| Okay, here goes for the second stage of digital | | | | into the area to start masking out the branch, carefully |
| imaging, and we're going to look at how best to | | | | not to mask out the hairs of the seed flower, but |
| remove unwanted objects and enhance badly | | | | obliterate the branch as much as possible. |
| scratched older photos. Again, I'll be using Adobe | | | | I then turned the 'eye' back on for my second layer - |
| Photoshop software, but other image editing software | | | | of course I could see exactly the same spot of the |
| will no doubt have similar tools and features. The key | | | | image through my first layer I had masked out - so to |
| to bear in mind when removing objects or bad | | | | change the underlying image I moved the second layer |
| scratches is the surrounding area ... is it a solid colour? | | | | to one side, until it showed some green foliage, away |
| Is there a texture? Or, does it have gradient shading? | | | | from the offending branch, making sure it blended okay |
| Master removing objects and scratches from each of | | | | with my masked first layer. When happy with what I |
| these surrounding areas to look like they were never | | | | saw, I then merged all layers to one background layer |
| there in the first place and you're on a winner! Let's get | | | | and my image was finalised. |
| going with our first image. | | | | So to recap, I used the clone tool to knock back the |
| Fairground Photo - Removal of unwanted wires | | | | visible branches and blotches on the leaves, but |
| showing in sky (Working mainly on a Solid Colour | | | | carefully used a Layer Mask feature to remove the |
| Background) | | | | overlapping branch from the seed flower. |
| This photo was taken with a digital camera, and | | | | The final image would look great now printed as a |
| shows a rollercoaster ride with a backdrop of blue sky. | | | | poster size. |
| The wires look ugly across the sky which gives us | | | | Tip: Don't forget, as mentioned in an earlier article, if |
| scope for removing them. | | | | you plan on printing your final version, make sure you |
| First of all ask yourself could I crop this photo? As | | | | have the pixel size for printing before you start |
| there is quite a bit of sky, there's enough room to crop | | | | re-touching! |
| some of the sky out, removing some ugly wires at the | | | | Peacock - Removal of a sign in left top corner |
| same time. | | | | (Working on a fine-textured area of peacock plumes) |
| The next step is to look at the surrounding areas of | | | | This is a bonus photo I have thrown in to show other |
| the objects to be removed (wires in this case). | | | | methods of making good to your photo when the area |
| Fortunately the blue sky appears solid in colour across | | | | is difficult to clone over. The original picture, taken of a |
| the picture with no gradient shades (like clouds for | | | | peacock with its plumage spread widely, shows an |
| example). This allows us to use a 100% opacity or | | | | unsightly white sign, peaking through the peacock |
| solid brush (clone tool or rubber stamp tool) to pick up | | | | feathers to the top left of the picture. |
| colour data from around the wires and clone out the | | | | As it would be difficult to clone between the fine |
| offending wires. It's best to zoom in to a comfortable | | | | feathers, no matter how much you zoomed in, it would |
| magnification and use a smaller brush, picking up colour | | | | also be quite a challenge to select the tolerance (or |
| from around the wires from either side, as you go, to | | | | colour fill of the sign) to try and remedy. |
| stamp them out. | | | | I decided to use the rectangle selection tool and select |
| Do zoom out from time to time, just to check if the | | | | the better half of the image at top right and copy and |
| sky is looking smooth. There maybe little patchy areas | | | | paste that selection (to create another layer). I then |
| - these can be rectified by choosing a lower opacity | | | | flipped horizontally that layer and moved it over the top |
| brush (lower than 100%) to clone over the patches until | | | | left to obliterate the sign. |
| the sky looks unison and natural. | | | | I selected two more areas of the image (which gave |
| For the smaller areas of unwanted wires down the | | | | me two more layers) and rotated them to fit |
| right side of the image, I zoomed in and used a small | | | | appropriately, bearing in mind the direction of the |
| clone brush with a lower opacity than 100%, as you will | | | | peacock's plumes. When happy with my layers, I |
| notice there is a little cloud showing. | | | | merged all the layers to one layer. |
| It's a game of patience, so don't be tempted to rush. | | | | I then used my clone tool here and there to rectify any |
| Your time will pay off when you finally complete | | | | small imperfections, until my peacock with its feathers |
| removing all unwanted objects, and what's more, it's a | | | | spread looked natural. |
| great feeling to see the final result! | | | | Finally, I cropped around the peacock to remove any |
| Tip: To save time, if there is a blank area of your | | | | stray feathers at the top and grass at the bottom, |
| image you could take from, using a selection tool, you | | | | which brought the peacock to the forefront ... a slightly |
| could mark then copy from one area of your image to | | | | different approach but amazingly enhances the photo! |
| another (in our case the sky at the left of our image I | | | | Children - An Old Photo badly damaged with |
| copied to cover over the wires at the right-hand side). | | | | scratches and stains (working on a gradient-shade |
| To do this, I used a rectangle selection tool to mark an | | | | background) |
| area of the sky from the left, then used a feather of 6 | | | | This photo was scanned into the computer then |
| to soften the edges of the selection, then copied | | | | extensive remedial work was required to get the |
| (Control key + C) and pasted (Control key + V), which | | | | photo looking somewhere in its former glory. It is a |
| gave me another layer in my layer palette with this little | | | | photo of two children with scratches covering faces |
| rectangle selection of blue sky. | | | | and background. There is also a stain over the boy's |
