Robin with cloning

[Ollie]

Hi all.
Took this photo earlier today and there were a few stray branches and foliage from the Roses that spoilt the photo so I cloned them out.
Now I know I am no expert in using the clone tool or any others in PS Elements for that matter and I would not normally have bothered but just wondered if anyone could tell where I have done the cloning or does it look ok. There is a fair amount of noise on the bird itself as I used ISO 800 as it was a dull miserable day. I removed the noise from the background as the last thing I did.

As you know, I don't take offence easily so please feel free to say exactly what you think, I aren't concerned about the noise or the quality as such as it's not one I would keep, just the cloning.
Roger

[agrumpycow]

Originally Posted by Ollie

Hi all.
Took this photo earlier today and there were a few stray branches and foliage just wondered if anyone could tell where I have done the cloning or does it look ok. There is a fair amount of noise on the bird itself as I used ISO 800 as it was a dull miserable day. I removed the noise from the background as the last thing I did.

All I can see is a little change in colour above the bird? Is this where the branches were? I like what you've done, though, and agree any more branches and foliage would have distracted from the bird. I don't work with photoshop (I tend to use Microsoft digital imaging) so don't know what features it has but maybe a little colour blending may help?
Nice pic!

[matt_xyz]

I'd say you've done a good job there Roger. The only evidence I can see is some green 'background' overlapping the branch at the very bottom of the picture (the right hand branch) and a touch overlapping the tip of the beak.

Other than that there is no sign at all from what I can see. I usually use a soft brush (i.e. one with blurry rather than sharp edges) and set opacity to 40 or 50%. That normally avoids harsh edges.

Matt

[Ollie]

[quote=agrumpycow;104835]

Originally Posted by Ollie

Hi all.
Took this photo earlier today and there were a few stray branches and foliage just wondered if anyone could tell where I have done the cloning or does it look ok. There is a fair amount of noise on the bird itself as I used ISO 800 as it was a dull miserable day. I removed the noise from the background as the last thing I did.


All I can see is a little change in colour above the bird? Is this where the branches were? I like what you've done, though, and agree any more branches and foliage would have distracted from the bird. I don't work with photoshop (I tend to use Microsoft digital imaging) so don't know what features it has but maybe a little colour blending may help?
Nice pic!

Thanks for your comments, the lighter colour above the bird was natural, it's there on the original, I won't reveal at this stage where the cloning was but will do later if anyone is interested
Roger

[Ollie]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

I'd say you've done a good job there Roger. The only evidence I can see is some green 'background' overlapping the branch at the very bottom of the picture (the right hand branch) and a touch overlapping the tip of the beak.

Other than that there is no sign at all from what I can see. I usually use a soft brush (i.e. one with blurry rather than sharp edges) and set opacity to 40 or 50%. That normally avoids harsh edges.

Matt

Thanks Matt, you are right I did carelessly catch the very tip of the beak and there is a slight overlapping on the branch, again a careless mistake on my part. I did use a soft edge brush with opacity set at 50%. Thanks for looking.
Roger

[Jon]

Hi Roger
I like the shot, unless I go deliberately looking for cloning I would not have noticed any. Having said that I would have suspected there had been some purely because there aren't many rose bushes that shape! Now someone did point out the bill I would be a little suspect but I think you could easily cure that, - did you try going around the bill with polygonal lasso when at a high magnification.
I almost feel I am criticising for the sake here but you did ask! As a shot it is a pleasing image but I think the robin is a bit intense/contrasty, perhaps play the colour down a bit and put a bit more light into it. I suspect a bit more brightness, maybe reduce exposure, though not too sure. I would also look at the curve setting, see what it is like when set to linear as opposed to medium.
Hope this helps.
Jon

[Ollie]

Originally Posted by Jon

Hi Roger
I like the shot, unless I go deliberately looking for cloning I would not have noticed any. Having said that I would have suspected there had been some purely because there aren't many rose bushes that shape! Now someone did point out the bill I would be a little suspect but I think you could easily cure that, - did you try going around the bill with polygonal lasso when at a high magnification.
I almost feel I am criticising for the sake here but you did ask! As a shot it is a pleasing image but I think the robin is a bit intense/contrasty, perhaps play the colour down a bit and put a bit more light into it. I suspect a bit more brightness, maybe reduce exposure, though not too sure. I would also look at the curve setting, see what it is like when set to linear as opposed to medium.
Hope this helps.
Jon

Thanks Jon, I think the bill is easily cured. I was just careless with that one and didn't actually notice it myself untill Matt pointed it out. I did go around it with the polygonal lassoo but I didn't set a high magnification. I'm not too bothered about the other aspects intensity, contrast etc it was more the cloning as it's the first time I've tried it on this scale. I have removed the odd leaf and bit of branch here and there on the odd photo before but that's about it.
Roger

[glsammy]

Hi Roger.

I think I can see where one branch was, I may well be wrong of course but there's a very small break in the outline on the birds mid-back, mind you you've got to look really hard to see it!
Plus did it then arc to the right, down across the mid section?
I'm on my medication Roger, so I'm probably seeing things!

[Ollie]

Originally Posted by glsammy

Hi Roger.

I think I can see where one branch was, I may well be wrong of course but there's a very small break in the outline on the birds mid-back, mind you you've got to look really hard to see it!
Plus did it then arc to the right, down across the mid section?
I'm on my medication Roger, so I'm probably seeing things!

Yep you spotted the break in the outline on the back Graham.
I've posted a version with no cloning or anything straight out the camera just cropped to size. It may not be exactly the same if you see what I mean but it's good enought to show what I removed.

My apologies to agrumpycow you were right about the lighter area above the bird I thought the original was the same but there is a definite lighter area on the cloned version.

Thanks
Roger

[Olly]

If you hadn't said anything about the cloning I think most would be hard pushed to notice, I could only see the points mentioned once they had been mentioned !

Olly (yep, another one)