Tutorials
Tutorial - Quick method for perfect white background around hair
by arsenik on Feb.11, 2009, under Tutorials
When shooting models on white background it is sometimes hard to get a perfect 100% white background especially around the hair. This is a quick method to get the minimum dots out from the background while retaining the fine hairs that are on it.

Original image direct from camera.
1. Use Magic Want to select white space around image.
2. Feather selection
The feather radius will depend on the resolution of your image. Might have to play around with this setting slightly to get it just right. On my 21MP images I use radius of 1.4.
3. Create new layer and fill it with 100% white. (Shift + F5)
4. Deselect (Command + D)
Note: In some cases this might be already looking good, but we want to get rid of those Min dots from in between the hair also.
5. Select the top layer that has the white selection fill we have created in step 3 and with an eraser delete the area around the hair.
6. Now with the top layer selected merge visible layers. (Command + Shift + E)
7. On the top layer just created roughly use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to select the area around the hair where the min dots are visible.

Selection of area where white fill background was erased.
8. Go to Levels (Command +L). Select color picker to set white point and select a the darkest area on the white background around the hair.

9. Deselect the selection and using the eraser tool (make sure the hardness is set to 0%) erase within the image where the hard line from the selection appears. Make sure you do not go to close to the white background.

Erasing the hard line left from the selection.
That’s it… the above is a quick method to get rid of the minimum dots around fine hair when shooting on white background.

Final image
