GIMP Tutorial - Removing Unwanted Elements from a Scene

Removing Unwanted Elements from a Scene

Step 1
At times we just can't gain the ideal vantage point when
capturing a photograph. And this often leaves us with unwanted
elements invading the frame.

We will be removing this light pole from the image

The good news is that most high-end image processing

applications provide useful tools for dealing with the removal of
unsightly elements. You might be surprised with just how easy
it is to remove objects, even on complicated backgrounds.

In this tutorial we will be using the Clone tool to remove the

rather obvious light pole shown in the image to the right. The
Clone tool is common among many of the high-end image
processing applications and is fairly easily mastered.

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GIMP Tutorial - Removing Unwanted Elements from a Scene

Step 2
Choose the Clone tool from the GIMP toolbox (highlighted on the right) and set the tool options
for Clone tool as shown below.

Most cloning operations work best using a soft (fuzzy)

brush. The general exception to this is where you need to
work close to a well defined edge.

In this example, I set the brush to Circle Fuzzy (19) at a

scale of 1.00, and set the alignment to Aligned with the
sample source.

By choosing Image as the Source, the clone tool will

copy pixels from within the same (or another) image.

The alignment setting of Aligned will serve to maintain a

constant offset between the source and destination areas
as you click and paint with the mouse.

Scale the brush size as required Clone tool

Choose a ‘fuzzy’ brush

Sample from the image

Maintain a constant offset to the sampled pixels

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GIMP Tutorial - Removing Unwanted Elements from a Scene

Step 3
We will start by choosing the source location to
copy pixels from.

Hold down the Ctrl key and place the cross-hair

of the mouse cursor over the point where you
want to begin copying from. This is the Source
point.

In this example, I selected an area where two

tyres meet. The reason I chose this particular
point for the source is that it’s similar to a
destination point between adjacent tyres left of
the light pole.

While holding down the Ctrl key, left-click the

mouse to set the clone source point.

Release the Ctrl key and set the destination

point by Left-clicking the mouse over the point
where we want to copy the source pixels to.

Source point (pixels copied from here)

Destination point (pixels copied to here)

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GIMP Tutorial - Removing Unwanted Elements from a Scene

Step 4
Once the source and destination points have been
established, the Clone tool will maintain a constant
offset between the points.

Zooming in (200% in this case) will help you gain a

better view of the detail during this task. The
enlarged view will help you spot any problems with
the cloning process.

Sometimes you may need to rethink the source

area to gain a better result.

To clone the pixels across, simply hold down the

left mouse button and start painting the source
pixels to the destination area.

The small cross-hair shown on the left in my

example identifies where the pixels are being
copied from, and the brush circle on the right
represents where the area where the pixels are
being copied to.

The Clone tool has various options for

tracking along straight lines etc

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GIMP Tutorial - Removing Unwanted Elements from a Scene

Step 5
To remove the lower portion of the pole in this
example, I reselected a new source area
(Ctrl+Click) in the region to the right of the pole,
at the edge of the grass.

This region contained a more similar background

than the area on the left of the pole.

Destination point (pixels copied to here)

Source point (pixels copied from here)

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GIMP Tutorial - Removing Unwanted Elements from a Scene

Step 6
The final result!

If you didn't know where the pole originally

existed, you would be hard pressed to pick
it in the now corrected image.

Many images you find appearing in

magazines and on advertising literature
have usually had some degree of
manipulation to correct or remove unwanted
elements.

The Clone tool is very commonly utilised in

image post-processing and well worth
spending time to master using it.

Copyright © 2008, Greg Perry

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