How to get this right?

gramps

gramps

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I am having trouble using the 'spot-healing' tool in Elements 8.
As you can see from the photo below (ignore actual photo quality, it's just an example of the problem), I have tried to use the 'spot-healing' tool to clean out the telephone lines going across the scene.
You can see where I have used the 'spot-healing' tool on the right and it has removed the telephone lines but left a big blemish in its place!
I keep getting similar results when I try to clean up photos, what's the secret (or the correct steps!) to get this right please?
TIA

Spot_heal.jpg
 
From the PS help files:

Adobe said:
The Spot Healing Brush tool quickly removes blemishes and other imperfections in your photos. The Spot Healing Brush works similarly to the Healing Brush: it paints with sampled pixels from an image or pattern and matches the texture, lighting, transparency, and shading of the sampled pixels to the pixels being healed. Unlike the Healing Brush, the Spot Healing Brush doesn’t require you to specify a sample spot. The Spot Healing Brush automatically samples from around the retouched area.
Click to expand...

i.e. it is sampling from the pole and girder. It's really for removing spots, not content aware fill (which is in elements 9 BTW).

It's better to clone or try the healing brush (I have PS9, not PSE8 so I don't know what's in your tools) in that instance.
 
If you select the sky area then use the healing brush it won't "bleed" off the pillars quite so much, but maybe a better was is to draw a thin selection next to a wire feather it a bit and copy/paste, then move it over the wire.
I'm assuming you haven't got content aware fill?
 
Last edited:
swanseamale47 said:
If you select the sky area then use the healing brush it won't "bleed" off the pillars like it has here.
Click to expand...

When I try to use the healing brush I get an error box: "Alt-click to define a source point to be used to repair the image".
I do that and them try to use the brush but as soon as I click up pops the error box again ... can't get any further than the error box! :thinking:
 
gramps said:
When I try to use the healing brush I get an error box: "Alt-click to define a source point to be used to repair the image".
I do that and them try to use the brush but as soon as I click up pops the error box again ... can't get any further than the error box! :thinking:
Click to expand...
What are you alt-clicking? You need to hold the alt key down and left click on the image to define the area you are taking from. See here: http://video.about.com/graphicssoft/How-to-fix-blemishes-.htm (first video google came up with)
 
Make sure you dont have any selections made, if you're on a clear layer make sure you have "current layer and below" selected in the tool bar at the top, but if you're working on a copy of the background layer just have it set to "current layer".

There are a million ways to do this, firstly do NOT use spot healing tool.

You can use the clone tool, to create a gap between the structure and the lines, and then heal out the lines left in the centre, or another easy way is to use healing brush but ALT click on the vertical line of the structure just below (or above) where the lines cross, and then hold it and trace that line down.

It's difficult to describe...if you want to send me the high res, I'll show you and screen print as I do it....
 
That works to a point but it still leaves a lot of 'garbage' in its trail - as soon as I get near to the pillar it start to add pillar to the bit I've just cleaned. It certainly isn't working like the tutorial!
 
Mahoneyd187 said:
It's difficult to describe...if you want to send me the high res, I'll show you and screen print as I do it....
Click to expand...

Thanks, nothing I do seems to be working - where can I send it?
 
LOL you wait till you see this "special" drawing! LOL cracking up here.
 
Just make sure the cloning gives a nice edge to the structure, dont worry about the texture of the sky at that point. Once you've carefully created a gap at the edge of the structure, you can use the heal tool (small brush though!) to heal the lines in the centre.

Taking the power lines away from the point where they cross the structure stops it bleeding into the healing algorithm so it's easier to heal.

I've probably made things worse with that ropey ass drawing lol.

I'm a doer not a teacher, or a teacher doer lol
 
It's nothing to do with your teaching ok?

Spot_heal2.jpg
 
gramps said:
It's nothing to do with your teaching ok?

Spot_heal2.jpg
Click to expand...

You have to reselect your point with alt-click otherwise your source point moves with the destination point and you get the effects you see on that photo.
 
I'm getting the idea ... but thinking try an easier shot next time :(
 
Another option is to select the sky areas and put in another sky.

5537925832_76c7c3ec99_b.jpg
 
I unlocked the background layer by double clicking on it, next copy and paste your sky layer on top and on the layers palette drag it below the background layer, then I used the quick selection tool to select all the sky areas and with the selection active on the top (original) layer click the layer mask icon.
It should mask out the sky areas on the top bridge thing showing the new sky from the layer below.
 
I do that kind of fiddly correction work at high magnification - and take your time doing it!
 
You could also try using the Brush tool, select the colour of the brush by choosing the background colour from very close to the power lines and then chang the blending mode to Lighten, this way it will only paint over the parts darker than the colour selection, various ways to do it only experimentation will show you the best.
 
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