How to create a new background for people and blend?

[guitar]

Hey guys, noob here trying to put together a photo that's going to go on the inside of a band's album but need some help.

They want the writing on the shirts to be the highlight of the photo and the background to be unimportant / blacked out sort of thing that fits with the theme of the cover art, but I'm not sure how to make this work without making it look like just a really bad shop.

Any help would be appreciated.

Attached cover, photo and bad version to give an idea of end goal

Thanks!

 

[Paul]

Sorry mate i have no idea what you want doing, more info please also some of the words are blurred out?

 

[IamSam]

Quick question, you need the guys to be in the image?

 

[guitar]

Yeah, that's the idea is having the guys in the image, wearing t-shirts with the album credits. Blurred out the last names for privacy's sake. Hoping the background can be closer in aesthetic to the album cover, but not sure how to do that and make things blend?

 

[Paul]

Something like this?

 

[guitar]

That's the idea, what I'm wondering is if there's a way to make them blend better with the dark green background and ditch that cardboard cutout kind of effect. Is it a lighting thing? When i see other pictures of people put onto dark/black background they don't look quite as much like they're just placed on top.

 

[Paul]

:question:

 

[guitar]

Definitely a step in the right direction - how does one achieve that kind of effect? Really appreciate the help!

 

[Paul]

Isolate the people i used quick mask, apply to background layer then just a simple filter called artistic/poster edges. I then altered the saturation and colour.

 

[guitar]

Cool, thanks for the help.

 

[IamSam]

How about these.....

 

[sprucemagoo1]

Good call Sam and Paul, I was just going to suggest making them look as drawn as the background, otherwise they will always look like cardboard cut outs in comparison.