Need Help in Isolating Backgrounds

Higgmeister

Hi All,
I have some decent shots from a Rodeo. The problem is that I had assigned seats, which were good, but made for a busy background on nearly all my shots. What I would like to do is naturally blur the background behind the subject, but keep the subject and ground in focus. What techniques can be used to keep detail in the subject edges and seperate out the background?

I've read somewhere about creating a dupe layer, applying USM to the layer and blending, then erasing those areas you want in focus. Guess it was for portrait work from what I remember.
Here is an example which can be downloaded and processed at:
http://www.pbase.com/image/45112568.jpg


This is one of the better one because he is fairly far from the gates, but many are much closer so the background is in better focus (bummer). This example is good to see that the horses hair and ground can be problematic. The horses front hoofs are off the ground so bluring the ground wouldn't look right.

Thanks for any input,
Chris

Shot with a 20D and 100mm f2.8 macro USM
1/250 at f2.8 ISO 800 under stadium lighting at night

Shay Stephens

My suggestion is to do nothing. You will never get it looking the way you imagine it, and it will drive you insane trying

ziggy53

Chris,

You certainly have your work cut out for you. The background is both complicated and too cluttered to use any automated method.

I suggest using the Extract filter from PhotoShop to identify the subject and create a new layer with just the subject/foreground, and then Gaussian blur on the background layer. (Camera Blur is supposed to be better, if available in your version of PS.)

Links to tutorials follow:

Using the Extract tool, PS 5.5 - 7
http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/extracting/extract.html
http://www.escrappers.com/extract.html

Software DOF/Background adjustment
http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshop/l/blrbps_1jet.htm
http://www.escrappers.com/depth.html
http://www.depiction.net/?id=psbackgroundremoval

Even if you don't have PS, you can use the GIMP:
GIMP tutorial
http://carol.gimp.org/gimp2/basics/backgroundremoval/

ziggy53

Shay Stephens wrote:

My suggestion is to do nothing. You will never get it looking the way you imagine it, and it will drive you insane trying

Chris,

Shay makes a good point, I have never had great results and it takes forever. The best results were when I seperated and blurred the background and then turned it into a "Phantom Image" through desaturation and lightening. It's a lot of work and I wouldn't recommend it for more than a few images.

I do think you should try it for yourself so you get the full appreciation of the technique.

ziggy53

Higgmeister

Thanks Shay and Ziggy,
I'll give these techniques a try even if they don't work to my liking. The experience will be good. I have a number of decent shots that I just hate to throw into the bin. The only other way to have gotten cleaner shots was to get across the arena and that wasn't an option.

Currently I'm using PS7, but my wife bought me PS CS2 but won't give it to me till my birthday in mid July:cry. I keep caressing the box in front of here, but she won't give in:nono.

Thanks Again,
Chris

Rohirrim

I agree with the others that its probably not worth the effort and I also end up dissapointed in the results, but its fun to try. I played with your image today and came up with this.



It would take a lot more time than I'm willing to do to better isolate the rider and horse better, but I believe this is the general idea you were looking for.

This is what I did
1) Selected the horse and rider by first making a quick selection via the selection Wand with the Blue Channel (best contrast). Then finishing the selection with Quick Mask.
2) Put the Horse and Rider on a new Layer
3) Duplicated the original layer
4) Applied a Gaussian blur to the duplicate of the original layer
5) Applied a layer mask to the duplicate, then a gradient to allow the arena footing to remain in focus.
6) Had fun Playing with Photoshop, even if I didn't get a great result

Higgmeister

Thanks Rohirrim,
This is what I'm looking for. Granted, the edges need more work, but hey, it's just something to show an example and you did a wonderful job. Thanks for showing what a quick job can do. I won't get a chance till later this week to play, but now I'm looking forward to it.

Thanks Again,
Chris