Post Processing - How to remove a light pole?

[rob_c3]

<p>I just took a great landscape pic but realize that you can see a garbage can and a light pole. What software do you guys recommend I use to remove such distractions?<br>

I did research into a few programs. One is photoshop elements and other is photoshop cs4. It seems like adobe photoshop elements 7 is a cheaper alternative and marketed towards new users. It also has some neat little tools. Like comparing two images and removing the unwanted object/people that walked into image. Does photoshop cs4 also have a easy simple to use tool like this, or would it be more complex in cs4. I have light room now, but have not found any simple solution to remove unwanted objects in my photos..</p>

<p>Rob</p>

[jackaldridge]

<p>There are no easy...simple..."gee why didn't I think of that" solutions to removing the type of objects you are describing. It can be done, but requires work and knowledge of the program you are using. I use CS4, which is capable of doing the type of work you describe under most circumstances. However there is a learning curve with this type of work in order to end up with a suitable result. Each job is different depending on a lot of different factors. The method used in one instance might be totally unreliable in another. I might suggest looking at <a href="http://www.lynda.com">www.lynda.com</a> to look at some of the photoshop and elements tutorials....also the following site has tutorials that are easy to follow...<br>

<a href="http://www.msjphotography.com/">http://www.msjphotography.com/</a><br>

There is quite a price difference between Elements and CS4, but the options available are quite different as well.<br>

Hope that helps some...</p>

 

[pankaj purohit]

<p>I agree with Jack that graphics software like Photoshop have many ways to solve things. Different people use different ways to go, they choose what they like.</p>

[stsva]

<p>As stated by Jack and Pankaj, you can do what you asked about with either program, and also with others. I use Photoshop Elements 7, and find it to be a good solution for most of what I do. It's far less expensive and complex than the full Photoshop. There are free add-ons to Elements that allow use of several of the most-often used features of Photoshop that are not included in Elements, such as curves and channel mixer. If you're working only with jpegs then Elements should do just about everything you want. If you're working with RAW files, then Elements can be used but will not do as much as the full Photoshop. There are also more advanced features in the full program that are not available in Elements.<br>

You will have to learn quite a bit no matter which program you use. Luckily, there are plenty of resources available on the Web to help you with things like removing unwanted garbage cans and light poles from your images.</p>

[stsva]

<p>Also, you can download trial versions of both Elements and CS4 from the Adobe website and try them out to see which works best for what you want.</p>

[pisq]

<p>The least expensive of all is GIMP, which is free and quite capable. It does not have a RAW converter like adobe bridge, so you'll have to convert to JPG (if not already saved as JPG). In either tool, clone stamping is how you would actually remove the light pole and garbage can.</p>

[huperetes]

<p>I use IrfanView to convert from many formats including RAW (free), then GIMP to adjust.</p>

[maddox]

<p>Kaska, as far as I'm aware, Elements has the same basic tools that Photoshop would have to retouch your image... basically, selection tools with feathered edges, clone stamp, layers and layer masks. I typically use a combination of these things to do the type of retouching that you're talking about. If you're interested in learning to do this type of retouching, I'd recommend that you get a copy of Elements (for now) and then look up some retouching tutorials on the web & find a good book on learning Elements. Best of luck retouching your photo.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Any photo editing software with a cloning tool can be used to fix this. Mid-level programs like Photoshop Elements and Corel Paint Shop Pro X will work just fine, no need for a full blown version of Photoshop. It's tedious work, requiring the careful application of clone brushes and/or selections, masking, layers and other tricks, depending the the situation. The techniques are difficult to describe in a discussion format and best illustrated in tutorials or videos, which are available in many sites, books and DVDs.</p>

<p>Recently I tried a rather non-intuitive program that features an ingenious way to eliminate entire objects from a photo. But it involves taking two or more photos of the same scene, possibly from different angles or positions, so the program can reassemble the photo while seamlessly disguising the patched area. The good part was that painting on the selected area did not demand the exacting precision of the usual clone tools. Unfortunately the program does not include complete documentation and is completely counter-intuitive so I doubt I'll use it often.</p>

<p>Last year I read an article about a relatively new utility that can accomplish the same effect from a single photograph, by using existing data to fill in the removed area. Unfortunately I've forgotten the name of the program and apparently didn't bookmark the site. As I recall, it was, at least for the moment, useful only for fairly low resolution output where the alteration would not be closely scrutinized. But it did seem to eliminate the need for painstaking selection, masking, layers and clone brush work.</p>