The article given here was written for Adobe Photoshop 5,6,7,CS, and Adobe Photoshop Elements 2 and 3.
Most photographers who are serious about improving their portrait taking skills have realized that a beautiful background can greatly enhance their photographs.
Muslins are a very popular choice among professionals. However, they can get very costly at several hundred dollars each. For the professional who is well established, this may not seem too much, but for the hobbyist, this may be a stretch.
A less costly alternative is a digital background. With a digital background, one can get the look and feel of a professional looking portrait without the additional cost of muslin.
Many Photography websites also sell digital backgrounds on cd. In some cases?as low as $15.00 dollars for an assorted collection. As with anything else?you usually get what you pay for. Some of these pre-made digital backgrounds are not worth the cd they're printed on, but some of them are very beautifully made. Even so, you may be wondering how YOU can make your very own digital background. That being said, the following information will help guide you along the way.
Okay, let's create a digital backdrop using Adobe Elements 2.0. We will create an 8x10 300dpi (dpi = dots per inch or ppi = pixels per inch) digital backdrop. For printing purposes, 300dpi is strongly recommended for a high quality print. This will also create a large file approximately 20.6megs.
Having a fast processor (Pentium 4 or Athlon XP) and at least 256megs of ram will definitely help. Also having your screen resolution on your monitor set to its highest setting 24 or 32bit will give the best results.
Okay let's begin! If you haven't already opened Photoshop Elements, do so now.
1. Click on File < New. When the window opens up,make sure to set it to 8x10 inches at 300dpi.
2. Make a copy of the background layer you just created by pressing Control-J on your keyboard. If you look at the bottom right corner of your monitor, you should see an exact copy of your background layer named layer 1.
3. Select the "foreground" color for your background by clicking on the foreground square on your toolbar? the black one. (Bottom left)
4. The Color Picker window should now be open. Select a light red by clicking on the top right corner of the color palette. Click ok.
5. Now select the "background" color by clicking on the background square on your toolbar? the white one. (Bottom right)
6. The Color Picker window should open again. Select a darker red by clicking halfway below the lighter red you previously chose. Click ok.
7. Now comes the fun part! Let's put some clouds in there. On the top of your screen, click on Filter
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
Quite often I will have clients bring in old photographs... Read More
A digital SLR camera or a single lens reflex (SLR)... Read More
Do you like to take photos? Are you always standing... Read More
Tight BudgetsTight budgets are common these days. But the demand... Read More
Digital Imaging is a process where an electronic photograph, scanned... Read More
What I learned from a mentor that enabled me to... Read More
Too many people have the idea that being paid to... Read More
Infrared photography is sometimes placed on the outside edge of... Read More
There are lots of options available for getting your digital... Read More
Sony was the first company to introduce digital cameras into... Read More
In a traditional camera, the lens was king. If the... Read More
George Eastman, founder of Kodak is world renowned today. Digital... Read More
Everyone has a digital camera today and we all take... Read More
In a device such as a digital camera it is... Read More
Family vacations, summer weddings and family reunions are in full... Read More
Basic CompositionNow that you are beginning to understand how your... Read More
The path to picking a digital camera usually leads to... Read More
By now I'm sure you've used Either a digital or... Read More
Women photographers are fortunate. Unlike other titles, photographer has no... Read More
Before you rush into buying your digital camera this holiday... Read More
Strike one! Strike two! Strike three!Baseball! America's Pastime, and a... Read More
If you use a digital camera (I use a Canon... Read More
There are two sources for obtaining the moulding for making... Read More
The vast beauty and richness of the desert can be... Read More
The digital camera is in reality a great possession with... Read More
Remember the good old photography days?Film camera in hand, you... Read More
The Vacation Season is fast approaching and naturally you will... Read More
Nature is all around us, and its beauties are unlimited.... Read More
While analyzing any camera, one of the most important qualities... Read More
Here's the challenge. You have to photograph small items for... Read More
Saturate yourself with your subject and the camera will all... Read More
Understanding light is one of the very basic principles of... Read More
Almost any shot will look better if you take two... Read More
IntroductionModern cameras are highly automatic in operation. They have auto... Read More
Disposable cameras are cheap and easy to use. If you... Read More
Understanding light is one of the very basic principles of... Read More
There's so much you can do with an underwater video... Read More
Several years ago, I met a fellow photographer - albeit,... Read More
It's hard to find sometimes but it's making a resurgence,... Read More
You may have joined the photo-sharing craze to share your... Read More
There are way too many tape, disk and stick formats... Read More
Good wildlife safari photography is not only about composition and... Read More
Like many people who've made the switch from film cameras... Read More
Babies make the best and the worst subjects to photograph.... Read More
So, you have taken lots of pictures with your new... Read More
There are a large number of digital camera accessories available... Read More
The photos you took of the party are really great... Read More
Some of the best images can be captured during the... Read More
A photo buyer calls for a picture of pigs. It... Read More
Break out that video camera, there is a game this... Read More
Dots Per Inch is a useful measure of relative resolution.... Read More
Every device needs a driving force to operate, just as... Read More
Night photos can take on a somewhat magical quality you... Read More
Women photographers are fortunate. Unlike other titles, photographer has no... Read More
Probably one of the most common problems you will be... Read More
Are you buying your first digital camera? Well, you must... Read More
Taking pictures of your new baby is a great way... Read More
As a professional wedding photographer I get this question asked... Read More
You arrive at your photo shoot excited about the images... Read More
Started in a single-room by three Japanese men in the... Read More
Once you have clicked photos through your digital camera, then... Read More
Being a professional digital photographer is a dream many people... Read More
Disposable digital and film cameras (also called single-use cameras) provide... Read More
There are many different types of photography. You can take... Read More
Anyone with the right camera equipment, and the necessary skills... Read More
If you have hopes of becoming a professional photographer, or... Read More
Photography |