How can I change a non white background in a headshot to a white one?

[chouglez]

Have a beautiful headshot but has a non white back ground. Can I change it to while? Sorry I m not a PS expert etc.

Thanks.

 

[swanseamale47]

The tricky part is selecting the head and hair, theres many ways of doing it, but some people find channel masks the way to go, a lot depends on image though, if you can post the shot here, somebody will probably be able to advise the best method of selecting it

 

[chouglez]

The tricky part is selecting the head and hair, theres many ways of doing it, but some people find channel masks the way to go, a lot depends on image though, if you can post the shot here, somebody will probably be able to advise the best method of selecting it

Hi,

Please find uploaded the headshot.

Many thanks

 

[DorsetDude]

I am by no means an expert but thought Id try in Elements:

Its not really very good though is it?

I think the skin colour being fairly similar to the background makes it tricky. Round the right ear and left neck area especially

Hopefully someone who knows what they're doing will be along shortly!

 

[swanseamale47]

In this case it should be fairly simple, the subject should select fairly well with the quick selection tool, add a little bit of feather and fill background with white.
On this low res image it's a bit soft on the edges but on the full size pic and with a bit of time it should be really good.
30 seconds in photoshop.

 

[swanseamale47]

Keith beat me to it.

 

[DorsetDude]

Keith beat me to it.

Yours is better though Wayne!

I didnt realise smaller size files would make it harder to do the selections though so Ive learnt something.

 

[scottthehat]

this was a 20 second job with topaz remask(plugin in photoshop)
you can do it bang on if you take your time.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31801108@N04/6364055437/sizes/l/in/photostream/
i hate fllicker

 

[Adeyb]

whats wrong with tracing round it and deleting? took 3 mins

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48849701@N04/6365400675/in/photostream

 

[jobe]

Hi Chouglez

The most important thing with these sorts of problems is the selection whichever method you use just spend a little time in getting it right then the job should be easy, in my example I have added an extra layer of to take some of the bright white away in my opinion it looks a little more natural.
Basically I created a black copy of the selection give it some heavy Gaussian blur then dropped the opacity right down its almost unoticeable but I think it makes a difference.

Without blur

With blur

Wayne

 

[swanseamale47]

whats wrong with tracing round it and deleting? took 3 mins

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48849701@N04/6365400675/in/photostream

Nothing wrong with it, theres several ways to achieve this effect in photoshop, any will work, in most cases it personal choice.
As someone else said the time taking making the selection is the important bit, the better the selection the better the finish.