Shadow Removal

[Wookee]

Hello, been playing around with my camera for a few months now and have had Elements 8 for most of that time, but quickly discovered that I'm not a big fan of processing/editing (preferring to take the shots in the first place).

I realise this can't go on and need to do something with the half decent shots....it's a New Year resolution. :rules:

I think this shot is worth sorting out as it really was a surreal moment in Highgate Cemetery where it was a bit like a scene from Ghost. The sun shone through the trees and picked out this gravestone. Unfortunately there is a pesky branch in the way, which stubbornly remained as long as the sun did.:bang:

So, how do I get rid of the shadow keeping the writing it obscures as well as the rest of the headstone? If someone could point me in the right direction I'll look it up in the book I bought to go with the software.

C&C welcome...I'll never learn otherwise

 

[AndyB]

In some cases you can do a convincing job with shadows but in this case I would say it's beyond reasonable salvage.

To quote you - "preferring to take the shots in the first place" - then you should have taken the picture differently in the first place so the shadow wasn't an issue.

The sun moves - if you had waited the sun would either move the shadow away or it would have gone behind cloud and the shadow disappears. Patience Luke - patience

 

[chad]

Prob had his dinner on the table lol

 

[swanseamale47]

It will lighten up, the hard part is going to be getting the feather right on the shadow I suspect.

 

[Wookee]

The sun moves - if you had waited the sun would either move the shadow away or it would have gone behind cloud and the shadow disappears. Patience Luke - patience

I didn't go far away and did keep an eye on it but when the sun was out from behind the clouds the shadow stayed. It was only a very small gap in the trees.... I might go back with a ladder and a pair of garden shears

 

[Kerioak]

If you can reshoot this might be better to use an off camera flash on a cloudy day so that shadow is not there?

 

[AndyB]

I agree Christine. I have done a few gravestones recently and most look good with the background slightly under exposed and flash lighting up the stone from an angle. So much more control that way

 

[swanseamale47]

Just a thought, can you go back at dusk and reshoot it? off camera flash with say a red gel filter, could be interesting.

 

[Wookee]

Being a newbie to these camera thingies, I don't have a red gel filter nor an off-camera flash. It is in Highgate cemetery which I do go to every now and then so I will give it a go again...

The reason for the picture in the first place was the sun beam picking out this one headstone like a scene from the film Ghost. Will the flash/filter suggestion recreate this?

 

[Kerioak]

Even simpler way if you have a tripod - go back in dark, put your camera on bulb and light it with a torch.

Just a thought, I originally thought it was a relatives gravestone, if not it might be an idea to remove the writing as the death is fairly recent and by the space beneath it looks as if a surviour is going to be buried there as well just in case a relative sees your picture and is upset by it.

 

[AndyB]

Christine is right about the age of the stone. I always look for very old ones to photograph so there is historical interest and little chance of upsetting anyone. These two were taken on a sunny day last month but by under exposing and using flash on the stone you can give them a bit of atmosphere (sorry they're small - dont have time to re-size the big versions for this). If you dont have off camera flash you can still try this if you go up there at dusk when it's getting dark and use your flash to light the stone - probably reduce the output a bit though to keep if from being too bright.