Image editing - help!

[oldgreygary]

I got the image below which was the only one I managed to get of the complete Team GB cyclists at the Olympic 2012 cycle road race. However, as you can see there are extraneous bits that I don't wan't in there. I use Lightroom 3 for my PP. I tried using the heal brush and could remove the grassy areas but that horrible blob in the bottom r/h side is proving more difficult. It would be nice to have the image of all these riders so if anyone can offer any advice/help I would be most grateful. Before I tear all my hair out trying to get it into shape. Thanks!

Cheers for now

Gary

[jeeperman]

Gary, if I had to do this.....I would use a soft edge brush of the clone variety rather than a healing brush. You can clone in some gras and white line from a couple areas between the first two bikes and the pavement from nearer the blob. It can be done....just takes a good bit of practice.

I am assuming of course lightroom 3 has this tool. I do not use it myself.

[oldgreygary]

Paul, Thanks for your input. This is an attempt at editing using the clone tool and cropping the image. I also used the lens correction option as well. Further comment/thoughts welcomed.

Cheers for now

Gary

[Mike Buckley]

Very well done. The only thing that needs attention to get it perfect is to deal with the front tire of the lead racer. Part of it looks wider than the rest of the tire and the edges of that wide part have less definition. That's because there are still remnants of the out-of-focus blob that you eleminated that were overhanging into that area.

[Donald]

Well done Gary. Good capture and good bit of cloning work.

You've brightened it up quite a bit and given it more 'pop'. It's a matter of taste, but I wonder if you've pushed it a bit too far and what something mid-way between where you got to and the original would look like?

It certainly one worth spending time on to get as you want it - the opportunity of that group together like that is never going to occur again.

[oldgreygary]

Thanks Mike and Donald for your comments. I agree about introducing a bit too much brightness. Also, at the moment not sure how I can do a lot about the front wheel?! I was going to put a small vignette on the image that wouldn't make it look so bad. I don't think I've got enough tools in the box (Lightroom 3) to do much more with it. But, as stated it is worth persevering. Perhaps, the solution might not be immediate but if I keep my eyes and ears open then it will become apparent!

Cheers for now

Gary

[WingHo]

After several layers of fading, cloning and color enhancing... this is what I came up in half an hour time.

[IMG][/IMG]

[Snow Leopard]

That's about what i would do to that picture take a brush and take the pavement over the person in front and blur the rest good job!!

[oldgreygary]

WingHo, I am impressed with your edit. It's what I am looking for. I presume you used Photoshop? How did you manage to get the front wheel of the cyclist sorted?

Cheers for now

Gary

[Geoff F]

To be honest here, Gary, considering that the leader is rather softly focused I would probably miss him altogether and crop for the second rider and the rest of the pack. Easy answer.

But if cloning etc is required have a think about 'pinching' the wheel from the second rider and replacing in on the leader's bike.

Draw a rough selection, copy then paste and resize. Clone over or delete any unwanted areas in the original background.

[oldgreygary]

Thanks for your reply Geoff. The crop you mention was one that I first tried and it does work well. Because this was the only usable image I had of all five Team GB riders I wanted to try and see if it was possible to salvage it into a decent image.

Cheers for now

Gary

[WingHo]

Thanks.
Yes. I used Photoshop picked section front wheel of the second cycle, carefully wrap to shape of the first plus a little touchup.
Cheers
Wing