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HELP! Would it be possible to remove the background from a picture like this???

V

VideoNewbie

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 6, 2009
476
6
would it be possible to remove the background on a picture like this while basically maintaining all the little details of the tree?

if so how would i do it?

15_19_1---Tree--Sunrise--Northumberland_web.jpg
 
spinnerlys

spinnerlys

Guest
Sep 7, 2008
14,328
7
forlod bygningen
Get a higher resolution version and use the Magic Wand in PS to extract the tree ( and then invert the mask to remove the background). But that will be tedious work with that kind of detail, thus a higher resolution should be more easy.
You can also enhance the black level and deepen the shadows (dark areas) of the image via the Level tool or Curves tool to make the tree more black to easier mask it via the Magic Wand.
 
panoz7

panoz7

macrumors 6502a
Nov 21, 2005
904
1
Raleigh, NC
It shouldn't be super difficult for an image like that where there's a big contrast difference between what you're trying to isolate and the background. If the tree wasn't as dark then it would have been much more difficult. The attached image took me about five minutes.
 

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  • tree2.jpg
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spinnerlys

spinnerlys

Guest
Sep 7, 2008
14,328
7
forlod bygningen
panoz7, what tools did you use?

I tried the method I described, but it was quite cumbersome and I haven't invested five minutes into it, maybe 30 to 45 seconds.
 
panoz7

panoz7

macrumors 6502a
Nov 21, 2005
904
1
Raleigh, NC
spinnerlys said:
panoz7, what tools did you use?

I tried the method I described, but it was quite cumbersome and I haven't invested five minutes into it, maybe 30 to 45 seconds.
Click to expand...

I started by creating two channel mixer layers to convert the image to black and white. One converted the purple sky at the top to white and the other converted the red sky at the bottom to white. I then blended those together with a layer mask. I then adjusted the levels a bit to increase the contrast, and finally I painted with a white brush on a new layer wherever the channel mixers weren't completely effective (mostly around the edges). It's then pretty simple to use that black and white image as a layer mask on the previous image to eliminate the sky.
 
G

G.T.

macrumors 6502a
Jul 12, 2008
501
2
I used background erasure in PS then did fine detail with normal eraser.

15_19_1---Tree--Sunrise--Northumberland_web.jpg before
Untitled-1.jpg after
 
7on

7on

macrumors 601
Nov 9, 2003
4,939
0
Dress Rosa
I would use the pen tool and trace the tree and then select the outcome and mask the tree layer.

Or alternative hide the old layer and then just use the shape layer you created. This by far results in the best quality. Much higher than any filters or eraser tools.
 
tobefirst ⚽️

tobefirst ⚽️

macrumors 601
Jan 24, 2005
4,612
2,335
St. Louis, MO
7on said:
I would use the pen tool and trace the tree and then select the outcome and mask the tree layer.

Or alternative hide the old layer and then just use the shape layer you created. This by far results in the best quality. Much higher than any filters or eraser tools.
Click to expand...

I need to work where you work. :) That would take forever in a picture like this.
 
S

stainlessliquid

macrumors 68000
Sep 22, 2006
1,622
0
7on said:
I would use the pen tool and trace the tree and then select the outcome and mask the tree layer.

Or alternative hide the old layer and then just use the shape layer you created. This by far results in the best quality. Much higher than any filters or eraser tools.
Click to expand...

you should totally do that and show us
 
opeter

opeter

macrumors 68030
Aug 5, 2007
2,679
1,602
Slovenia
7on said:
I would use the pen tool and trace the tree and then select the outcome and mask the tree layer.

Or alternative hide the old layer and then just use the shape layer you created. This by far results in the best quality. Much higher than any filters or eraser tools.
Click to expand...

This would take many hours to make. Not an economical option.
 
Kwill

Kwill

macrumors 68000
Mar 10, 2003
1,595
1
7on said:
I would use the pen tool and trace the tree and then select the outcome and mask the tree layer.

Or alternative hide the old layer and then just use the shape layer you created. This by far results in the best quality. Much higher than any filters or eraser tools.
Click to expand...

I suspect this is a sarcastic (no way practical) post. :rolleyes:
 
S

spacedcadet

macrumors regular
Mar 5, 2009
202
53
relatively easy

so many different ways to do this. I would do it like this.
Make image CMYK. Duplicate the Black channel into a new document. Play with levels to remove any unwanted grey from the sky.
 
7on

7on

macrumors 601
Nov 9, 2003
4,939
0
Dress Rosa
Kwill said:
I suspect this is a sarcastic (no way practical) post. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

lol, I actually had to do that to a tree once in a project. The tree was very eveningly lit with the background.

That said, this high contrast tree would be best done using one of the other methods mentioned. I may have come off a bit too "absolute" in my reasoning. Though it would be the best quality - not worth the time over channel mixing though. My tree I had to do was about 5-6 hours working through a lunch break. And the client changed her mind after seeing the finished results :rolleyes:

EDIT:
I took a look at the file and what I did was mode CMYK and deleted the CYM and level adjusted the K. Converted to greyscale and then erased some of the sky bits. Copied into Illustrator and then live traced and come up with attached in about 5min.
 

Attachments

  • Screen shot 2010-06-18 at 10.29.21 AM.png
    Screen shot 2010-06-18 at 10.29.21 AM.png
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