Removing complex objects from photo

[visionmedia]

Hi everyone,
 
I am trying to remove an object from my image and after much searching on the forums and internet, I have not found a way to accomplish what I'm after. Basically, I have used the Inpainting Brush Tool on a Pixel layer as shown in the in-house tutorial to remove portions of it already, but I'm still left with parts of it that I can't take out with the same brush.
 
On the image, notice that behind the girl there's a blue-colored trampoline that extends from one palm tree to the other. This is what I would like to take out. What would be the best and cleanest/professional way of going about this?
 
Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

[barninga]

the image looks like you already used the inpanitng brush on it: there are some visible artifacts below the girl's left elbow. i think that in this case the inpainting brush is not suitable to finish up the work: you'll have to use other healing tools, and particularly the clone tool and the patch tool. i'm afraid there's no way to have the job done automagically. since the job is complex and could require some trial and error iterations, my advice is to work non destructively: create a new pixel layer above the image and use the healing tools on the new layer, after setting their layer option to "current layer & below".

even so, some blue will be still visible through the girl's dress, and i think it would be an overwhelming job trying to correct it spot by spot. here, you could try the recolour brush: since it doesn't affect black, there's a chance that you just paint over the dress, leaving alone the black and changing the blue to green, or whatever.

the recolour brush is destructive, so you might want to apply it as the last touch to the image, after consolidating the work already done (use snapshots, or a merge visible command before you start using the brush).

[Madame]

Hi.

I think you can learn a lot from this video.

Look closely in the end where he uses a mask to address the complex parts on the arm and trousers. I never thought of that. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJuQPNGgPs

[Asha]

I think this is a case where creating a pixel layer with Hue blending mode can help non-destructively remove the background color that shows through the lace

[visionmedia]

Thank you all for your responses so far. I will read them carefully, try this out and post again with some results.

[Ola]

Hi Madame,

I followed your advice to pay attention when he uses a mask but ...

 

I can follow the video as long as it is about the Clon tool. But when he begins to work with the Brush Tool to ”paint” back the boy's jeans, I become completely lost. I can’t make it work. Instead of restoring the undesired effect from the clone stamp when I uses a mask, I simply paint over the image with black or white colour.

 

Can you even guess what I'm doing wrong?

 

 

   

 

 

[MEB]

Hi Ola,

Make sure the mask layer is selected in the Layers panel. Seems you have the image layer selected instead.

If the mask is nested (tied to the image layer) in the Layers panel, you must expand the image layer clicking on the small arrow on the left  and then clicking on the mask's thumbnail to select it. You can then paint on the mask with black and white to hide/reveal the image layer.

[Ola]

Thanks MEB, I will try again... and again.

[Madame]

It's a steep learning curve.. Masks are not so obvious to comprehend.

Ola, I took a screenshot of my layers panel.

You can see the little white arrow. Click on that. Click on the mask (on the square). 
Now, when you paint with black, something will happen.

 

Its so easy to click off the layers and masks, so when something unexpected happens, be sure to check  that the right layer is selected.

 

If you look closely, you can see a tiny white frame around the mask, that means that it's selected. (Look at the second arrow)

[Ola]

Thank you Madame, but unfortunately your screenshoots are impossible to read. Something has happened, they consist only of unreadable pixels.

 

Do you think you can help me with new screenshots? I think I really need them.

[Madame]

Ola, here they are. I feel so sorry for the little rascal on the curb... haha. ;)

[anon1]

Apart from the selections tuff I´d recommend to remove the yellowish tint and also desaturate some of the reds in the area of the hands. You may want to give the legs a separate treatment as well.

 

To start out I´d suggest a curves adjustment like the following, maybe also add some cyan.

You can use the Info Panel (View > Studio > Info) to place a marker somewhere in your picture (drag the cross onto the picture) and generally the Yellow value should be equal or a bit higher than the Magenta value. It´s not applicable to every picture but I find that it gives you a better starting position in this image. In your case the two differ quite heavily.

 

Hope that helps 

[Ola]

Hi again Madame, I am sorry but it's still impossible for me to read the screenshots. The actual size is three centimeters. If I enlarge them they becomes unreadable.

 

The image is a man who appeared as Charlie Chaplin in Paris. Now and then he became very tired. Actually, he was somewhat touching, and I felt rather sorry for him.

[Madame]

I'm sorry, I think they are about 1048 px times 1228 px. Did you click them?

 

(Anyone else that can see them?)

 

Yes, Charlie Chaplin is very recognizable. :)

[Madame]

 

I'm not sure the therm collaps is the right... but anyway/anyhow if you click on the arrow, it will open.

 

 

How about this?

[R C-R]

I'm sorry, I think they are about 1048 px times 1228 px. Did you click them?

 

(Anyone else that can see them?)

Yes, I have no problem seeing any of the screenshots. I suspect Ola is not just clicking on the thumbnails, which should enlarge them in place to their actual pixel dimensions; & instead is right-clicking on them & selecting "Open image in new tab" (or window) which will just open the thumbnail in a new browser tab or window.

 

A better right-click option for this is "Open Link in new tab (or window)" which will open the image the thumbnail represents.

[Ola]

Madame, I am sorry that I have caused you a lot of trouble.

I clicked the first two thumbnails. I could’nt read them, so I thought that was the wrong way.

 

Now, with the ""wallpaper" thumbnails there is no problem with the layer panel. But there must still be something from the tutorial video that I am missing, because the only thing that happens when I work with the mask layer is that I get either black or white colour. I am still far from repairing the damage from the clone stämpel (in this case) on the pumpkins. 

[R C-R]

In your screenshot you are not getting black or white, you are getting transparency because you are painting on the mask with the paint brush tool set to black.

 

If you right-click on the mask thumbnail in the layers panel (it must be on the thumbnail to keep it selected) you can use the "Edit Mask" item to see the mask by itself, represented as a greyscale image. The all black areas will mask off everything in the pixel layer it is attached too; the all white areas will mask off nothing. If you paint on the mask with a grey or any color you will get partial transparency, proportional to its lightness/darkness value.

[Ola]

Hi R C-R,

 

when I right-click on the mask thumbnail I can see things like Cut, Copy, Paste, Hide, Lock etc., but no "Edit Mask".

[Madame]

It's rather a complex task you have taken upon you, Ola.

I think you have to start over.

 

What you have to do first, is to make a copy of your background layer. Use that copy to work on.

Follow the steps in the video, and when you need to get back some of the details, then you make your mask. On the background copy. Which you have been working on.

 

When you then paint with black on the mask you will reveal  the untouched background. 

As it is now, you are revealing nothing/transparency, because there isn't anything underneath the mask. 

 

Your mask is selected in your screenshot, you got that right now. :)

[Madame]

Oh.. to make a copy of the background, do cmd J.

[R C-R]

Hi R C-R,

 

when I right-click on the mask thumbnail I can see things like Cut, Copy, Paste, Hide, Lock etc., but no "Edit Mask".

It sounds like you have the parent "Background" layer selected again. Double check that the selection in the layers panel is exactly as in your screenshot -- just the "(mask)" layer indented below the "Background" should be selected, as indicated by only it being highlighted in blue. Then, being very careful to place the pointer over the thumbnail image (not the blue part), try right clicking again.

[Ola]

YES! Many thanks Madame, it works great now. The possibility to work with the clone stamp will be very useful for me in the future. :D

[Ola]

YES! Many thanks Madame, it works great now. The possibility to work with the clone stamp will be very useful for me in the future. :D

[Madame]

I'm so glad you worked it out! :D