Updating background & modernising Old baby photos

[Del_Marie]

Hiya, I would like to change the background of all three old baby photos to something more grey and modern.

I thought about using the cream carpet in all photos for babies to be sitting on or im happy to make it all grey if it looks realistic.

So far these photos are all scanned in as i dont have the equipment to make bigger scans, though I have taken photos of them to try make them bigger but i will play with those once i have an idea of what to do.

Can anyone point me in the direct of finding something realistic please?

[Damien Symonds]

Yep, I reckon this is feasible.  It won't be exactly easy, but I'm confident it's possible.

I think you should set up the rug/backdrop exactly how you want it in your studio.  I'd suggest cream if possible.  Put a wine bottle or something where the kid would be, to focus on.

Once you have a few photos of the setup, we can talk about the transposition.

[Del_Marie]

Hi Damien,

I currently dont have that sort of set up available as i normally photograph outside but haven't been shooting for quite a while. My partner's mother came to me and asked if i can restore or clean them up at all and i thought to redo the background and make it all consistent and modern.

I'm not sure how i would achieve the lighting to mimic all three photos or is that not such a huge issue?

I dont suppose there is a way to do this without physically setting something up? Would it make it far more difficult to do without the new background set up? I might go and have a play and see if i can work something out with natural light it might help me achieve some shadowing to use maybe.

[Damien Symonds]

I don't think the lighting is much of an issue.  It's just nice even light, nothing too harsh or directional.

Do NOT try to do this digitally only.  It'll look dodgy every time.

[Del_Marie]

Ok no worries, ill try set something up and post the "background" pic when i'm done, thanks chat soon.

[Del_Marie]

Will any of these work?
I dont have any cream fur or blankets could only find a scarf so put that in just incase it helped.

[Damien Symonds]

Wouldn't you want it to be seamless?  Just one colour flowing back?

[Del_Marie]

Just took some more with the scarf removed. How about this one?

[Damien Symonds]

Got something with some more texture?

[Del_Marie]

Unfortunately not, was planning on adding a texture and masking it off babies. Would that still work?

[Damien Symonds]

A bathtowel or something?

It just needs to be just enough texture to blend with the existing texture in the photos.

[Del_Marie]

Could try a bath towel, ill try now.

[Del_Marie]

What about this?

[Damien Symonds]

Yeah!!

Well, I'd hoped for cream, but if that's all you've got, we can probably work with it.

But you'll need to be further back to give yourself more room; and slightly higher, so you're looking down a bit more, yes?

[Del_Marie]

I have a cream towel I can use for the background and ill go a little further back and higher this time, will do it after my day job finishes this arvo, ta :-)

[Del_Marie]

Sorry this has taken a few days my day job was getting me home too late, ive got some of the cream towel i have do any of these look like they will work?

[Damien Symonds]

Yep, the first one looks promising.

[Del_Marie]

Here's the first one alone

[Damien Symonds]

Now, after making you go to all that effort, I'd better find out if you actually like what I had in mind.

How's this?

[Del_Marie]

Yes i like that. The lighter background will suit the house and walls when she hangs them again as its in whites, greys and wooden floor boards which arent dark either.

[Damien Symonds]

Download the PSD

[Del_Marie]

Hi Damien i know you helped me with this already but im wondering if you wouldnt mind showing me how to achieve the same look on a dark background ive provided?

[Damien Symonds]

Sure!  For which photo?  It might work for either the first or second.

[Del_Marie]

If you can show me how it will look on the same photo thats the one im having the most trouble with.
Im struggling with the hair if i am to make it them all on the dark background but then im trying to decide on what looks better light or dark background for all of them.
I'm trying to edit them  in the usual process with raw and then colour correct them so and fix contrast etc etc. but its looking so odd to me. This is an example of what i've done so far.

[Del_Marie]

I like the look of the light one you showed me but then i cant get it to look right once ive gone through and finished editing the contrast in the photo and colour correction etc. It seems as if the yellow comes out in the rug and then the background is alot more grey or pink. Is this what you are seeing?