Photoshop rig removal issues...

[Deanphoto]

Hey peeps,

I was wondering if someone with good photoshop skills could lend me a few pointers on removing rigs from my shots...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/1531476505_65da350299.jpg

As you can see in the picture above I got really very bored after an hour, and I just gave up, as I was sure wouldn't get to a point that I would be happy with.

I haven't had the opportunity to shoot with anyone else around at the moment, so I can't do it the Matt Watkinson way of taking multiple photos whilst removing the rig. This is extremely hard by yourself, especially when you take into account the lens distortion at -14mm when moving the camera even 1cm. I guess it will be a lot easier with another person to hold the camera still.

Other than this, the real issue is blending colours (as you can see from the front bumper!). I can use the patch tool pretty well and I'm getting pretty confident with it but I'm having nightmares blending colours, does anybody have any suggestions?

[jtown]

I wouldn't dare do this on more than one image at a time. It's a painful and time consuming process.

[asylumxl]

Same automotive photographers take an extra shot from the same angle and in the same lighting. That way its alot easier to do.

[Deanphoto]

Same automotive photographers take an extra shot from the same angle and in the same lighting. That way its alot easier to do.

I've been trying but because my rig is quite short I have to use a wide lens, this makes it's difficult to replicate the shot becasue of distortion.

[Robf]

show me a before shot and i'll chuck in a few thoughts...i havent done rig removal, but i've spent the last decade retouching.

[Deanphoto]

show me a before shot and i'll chuck in a few thoughts...i havent done rig removal, but i've spent the last decade retouching.

Cool OK, I'll post one up when I get home from work.

Cheers

[Deanphoto]

As requested.

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/4752/dsc3411hy2.jpg

[DevinL.]

Why dont you just buy a boom ???

[Allthegearnoidea]

I dont suppose you want to share how you made that rig do you??? I have been trying to bulid one mentally before going out and buying the bits. I had never thought about going on top of the car, it is doing my head in trying to figure out a way of attaching a rig to the car. Anyway sorry I cant help with the question, but the movement in the picture looks great.

[curtc]

i'd say have someone hold your rig exactly in place and take some more pictures of the same angle without the rig... probably easier than to do that than to spend hours photoshopping

edit: even if it isnt perfect, you can use parts to get it mostly right before cloning out the rest

ps you probably want to use clone stamp, not smudge

[brasher]

Thats an easy one!

I once made the mistake of doing a set while covering the whole headlight, why I never spotted it in the viewfinder/lcd astounds me, let me tell you, recloning a total headlight is not fun!

spent over 5 hours on one image alone, have to reshoot the car now, Im not happy with the result.

Keep at it, once you get a few under your belt it becomes a lot faster.

I now use a boom from under the car and clamp off to the chassis now, removal of the boom takes 10 minutes at the most now :)

[Deanphoto]

Why dont you just buy a boom ???

Will a boom be stable enough?

I dont suppose you want to share how you made that rig do you???

I don't mind at all, I think it's funny how some people won't let on how they made their rigs. Mine is simple, infact probably too simple.

3x Pump cups with spiggot
3x super clamp
1x Manfrotto tripod (must be able to move legs around freely and have the adjustable extension pole thing)

I don't suggest doing it this way though, it's a lot of bother!

i'd say have someone hold your rig exactly in place and take some more pictures of the same angle without the rig... probably easier than to do that than to spend hours photoshopping

ps you probably want to use clone stamp, not smudge

Like I said above I haven't had the pleasure of company whilst on a rig shoot (been practising by myself) :(

I do use the clone not the smudge?


Keep at it, once you get a few under your belt it becomes a lot faster.

I now use a boom from under the car and clamp off to the chassis now, removal of the boom takes 10 minutes at the most now :)

Yeah they are getting easier, that was my second attempt and I put a lot more thought into what I did and didn't cover with the rig.

A lot of the cars I aim to be shooting (in the immediate future) are so low that a rig from under the car just wouldn't work. I may make another one though.


Thanks for the help guys

[JacobPhoto]

A lot of people tend to go for a single boom arm supported by 2 (or possibly more) suction cups. That way, there's only 1 arm to chop out of the photo. rigs like this are more stable, but much harder to chop out.

(not my photo) - from AutomotiveRigs.com
*removed*


This is an under-car rig, but you can see how only having 1 mounting point makes it easier to remove.

2 more shots showing single-boom mounts:
*removed*

[curtc]

hrm.. thought you were using smudge because the areas with the rig look dark..

[Deanphoto]

hrm.. thought you were using smudge because the areas with the rig look dark..

That's just my rubbish pohotoshop skills :lol:


I'm liking the single boom idea, I may have to purchase a boom/steal a piece of scaffolding :lol:

[jtown]

Wouldn't it just be easier to have someone take the picture for you? Especially for a shot like that.

