No expensive props are required to create portraits like this. Digital tools are not only much cheaper, they open up an endless world of possibilities. Photo courtesy of Ed Boden Photography.

Today we start a series of articles about how to replace the backgrounds in your portrait photographs. Why would you want to replace the background? Here are a few reasons:

• The background in the original photograph is less than ideal
• You’d like to place your subject in a fantasy setting
• You’d like to do holiday photography (Easter, Christmas, etc.) without spending a fortune on props and sets

Let’s look at some examples of each of these.

Rescue a Portrait by Replacing the Background

This bridal portrait has been transformed with a new background, created with Vue Infinite, and finished in Corel Painter. Photo courtesy Jillian's Photography.

In both the bridal image shown here, and the portrait of the baby (top), the background was created using a 3D imaging program called Vue Infinite. Similar programs are Maya, Bryce, Cinema 4D, Lightwave, and 3DS Max. You can also use a stock photograph to serve as your new background. The advantage of using a 3D program is that you can create a background that may not exist as a stock photograph. Also, you can match the lighting conditions of your subject perfectly with 3D programs.

Create a fantasy setting for your portrait

Background and mushroom were created in Vue Infinite. Wings added in Photoshop. Photo courtesy Harley Bynum Photography.

Rather than spend thousands of dollars on painted backdrops and props, you can simply cut and paste your model into a lovely woodland scene, and then bring the composite image into Painter to transform it into a painting. This background was created in Vue. The wings here are based on a photo of butterfly wings, modified in Photoshop to look like fairy wings.

Holiday photography without a set

Transport your subjects from the backyard to the Land of Oz! Photo courtesy of Portrait Parlor Photography.

In a previous article, we showed how to turn a simple studio shot into an Easter portrait. Here, we’ve taken a snapshot of kids dressed up for Halloween, and composited it with fantasy painting, created in Painter, of the Yellow Brick Road, complete with smiling trees.

Next time: Creating a Portrait of Angels

So there you have it: three examples of how, by changing the background digitally, you can completely transform your portraits. In the next part of this series, we’ll show you how to create a painting of little angels, starting with nothing more than a snapshot. Stay tuned!

Related posts:

1. Replacing the Background in Your Portraits - Part Two By replacing the background and incorporating a few extra elements, you can create a fantasy portrait. A step-by-step tutorial. ...
2. Tutorial: Painting Fairy Portraits with Corel Painter See how to turn a simple studio shot into a fantasy painting, using Photoshop and Corel Painter. ...
3. Tutorial: From Photo to Painting using Painter’s Quick Clone Here's a simple, easy-to-follow tutorial showing how to use Painter's Quick Clone to turn a photo into a painting, fast!...
4. Create Digital Backgrounds for Your Photos with Vue Place your subject in any setting you can imagine, using the same tools used by Hollywood....
5. What is Digital Art? A basic introduction to Digital Art, for beginners. Learn about the many methods used to create art on the computer....
6. Tutorial: Create a Fantasy Painting with Photoshop and Corel Painter Learn how to assemble a fantasy image using stock images, and then create a painting with Painter....
7. Turning a Photo into a Painting Learn the three keys to creating a painting from a photograph....

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