Cloning out overhead cables

[Skyline]

Something new I'm trying here. 3 shots then using photomatix 4.1, but that's for another thread.

This is something I find very hard. When ever I try to clone out cables I'm left with something obvious has been done.
Any hints or tips for the image below? I will be using photoshop (7 or cs5)



image can be found here too..... http://s988.photobucket.com/albums/a...tonemapped.jpg

[Ryogenetic]

Dave, it is a little hard to see the cables on both your images due to size, but I can still see them. I use CS5; for cloning out cables it can be an intensive process. Normally I start with the healing brush, depending on the amount of wires; If there is sufficient clouds that I can clone stamp or copy a whole section over the wires and mask them out that is what I do. When I use the healing brush I start with the wires that are furthest away from other wires, normally top to bottom, but in my example below I did each of the farthest wires. (eg. Bottom wire, 6th wire, 10th wire up, then all the rest) Here is an example of how well the healing brush can work:

Original:



Healing brushed wires:



As you can see there is still some artifacts from the removed wires, but with some patience they will disappear.

Hope that helps
Ryo

[darkslide]

Aw that's a shame - the wires were the best bit! (Can't you clone out that ugly black lump in the foreground....? )

[Skyline]

hahaha Ian



Thank you Ryo. I didn't know about the healing brush tool. I done a quick job just to see and it works wonders
It's not perfect but much better than it was. click on link for large picture.... http://www.flickr.com/photos/5246926...n/photostream/



This is what it looks like now for the forum size.


Thanks again..... Happy man here

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Dave,

A few of my tips for cloning are;
Zoom in until you don't need to be too accurate.
Make the brush size just bigger than what you're covering up.

If it is a bland background, I just sample alongside and clone stamp along at 100%, quite quick.
If something crosses the wire (e.g. it passes in front of something), sample alongside exactly on the mid midpoint and wipe along the edge across the wire.
Do it in stages (releasing mouse button often), that way if you goof, a quick Ctrl+Z (undo) removes the last bit only
Do tricky bits first, then easy bits
Increase history depth
Do it on a copied layer

If any artefacts remain, especially in a sky, a quick whizz over with blur brush can help remove 'the evidence'

I don't use the healing brush (I can't predict where it'll sample from
I haven't ever got the hang of content aware fill so I don't use that!

Cheers,

[Skyline]

Thanks Dave Just looked up blur brush cs5 and can't find it. Where might it be?

[Dave Humphries]

Thanks Dave Just looked up blur brush cs5 and can't find it. Where might it be?

Saving a thousand words, here;



You may have last used Sharpen or Smudge, so icon may differ.

Right click to get the choice shown.

Oddly, it doesn't have a keyboard shortcut letter assigned like most do.

Cheers,

[Skyline]

Saving a thousand words, here;



You may have last used Sharpen or Smudge, so icon may differ.

Right click to get the choice shown.

Oddly, it doesn't have a keyboard shortcut letter assigned like most do.

Cheers,

Dave. Thanks a million. I have not used any of them. I just tried the sharpening tool too. I tried it on the center of this flower that popped up in the garden yesterday. What a difference. I've got 3 for the price of one here lol. Thanks again

[Fit]

I don't believe anybody has mentioned CS5's CONTENT AWARE FILL?

Bloody brilliant, especially for removing wires.

Alternatively there's this method using the pen and an action for spot healing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssNQ2...feature=relmfu

[Skyline]

I don't believe anybody has mentioned CS5's CONTENT AWARE FILL?

Bloody brilliant, especially for removing wires.

Alternatively there's this method using the pen and an action for spot healing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssNQ2...feature=relmfu

That was Chinese to me lol. I'll look for for video's on content aware fill though. Thank you.

[Neelly]

Content aware fill is superb, and as Dave found out the new algorithms in CS5 for the Sharpen Tool have transformed it from something that was unusable to a really great tool for adding that extra zing to the correct bits of a photo

[Skyline]

There's so much in CS5 I'm not sure the boffins at Nasa would work it all out lol