HELP! christmas card photo, background is HOPELESS!

[katia]

can someone improve this background for me!? i want to print out the photos for my christmas cards tomorrow, and this photo is just HOPELESS! obviously the shadow above the tree, the entertainment stand and antique chair on the left, and the hideous couch on the right need to go! and the blankets are hanging there to cover up some even more hideous blinds.

if anyone can help me out with this, i'd really appreciate it. i give you full permission to save and edit this photo.

here it is, and a link to the full-size version is HERE

[teaking]

Could you cut out the christmas tree and place it on a red background with a nice gradient to it and maybe add some white and gold swirls and squiggles?

[katia]

well maybe, not sure how to do that haha. i think cutting out a tree is damn near impossible though...i played around in PS a little bit (with my teeny miniscule bit of knowledge) and let me tell you, selecting it was a real b****!

[wulf]

You could create a mask to separate it from the background but it would be a fairly painstaking task to put it on another background and make it all look right. In particular, there are some interesting lighting effects on the walls and ceiling. They help integrate the tree with the environment but would probably have to be recreated by hand (yet more painstaking work, requiring a lot more skill than a simple mask).

I can think of three options:

1. Mask as well as you can, use another background and apply a texture over the top, which will help disguise the joins.

2. If what you really want is a good Christmas tree shot, try browsing what is available on Flickr - here is a link that will show you shots with a creative commons licence that allows you to adapt and modify them (although, in most cases, you should then stick a credit on the back of your card).

3. If it must be your photo of your tree, either live with the clutter (at least it's your clutter) or retake the shot after some tiding and considering different angles. For example, you could focus just on the top part of the tree and the angel.

Wulf

[edbayani]

darkened the bg using color picker to copy surrounding colors and brushed with softest setting and varying size and

[Edsport]

My version of blurred background...

[SusanH1970]

I'd love to give it a play, but it says the page is private on Flickr.

[jujitsu1]

Here my atempt... I had to use the photo from here as it wouldn't allow me access to your one on flicker.

[dakwegmo]

Presumably you still have the tree. Why not just reshoot it without the clutter? It will be easier to go back and shoot it over, than it will be to try to remove the cords and such from the shot in post.

[teaking]

I think after reading through all the other suggestions taking another shot de cluttered is probably the best suggestion.