Help Needed with Photo Booth's Backgrounds

[andreab35]

Hey guys!

I love using Photo Booth to take some funky pictures.
I like the backgrounds you can use, such as the polka dotted one, the water fall, being in space, etc.

However, when I try to use those backgrounds, they never work out. When I apply them, it tells me to get out of the picture first. Ok, fine. When all is finished, I come back into the sight of the iSight camera, and I come out all garbled and awful. Plus not everything behind me is not covered by the set background I chose.

Am I doing something wrong here? How do I use those awesome photos as backgrounds? I can just never get it right!

Thanks!

 

[themoonisdown09]

If you are casting a shadow on the background when you move into place, this causes the picture to be garbled. At least that's been my experience.

Also, try making your background a wall or something that does not have complex patterns.

 

[Diaresi]

Yeah, you ideally need a mono-coloured background that is evenly lighted.

For best results, use a greenscreen

 

[mrkgoo]

Hey guys!

I love using Photo Booth to take some funky pictures.
I like the backgrounds you can use, such as the polka dotted one, the water fall, being in space, etc.

However, when I try to use those backgrounds, they never work out. When I apply them, it tells me to get out of the picture first. Ok, fine. When all is finished, I come back into the sight of the iSight camera, and I come out all garbled and awful. Plus not everything behind me is not covered by the set background I chose.

Am I doing something wrong here? How do I use those awesome photos as backgrounds? I can just never get it right!

Thanks!

Assuming the software itself is ok, keep in mind how the software works.

In the first few seconds it asks you to keep out of frame, it 'remembers' your background (as in your environment), and then uses that to look for any changes, I guess, on a per-pixel level. Anything vastly different, it would classify as 'you' and put that in the image - anything that doesn't change much, it classifies as background, and replaces it with your selected image.

Now keep in mind that things like yourself casting a shadow on your environment might be enough to signal the software as a change, so it thinks the background is something different. You can adjust for this by changing your lighting - perhaps get a lamp and place it behind you so your shadow isn't prominent. Further more, things such as your clothing and skin - if it matches the background too closely, you may appear 'invisible'. Choose a background that has sufficient contrast to you or anything attached to you (you can play with this for interesting effect too, though!).

One last thing - if you are capturing still photos with this, the screen will act as a flash, which can change apparent colours of backgrounds too.

 

[andreab35]

Wow, thanks so much for your help guys! I'll definitely try out your suggestions and tips!
Thanks for the information!
Cheers!

 

[manram]

I also get this, and it's often a shadow that is making this fuzzyness. Try putting like a white or green background up, and then try it again. Make sure you are still and that there are no shadows.