Remove Unwanted Objects in Photoshop

On a photographic safari in Africa, David had returned with a number of beautiful landscapes. In one of his favorites, he’d captured flamingos grazing on an open plain, mountains and sky as background. But there were two birds flying through the frame. To remove unwanted objects in Photoshop, you will learn a few methods. First, David tries Lightroom’s spot removal tool, but it proves inadequate. He goes into Photoshop and works with the clone stamp tool to remove unwanted objects in Photoshop, first the largest soaring bird.

He creates a duplicate layer and selects the clone stamp tool. With this tool, you will learn how to select and size the brushes, how to adjust the hardness slider for blending, and how to change the opacity. Then, you will learn the actual cloning process. First, David selects an area of the photo that matches the color tones of the area where the larger bird is in flight. Second, he merely clones from that area and paints with the brush until the bird disappears. Finally, he reduces the brush opacity and paints again until the vacated bird area gently blends into the background. The bird is now gone and no viewer can tell that it once was present. With the same process, he removes the smaller bird. This is a simple but very effective method to remove unwanted objects in Photoshop.

Join Outdoor Photography Guide’s professional photographer David Johnston for valuable tips on how to remove unwanted objects in Photoshop.