I’m not sure what you mean. Are you trying to closely select the images without making the hair look bad on the edges? That’s usually not a toughie. I do Teddy Bears for a website, and I do that one all the time. Let me know if that’s what you’re trying to do.
There are other applications that can do it. I’ve used Ultimatte Knockout very successfully. The interface was a little confusing at first for a PS user, but if you use their tutorial you’ll figure it out pretty quickly. There are others that other people will swear by.
If the images are photographed against a solid background you may not need it though. Depending on what’s in the background there may be easier ways of using layers, transparency, channel adjustments, and so on to clear it out. Specific advice is hard to give since the techniques would vary so much depending on the image.
And please don’t say you need clipping paths! Find a way to keep everything in PS and your life will be easier on this one.
If the backgrounds those stuffed animals are on are busy and complex, it might be easier, if you have access to the toys, to reshoot the entire lot of them on a flat-colored, evenly lit backdrop.
You’d save a lot of time and aggravation.
thanks guys, i’m going to try knockout!
And we will be suggesting to the photographer to shoot them with a flat background in the future.
Scott,
If the background is busy and is a color that blends with the subject, even a program like Knockout is going to have some fits.
Just alott yourself enough time for that process.
Or re-shoot the first batch on a clean, contrasting background with good lighting also.
Yeah thats the problem – having enough time!
It’s not that the backgrounds are too busy – but the colour is blending into the hair.
Or use the Extract command that comes with Photoshop…
