Chroma Green background = easier extraction?

DT
Posted By
Dominique Tomei
Sep 24, 2003
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435
Replies
7
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Closed
I’ve managed to do quite a few subject/background extractions now, but they’re far from perfect. I photograph a lot of children with very fine, flyaway hair… I’m wondering if a Chroma Green background would make the extraction process easier? I’m assuming that very few people have a green tint in their hair… I don’t really want to spend the money on a new background if it’s not going to make a huge difference.

Does anyone have any experience/thoughts on the matter? Thanks!

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P
Phosphor
Sep 24, 2003
You may be better off with a blue background.

It’s hard to say. But anytime I’ve dealt with a chroma green or blue background, there have been issues of fringe halos around the subject – especially around hair, so be prepared to deal with that issue.
JM
John Mensinger
Sep 24, 2003
Actually, any color will do, as long as it is in contrast to the hair in sufficient degree. As a catch-all, I’d probably consider blue over green, especially if most of your subjects are young, (and therefore are not likely to have hair color that enters the blue realm).

Another thing: If you haven’t familiarized yourself with Photoshop 7’s Background Eraser tool, try it. I only work on photos of people occassionally, but I haven’t clipped a strand of hair since I learned how to use it…and now I wouldn’t use any other method in a fly-away hair situation.
DT
Dominique Tomei
Sep 24, 2003
I’ve been using a combination of the Extract filter and the Background Eraser tool, and even layer masks. I suppose I just need more practice. Thanks for your help!
GH
Gary Hummell
Sep 24, 2003
I purchased a few yards of a hideous cyan colored fabric on sale. It has worked well, but the key to any background like this is to get it flat and lit as evenly as possible. If you have a lot of shadings, you are going to have to work harder on the knockout.

Gary
NB
Norbert Bissinger
Sep 25, 2003
Green is used because almost no one wears any outfit of this color, but as sayd before eny color will do as long as the background color is not present on the subject.

Try also Select>Color Range. First click with the Eydropper Toll on a prominent color of your background. Ude the + selector and select a few more nuances of this color.
You can then Go to Select>Modify Expand or Contract type 1,2,3 or more pixels. Play around with it. I have an action for this and it works great even with a wrinkled background and with some shadows.
As I sayd spend some time on it adjusting the Fuzziness Slider.
DT
Dominique Tomei
Sep 25, 2003
Norbert,

Great tip! I tried using the Select>Color Range technique, and it worked really well. Even if the subject contains some of the colors to be deleted, the history brush brings it all back, with very little effort.

Maybe I’ll just purchase some discount fabric in a hideous non-hair-like colour and give it a try. Thanks everyone!
P
Phosphor
Sep 25, 2003
Another additive to the select>color range method:

when you create your selection, create a layer mask.

blur the layer mask a few pixels. then go to levels (with the layer mask active, not the layer).

moving the far left slider to right will choke your mask, leaving a slightly feather edge. adjust the middle slider for the amount of feather that you would like.

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