White background

[Amanda84]

I was given an example (kids in lower part of picture and background all white) and asked to recreate it on the below photos.  Sorry I don't have a link she only sent me a picture of what she wanted. 

My instinct is to duplicate the layer, use levels to wash out and make the background completely white, and them mask the kids back in.  Before I get too far into it, is this the best/easiest way?  I'm finding that it looks like they're kind of just floating there.  The example she gave me the white background was done in camera so it looks must more natural.  Would it look better to slowly fade up into white?  I think that would be OK with them on the blanket but the other one with the busy background not sure how to tackle that. The kids will be in the bottom roughly 1/3 of the frame, and the top 2/3 will just be plain white (that's what she wants).  Help!   I asked some friends for pictures to practice on while I get back into editing after years away and this is by far my toughest request.

 

Edit to add:  This isn't the same photos she showed me, but the engineer prints on white background is what she wants:  https://angelarosehome.com/affordable-large-scale-wall-portraits-for-3/

Edited July 9, 2019 by Amanda84

[Damien Symonds]

May I see the colour SOORs?

[Amanda84]

She didn’t give me the color versions. Or RAW. I can ask if she has the color JPEGs. 

 

I think she did the black and white conversion herself (not really knowing what she’s doing) and was just asking me to do the white background.

[Damien Symonds]

Yeah, I think you'll really need the originals.