How to finish this off?

ChaKira

Not sure if this is the right section, but here it goes anyway!

I've managed to get this far so far - I've only just got the backdrops I've been longing for and I've just got photoshop so now it's learning how to use them both!:D

This is the photo I'd like help on - the background is a bit grey.. how can I change it? and maybe sharpen it? or anything you think it'd need!!

Peano

I used shadows/highlights to open shadow details, a hue/sat adjustment layer to selectively darken the background, and Topaz Detail to sharpen.





EDIT: On the other hand, if you want a pure white background, you can do that with a fill layer or an adjustment layer like curves or levels to push all background tones to white. In either case (fill or adj. layer), you have to mask out the subject. If you're just starting with Photoshop, that might be a little way up the learning curve. But if you want to do serious, quality editing, definitely learn to work with layers and layer masks.

ChaKira

Peano wrote: »

I used shadows/highlights to open shadow details, a hue/sat adjustment layer to selectively darken the background, and Topaz Detail to sharpen.





EDIT: On the other hand, if you want a pure white background, you can do that with a fill layer or an adjustment layer like curves or levels to push all background tones to white. In either case (fill or adj. layer), you have to mask out the subject. If you're just starting with Photoshop, that might be a little way up the learning curve. But if you want to do serious, quality editing, definitely learn to work with layers and layer masks.

Thanks - I think I'm trying to do way advanced photoshop when I'm just learning!!
Where is the Topaz Detail?

Peano

ChaKira wrote: »

Where is the Topaz Detail?

Here.

pathfinder

Learning to use layers and masks is a fundamental skill in Photoshop.

But even before layers and masks, is understanding what a grey scale is, and how to set black and white points.

There are no real whites in the original image, as it was slightly under exposed.

Here is an older tutorial on setting black and white points and using a curve to point he viewer's eye appropriately. - http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Tutorials/Photoshop-Start-Here/Make-Your-Image-Pop/2292454_Q3sPbK/1

paddler4

Since you are new to this, I would just add that you don't need add-on software to sharpen the image. Photoshop as quite a number of sharpening options, including unsharp mask and smart sharpen, and it is also not hard to do high-pass sharpening with photoshop. Personally, I since you are new, I would simplify this and start learning how to handle sharpening using Photoshop's tools. Smart Sharpen is in the opinion of many users the best of the tools, but unsharp mask will teach you the underlying principles of sharpening.