Cloning help - any tips?
In the gallery, in my album, I have posted a before and after cloning attempt at the distracting bird in the sky - I work with PS7 and PSE7. I need cloning help. I don't want anyone to just do it for me, but help me understand how to achieve a better result, if that's possible.
Before cloning bird
cloning attempt
thanks in advance,
Suzanne
With something like that,
With something like that, where you have a lot of sky surrounding the object, try using the healing brush (looks like a bandaid in PS). I used it and the resulting image came out great without any artifacts noticeable at all.
-Dwayne
http://www.wizphotos.com
Thanks Dwayne - I will try
Thanks Dwayne - I will try using that.
Suzanne
More times than not
More times than not removing objects from the sky is pretty straight forward because the sky it pretty close to the same colors and luminance.
The shot you presented does not fit that bill. Looking at your shot I see distinct gradients.
As Dwanye mentioned, the healing brush will get rid of smaller objects pretty nicely. I don't know about PSE but PaintShop Pro's Healing brush will sense the Gradient and fill accordingling.
If I was to hand clone the bird from this image...
I always remember Less is More...it is always easier to chip away a little at a time, then to make a big change and try to fix that boo boo.
I will:
Paying attention to the gradient the bird is on I will set my source to the upper left and start cloning downward at a diagonal along the gradient. Again just little passes to slowly chip away at the bird.
As the bird disappears I might set my source to the bottom right of the gradient and clone upward a little bit at a time to bring up some of the darker colors from down there.
On a shot like this any deviation from along that gradient line...you will pull in colors that are too dark or too light depending what side you are one. Once that happens the repair can turn into a nightmare.
www.urgephotos.com
Good tips Andy.
Good tips Andy. Thanks.
http://raecosta.smugmug.com/
Thank you Andy, for taking
Thank you Andy, for taking the time to post your tips in such a detailed way, including the graphics. The sky gradient was troublesome for me to work with. One other question - when you work on photos, do you work on them in the "actual pixel" size, or fit on screen? Does it matter which you use? Obviously very small areas would be hard to see and would be easier, I think, to edit in the actual pixel size. Just curoius.
Interesting about the tablet - have never used one. Will keep that in mind for the future.
Suzanne
One of the things I found
One of the things I found that improved my cloning ten-fold was a pressure-sensitive pen tablet, like the Wacoms. With the pressure sensitivity it is possible to vary brush parameters, such as opacity, size and shape just by how hard you press on the tablet. Also, the pen offers a lot a more precise control than dragging a mouse over an image.
I totally agree with you
I totally agree with you on this one (did I say that?
)...
I would go so far as to say some pressure sensitivity (less expensive wacom bamboo or the likes) is better than no sensitivity (a mouse) at all. So if a big tablet doesn't fit your budget, don't not get a tablet because you thing the lessor ones don't perform. My little Graphire 4 has been around for 5 or 6 years and I couldn't live without it for the finer details. I've worn the rubber off the handle and the tip is somewhat beat but it still keeps ticking away.
The pressure sensitivity helps with all aspects really... background removal, smoothing, dodge and burning and the list goes on.
For me it is really quite fun as I am Left handed but mouse with my right hand. So I post p with my pen to the left and mouse to the right. It is actually quite effective.
www.urgephotos.com
"For me it is really quite
"For me it is really quite fun as I am Left handed but mouse with my right hand. So I post p with my pen to the left and mouse to the right. It is actually quite effective."
Must be nice... I'm right-handed and have to switch the mouse and pen back and forth as I work with the tablet, especially since I've got the pen mapped to the primary display only (for more precision), but all my palettes are on the seconday display.
Great tips. I use PSP and
Great tips. I use PSP and often have to clone in missing background edges in pet portraits that have light gradient from a background flash (when its *just* the perfect pose from a difficult cat but a few inches off the side of the backdrop). I have never tried the healing tool. And may have to put a tablet on the "wish list".
Diana