people--not pixel pushing gurus.

Take your time and ask as many questions as you can. Also, if there are ever any techniques you'd like to learn about, post a note! There are quite a few writers/trainers among us, and speaking just for myself, sometimes ideas are hard to come by :)

[Just Starting]

Thanks everyone for the nice welcome. I am also going to order Scott Kelbys new book on PSE6 when it comes out. I need help from all directions!

[C8franklyn]

Hi Everyone,

I have been working with the trial download of PhotoShop Elements 6 and love it. I'm definitley buying it. I do have a question that I hope someone can help me with. I would like to know how to change the background of a photo to black or white so the subject matter stands out. Is this done in layering?

[Wendy]

Hi ...

... and welcome to the Village :)

You would indeed need to use layers ... and learn how to select objects.

This is one way to do it:

Select the lasso tool (just the orginary one)
Set it to "Add to" (those little boxes up at the top of the screen ..hover your cursor above then and you will see the one I mean)
Zoom in very close using the zoom tool (it looks like a little magnifying glass)
and start your selection.
Just go round the edge a little at a time and then do a sort of circle inside the person to join up to the beginning of the selection.
Now you can pause for a moment before continuing ..
To continue just start again and you will see that you are adding to the selection.


When you have gone all the way round stop and check your selection. Make sure that all of the person is selected.
If you have parts that need a little more adding in the use "Add to Selection" ... but if you need to remove a little then change over to "Subtract from Selection". Do this until you are happy with it.

Now do Edit>Copy then Edit>Paste
and you will have the person on their own layer
You can then add a new background behind them.

Wendy

[C8franklyn]

Wow. Thank you very much Wendy. I will give it a try and let you know how I did.

Regards,
Cate

[JulieM]

Sharon, welcome to the Village! Settle in and enjoy your stay...

Cate, welcome to the Village! You'll soon be an old hand at PSE with help like this...

[CarolLHB]

Welcome Cate and Sharon:)

Just relax and enjoy the program, play with it and experiment. There are lots of folks here to help you if you need it.
:)

[Lesa]

Another idea is to try the Magic Extractor. I did a little ditty on that one which I posted here:

Magic Extractor (http://graphicreporter.com/tutorials/elements_magicextractor.html)

Instead of dragging the isolated object to another document, you could create another layer and fill it with black, then drag that layer to the bottom of the layers stack so that the object appears to be on top :)

[C8franklyn]

Julie, Carol & Sharon,

It's a pleasure to meet all of you and thanks for the warm welcome. It's great to know people like you are out there.

Regards,
Cate

[C8franklyn]

Thanks Lesa. I'll give that a try also and let you how it went.

[C8franklyn]

Wendy,

Ok. I was able to create a new layer without the original background and then I clicked on the fill bucket and now the new background is black. Fine. Two things. How to make the subject not look like they have been cut out by scissors and how can I get another solid color other than black for the background from the fill bucket?:confused:

[emkayess65]

You can change the color of the foreground and background color chip to anything you want.
The color chips are the b/w overlapping squares at the bottom of the tool box.
Double click on one of them and you will get the color picker.
Use the slider up/down and select a color.
You'll get a sample top right.

Also - there are several other ways to do this in Elements.

Open up the color swatch palette - Window >> Color Swatches >> choose a color and it will show in the Foreground color chip.

You can use the Eyedropper (click I) to sample a color from the a picture, either the one you are working on or another. Sampling with the eyedropper is usefull to match something in the picture.

So...;)hope I did not confuse you.
mks

[C8franklyn]

I've tried changing the color with the color chips as you suggested but all I get is another layer with that color. It doesn't change the background of the current photo. There must be a step I am missing.

Thanks for helping me.

[emkayess65]

Hi C8franklyn, there are things you cannot do to a background layer but filling with color isn't one of them. It will tell you to convert to a regular layer if you want to apply a layerstyle or something.

You have to have the layer active = darker color than the rest.
Check that you are on the right layer.

Alt + Backspace will fill a layer or selection(marching ants) with the Foreground color.
another way...
Double click on the thumbnail(little picture) of the layer.
This gets you a selection around the layer.
Then go to Edit >> Fill Selection >> choose Foreground color .

I don't understand why it would make a new layer???
But you can drag this layer above your black background.
Just grab = click on the layer and drag down till you are above the background and release the mouse. The layer will cover your black layer so you can't see it anymore.
You look DOWN on the stack of layers. Higher up covers lower down.
Maybe that'll work.
mks
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1c0q8tpUWMzGvzu5ysfrRmnDwQuoxG0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1c0q8tpUWMzGvzu5ysfrRmnDwQuoxG0)

[C8franklyn]

Emkay,

Thank you so much, but I am such a novice at this that I do not really understand what you just told me. LOL. :o I will just keep on keepin on until I really understand layers. And then when I become more familiar with this I will go back and do what you suggested.

Again. Thank you. You are terrific!!:)

[southen_girl]

Hi Sharon
I am also new to the forum and I purchase elements 6 after I had just purchase 5 thought it would be a bit easier with fewer steps to get the job done, boy was I wrong. Having problems downloading the manual and working on restoration, so don't feel bad, you're not the only one needing help so hang in there
s_g:)

[C8franklyn]

Emkay,

I did it!:D By using the quick selection tool I was able to extract the subject from the photo. I then cut the layer out and then I deleted the old back ground. Then to add a new background in a solid color I clicked on "creat an adjustment layer", picked solid and black. Then I dragged the cut out over to the new background and voila! I had a new picture with the subject outstanding in a completely black background. Please see the example I attached.

Cate

[CarolLHB]

Yayyy! Nice job:)

[C8franklyn]

Thanks, Carol:)