Removing Branches: Please see my (new) avatar. Please see two pesky diagonal branches extending across otherwise spectacular bird. Could I have a hint where I would start in taking...

JayB Loc: Northeast US

Please see my (new) avatar. Please see two pesky diagonal branches extending across otherwise spectacular bird. Could I have a hint where I would start in taking those things out of the original photo? Do you do a paintbrush sort of thing and color it out? Or is there a pixel matching thing where you can select the area you want to remove and the computer matches the color that's around it? A link to a newbie tutorial? Thanks, as always, for the help. :P

photoninja1 Loc: Tampa Florida

In PS or Elements and other photo editing softwares you can clone nearby image elements and cover the branches, but this one is going to be a difficult fix.

JayB Loc: Northeast US

photoninja1 wrote:

In PS or Elements and other photo editing softwares you can clone nearby image elements and cover the branches, but this one is going to be a difficult fix.

Because it crosses so many areas of the photo?

Ambrose Loc: North America

You could probably do a decent job with it just using a cloning tool which is common in most editors.
Here's one of thousands of tutorials out there with basic instructions (this one is for doing it in Gimp).
http://www.stepbystep.com/how-to-use-the-clone-tool-in-gimp-freeware-90356/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> http://www.stepbystep.com/how-to-use-the-clone-tool-in-gimp-freeware-90356/
The idea will be basically the same with most any editing software.
Good luck.
I did this with your avatar in about 2 minutes :):

JayB Loc: Northeast US

Ambrose wrote:

You could probably do a decent job with it just using a cloning tool which is common in most editors.
Here's one of thousands of tutorials out there with basic instructions (this one is for doing it in Gimp).
http://www.stepbystep.com/how-to-use-the-clone-tool-in-gimp-freeware-90356/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> http://www.stepbystep.com/how-to-use-the-clone-tool-in-gimp-freeware-90356/
The idea will be basically the same with most any editing software.
Good luck.
I did this with your avatar in about 2 minutes :):

Great! Thanks for this.

poc430

In Photoshop I used the lasso, encircled the brances, lasso the area you want changed, then edit fill, next box check off content aware and all the things you do not want to see go away. Sometimes you have to do it a couple of times to get a cleaner picture. See below.

woodpecker
woodpecker...

djtravels Loc: Georgia boy now

In elements there's a 'content-aware-fill' post that's quite easy to do. Worth a shot if it works. Lot easier than cloning the branches out, but the closeness of the background might not permit this. DJT

Dlevon Loc: New Jersey

aerides wrote:

Please see my (new) avatar. Please see two pesky diagonal branches extending across otherwise spectacular bird. Could I have a hint where I would start in taking those things out of the original photo? Do you do a paintbrush sort of thing and color it out? Or is there a pixel matching thing where you can select the area you want to remove and the computer matches the color that's around it? A link to a newbie tutorial? Thanks, as always, for the help. :P

Everyone wants to clone out , so called extraneous stuff? Shows a proper environment, as it is. Too many nature photographers cut the meat out of every picture, and you never see the creature and/or thing and it's natural habitat. Too many shots look like the subjects were stuffed and posed. Just one man's opinion.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

I would use Content Aware with the spot healing brush in small steps Usually works great

JayB Loc: Northeast US

poc430 wrote:

In Photoshop I used the lasso, encircled the brances, lasso the area you want changed, then edit fill, next box check off content aware and all the things you do not want to see go away. Sometimes you have to do it a couple of times to get a cleaner picture. See below.

Thanks! For the advice and the work on the pic. Much appreciated.

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

Learning to use the clone tool is one thing that will save and/or improve many photos - I always enlarge the subject area 200 or 300% in order to do fine work with small brushes - learning to choose between a soft brush or a hard one takes some time - BUT - the greatest thing about digital editing is nothing is permanent - there are so many ways to either back up or start over.
The main thing is to always work on a copy not the original.

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

Dlevon wrote:

Everyone wants to clone out , so called extraneous stuff? Shows a proper environment, as it is. Too many nature photographers cut the meat out of every picture, and you never see the creature and/or thing and it's natural habitat. Too many shots look like the subjects were stuffed and posed. Just one man's opinion.

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

aerides wrote:

Please see my (new) avatar. Please see two pesky diagonal branches extending across otherwise spectacular bird. Could I have a hint where I would start in taking those things out of the original photo? Do you do a paintbrush sort of thing and color it out? Or is there a pixel matching thing where you can select the area you want to remove and the computer matches the color that's around it? A link to a newbie tutorial? Thanks, as always, for the help. :P

Suggest you post the picture here, someone will gladly clean it up for you.

Dlevon Loc: New Jersey

Wahawk wrote:

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Thanks Wahawk!

bunuweld Loc: Arizona

UP-2-IT wrote:

Suggest you post the picture here, someone will gladly clean it up for you.

Agree. With the pixel-deprived picture of your avatar, not much one can do. Here is an attempt