photoshop newbie

[luke12345]

can anyone tell me how to remove gray background..i am taking pictures of jewelry ,the white backgroung looks gray in photos. I have tried everything with camera...I have photoshop 6... I have tried remove colorcast eyedropper. it just goes to a lighter shade of gray... I cannot get a white background. i have adjusted my lighting in camera, bought new lights..... any ideas on how i can just fix it with photoshop... thanks, i would appreciate any ideas!!! bev PLEASE!!!

[ATR]

Specifically, have you tried a Levels Adjustment, using the white dropper to click on what is supposed to be white?

ATR

[Wendy]

Hi Luke ..

... and welcome to the Village :)

It maybe easier if you post an image so that we can see what it looks like, that will help us sort it out for you.

Wendy

[Jeff Perry]

Luke, a little more information will help determine the solution to the problem. If it is a camera problem, it should be corrected "in-camera" since you certainly don't want to have to be editing every image you capture in PS.

What camera are you using?
Are you capturing your images in JPG or RAW?
What White Balance (WB) setting are you using?
What kind of lights are you using? (Are they all the same type and "temperature")
Are you using a PC or Mac?
Has the display been calibrated?
PS6 is a legacy version, does it have Adobe Camera Raw?
If so, what version is it?
Have you ever used it?

When you print out an image, is the background, in fact, gray?
When you load an image into some other display program, does the background still look gray (or is it gray only in PS)?

You may have a simple WB problem causing a blue color cast, that is manifesting itself as a gray-tone in the final image. Getting the right settings in the camera should eliminate that problem.

Shadows can also turn white into gray.

As Wendy suggested, try posting a problem image, and you will probably get a lot of suggestions as to how to fix it in post processing. Hopefully we can also figure out what is causing it, so you don't have to fix it in post.

Jeff

[luke12345]

Hi, here is the photo. I am currently using canon powershotsd770
i have a nikon d60...i am really new at this. went out and bought two cameras.....the powershot seems fine.. but background is gray i have it set to digital macro with tungston light.i have a white box that i have set up light shines thru the sided. The nikon is a great camera after I bought it, they then told me at another store i need a macro lense...soo . hereis my photo.. the background is gray when i lighten the photo it changes the color of the metal almost looks flat....i usully crop close.. thanks, i will take any help i can get...

[luke12345]

Specifically, have you tried a Levels Adjustment, using the white dropper to click on what is supposed to be white?

ATR
yes i have tried the levels adustment. I cannot get the eye dropper to work.Iget the box white click the eye dropper aand nothing happens on my photo...? i have triedright clicking and left...I am sure I am doing something wrong....

[Fernan]

Hellooo! welcome to the Forum.

[JohnnyN]

Have You Tried To Select The Object So It Has The Marching Ants Around It Then Do An Inverse Selection. Fill This New Selection With White.

[Jeff Perry]

Luke, it is a color cast problem, and although PSE6 handles it quite well, I don't have PS 6 at my disposal to tell you how to fix it in the full version of PS.

A Levels adjustent (or Curves) will finish it off nicely.

I'm sure someone else will be along shortly, otherwise this evening when I'm home I can see what menu items will do the trick.

Jeff

[SharLamb]

You said: " I cannot get the eye dropper to work.Iget the box white click the eye dropper aand nothing happens on my photo..."

I don't know about levels, color cast, etc., but the way you make the eye dropper work to change color is to select the color with the eye dropper, then use the paint bucket tool to flood the selected area with the new color.

Shar

[gcherry]

Luke, this was done using only a levels adjustment - is this the effect you were looking for?

[luke12345]

Luke, it is a color cast problem, and although PSE6 handles it quite well, I don't have PS 6 at my disposal to tell you how to fix it in the full version of PS.

A Levels adjustent (or Curves) will finish it off nicely.

I'm sure someone else will be along shortly, otherwise this evening when I'm home I can see what menu items will do the trick.

Jeff
thanks, i just got ps6, so that i could correct these photos... i tried the ants but it cut off part of the medal. i guess i have to practice... do u have any tips about lighting maybe......?

[luke12345]

Luke, this was done using only a levels adjustment - is this the effect you were looking for?
HOW DID YOU DO THAT?????????
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING... I HAVE BEEN TRYING,WHAT COLOR ADJUSTING DID YOU DO??? ITS AMAZING!!!

[luke12345]

Luke, this was done using only a levels adjustment - is this the effect you were looking for?
hOW DID YOU DO THAT? it looks great??? please let me know...thanks sssoooooo much.. i really appreciate everyone helping..with ideas.. thanks again!!!

