Removing Busy Backgrounds

[sconyers]

Hi.  I'm in Photo and I have a photo of a building and trees.  I want to replace the sky with my own sky so I have a layer that is a sky and on the building layer, I have a mask where I am "erasing" the background to show my sky.  I need some tips for getting within palm branches and other tight spots.  

[billtils]

Welcome to the APB Forum sconyers!    

 

Have you looked at this: https://vimeo.com/channels/875980/120458870 ?

[rui_mac]

This is one occasion where, in Photoshop, I would combine two or three channels (R, G or B) to get a more contrasty extra channel and then go from that to create a spot-on mask.

But we still have lots limitation with channels operations in Affinity Photo.

[sconyers]

Yes biltils, I have.  I don't get the option to "refine".  Wondering what I'm doing wrong.  Is it because I'm working with two layers instead of one?  

Thanks Rui.  There's actually a lot of contrast there but maybe I'm having issues because they are on two different layers.   ??

[billtils]

There may be subtleties that I have yet to encounter, but any time I have used APB masks to do more or less what you want here it has worked OK.  There have been layer issues - my fault - from time to time but as long as I have selected the layer on which the mask is to be applied and clicked on the selection brush tool,  the refine button is revealed, and it is active when you click it.

 

The attached shows the first step in one of my edits to remove a fussy background:  the arrows show the Selection brush tool selected, and the Refine button revealed; not sure if it will be clear that the wings of the butterfly and the flower are selected but not the antennae of the butterfly.  This was fixed using the refine option.

 

 

Apologies in advance if you've tried all this!

 

Masking screen shot.pdf

[ronniemcbride]

There are some tips to using the refine feature explained in this video as well: 

 

Would you mind sharing your file so I can take a look at the complexity and provide you with a more specific answer to your problem.

 

Cheers,

 

Ronnie 

[sconyers]

Thanks guys.  I try these out and let you know how it goes.  I have no issues using the refine brush on one layer but I'm working with two layers and that's where I'm getting hung up.  But, I haven't tried what you guys suggested so let me give it a go.

[ronniemcbride]

let us know how it goes. If you still having issues I don't mind taking look at you file and giving you a hand figuring it out.

 

good luck :)

[sconyers]

I finally got a chance to go back to this.  Thanks for all your help.  I was approaching this technique wrong.  I started by creating a mask.  That is where my mistake was.  I went back and started all over.  Created a selection like showed in the video and then used the refine tool.  I think it turned out pretty good.  I changed the sky in this pic of a historical landmark in my hometown.   

 

Thanks again!

[billtils]

Glad you got it to work @sconyers!   And the result looks like it was well worth the effort too  :).

[ronniemcbride]

Looking good! glad it worked out ;)