PS (CS5) - easy way to clone out same object in multiple images?

[IanCD]

I'm just beginning the long, steep climb of starting to learn PS, guided by Martin Evening's book (which was doubly recommended here)

One of the things I know I'll need PS for is cloning (or patching) out distracting elements in pictures, which can't be eliminated in the original...

An example of is in photographs at a music-dance performance in April. I was fairly close to the stage to one side, with little opportunity to move around, as that would have disrupted the performance. I got some reasonable pictures, but from where I was standing there is a very bright red fire extinguisher at the far end of the stage, which is very distracting.

It's not in the same place within the frame in each image so as far as I know, I'll need to clone it out from each image... quite a laborious process, especially as I'm very new at this, so still learning how best to do this on each image anyway. Is there a quicker way, though..?
Ian

[Colin Southern]

There's no way top automate it's removal if it's not in the same place, but there ARE a number of techniques for removing it, and some will work better than others.

How about posting a typical shot here (preferably at a high resolution) (or post a link to the image that we can download a high resolution copy from) (or get it to me and I'll host it for you) and let us take a look at it for you.

Often the quick select tool + a small selection expansion + content-aware fill works like a charm.

[IanCD]

Hi Colin,
Thanks for this... I can't seem to get link to give a bigger image in the lightbox, but this should be a link to the original (cropped) file, 3607 x 3045px
I'd want to clone / patch out the fire extinguisher and the notice above it.
Ian

[Colin Southern]

Hi Ian,

I just used the pen tool to put a rough selection around it - converted the path to a selection - and then used content-aware fill. Seemed to produce a fairly natural looking result.

[IanCD]

Hi Colin,
Thanks.
...straightaway up against my PS novice status..! I can use the pen tool to make the selection (or lasso or polygonal lasso tool)... but I'm not sure what you mean by convert the path to a selection or how I do that..? Is that a necessary step before choosing Edit --> Fill (Content-aware is greyed out when I do that)?
Ian

[Colin Southern]

Hi Colin,
Thanks.
...straightaway up against my PS novice status..! I can use the pen tool to make the selection (or lasso or polygonal lasso tool)... but I'm not sure what you mean by convert the path to a selection or how I do that..? Is that a necessary step before choosing Edit --> Fill (Content-aware is greyed out when I do that)?
Ian

Hi Ian,

Yep - you'll need to convert it to a selection. Easily done though (number of ways) - easiest for you will probably be to simply right-click on the completed path and choose convert to selection. Try different feathers (prob about 5 to 10 will do nicely on the full resolution image). Just be sure to leave a generous space around the objects (say 20% give or take).

To use content-aware fill, just hit delete (or shift + F5).

[IanCD]

Yep - you'll need to convert it to a selection. Easily done though (number of ways) - easiest for you will probably be to simply right-click on the completed path and choose convert to selection. Try different feathers (prob about 5 to 10 will do nicely on the full resolution image). Just be sure to leave a generous space around the objects (say 20% give or take).

In CS5 when I right-click I get a "Make Selection" dialogue... Choose >> Rendering: Feather radius = 20px, anti-aliased checked (yes). Operation = New selection. There's no % option for space around the objects (other than the feather radius)

Content-aware fill (blending mode = Normal, Opacity = 100%) didn't give me anything like the result you got..!



Whereas using the patch tool, and selecting source from an area of black curtain, I get this:



Am I doing something 'wrong' with Content-Aware fill..?

Ian

[arith]

The extinguisher is easy but the screen is a lot harder. I thought it could look a bit better but got into alsorts of problems. Given a whole day.......

[IanCD]

Hi Arith,
I don't think they'd want the screen cloned out anyway! ...and a day per image is a bit impractical..!

I'm still struggling with some aspects of this... I've now got the patch tool playing up...

Trying to clone out the fire extinguisher on this one, used magnetic lasso tool to select the extinguisher, then used patch tool (patch source - transparent not checked) - selecting source from the area above the right shoulder of the girl on our left. As I understand it, that should replace the selected fire extinguisher area with the source, but it seems to blend from the girl's leg for some reason?!

[arith]

Hi Ian; I don't use content aware fill or any kind of fill in Photoshop, because I find it much too difficult. I use Helicon Filter 5 for cloning 16 bit, which has a brush that detects edges. Still, you have to do it a bit at a time.

The extinguisher took about 15 seconds but I got stuck with the screen behind the flute.

[Colin Southern]

In CS5 when I right-click I get a "Make Selection" dialogue... Choose >> Rendering: Feather radius = 20px, anti-aliased checked (yes). Operation = New selection. There's no % option for space around the objects (other than the feather radius)

Hi Ian,

No, I was meaning just leave about 20% extra around the object when you make your path. You can expand the SELECTION though (once it's converted from a path) by going into SELECT, MODIFY, EXPAND. As an alternative, you could use the lasso tool to do the selection directly.

Whereas using the patch tool, and selecting source from an area of black curtain, I get this:

If the patch tool works for you then great - it often picks up stuff you don't want when you're working close to edges like this though (in which case the stamp tool is better, but brush softness is fairly critical. In your face though I'd say you just took your selection too close to the bottom of the extinguisher, which content aware fill doesn't like.

