How to Remove and Replace a Background with Photoshop Elements

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Photos:

Smiling Girl: https://pixabay.com/en/beautiful-girl-smiling-da-young-1274051/

Beach: https://pixabay.com/photos/indiana-dunes-state-park-beach-1848559/

Project File: change background 2024.zip

YouTube Video:  https://youtu.be/q9C4dHez9Gc

Step-by-Step

Open both photos in Photoshop Elements

With the Photo Bin open click on the girl photo, then drag the beach photo onto the girl photo.

Use the ctrl+t keyboard shortcut to show the transform handles on the beach layer and drag the corners until the photo fills the image top to bottom.

Select the background layer, right click and choose Duplicate Layer, drag above the beach layer.

Use the Polygonal Lasso tool set to New Selection with a Feathering of 0 to create a selection around the girl. Take your time for a good selection.

Change the tool setting to Subtract and remove the areas between the arms and the body.

Use Refine Edge to soften the edge around the hair. I used a small brush size and all settings off in Refine Edge.

Output to New Layer with Layer Mask.

Select the Layer Mask and go to Filter/Blur/Gaussian Blur and blur the layer mask just a bit, try .5

Add a Photo Filter Adjustment Layer from the Layer Menu, Check the Checkbox. Use the Warming Filter, and set between 25 and 30.

Add a Levels Adjustment Layer, Check the Checkbox and increase the contrast a bit by moving the black point arrow and white point arrow slightly in towards the middle.

Add a Levels Adjustment Layer, do not check the checkbox, and move the black point and white point arrows slightly in towards the middle.

Don't forget to save your project.