Need help blacking out a background

[robert_cooper3]

<p>A friend asked me to make her avatar background all black. I don't know how to do it. Would someone be willing to help, thanks.</p>

<p>http://s41.photobucket.com/user/paintwithlight/media/LG_zps71baff11.png.html</p>

 

[JeffOwen]

<p>In Photoshop I used a combination of the magic wand and the lasso tool to select the background and fill with black. Is this what you wanted?</p><div></div>

[paddler4]

<p>An easier way in some cases is to make a selection in photoshop based on color. That might not work in this case because of the gray pants, but it might. In any case, once you have the selection, you can use a levels adjustment to turn the selection into pure black. I do this sometimes with macro shots that I do under artificial lighting, with a black background that is just an old black fleece jacket. If the lighting is angled in a certain way, the background will show up originally as mottled with gray. For example, I think I did this with the image below.</p>

<p><img src="http://dkoretz.smugmug.com/Flowers/Wilted-flowers/i-JTVQDhz/0/L/2012-03-16-21.10.58%20ZS%20DMap_edited%20flattened-L.jpg" alt="" /></p>

[robert_cooper3]

<p>Yes, perfect, thank you Jeff Owen, I appreciate that.<br>

Thanks for the tip Dan M.</p>