Editing Help Needed PLEASE

I'm hoping someone with some PP skills can please help me. We got a chance to visit with these puppies, but the background is a mass of puppies, legs, etc. I was wondering if there was any way to put just this little guy's face on a solid background? I am still learning and have a long way to go---I should have composed it better, but playing with 11 puppies and trying to get good shots was tough.

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Ok use the WAND tool for fast selecting and then fill either Black or white. For a better job use Pen tool to select...

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I'd suggest learning hair extraction methods. There are a few ways of getting the same result, and they all require time and patience. Google photoshop hair extraction tutorial, you'll more than a few hits.

Here's one to try: http://www.devcustoms.​com/hair-extraction.dev

I think it looks fine, and putting it on a stark white background is defiantly not a good idea.
But, the key to a good photo is good boca(the background.)

You mean Bokeh? Or is there another term I haven't heard before

He means bokeh. Anyways, there isn't any right or wrong way of doing this photo. Photography isn't one dimensional. The white looks more studio to me, the natural background looks more real life. Personally, I'm not good at cutting out things, as I have yet to learn FluidMask effectively, even though it looks like a killer Photoshop plugin.

It would take a tremendous amount of time in post processing to retain the appearance of the hair edge. I don't think you can really do it. Reshoot is much faster, just bring along a piece of foam board of the color you would like. White would work well. Or better a light gray.

Here's my quick attempt. Extracting fine details like hair and fur is not easy so its always a good idea to think ahead and shoot against a contrasting background to ensure that most of the details are preserved.

This still needs a lot of refining...for example a hair brush could be used to paint back in some of the whiskers.

Momtothefurmonsters wrote in post #5828386
I'm hoping someone with some PP skills can please help me. We got a chance to visit with these puppies, but the background is a mass of puppies, legs, etc. I was wondering if there was any way to put just this little guy's face on a solid background? I am still learning and have a long way to go---I should have composed it better, but playing with 11 puppies and trying to get good shots was tough.

Video tutorial on using the Extract Filter, Alpha Channels, Layer Masks using Selections, using Levels to adjust the Mask, & Blur Tool on the Mask edges.

Thanks everybody! Especially to Downhillnews and FedkaTheConvict who took the time to try to help me achieve the look I wanted. I do appreciate it.

Nice job Fedka!
I still maintain it is easier to reshoot. Often people want to fix it in PS when they could take 1/2 hour and get a better product.
That said I love PS and the power it gives us.

poloman wrote in post #5836253
Nice job Fedka!
I still maintain it is easier to reshoot. Often people want to fix it in PS when they could take 1/2 hour and get a better product.
That said I love PS and the power it gives us.

Believe me, I wish I had the option to reshoot. We live over 800 miles from where these greyhound pups live. My daughter is going to adopt this pup when his career is over. So, until he comes home, I was going to try to surprise her with a great picture of him that she could keep. With the help of Fedka and the others I may just pull it off yet.

Just trying to spare you the effort if possible. I am sure your daughter will be pleased!

poloman wrote in post #5836253
Nice job Fedka!
I still maintain it is easier to reshoot. Often people want to fix it in PS when they could take 1/2 hour and get a better product.
That said I love PS and the power it gives us.

Thanks... I agree on the reshoot but sometimes that's not possible. It would have been so much better if the dog were shot against a contrasting background.

If you upload a hi-resolution version of the file, RAW or original JPEG, I could do an extraction over the holiday weekend.

poloman wrote in post #5836253
Nice job Fedka!
I still maintain it is easier to reshoot. Often people want to fix it in PS when they could take 1/2 hour and get a better product.
That said I love PS and the power it gives us.

Momtothefurmonsters wrote in post #5841037
Believe me, I wish I had the option to reshoot. We live over 800 miles from where these greyhound pups live. My daughter is going to adopt this pup when his career is over. So, until he comes home, I was going to try to surprise her with a great picture of him that she could keep. With the help of Fedka and the others I may just pull it off yet.