hi there,
i am stuck trying to get rid off the awful creases on the background! usually i make a mask of the bg area and then put a gaussian blur over it. but the gaussian blur which seams to be the only way to get rid of all the creases creates some awful and strange lines. usually to add noise helps but in this case it just makes the whole thing look artificial and not good at all. especially as i have to lighten the background in some areas afterwards in order to bring out the shape of the clothes etc.
anyone who can give me some tips on how to smoothen the background instead?? i attached the unretouched image + a close-up of the main problem area.
please, i need help! thanks, jette

hi jette, have you tried the Surface Blur filtering? it works quite well (when you follow some simple rules),
I have tried a quick test, please find enclosed; this is my 1st post here, I hope everything will work ok with posting images);
a.
(sorry for my English)

sometimes you're better off recreating the background...

Jette, They are right but what you are seeing in my opinion are not creases or folds. Believe me they are much more prominent. That black background paper take on a blotchy look and it looks like to me that you shot tungsten or there was a bunch bouncing around that caused the yellow cast to enhance the problem. Two ways around it when shooting. They gave you the Photoshop solution.

#1) Pull your model as far away from the paper as possible and don't stop down too much. You want that depth of field fall of in a portrait most times anyways.

#2) If you can afford it get yourself a nice sheet of black velvet. It can be pricey so try the bins at the stores that have pieces and parts. That velvet soaks up light like the Bounty Quicker Picker Upper. (One Sheet)..
Hope this helps.
c

Try using the healing brush (with small brush) or the patch tool really carefull, then make duplicate layer, add a layer mask removing only the model and then you can apply surface blur to the background in this layer, finish with some noise.

Hope this helps.
Silvia.

hey everyone! thanks so much for your quick replies (the retouching as well as the photography ones!) will try it again (hope it works better this time!!)
thanks, jette