New Background... Realistic shadows

[BPatrick]

Hi.
I hope this is the correct section for this. If not please let me know.

I cut out a portrait of 2 women and added them to a new background.

The problem is that it does not look real to me. It looks like the stool legs and black shoes are floating, or somehow look like they were added to a fake background.

I tried to dd shadows and it did help, but I am still not happy.

Any ideas?

Brian

[Der_W]

Well, that has many reasons.
For once the background is way blurrier and has a lower quality than the woman.
Than the legs of the stool are blurry as well (whereas the leg in the front as well as the back of the arm aren't).
But the main thing is, that you're missing the deepest shadow, which is directly underneath the stool legs and is almost completely black.
You might want to use any objects around you as a reference.
Put them on an even ground and take a look at the point where the two surfaces meet, that's the deepest shadow, which is very close to the object, very tiny and, as I said, very dark.

[kav]

The colors don't seem to match background to foreground. There's not much blending on the dropped in element. The stool for example would have some shading on the legs, and looks a bit off in color relative to the rest. It also lacks a proper grounding shadow for the feet. As stated above floor is way too blurry relative to the stool, but that wouldn't stand out "AS" much if the other stuff lined up a bit better.

[Markzebra]

Main problem, you've done the shadowing completely wrongly as Der_W says. It helps to have a library of photographed shadows for this type of thing. Because the accuracy needed visualise convincing shadows is harder to achieve. Cast shadows are actually very complex in structure. Main and most obvious problem is there is no shadow where it is at its most intense, where the foot of the stool joins the floor. Colour also needs to be matched. The fake texture on the floor and wall, looks fake. It needs perspective at the very least. Again best to use shots to get this.