C&C on extensive cloning

And Gartmore's crop, which I like a lot. Almost forgot about that! Dammit - could have saved the 15 minutes I spent working on the green sock

Matt, hope Tim doesn't mind me butting in here with a slightly off subject, but what you just mentioned about replacing the background using layer masks is something that I am keen on trying to get to grips with. I have never attempted this but can see various uses for it where a lot of time could be saved trying to get around it using different means.

Would you mind breaking the steps down with a few illustrations in your usual fantastic way of explaining it.
I am a great fan of your tutorials in the ephotozine site and have been trying all those PS tutorials for a while now. They are all fantastically put together and easy to follow the way you put it up there.

Thank you

That's amazing, Tim. Just goes to confirm what I already thought - that my pp-ing skills are hopelessly rudimentary. Any chance of sharing the stuff that Matt sent - though perhaps I should be asking Matt?

Amin,
Unfortunately I don't have much time these days - preparing tutorials takes a fair while!
You could ask Tim if he'd email the PSD file - that'll help.

However, here are some basic suggestions and ideas:

* ALWAYS keep the original image - never modify it. Keep it on a layer so you can compare and come back to what was there originally.

* Duplicate the image and create a mask for the boy (I used a mixture of pen tool and brushes on the mask layer). What you want is the boy sitting on top of the background.

* For the door side, I just selected the 'good' wall and transformed it to cover over the door. Where there is a hard seam, add a layer mask and use a very feint gradient foreground-to-transparent (or a 50% brush) to blend in the seams.

* For the RHS of image, I copied the good wall area onto a new layer. Then reflected horizontally and positioned on the RHS. Obviously it will look like a bad cut-and-shut job at first. Just add a layer mask and blend in the new element using gradient tool and brushes.

* Sometimes (as in the case of the RHS), the colour cast is different, so I grouped a curves layer (you could use any adjustment layer) with the added element and tweaked the colour. Again, use the gradient tool (this time on the layer mask for the adjustment layer) to localise and blend in the adjustment.


There are many different ways of attacking a "problem" image. Sometimes, it's just reducing the colours of the B/G; sometimes it's complete replacement; sometimes it's clone.

When I tackle a clone job I still use the same basic principles I'll lasso the problem area and copy it to another layer first. Then use the clone stamp tool (followed by healing brush or patch to restore texture). Always working on a new layer so I can quickly compare to the original and see if I've gone too far

Here's an example of MAJOR cloning as described: http://www.ephotozine.com/u16488/gallery/714577
(Hover the mouse over [2] to see the before )

Matt

Thank you Matt, that was really helpful

I will ask Tim if he could mail me the PSD file.
Appreciate your time in giving this breakdown.

I'm at the office at the moment, but will login to my home computer a.s.a.p. (15 minutes or so probably) and upload the PSD to my website and post the link here.

Don't tell the boss
Thanks Tim, that will be excellent

Actually I never removed the images from my server:
http://www.photon.me.uk/pu/thoughton/Tim_trainboy_Rebackground.jpg

and

http://www.photon.me.uk/pu/thoughton/Tim_trainboy_LAYERS_1k.psd

(Tim, if you want me to remove them, just ask!)
Matt

Ah excellent! No problem at all keeping them online Matt.