Karl, those bamboo backgrounds are photos I took at the Bronx Zoo. I have them posted at www.etzoo.blogspot.com...click on the picture to get the full-size image. I have a new hobby...I snap pictures of background material....In fact I was taking one-handed, out-the-window pictures as I drove to work today.
For the second frame...I hid the seam by magic-wanding some leaves and created layer by copy a few times and rotated some to make it look less "cloned"
For the first shot...I hope my "shadow effect" didn't fool ya into thinking it was a backdrop;)
Thanks for the positive feedback!
ET