| Then using the Move tool, I moved my little blue | | | | face and part of the background. |
| rectangular selection over the bulk of the wires to the | | | | Starting off, by zooming in closely, and beginning in one |
| top right of my photo and merged the Blue rectangle | | | | corner of the picture, I started removing the damaged |
| layer with my image layer to make one layer. | | | | areas by using the clone (rubber stamp) tool. As this |
| Tip: It's worth creating an extra layer to your | | | | photo has a gradient-shade background, I used a more |
| background layer, so you can keep the background in | | | | solid (near to 100%) feathered edge brush for the |
| case you run into trouble. You can delete your extra | | | | more opaque areas of the background, and constantly |
| layer and you have always got your background layer | | | | changing my brush opacity to lower percentages |
| to start again with! | | | | where gradient shades came into being. |
| To finish off, I did notice the edges of the blue | | | | When working on a gradient-shade background, it's |
| rectangle looked slightly visible in my image (although I | | | | important to zoom out after working on an area, as |
| had used a feather to soften the edges), so to | | | | you can catch any patchy-looking areas before it's too |
| remedy this, I used a lower opacity clone brush tool to | | | | late. You are aiming for a smooth transition of colour |
| stamp out the edges of the blue rectangle area (same | | | | change in your background. In this case, there are |
| method as cloning with the wires), which gave me a | | | | gradient shades also in the faces of the children cast |
| perfect sky across the top of my image. | | | | from the studio lighting. |
| Finally, a great image from a fun day out! | | | | The damaged areas over the face of the boy and |
| Dandelion Seed - Removal of unwanted branches | | | | hair of the girl were remedied, again using the clone |
| spoiling look of photo (Working on a Textured | | | | tool, taking data from texture of the face or hair, using |
| Background) | | | | a lower opacity soft edge brush and stamping out the |
| This photo was taken with a digital camera and shows | | | | damaged areas. By zooming into areas also, you will |
| the flower of a dandelion seed which, with some | | | | find you can use a smaller brush size. This will give you |
| careful adjustment and removal of certain unwanted | | | | more precision. |
| branches and blotches, would make a truly great | | | | To remedy the stain, which covers part of the boy's |
| photo. | | | | face and part of the gradient-shade background, I first |
| As the background has textured foliage, I used the | | | | used a feathered edge paintbrush in 'colour' mode. The |
| Clone (or rubber stamp tool) to knock back only some | | | | colour mode allows you to paint over an area with a |
| of the distant visible branches. To do this I used a | | | | different colour and keep the textured detail. To |
| brush with opacity of around 60. I also stamped out | | | | choose the correct colour to paint with, I used the |
| the blotches on the leaves in the upper left of the | | | | Eyedropper Tool to select colour from the boy's face |
| photo, using an 80 opacity brush. The large branch at | | | | away from the stain, then started to paint with the |
| the forefront I knocked back with the clone tool around | | | | paintbrush over the stained area using a very low |
| the flower seed, leaving the only area to deal with, | | | | opacity, but enough to colour over the stain. I used the |
| which overlaps the flower. | | | | same method for the background, until the stain was |
| Now, for a challenge, the only remaining unwanted | | | | removed. |
| object was to remove part of the branch which was | | | | I then worked on repairing the damaged areas, back |
| closely overlapping with the flower seed, but to keep | | | | with the Clone Tool, zooming in and out, checking |
| the hairs of the flower seed, in doing so. This method is | | | | gradient-shades were smooth, as I went along. |
| a little more involving, but exciting to see the results. | | | | Once I was happy with repairing all the damage, I |
| To do this I used a Layer Mask. A layer mask feature | | | | decided to give the photo a change of overall colour. |
| is great because it allows you to paintbrush over an | | | | I thought the original colouring had too much yellow, so I |
| area to mask out (or erase) to show through the layer | | | | used the Hue and Saturation command to desaturate |
| beneath. If you erase too much of your area, you can | | | | the yellow, then using the Master Hue & |
| switch the colour palette and paint back in the image, | | | | Saturation slider (which includes Red, Yellow, Green, |
| so it's much easier than using the Erase Tool here, as | | | | Blue, Cyan & Magenta), alter the total colouring to |
| the Erase Tool will erase for good, but not the Layer | | | | a subtle sepia/magenta tone, to give a hint of warmth, |
| Mask! | | | | which shows in my final touch to the photo. |
| To be able to use a Layer Mask, I created two copy | | | | If you want to see the photos relating to this article |
| layers on top of my background layer (you cannot add | | | | (before and after) just click on the link below to take |
| a mask to the background layer. I don't like to work on | | | | you to my website - then click for the Digital Imaging |
| the background layer if I can help it, just in case I want | | | | Articles, Digital Imaging - Removal of Objects and |
| to start again). So each layer shows exactly the same | | | | Enhancing Scratched Photos. |
| image of course. | | | | Enough for now, I'm sorry if I got carried away with |
| Having created my layer mask on my first layer, I then | | | | this one, but I hope you find these digital imaging tips |
| turned off the 'eyes' of my second and background | | | | have given you some ideas to experiment with on |
| layers so when I started to paintbrush over the | | | | your own photos. We'll next be looking at an artistic |
| offending area on my first layer, I could start to see | | | | approach to your photos, so watch out for my next |
| the blank canvas beneath. Using a small and very low | | | | article! |
| opacity paintbrush with a feathered edge, I zoomed | | | | |