How can I make this look less fake??

[Christina Leonard]

I took this picture of my daughter on her christening. My mom made the gown so I wanted to have a nice picture of her in the gown for my mom. I took it of her just sitting on the couch but then decided I wanted a nicer background. I have been playing with cutting it out and placing the cut out on a background, but it still looks like she is floating on it. This is my first attempt at this and I am learning as I go. Please help me with any tips and knowledge you may have! Thank you!!

[Kylie Martin]

what about doing something to the bottom half of teh background so that it looks like she is sat on something

[Christina Leonard]

@kmrtn6 that's what I was going for so I tried to make it a little darker but I don't know how to make it look like she is sitting on something as opposed to the background just being 2 different shades/colors.

[Marcy D.]

Yeah, I agree. Is it maybe something about her pose being sitting but against a flat vertical background.

[Kylie Martin]

i'm struggling to think of something as the dress takes up so much of the foreground - only thing i can think of is to try makeing the otop half a completely different colour, or angle it so it looks like she;s sat in a corner?

[Christina Leonard]

@kmrtn6 @moose Is this any better? I tried making the "floor" darker and also beveled the edge of the gown a bit

[Laura Baker]

What if you add some texture to the background. Maybe just to the bottom or top half?

[Christina Leonard]

@lbaker i think the texture was a good idea! It's looking better I think... but I have been looking at it too long... my eyes need a break :)

[Dorrena Ortega]

Oh, good. I'd add something like these bokeh hearts, in this picture.

[ValHamil]

@cmc1031 This one is definitely better :) Nice job!

[Christopher Byrd]

use Remask Photoshop plugin from Topaz labs to totally change the background.

[Cally]

Would you be able to just add the line from the couch? Then you have a definate break where the horizontal and the vertical meet. I'm not sure how it would look, but it might be an idea?

[Kylie Martin]

looking better x

[Jaydee]

in photoshop,

1. open image
2 duplicate image
3 replace color black to white
4. use eraser tool brush 52, opacity 30 , flow 30 (erase the face and the hand)
5 open bokeh image (soft colors or pastels , for babies, ) if you have yourr own bokeh selectiosn thats better, so for this one i use these samples:


http://lullaby.homepage.dk/diy-camera/bokeh.html
http://shadowhousecreations.blogspot.com/2010/09/bokeh-texture-set.html

6 then go to layers, ajjust the opacity....
7. then use eraser tool again ( do #4)
8 final click image > adjustment then auto ......

hope this help....

[Christina Leonard]

@valhamil Thanks!
@meshinka I'll check out that, but I am not sure what it is.
@cally I actually did try that and it looked worse :(
@gavincci wow that's pretty thank you!! I will try it out!!

[Christina Leonard]

@dmortega I don't know how to add that, but I will play around and try to figure it out thanks!

[Rebbecca Castillo]

@lbaker I was just going to suggest the same thing! The photo is sweet to begin with, but a nice texture layer would add some great dimension to it!

[Dorrena Ortega]

I like Jaydee's bokeh effect but it looks like she is floating in space. I'd see how it looks with the background, with the two shades, and add the bokeh. I do like how Jaydee pulled out the detail in the dress. I had not noticed it until now.

[Jesa SE]

Can you share the original? That might be easier to 'fix.' These are kind of surreal ....

[Christina Leonard]

@jesase the original is so bad I tried working with it first. I put her on a soft couch on top of a table cloth (not ironed) duh... anyway I really liked her in the pic and wanted to make it have a better background. I think I may have a winner though

[Christina Leonard]

@jesase
here is the original:



and here is what I think i am happy with. What do you all think? I put a canvas layer over it which I think brought it together.



sorry here it is without the canvas effect. Which one is better?



thanks for all the input!!!!!

[Dorrena Ortega]

With the canvas effect. Good job!

[Christina Leonard]

@dmortega thanks!! I couldn't have done it without everyone's help!

[Brenda Ashley]

i like the second one , has great skin tones

[Geertje K.]

Definately the second one! (I mean the one with the effect).

[nawras lara]

i like it with grey !!

[strawberry]

I think that you should mabye keep the couch but change the colour of it to one that may suit the colour of the gown more, and mabye give a hint of compliment to how the gown is made.