How to select an object and remove its background

[indigital]

Hello,
I have been attempting, with little success, to select a tree (http://www.everystockphoto.com/photo.php?photo_id=276737) and remove the background so as to have just the tree on a white background. I am using Fireworks 8 because I do not have Photoshop, and have used a combination of the polygon lasso tool to cut as close as possible around the tree and then the magic wand tool to remove the left overs from the background . This works great on the upper part of the tree image with the contrasting blue sky but on the lower half stands a large house with a similar color to the lighter bits of bark. Undertaking the meticulous task of the magic wand tool with a low tolerance within the branches and slowly removing the background that shows through gives a chopped-off effect, which is a noticeable difference to the sharp appearance of the leaves and branches on the upper half of the tree. So my question is, is there any way to remove the background from the tree with a similar sharp effect on the lower half of the tree and if not, is there any graphic designer secret to compromise without sacrificing too much?

Thanks,
Brandon

[KDLA]

Have you tried changing the properties of the magic wand tool? You can set the edge to feather, and the degree of feathering.

When I have complicated images like that, I view them at 1600% and go through with the eraser set at 50% opacity (this creates a feathered effect). Then I lightly brush the resulting edges with the blur tool, set between 30-50%.

KDLA

[indigital]

I managed to create a very natural look to the tree by magnifying into the branch edges and using the magic wand tool at a very low tolerance, then erasing the left overs, as well as any left over boxy areas with it set to a 50% opacity. It was a little tedious but the effect, I think, is top-notch. Thanks for the advice.

-Brandon