Project five: Adobe CC
Jon Adams explains how to use virtual backgrounds to change a portrait into a studio-quality shot
Whether you’re shooting portraits, arty still-lifes or packshots, a broad array of backgrounds is a must for any studio photographer. But for most of us, a permanent studio space isn’t possible, and even if we can take over the lounge for an occasional photo session, we won’t have the storage space for dozens of photo backdrops. The good news is that if you have the right image-editing skills and can make an accurate cutout, you can place your subjects on any background.
On this issue’s download, there are no fewer than 48 photographic backdrops to choose between. As well as adding a creative new look to a subject, they are easy to customize and fast to swap out if you change your mind, or to get a range of different looks from the same shot.
YOUR FREE BACKGROUNDS
The studio background images are all sized to A4, and can be used behind any well-made cutout. If you want a background to be larger (say, A3), just open the file in Photoshop, and increase the size to 42x29.7cm in Image>Image Size.
▲Choose a background and paste in your subject
Copy the Virtual Background Pack to your computer, then select the one you want to use. (You can change your mind later.) Right-click on the backdrop and select Open With>Photoshop CC, and it will load into the Photoshop interface. Now open your portrait (or use Loretta.jpg for practice); when it’s on-screen, press Ctrl/Cmd+A to select it, then Ctrl/Cmd+C to copy it, then Ctrl/Cmd+W to close it. Back in the background image, press Ctrl/Cmd+V to paste in your pic as a new layer. Now press Ctrl/Cmd+T and drag the corner handles to size your subject within the frame. Press Return when you’re done.
▲ Select your subject
Click on the Quick Selection tool; in the Options bar at the top of the screen, click Select Subject. Photoshop will do its best to isolate the subject, but it’s unlikely to be perfect.
To get a better result, you can include areas that are missing by dragging the brush over them
