creating a natural looking studio backdrop

[bentley72]

i've been trying some experimenting in photoshop to create a studio background. when i bring my subject in it looks too choppy on the edges and doesn't look like an actual studio portrait like i want. i tried blurring the edges and came up with this but would like some advice on getting the final product to look less photoshopped.
thanks,
Andrew

[jiminyClickit]

bentley72, Welcome

Even the largest version looks pretty good. I would try for a different hue in your background, though. Its slight orange-yellow look is not a natural background look. This is a good reason to save old generic shots of outdoor scenes in various climates and locations. Once blurred and desaturated, they may give you a goodly number of acceptable backgrounds to choose from, matching the palette to your subject.

[Japaslavian]

It look a little weird because of the unrelated lighting scenarios. The background (rendered clouds, right?) is really dark and deep, while the face is bright and washed out. That combination screams fake background.
You may want to try brightening the center of your background as if there were a soft spotlight on it. That's how I/every professional photographer I've seen does it using studio strobes.
Try using a more flattering color as well. Like a light blue that will bring out the eyes.