Extracting a person from a low-res, old, b/w photo

[strelok1]

Hi I am trying to extract a person from a really old, low-res (internet) b/w photo and I am not having much luck at getting a good result. I use the Extract filter to grab the person, but there is not so much contrast between some body parts and the background and Extract gives average results. I then go to town with a Eraser tool and finish off with a Blur tool on the edges.
Please help! Btw, the picture is of the stunning Betty Page in a bit of a nude, so it is not exactly work safe so I am going to just link to them.

Here is the original:
http://img138.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img1...ettie210qj.jpg

And here is my feeble attempt to put Betty on a white background:
http://img138.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img1...ttie2112pt.jpg

Thanks in advance for looking!

[strelok1]

So guys... no takers on this one?

[Duv]

You might have better success extracting using the Pen tool. You can shape it and get stronger edges.

Dave

[Flora]

Hi strelok1,

Welcome to RP!

I had a go at your picture...

I used the 'Extract Tool' to roughly extract it (but any selection Tool will do...), created a Layer mask on the extracted Layer and refined the mask using a semi-soft eraser/brush.

[strelok1]

Wow this looks absolutely stunning. Just shows I have a long way to go still. The edges on your extracted picture looks so seamless ... as if she was drawn in there. I will be sure to give this ago!

Thank you very much for your help!!!

[cspringer]

might not work well with this picture but Russel Brown's Advanced Masking video is great for hard to extract subjects like hair.

http://www.russellbrown.com/images/t...cedMasking.mov

[Gerald McClaren]

Flora how did you extracted this image so clean? What I meant was the edges didn't have any remnance of the other photo. When I extracted a person from a photo, I usually leave some remnance from the other photo surroundings on the edges. Did you feathered the edges of this photo?

Gerald McClaren

[Daviskw]

Thought I'd have a go at it as well. Just a straight select…duplicate and fill with black for mask then the Maximize filter to blend edges.

Butch

[Flora]

Hi Gerald,

Originally Posted by Gerald McClaren

Flora how did you extracted this image so clean? What I meant was the edges didn't have any remnance of the other photo. When I extracted a person from a photo, I usually leave some remnance from the other photo surroundings on the edges. Did you feathered the edges of this photo?

Not the edges of the photo, just the edges of the Mask ... meaning ... in these cases, I use either the Lasso Tool, or the Pen Tool or, like here, the Extract Tool to roughly select/extract the subject ... Once the rough selection is done (marching ants around it), I change to 'Quick Mask' Mode and, starting with a semi-hard brush, changing its 'Hardness' if necessary, I refine my Mask.

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Great job, Butch!

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P.S. ... Choosing a background of a colour similar to the original (at least close to the subject) is a big help in minimizing the dreadful 'cut and paste' edge!!