A layering problem with photoshop?

i have a portrait in which i deleted all the background, so except for the person, everything else is white. i tried to create a background for the person, but i can't create layers for the picture first. everytime i tried to create "layers from background" or " new layer", it showed that the layer was the exact same picture i started out with. how do i create background layers? or is there any other way to add a background to the picture?

i have photoshop cs2

A layering problem with photoshop?downloads

Typically, the single layer that the person is on will be locked. Because it is locked, you can put nothing behind it.

Go to the layers pallet. Select the single layer the person is on. Click the arrow in the upper right corner and select 鈥渄uplicate layer鈥? A box will pop up and name the duplicated layer 鈥渂ackground copy鈥? Click OK.

Now, you should have 2 layers. One being the original locked 鈥渂ackground layer鈥?still on the very bottom. They duplicate layer you just created should be above the locked layer called 鈥渂ackground copy and it should be unlocked.

Background = Unlocked

Background = locked

Delete the locked layer. Add a new layer (Layer 1) and drag it below the unlocked layer with the picture on it. This is where you will put the new background.

In order to see the background behind the picture, you have to go back to the picture layer (layer above), and delete the white area around the picture. Either: **1** use the magic wand and select the white area. If you get the marching ants around the perimeter of the document and the perimeter of the picture (everywhere the new background will replace), hit delete. The white should disappear and you should see the light grey checkerboard pattern. Or **2** If this method grabs some of the picture you want to keep, use the lasso tool and trace what you want to keep. Then click on SELECT - INVERSE. This will put the marching ants around what you want to delete. Hit Delete. You should get the checker board.

Basically what you originally have is a picture on a locked layer with a white background. You need to unlock the layer (duplicate the locked layer so it becomes unlocked). Delete the white perimeter (so you see the checkerboard), so you can put the background behind it. After this is done, put a layer below it and add the background.

I know, it sounds complex, but it鈥檚 actually a 30 second job, just hard to explain.

Best of luck