Different Techniques

[rpcrowe]

Photoshop has many different ways of accomplishing virtually the same thing.

Case in point, when using Content Aware Scale...

Scott Kelby uses it like this (although the title says "Content Aware Fill")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RK5xYrUBfk

PHLEARN uses Content Aware Scale like this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixCroJfzM6U

I am pretty sure that there will be other ways to do this...

When I needed a bit of extra top space in my dog portraits, I would often just increase the frame size with a fill color that matches my background. Then I would use the clone stamp tool to insert the texture. It works just fine but, using Content Aware Scale is a bit faster and less labor intensive...

[Manfred M]

I've never liked the way Content Aware Scale works. I tend to use Content Aware Fill with better / more predictable results as it does not alter the original image at all.

[rpcrowe]

I have been playing with the Content Aware Crop also and for these absolutely plain backgrounds it seems to do quite well.

Here is the original image - framed for a calendar shot and needing only a slight crop for my calendar (note - I just picked this image at random and don't intend to add it to my calendar).


However for my rescue postings and on my rescue web site - I need a square image. Cropping as a square cannot include the whole puppy...


In order to include the whole puppy, I need to extend the top and bottom of the image. But that would leave a white border at top and at bottom...


Unless I put a check in the Content Aware Box, selecting that function...


If the Content Aware Box is selected, just select crop from the menu and Photoshop will add the pixels needed.


Of course, this is adding a very plain area with no detail. Photoshop can do a pretty darn good job of formulating pixels when there is some complicated information to be gained. This can be used when you are straightening a horizon so that you don't need to clip off areas around the edges of the image. Of course, this is not magic and Photoshop may have problems adding complicated information. However, in my case, this is going to save me lots of time with my rescue images.