Tru-Photo 402 wrote:
I'm a beginner at using Photoshop and have attempted some basic techniques to try to input a model from one of my photos into this sample background from my computer.
Would anyone believe this was an untouched photo had I not said so? (I doubt it lol) Please critique.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r128 … wisted.jpg

Below, is the orginal photo of my model.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r128 … ida153.jpg

It looks a little too fake... But you tried[[=
*I think* that changing background its VERY difficult because you have to lear were the light is comming from how it affects the object/person in front of it.[[=

Tru-Photo 402 wrote:
Would anyone believe this was an untouched photo had I not said so?

No, but don't let that discourage you.

Part of the problem has nothing to do with retouching. Here is an ok photo of a model dressed for the street. In the background is a really nice landscape image. The quality of the images are different, and the model simply doesn't match. Not that she couldn't be in the woods with street clothes, but... it's unlikely.

Plus her feet are chopped off which just screams,
"I couldn't figure out how to make here feet look firmly planted in the nature photo." ; )

MisterC wrote:
Plus her feet are chopped off which just screams,
"I couldn't figure out how to make here feet look firmly planted in the nature photo." ; )

aye - feet cut out is a huge ass red light to people. Like WHY would you cut her feet off? I'm sure she'd like to have them ;-)

This has been covered before on here but when compositing basic rules apply like

* Light direction
* perspective
* image quality
* Theme
* Mood

Stuff like that. Rules are made to be broken though but even the best artists out there will follow basic things like light direction and perspective.

On the plus side from what I can see your extraction is very good. Better than my first attempts anyway

Ni Anluain wrote:
aye - feet cut out is a huge ass red light to people. Like WHY would you cut her feet off? I'm sure she'd like to have them ;-)

Yeah, you caught me with the feet lol

Ni Anluain wrote:
This has been covered before on here but when compositing basic rules apply like

* Light direction
* perspective
* image quality
* Theme
* Mood

On the plus side from what I can see your extraction is very good. Better than my first attempts anyway

Thanks! I originally started this edit to practice some new techniques, and now I see it's really not easy making things match up when you're green like me. :\

Koray wrote:
Compare the horizon level to her eyes on the original image. You should keep that more or less to make it tad bit more believable.

To bring the feet contact to a new background I recommend to carry a copy of the original layer right under your cut-out, set its blending mode to softlight (or any other to your taste) and just reveal the feet area and her shadow to wherever it goes a bit.

Thanks -- this is really good feedback.