CS4 help!

hi guys, a newbie here just wanting to ask some questions and if possible to have it answered asap so i can get to work
i was just wondering how do you make a subject/ person more realistic and not like being pasted on because i just cleaned out a background due to its wrinkles and just changed it to pure white but now the person looked like it's just dangling there outta nowhere.
#2) how do you add something to the background like the colored circles (ones similar to alvarado's style if you know what i mean)

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=985194

a silly question, in the tutorial above mentioned, he said something about selecting the background so he can add the circle to the background, but i tried selecting the background and adding a new layer but nothing is happening, maybe i'm doing it wrong? sorry i'm such a newbie but can someone help me with this?

Autonomous wrote in post #11688310
a silly question, in the tutorial above mentioned, he said something about selecting the background so he can add the circle to the background, but i tried selecting the background and adding a new layer but nothing is happening, maybe i'm doing it wrong? sorry i'm such a newbie but can someone help me with this?

It would help if you posted the image you're working on.

ok here is the picture (there are other pictures like this so i have lots to work on), what i'm trying to achieve is clean up the background (by using color range), but kinda lost in trying to change the bg color but no biggie. i'm also trying to achieve so that the child doesn't look pasted on after doing so, and last adding the circles (alvarado's) behind her. the uneven lighting on her face is also hard to work on because there are apparently a million steps that needs to be done in order to achieve that perfect result.
if you can like guide me step by step using beginner's language, i would totally appreciate your help kind sir.
gosh i'm such a PS newbie

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/png'

Anyone?

Autonomous wrote in post #11689414
ok here is the picture (there are other pictures like this so i have lots to work on), what i'm trying to achieve is clean up the background (by using color range), but kinda lost in trying to change the bg color but no biggie. i'm also trying to achieve so that the child doesn't look pasted on after doing so, and last adding the circles (alvarado's) behind her. the uneven lighting on her face is also hard to work on because there are apparently a million steps that needs to be done in order to achieve that perfect result.
if you can like guide me step by step using beginner's language, i would totally appreciate your help kind sir.
gosh i'm such a PS newbie

There are a TON of ways to do the same thing in PS. The tutorials for the processes I used are below. These all assume you are using CS4/CS5.

Skin retouching : http://www.youtube.com …ronrad1#p/u/1/H​wtuG107ack
(Use the step for Dodging and Burning to help the lighting on her face)

Selective Masking: http://www.planetphoto​shop.com/masking-with-channels-2.html

I personally find Alvarado's "selective color range" to be hit and miss. The channels masking tutorial above is difficult at first but yields better results.

To avoid the "cut and paste" look, when you make your selection, make sure the feather isn't "0" but rather ~3px or so depending on your resolution.

An easier way with light BG's like yours is to use the dodge tool with a soft feather set to "highlights" and dodge the BG away to pure white. Then after that you can use the selective color range tool.

To make her not look like she's floating in space, she needs a shadow of some sort. I just added a new layer and painted in a shadow. This step I admit I'm lacking talent so it looks a little cheesy.

PS: When shooting jumping subjects, 1/80 shutter speed is too slow. Try to use 200+. You can see motion blur in her feet.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

Autonomous wrote in post #11688310
a silly question, in the tutorial above mentioned, he said something about selecting the background so he can add the circle to the background, but i tried selecting the background and adding a new layer but nothing is happening, maybe i'm doing it wrong? sorry i'm such a newbie but can someone help me with this?

The general idea behind the tutorial:

In a single layer, select only the background (using the methods I showed above) so you can delete it leaving just the girl behind. Beneath the girl layer is a separate layer for the circle and beneath that layer is any solid color.

kind sir, i very much appreciate your help and all and may god bless you for that!!
but,

i still don't quite "get" this one, lol i'm sorry (pardon my newbieness),
and how would you add the shadow or whatever it is to the girl to make it more believable?
but again, thanks very much i appreciate the time you took to explain all of this and editing the picture as well!

Autonomous wrote in post #11692697
i still don't quite "get" this one, lol i'm sorry (pardon my newbieness)

Something tells me you aren't comfortable with the "layers" concept?

yeah, i'm pretty much a newbie that much i will admit and drop my pride

A good book for getting started with layers is the book "Layers" by Matt Kloskowski -- pretty quick tutorials arranged in sections covering various topics.

Also, the online site Lynda.com offers a monthly subscription for a very thorough bunch of totorials, and you can get a week's free trial if you want to devote the time for an off-and-running start.