How to add a background to a digital photo

With some basic tools common to most image manipulation programs, such as Adobe Photoshop or GIMP, the digital photographer can improve his photographs, replacing the background in an image with a different background . If you are replacing a back wall with a forest or trading a room crowded by a quiet street, the process is basically the same. Learning this process will open a range of possibilities for taking your photographs.

• Photo editing software

one

Open the image in the foreground and select the background, with some of the selection tools offered by the digital editing programs: loop, square, color selector (bartia), pen.

two

Another option is the mask tool allows you to paint a mask on part of the image that then becomes the unmasked area in a selection.

3

Copy the selection to the clipboard and then return to the original image.

4

Paste the copied image into the selection of the original image. Move the background around to achieve the best location. You should avoid edges that just touch or place low contrast elements together.

5

The elements superimposed in the foreground on the background elements add depth and credibility to the composite image.

6

Apply a filter, such as a Gaussian blur or Focus Mask, to help blend the textures of the two images together. Subtlety is the key here, so make sure that the filter you apply is kept to a minimum. For a Gaussian blur or Focus mask, keep the pixel radius low.

• Depending on the image you are working on, it may be easier to select the foreground and reverse it then select the background.
• While a mouse works well, a pencil will give you more control and precision working with images.
• If the lighting and resolution of the merging images do not match, the resulting final image will not be credible.