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Video also online<br />
http://bit.ly/pp_<strong>128</strong>_5<br />
view the video<br />
Photoshop Elements<br />
Before<br />
After<br />
The Mission<br />
Remove people in<br />
the background of<br />
your photos<br />
Time needed<br />
20 minutes<br />
Before<br />
Editing portraits<br />
An unwanted ‘photo bomber’ needn’t spoil your cherished photos,<br />
allow James Paterson to explain how to remove pesky intruders<br />
Skill level<br />
Intermediate<br />
Kit needed<br />
Photoshop<br />
Elements<br />
Download project files<br />
to your computer from:<br />
http://downloads.<br />
photoplusmag.com/pp<strong>128</strong>.zip<br />
It’s happened to the best<br />
of us; we think we’ve<br />
captured the perfect<br />
moment only to discover<br />
later on that someone has<br />
unintentionally muscled in<br />
on the action and spoiled<br />
the composition.<br />
In this case I was at a wedding<br />
and there came a split-second<br />
moment where everything gelled<br />
perfectly. The just-married couple<br />
were sharing a loving look,<br />
framed perfectly on either side by<br />
the bride’s onlooking mother and<br />
sister. I’d even managed to catch<br />
the groom – not known for his<br />
displays of emotion – shedding a<br />
few quiet tears. It was the moment<br />
of the day. Then, to my horror, I<br />
saw the woman in the background<br />
– the ultimate photo bomber.<br />
Everything in the composition<br />
leads towards her. She’s not even<br />
a guest, just an interested gawper<br />
that chanced upon the wedding<br />
party as they left the church.<br />
Upon showing the photos to the<br />
couple, they loved this one above<br />
all others. But, they asked, could<br />
anything be done about the<br />
random person?<br />
The answer is usually yes, but<br />
with a few caveats. Successfully<br />
removing an unwanted photo<br />
bomber depends on what lies<br />
elsewhere in the frame – or in the<br />
frames taken either side. To cover<br />
something up, we need to find a<br />
piece of image that looks natural<br />
in its place. We can then replace<br />
the offending area and tidy up it<br />
for seamless results. Thankfully<br />
I’d fired another frame where the<br />
hapless intruder was offset just<br />
enough to be less of an eyesore.<br />
Photoshop Elements – with<br />
its layer controls and retouching<br />
tools – has everything you need,<br />
even when faced with tidying up<br />
cluttered backdrops like this...<br />
58<br />
www.digitalcameraworld.com
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