Is the clone job on this photo too obvious?

[tommykjensen]

I am not very good at this so please be gentle :wink:

Do You think it is too obvious that I have used the clone tool to remove an object from this photo.

http://photo.klein-jensen.dk/photo.php?n=owl_edited.jpg


I will post the original later.

[PacAce]

Tommy,

The clone job really isn't obvious but if one knows that it's there, it's easy to see where it was done. What I do after I do a clone to make it less obvious is to go over the same spots again using the healing tool. What that'll do is to blend the "source" area and the "target" area to break up the repeating patterns of the clone. Give it a shot and see how you like it.

BTW, that's a nice owl shot. :)

[Scottes]

If it's the bottom left corner, it's obvious that something was done, particularly on the edge of the frame and touching the owl.

BUT - if it's not that area, it looks freakin' great! :)

That section stands out a bit also because the green doesn't look like the right side - the left side isn't as smooth between shade transitions. The halo on the owl's side makes that stand out, and there's a hazy line of sorts on the frame edge.


I'd make a selection of the owl to preserve it - maybe MagLasso on the edge of the owl up to where it's shoulder angles to the right. Then select an area "inside" the owl. Now Select... Invert so that you're only drawing on stuff that is not owl.

Clone from the area on the right. Alt-Select one area on the right, then stamp it to the area on the left. Alt-Select a different area and stamp to a different area - don't try to duplicate the entire area, but randomize the area a bit. Start off with a large brush with soft edges, then randomize with a small brush with harder edges. You could also throw in some heal brushes if it helps randomization.

I thinking cloning benefits a lot from some randomization, and also trying your best not to blur. Often a cloned area looks blurry - if so just go back with a harder edge to get the texture more firm. Mild dodging can also help this.


Now please tell me you cloned the lower left, or else I'll look like a complete fool. :) :) :)

[tommykjensen]

Thanks for the tips.

And yes it was the left bottom corner. I will try the magic lasso but I think this is really difficult. Especially with animals that has feathers and fur. It is so difficult to preserver the fine details of the edges.

Here is the original

http://photo.klein-jensen.dk/photo.php?n=owl_original.jpg

Or maybe a crop like this really is better than cloning out details?

http://photo.klein-jensen.dk/photo.php?n=owl_crop1.jpg

[Scottes]

The crop looks good, but you've lost many details because of the size reduction. (Sure it looks good on the web, but what about a print?) Also now that back feather in the wind needs cloning out. :)

Try the lasso thing, then do Select... Modify... Expand by 2 pixels. Then Select inverse. You'll be left with a "halo" of the shirt in places, but then just get in with a 1- or 2-pixel brush and clone away while zoomed in to 400% or something. My guess is 5-10 minutes for that last part, and would be well worth it to keep as much of the bird as possible.

[HotDogOne]

This is my attempt
http://www.hotdogone.co.uk/owl_ste1.jpg

Masked the left side of the owl close to where the shirt is, made a new layer of this masked area using 'layer via copy'.
Made a copy of the background layer, then made a rectangular marquee selection of some of the grass to the right, then copy moved the selection with the move tool over to the left hand side over the shoulder.
Then increased the size by using the transform to cover the whole shoulder, finally I used the healing brush to remove the connecting edge from the old background to the new background, flattened the image - and posted here :-)

I cropped out theborder because I was being lazy and couldnt be bothered to tidy it up from where my selection was too big ;-)

Just another way of doing it.

[tommykjensen]

That looks much better than my attempt :D and it will take some time before I can do anything like that....

[HotDogOne]

Actually it's pretty simple - if I have time I'll do a step by step with some screenshots of the different stages.

[Meerkat17]

Tommy,
Have a look at this site http://www.russellbrown.com/body.html and have a go at the Healing Brush and Patch Tool tutorial - Just don't let the voiceover get to you! :lol:

David

[tommykjensen]

Tommy,
Have a look at this site http://www.russellbrown.com/body.html and have a go at the Healing Brush and Patch Tool tutorial - Just don't let the voiceover get to you! :lol:

David

Thank You I will check that.


HotDogOne, that will be great if You have the time. Thanks.

[John_T]

I usually find I can clone and then blur the living hell out of my tracks at 200% or more. If you do a good mask of the bird it's easy.

[arumdevil]

I couldn't see it at all at first - it took me a while to find it. I was looking mainly on the right and at the top for it! So the eye doesn't seem to pick it out by itself, But once I did find it it was pretty obvious.

here's my attempt, it didn't take long. I used mainly the healing brush tool -I find it gives smoother results than the clone tool. I did use the clone tool a little too though. I was a bit lazy masking out the owl but if you take a bit more time on that you will get a better edge on the owl than I did. Oh, and I finished with just a smidgin of Gaussian blur.

http://www.arumdevil.com/stuff/pics/owl.jpg

here is another photo I used the same techniques on (the one with the landrover). With a bit of practice you can get really good results. It can take time though!

http://www.arumdevil.com/galleries/architecture.htm