[gcherry]

I'm not sure how much you know about layers, so if this doesn't make sense to you, just let me know. All I did was add a Levels adjustment layer - that will bring up a Levels dialog box. I slid the white slider (under Input Levels) to the left until the shadows disappeared. Then I slid the black slider to the right to bring in more color and detail.

I'm happy I could help!

[Vesta]

hOW DID YOU DO THAT? it looks great??? please let me know...thanks sssoooooo much.. i really appreciate everyone helping..with ideas.. thanks again!!!
Luke I think I can explain what gcherry did( I just did it this way and it works) until she or someone else get back with you. Open image in editor., in your layers pallette look at the small b/w moon and choose Levels...move the right slider to the left until you get the effect you want. Hope this help
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1Nk0emDk06gTszLl0AgYzLewPRiYE0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1Nk0emDk06gTszLl0AgYzLewPRiYE0)

[kevq]

Luke,
try the Quick Selection Tool, it does a great job of removing the background.
Then you can either save as a PNG file or put it onto a white background.
Have posted a sreen shot.
Kev.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/18nftac6e7bILUH0tE3jFrz8kHaRR0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=18nftac6e7bILUH0tE3jFrz8kHaRR0)

[luke12345]

I'm not sure how much you know about layers, so if this doesn't make sense to you, just let me know. All I did was add a Levels adjustment layer - that will bring up a Levels dialog box. I slid the white slider (under Input Levels) to the left until the shadows disappeared. Then I slid the black slider to the right to bring in more color and detail.

I'm happy I could help!
I just did it!! i didnt even know it was there. It took me a couple of trys to get it right. But wow ..I literally have been going crazy ...trying different camera lighting... sooo frustrating.It has been going on three weeks of trying new things... I am so glad I found this site.! And all of you for your help!!!thanks...again!!!

[Jeff Perry]

Luke, the problem that gcherry was able to so elegantly fix with a Levels Adjustment Layer is the photo was severely underexposed, by at least one may be two stops. Depending on your camera and lighting setup, make an adjustment and then check the image on your camera's display. Keep adjusting the exposure until you're happy with it, in camera. You can always make minor tweaks in PS or PSE but trying to get it right in the camera will mean less time spent in front of the monitor.

Jeff

[luke12345]

Luke,
try the Quick Selection Tool, it does a great job of removing the background.
Then you can either save as a PNG file or put it onto a white background.
Have posted a sreen shot.
Kev.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/18nftac6e7bILUH0tE3jFrz8kHaRR0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=18nftac6e7bILUH0tE3jFrz8kHaRR0)
thanks i am going to try that too.quick selection tool? thanks......i am going there now.. i will let you know

[luke12345]

Luke, the problem that gcherry was able to so elegantly fixed with a Levels Adjustment Layer is the photo was severely underexposed, by at least one may be two stops. Depending on your camera and lighting setup, make an adjustment and then check the image on your camera's display. Keep adjusting the exposure until you're happy with it, in camera. You can always make minor tweaks in PS or PSE but trying to get it right in the camera will mean less time spent in front of the monitor.

Jeffthanks. I am new with cameras as well... I just got the manual out. I will give that a shot.. It would be great not to have to fix every single photo!!! Thanks for the tip!!!!Ill let you know how I do... Thank-you

[luke12345]

thanks for telling me where the moon was in my editor, i did not know you could open that up.....one other question. when you are working on a photo in editor i save when done but sometimes there is a bar across picture showing editor in progress with a lock.... i do not know why program does not know it is done , i thought if u save it ,then it would know...any ideas ?? thanks again....

[luke12345]

Luke,
try the Quick Selection Tool, it does a great job of removing the background.
Then you can either save as a PNG file or put it onto a white background.
Have posted a sreen shot.
Kev.

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/18nftac6e7bILUH0tE3jFrz8kHaRR0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=18nftac6e7bILUH0tE3jFrz8kHaRR0)
i tried quick selection, i kept getting the line in the medal.. how did you do it without taking a line out around the medal? thanks

[ljameso1]

Luke, To prevent this from happening in the future you will need to meter differently. Camera meters are set to properly expose midtones. When the meter looks at something that is darker or brighter it will adjust the exposure to bring it back to mid-tone. In the case of white that =gray. You will need to over-ride the camera meter or shift the program if your camera doesn't have a manual setting. With your lighting in place and before you put the object on the white background, point the camera at the background and get close enough to fill the view finder(focus doesn't matter). Change the exposure until the meter tells you are over exposed 1&half to 2 stops(white is that much brighter than middle tone). Lock in that exposure and go from there. FYI black is minus 1 from middle tone.