Help with enhancing or replacing background to a photo

[clivefindlay]

Hello

I'm just getting to grips with Photoshop - but still at the beginner stage - and very foolishly offered to enhance a photo for a family member ... (see attached) .... a task which I've discovered I'm not yet capable of.

As can be seen, it's main subject is a horse, but it has reins and edges such as the mane which need to remain intact, which I can't work around successfully.

The background - foliage etc and sky - needs to be enriched, better colours, darker sky, for example - or replaced completely by a new background - perhaps fields, or countryside, with or without sky.

If anyone out there could give me detailed (step by step idiot's guide level!) instructions as to how to do this - many thanks!

If anyone would do it for me - many thanks plus I'd be happy to pay a small fee, or .... put your link on my websites (www.memoriesandimaginations.com (writings), www.careerconsultuk.com (advice site), and a soon to be launched photography site www.imagesandimaginations.com (already on-line but empty of photos).

Clive

[Albacore]

There are many, many PS tutorials on the subject do a Google search. Here is one to get on with have a look here: http://www.photoshopessentials.com/p...photoshop-sky/

[ahmedkadora]

always replace with natur backgrounds

[Big Frank]

I'd recommend you ditch Photoshop and take a look at Xara Designer

[molucca]

For me, the image doesn't have enough clarity to do a masking separation. It is much easier to draw the shape in Xara. Mostly because your better at estimating the shape in weak areas. I would draw the shape and cut to horse from the image. Then save as a PNG/alpha. As a transparent graphic, it is possible to load into Photoshop, and make a selection from the transparency. Then you can paint the weak areas within the selection. Just a different approach. The Xara separation will have a clear transparent area resolution in a clean selection.

Rich

[RTW1]

look on Youtube for masking help, it took me less than 5mins to do the attached image but it would take many hours to explain in a simple way how I did it. All the tools you need is in Photoshop.

[SandMulls]

I agree with RTW1 that the solution, simple as it may be, would require at the very least an hour to explain. However, you might want to start with Layers->Overlay then playing with it with Image->Adjustments->Vibrance (try increasing the vibrance a bit) and then going to Image->Adjustments->Highlights/Shadows. There are a lot of tutorials on the Internet and i'm pretty sure you'll come across one within two minutes of searching.

[dhawan12]

pixels are not so clear as they should be.according to me you should change vector image first.

[Sammy]

I see RTW1 has been fast on his horse. Here is what can be achieved in Xara.

Sammy