My very first Photoshop project. Advice needed.

[PoweredBySoy]

Okay,

So I bought my new Panasonic FZ-20 a couple weeks ago. Since then I've been learning as much as I can about digital photography and PSE. But I'm obviously still very green. :P My main interest is outdoor photography.

Here's a picture I took last week:
http://enjoysoy.shackspace.com/Pictures/Camera/Springbrook015.JPG

I like the picture, but my main concern are the powerlines in the background. In my opinion, they ruin the shot. So I decided my first task using PSE would be to "erase" them.

I know there are other problems with the photo. It's a tad dark and blurry (havne't gotten the tripod yet)... but right now my main concern are those powerlines.

My first approach was to use the brush to paint over them. Using the eyedropper I can get a perfect color match of it's immediate surroundings. But the problem is that the sky isn't a perfectly flat color. It has noise and other "impurities", so a brushed on color really stands out.

Yesterday I tried the approach of using a fill pattern to cover the lines, but I couldn't figure out how to make it work. I want to take a sample of the sky right next to the powerlines and create a custom pattern. Then just insert this 'sky pattern' over the powerlines and then smooth out the edges.

Would this approach be feasible? Right now I'm stuck at trying to create a custom pattern of the sky. Can't quite figure it out.

For you experts out there, what is your approach to 'erasing' parts of an image? To make things that are there... suddenly not there. =)

I'm certainly not asking anyone to do the work for me, as this is more of a learning experience. But if you want to show off your skills, the picture is yours to manipulate. Any other criticism is welcome as well.

Thank you!

[Jodi Frye]

Hi, nice pic ! Have you tried the ' clone' tool yet ? You need to alt+click a sample of the sky alongside the powerlines and basically paint with the area you cloned from.

[Mary]

I would use the Clone tool for that - it is a great tool - smallish brush - Alt Click in area you like - then click in area your want to cover up. It brings the color and texture as opposed to just a paint brush color.

The healing tool may work but I have found it to be a bit hard to control so start out with the Clone tool and go from there.

Hope that helps - let us know :)

[TonyW]

I like the healing tools for something like this. You have to play around with the size and settings and may have to go over the same area a couple of times but I find it usually a bit easier than cloning. Here's what I got after a quick "heal" (I also pumped up the shadows and highlights to make the clouds a bit more dramatic):

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?pic=1Yuotp5oppaY8Qv5K2vsdeYazWiJV

One thought - take a look at the links forum on photo composition and think about doing some cropping. Putting the main focus right in the middle isn't always the best idea.

You're just getting yourself sucked into a great hobby. Enjoy!

Tony

[kerriann85]

I needed the same hint! I remember reading to use the clone tool and sample from a spot directly above and to the side of what you want to cover. I've done that but I always feel like I'm leaving a line. (maybe it's just my imagination.) I'll try the healing brush this time. Have to do four lines all the way across the width. :(

[TonyW]

If you make the healing brush quite a bit bigger than the area you're trying to get rid of and use a soft brush it's amazing what you can get rid of with only a few quick strokes. I tend to do lots of seperate strokes - that way you can easily just undo the last one you did if you don't like the result.

Tony

[Wendy]

Kerri,

When you are using the clone tool on an area like the sky make sure that you are using a very soft brush ... that way you wont get lines :)

Wendy

[kerriann85]

Ya know Wendy, that leads me to a question. (Maybe I just need to look harder) But when you use the clone tool you get the drop down box with all the brushes in it. If you want a round brush you get choices of graduated sizes either with a soft edge or a hard edge. Is there a place to choose how soft? Are there various degrees of softness somewhere?

[PoweredBySoy]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like I need to check out both the clone tool as well as the healing brush. Both of which I didn't know about. I can't wait to get home now. =)

Nice, Tony! I suppose you did that in like 3 minutes too. :oops: I also like how you brightened it up a bit. Brings out more color in the sky and the duck.

I'll play with it more tonight, and I'll be sure to post the new image if I get it done.

[Wendy]

Kerri ...

Ummmmmm ... just let me check :)

Nope .. you only get that option with photoshop. So I guess that the soft brushes are probably set to the softest option anyway.

I suppose that you could create a very soft brush by making a very large black filled circle on its own layer.
Then make a much smaller circular selection in the centre of it
put a large feather on the selection
Invert it and do Edit>Clear
then make a brush using that.

I wonder if it would work??

Maybe I'll go away and see :)

Wendy

[Wendy]

Kerri,

I just tried it and it does work ... takes a bit of fiddling around to get the feather just right.


Wendy