The background images are best used with subjects that are photographed on a Chroma blue or green background or a solid background. Other backgrounds may be used, but special care must be taken in cropping such images, as the tone variation between foreground and background may not produce a sharp enough distinction.

When photographing subjects on a Chroma background, be sure that the colors of the foreground subject are not similar to the color of the background.

Be sure to use a different lighting source for both the subject and the Chroma screen, making sure the subject is not more illuminated than the background. Set the lighting at opposing 45-degree angles approximately 3 or 4 feet from the backdrop. Make sure there are no wrinkles in the backdrop. Use soft lighting on the subject so as not to produce harsh shadows on the backdrop.

Cropping / Image imposition

There are many ways to affix the subject that you photographed on Chroma screen onto any of the background images. If using images other than those photographed on Chroma screen (high contrast images, or light on dark background or dark on light background) the following methods are recommended for image extraction:

• Masking with Magic Wand tool
• Magnetic Lasso tool
• Pen tool

Using an image photographed on a Chroma background, the magic wand technique may prove to be the quickest and easiest method, provided that the outline of the image is sharp and the distinction between foreground and background is clear.

Using Image Masking with Magic Wand tool

Step 1: Open images in Adobe Photoshop.
Open both the image that you are going to crop, and the background image that will receive your cropped image.

Step 2: Select magic wand tool.
This tool is used for cropping the image.

Step 3: Create mask by clicking on all instances of solid-colored background.

Step 4: Invert mask.
Under the “Select” menu, select “Inverse”. This creates a selection around the foreground subject.

Click on image to see full picture

Step 5: Copy mask and Feather Radius.
The purpose of the Feather Selection feature is to create an outline that has softer and more natural edges for the selection. The larger the image the greater number of pixels should be selected, typically 2 pixels or higher.

Step 6: Paste mask onto new background.
Using the background image, select “Paste” from the “Edit” menu.

Step 7: Resize, combine and export.
Under the “Image” menu, choose “Image Size” and proceed to enter the correct values of the size that you want your new background to be.

Click on image to see full picture

Step 8: Save image.
Saving the final image in high resolution TIFF is recommended for image placement in page layout applications and for printing. Save a copy as JPG if image is for use in web pages and onscreen viewing.

Alternate Methods

For foreground subjects that contain colors similar to the background, the Pen tool or Magnetic Lasso tool methods are recommended for capturing a clean outline of the entire subject.

In each case the Pen tool or the Lasso tool are used to draw an outline of the subject. After the selection is made, it is then copied and pasted onto the new background image using the same steps outlined in the instructions above for Image Masking with Magic Wand tool.