Am I doing something 'wrong' with Content-Aware fill..?

Probably just the initial selection. Keep in mind though that you can keep hitting delete and it'll keep retrying (it looks for a patch to fill in the blank). You can try a few and then step back to the best one with ctrl + alt + Z.

[IanCD]

Thanks Colin, that's helpful...
I think I'll be able to use the patch tool in some of these images, but need the clone stamp tool in others...
I read somewhere - trying to suss out why the patch tool wasn't working as I'd expected (which was as you've said) - about making the selection then using that to copy the same shape from elsewhere in the image and paste it back in... all using layers. I followed the steps as they instructed but couldn't get that to work, either..!
Ian

[FrankMi]

Hi Ian, if you have multiple images with the same issue, I'd be tempted to take the 'cleanest' one, that is, one with nothing in front of the fire extinguisher and address that image with whatever method works best. Colin's approach seems just fine for that.

Then for the remaining images, I'd put the new image layer over the fixed image layer and align them. Then you should only need to use the brush tool on the new image layer mask to 'see through' as much of the new image to reveal the corresponding part of the fixed image. This way, you don't need to repair every image, just blend each new image with the fixed one.

If you find that there are differences in brightness or contrast between the two, apply an Adjustment Layer to the fixed image and play with the sliders until you can't see where the hole in the mask is revealing the fixed image behind it.

Hope this helps!

[Gerry]

Hi Ian;

Something seemingly obvious that no one has mentioned that has helped me improve my cloning is to always work on an enlarged image/area. I often work at anywhere from 300% to 800% and, on small detail, even 1200%. It makes the final result a lot better when zoomed back down and once you enlarge the field the task seems to immediately simplify. There is such a thing as too large, though. If the individual pixels get too large it is hard to determine the cloning objective and the gradients get confusing. Good luck. Good cloning takes a bit of practice and a second tip would be to learn the full capability of the Pen Tool.....yes, creating curves, etc. A lot of people cringe when this task is suggested, however, a couple of hours of practice in learning to master this tool will be a godsend to good cloning and selections.

[IanCD]

Hi Frank,
That sounds like it could potentially be really helpful...
Any chance of you walking me through that a bit..?

How do I "put the new image layer over the fixed image..." and "Use the brush tool on the new image layer mask to 'see through'... to reveal the corresponding part of the fixed image"...?!!

Ok, think I've worked out how to open image as a new layer, though I guess there's probably an easier way than my rather convoluted version (Open new image --> Select All --> Copy; Back to first image --> New layer from background (?) --> Select All --> Paste...?)

Still don't know how brush through... and aligning won't work on most of the images...
But thanks!
Ian

[FrankMi]

Hi Frank,
That sounds like it could potentially be really helpful...
Any chance of you walking me through that a bit..?

How do I "put the new image layer over the fixed image..." and "Use the brush tool on the new image layer mask to 'see through'... to reveal the corresponding part of the fixed image"...?!!

Ok, think I've worked out how to open image as a new layer, though I guess there's probably an easier way than my rather convoluted version (Open new image --> Select All --> Copy; Back to first image --> New layer from background (?) --> Select All --> Paste...?)

Still don't know how brush through... and aligning won't work on most of the images...
But thanks!
Ian

Sure, I'll give it a try.

Although you can copy/paste and image into and existing open file in Photoshop using click and drag from Bridge, I find it easier to do a multiple selection in Bridge and in the Tools menu, use Photoshop/Load Files into Photoshop Layers...

I would then rearrange the image layers by highlighting the layer I want to move and drag it up or down in the Layers Tab in Photoshop. Place the new image at the top of the stack in the Layers window and the one you want to use for the replacement underneath it. Unless the Layer Visibility eyeball on the left of the lay is clicked to turn it off, you will only be able to see the top layer image in the Image window.

To align the images, CTL+click both layers where the name of the layer appears, then Edit/Auto-Align Layers... becomes selectable. Auto-align may not be able to align the images cleanly if it can't find enough duplication between the images and this can happen when it tries to align on the subject rather than the background. If this is the case, you can highlight the bottom layer and use the Move Tool and mouse and/or arrow keys to align the two images by switching between them by clicking on the Layer Visibility eyeball in the top image.

To add the mask to the top layer, select that layer then from the Layer Menu select Layer Mask/Reveal All. Select the white layer mask then with the Set Foreground Color tool set to Black, use the Brush tool on the image to paint a black hole in the image. Whatever you paint black will show through to the layer below. If you want to remove some you did you could either use Undo or paint over with the Foreground color switched to White. There is a double-headed arrow in the Foreground/Background tool to make this a one-click change.

With the Brush tool selected, you can change the size of the brush and control how sharp the edge is (among other things) in the tool settings at the top of the Photoshop window.

Here is a tutorial video that I used when I first got started. In this video, the trainer is adding objects to the image but in our case we want to add a blank spot where the fire extinguisher was to the new image. The technique is exactly the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA8TgyTruV8

Hope this helps!

[IanCD]

Thanks Gerry... good tips!
Ian

[IanCD]

Hi Frank,
Brilliant (I think!)
Thanks a lot... I'll try all that tomorrow..!
Ian