Help with Green Screen editing

[Harvey_nikon]

Hi all,

Had a client want family photos taking for their home and they asked if they could have a green background.

Luckily, I have a Lencarta green background so said it wasn't an issue. They've seen the photos and are happy with them, however their parents want some canvases doing and green doesn't really go with their decor.

So, what's the best way to remove green backgrounds and replace with white or black?

It's the same type of green screen they use in moves when doing SFX.

 

[garryknight]

Assuming Photoshop or Elements:

Probably best to start by selecting the background using the Magic Wand tool to protect the subject.

1) One way is to paint over it using a wide, soft brush in Color mode so that you retain any texture in the background.

2) Alternatively, add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer then drag the Lightness slider all the way up or down, but that might not give such good results.

3) Yet a third way is to use Replace Color (in Enhance, Adjust Color in Elements). Use the eyedropper to select the colour range by clicking around inside the background, then use the Replacement sliders to select the replacement colour.

I should point out that I'm using Elements, so if you've got CS some of this might work differently.

 

[snapalot]

If you want to replace colour usng photoshop first use the mask tool and paint over anything similar to the background. Then just image, adjust, replace colour.

 

[craftysnapper]

Hi all,

So, what's the best way to remove green backgrounds and replace with white or black?

It's the same type of green screen they use in moves when doing SFX.

Most of the suggestions already made will do the job.

The only proviso is that if the subjects were to near to the green screen and some of the green has reflected back on the them and particularly the hair (always a problem with the green screen as they are very reflective) then selecting colour to remove the background will be difficult and you will have to resort to manually removing it.

 

[Harvey_nikon]

thanks for the input.

I've a couple that have had colour spill on to the subjects hair, any suggestions on the best way of removing it/colouring it to match the hair?

 

[garryknight]

Pick one or more of:

1. Clone stamp tool, sampling from similar areas & transforming, rotating as necessary is one way, though time consuming.

2. Small, soft brush in Color blend mode, pressing Alt to sample from correct colours.

3. Select around the discoloured hair, add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer, target the greens (or whatever colour), play with the sliders.

There are, of course, other ways of doing the job.

 

[clark kent]

A word of advice for the future. Don't use a green screen when doing portraits.
As has been pointed out, if the sitter(s) are anywhere near the screen you will get green reflections - especially on hair which are practically impossible to get rid of.
If anyone wants a coloured background, use a well-lit white one. It's easy to get rid of afterwards - even with wispy hair and then you can put in any background colour you want. You can even put them on the beach in Barbados if you get the right picture.

 

[SamuelHearn]

Select via colour, press the + selector, create a mask that has all of the green selected. From this mask you can use any adjustment layer you like to give desired effect depending on what you like best. Simples!