Need Photoshop Advice

[mjs1973]

I'm posting this here, instead of the digital imaging fourm because the help forum seems to get more trafic. Steve, if you think this should be moved to the DI forum, feel free to move it.

I was emailed an old photo today. I don't feel comfortable posting it since it's not mine. The phots is an old b&w image, of and older couple (grandma & grandpa) surrounded by family. Grandma and Grandpa are sitting in the middle with family members on both sides and in front and back. The owner of the photo would like everyone but grandma and grandpa removed, and if possible, switch the position of the two, so grandma is now on the other side of grandpa. She is leaning away from him in the original, and the owner of the pic thinks it would look better if she is leaning towards grandpa. Any suggestions as to how to do this?

I deleted everything but the two main subjecst and it left a lot of empty space as could be expected. Half of their legs are gone because there were kids sitting in front of them, half the chair granny is sitting in is gone... I chose to crop the photo so I wouldn't have to recreate the missing parts from scratch, other than the chair which I cloned in some parts of... I took a pic that I had of some woods and used that as a BG... One of the biggest problems is getting the couple to look right on the new BG. It's pretty obvious in some areas that they were placed on a new BG...

Any tips?

[Asylum Steve]

Michael,

This type of problem is almost impossible to give advice on without seeing the before and after images. Maybe you could ask the person who sent you the photo if it would be ok to post it here just for the sake of trying to create a better result.

I mean, it would be in their best interest, too.

If privacy is a paramount issue, I'd be happy to try to help you through email...

[mjs1973]

Thanks Steve. I kind of figured it would be pretty hard to discuss without seeing the image. I will find out if today if they mind if I post it.

[mjs1973]

Here are the before and after pics.

[Asylum Steve]

The "after" pic doesn't look too bad. Obviously, your two problems are the guy looks a tad cut out around the head and neck area, and the new bg's tonality doesn't match the couple's.

My guess is you're "extracting" the two people by using a tool to select them and then cutting and pasting. If so, there's much better way to do it.

Try making copy layers. one for each of the couple. Then, one at a time quickmask (icon at bottom of layers palette) each layer, choose a slightly soft brush set to low opacity and flow (oh, say 20% or less) and paint (mask) out the areas of the shot you DON'T want.

Take your time, and zoom your view to very large (200% or more if you need to) to work the edge areas. This should give you a much better edge.

As for the bg, it should be on a seperate layer. There are several ways to color match the couple. You can simply use the hue/sat tool on the bg layer, and visually match the foreground.

Or use the dropper tool, click on a medium gray like the woman's coat, create a seperate layer over the bg, fill with that gray and change the blend mode to color or saturation

Or simply desaturate everything. You can then add any monochrome tone you want to both and they should match...

FWIW, I think that original shot is a HOOT! I love the way the kids are all looking off to the side, while the older couple couldn't be more bored and disinterested...

[mjs1973]

Thanks so much for the advice Steve! I will give it a shot and see what I come up with.