Good Picture- Editing

I have a pretty good point and shoot camera and photo shop elements. I want to figure out how you guys edit your pictures where you give it a plain back background and have a little shadowing around it. A lot of Dazies are like that. Can some one help me?

Daizy's photos are gorgeous, aren't they?! I believe she posted that she uses a black background prop when taking them. But I have no skills in photoshop so imagine it could still be done somehow.

One thing I know you can do with most photo software is crop to face-only then adjust color saturation/tone/etc. - this makes a surprising difference!

I am hopeing it is not too advanced but I get lost in photoshop. I just want the black background with a lil shadowing.

their are a couple of great photographers on here ,until i get that all figured out I try and crop it to just the painting.

You have to cut out the background, making it transparent, and then fill it with black.

My suggestion would be to find a photo editing program and then do your research. When I want to know how to do something in my software, I type the thing I want into Google, and am presented with numerous forums and sites where others have asked the very same question that I want answers to. I love the internet!

Example: "How do I watermark my photos in Photoshop Elements 8?" Lots of stuff comes up, usually from experts with detailed step-by-step guides and photos. It's awesome.

I just noticed that you already have Elements. I use the magic wand to paint the background black, and then the burn tool to darken the edges around the model's hair, etc. I'm NOT a pro at all... I have tapped into maybe 10% of what Elements can actually do, but I'm stumbling along and find new things that help out every time I use it. I agree that Daizy's photos completely rock!

The problem with putting a shadow on a picture when you have a black background is that your shadow is black. If you need help, email me and I'll help you-I have CS5 and can do whateve you need. If you have an idea, and some images, email them as attachments, but they need to be quality large photos to transfer to a poster. djoys777@yahoo.com

When you want the background black you use the bucket dump in the color you want, make a new layer and dump the color on the background. To watermark your pictures, you type directly on the picture in a Text layer, and do the FX in the text box on the lower right, change the color and the effect. i don't know if Elements has that feature, but I'm happy to help!

I keep seeing other things on your posts!!!~ Daizy is simply using light from a sidelit window with a black sheet/fabric hanging up behind it. That's it. She doesn't do that in PS.

I, too, just use a black fabric backdrop for all photos I plan to use for anything. Make it so much easier to do anything with later.

yep - it's so much easier using a black background.... but you can use white too and change it to any color you like.

You need to blow up the picture really big and edge out the background before you can change it.... it's laborious work.
I've just made a black backdrop for my tent! yay!