[Allthegearnoidea]

Hi Photodean thanks for sharing mate. This looks like the perfect thing to build over the coming winter months

[TristanCardew]

Hi Photodean thanks for sharing mate. This looks like the perfect thing to build over the coming winter months

I'll agree with this. Thanks for sharing:) It seems as if everyone's trying to hide their plans/rigs, so it really helps when a couple of people post pictures of theirs and discuss them.

I'll definitely be giving this a shot soon:)

[brasher]

I'll agree with this. Thanks for sharing:) It seems as if everyone's trying to hide their plans/rigs, so it really helps when a couple of people post pictures of theirs and discuss them.

I'll definitely be giving this a shot soon:)

I post pics of mine all the time :lol:

[asylumxl]

I had a go at it.

http://www.imageination.co.uk/audi.jpg

[jason324]

I think you did a pretty good job. The patch tool works good, but near edges it gets confused and causes major problems. I would use the clone tool at varied opacity's to fine tune it once you have most of the rig out. working from the outside toward the center of the suction cup area.

Overall I think you did a really nice job. A little more time and fine tuning is all it needs.

Best,
Jay

[bckane]

You can always do a little PShopping....to cover up all the color matching
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a276/bckane/audi1-1.jpg

[Robf]

sorry, been off the board for a bit...

ok, not a straight forward one...and i think what most seem to be doing is leaving the diffuse shadows from the rig on the bonnet, thats the main criticism from me. But its a good stab apart from that.

working on high res is better than low...even if your going to display it small, if you work on large, then you have more meat and when you downsize flaws get smaller.

so say this is a job for me...i'd start with the easy bits (cos im lazy) and because its easier to see whats going on as you remove, so it makes life easier to get those out the way asap

upper most arm...i'd probably look to selection the background below and above and putting that in its place...that may need a few bits to stop replication and a few soft edges...i tend to paste onto a new layer and use a layer mask rather than trying to get it right in one hit. Transforming them would help keep the perspective.

Same with where it goes across the windshield, cloneing in there for some bits, stretching others into the area to fill the gap...soft edge...should do it.

Same as for the lower rig over the road...

The git will be the whites on the car. Now for me i'd be selecting those areas and sampling the colours and painting onto a new layer...if it looks messy, blur it, blend it back in (remember layer masks)...keep going like that. Squint at it...lose those shadows. I probably wouldnt even look to clone or heal here because the subtle grads in there would stand out.
You may end up with something that now looks too smooth...so...dupe that layer again...add some noise, play with it being colour noise or grey...

tip with noise...try a decimal place blur on it to simulate compression...having black to white in your toolbox palettes will give you rainbow colour noise, but if you substitute black for a colour then the noise will vary between those colours.

often its more of a trick of just making it not look odd rather than creating what was behind...and distractions work well...a good shot like this is easier to retouch than a crap one because no-one is looking for the flaws except the geeks and they aren't buying :D

[Deanphoto]

An excellent piece of advice, thank you very much! I'll have to re-learn layer masks by the looks of things!

Thanks again Robf!

:cool:


sorry, been off the board for a bit...

ok, not a straight forward one...and i think what most seem to be doing is leaving the diffuse shadows from the rig on the bonnet, thats the main criticism from me. But its a good stab apart from that.

working on high res is better than low...even if your going to display it small, if you work on large, then you have more meat and when you downsize flaws get smaller.

so say this is a job for me...i'd start with the easy bits (cos im lazy) and because its easier to see whats going on as you remove, so it makes life easier to get those out the way asap

upper most arm...i'd probably look to selection the background below and above and putting that in its place...that may need a few bits to stop replication and a few soft edges...i tend to paste onto a new layer and use a layer mask rather than trying to get it right in one hit. Transforming them would help keep the perspective.

Same with where it goes across the windshield, cloneing in there for some bits, stretching others into the area to fill the gap...soft edge...should do it.

Same as for the lower rig over the road...

The git will be the whites on the car. Now for me i'd be selecting those areas and sampling the colours and painting onto a new layer...if it looks messy, blur it, blend it back in (remember layer masks)...keep going like that. Squint at it...lose those shadows. I probably wouldnt even look to clone or heal here because the subtle grads in there would stand out.
You may end up with something that now looks too smooth...so...dupe that layer again...add some noise, play with it being colour noise or grey...

tip with noise...try a decimal place blur on it to simulate compression...having black to white in your toolbox palettes will give you rainbow colour noise, but if you substitute black for a colour then the noise will vary between those colours.

often its more of a trick of just making it not look odd rather than creating what was behind...and distractions work well...a good shot like this is easier to retouch than a crap one because no-one is looking for the flaws except the geeks and they aren't buying :D