Removing Elements from Images

The otherwise perfect picture may be marred by unwanted elements, which were not considered when the photograph was taken. Using digital techniques, these can be edited out to give you the clean, beautiful image you envisioned.

Example 1

The photograph, below right, was taken in Banff National Park, on the summit of Mount Fairview. This is the highest hiking trail in the Canadian Rockies, and it was a strenuous hike, so strenuous in fact that the tired photographer did not notice the discarded backpack and t-shirt lying in the foreground. They really spoil the photograph. Below left is the edited image, in which these objects have been edited out, and the rocks they were covering have been digitally re-created. A far more pleasing image.

Example 2

Below right is a photograph taken of a group of intrepid fishermen, out in the wilds of Quetico Provincial Park, in Ontario, Canada. They posed for the traditional group shot, around the camp fire. The camera was perched on a rock, and the low angle accentuates the various items, such as zip-lock bags, lying in the foreground. These are a real distraction to the eye. In order to edit them out, the log behind them had to be digitally re-created, as did part of the tent to the right, the legs of a couple of guys seated behind the log, and some rocks forming the fire pit. The picture was cropped to enlarge and focus on the group. The cooking items in the foreground were not edited out as they do not distract the eye, and a little camping detritus adds to the ambiance!

Example 3

The wedding photograph, below right, was taken in 1948. The couple's daughter had no picture of her parents together at their wedding, except in group shots. She requested that the other wedding party members be edited out of this photograph. For the edited image, left, a lot of reconstruction work was needed after the other people had been removed. The drapes behind were replaced with a plain background, and the carpet was re-created where the other guests had been standing. A gentle spotlight effect was added to highlight the couple, and a diffuse shadow was placed behind them. Finally, the image was converted to true black and white, as the original had yellowed a little.

Example 4

The photograph, below near left, was taken in 1956, of a couple on their honeymoon. There is a problem with this photograph, which is not immediately obvious; the figure of a man just behind the woman's left shoulder. This is shown in close-up, before and after editing, below right. Once this figure is noticed, it is glaringly obvious, and draws the eye. The full edited image is shown below, far left. As well as the stranger, some distracting shadows on the grass have been edited out, a few small blemishes removed, and the image brightened.