Hi everyone! I just snapped this photo for some friends, very casually and candidly, but they really would like to use it as a family portrait if I (we) can figure out how to get rid of the toilet and/or the cluttered background. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Melanie

Looks like that'd be a pretty good job for the Clone Stamp/Healing Brush tools (assuming you're using Photoshop). Try working on a new layer, and make sure to select the Sample All Layers option.

Hope that helps.

you need to do this to the hirez file, so maybe find someone who will do it for you and upload the hirez file somewhere, otherwise you won't be able to do much with the attached lorez shot.

Another Idea... it would be better to be able to lighten the clothes in a higher res photo.

Butch

You guys are so good!

James--I tried the clone tool, but I get fuzzy/glowing edges. Completely UNREALISTIC. What am I doing wrong? How do I select the sample all layers?

KLR1156--this looks great! How do I duplicate?

Butch-I thought about doing this too! Attached is my feeble attempt because I don't have any other viable backgrounds. Somehow I made it too glowy. But does it look to unrealistic despite the glow? I have successfully cut them out using the Mask Pro plug-in, but now where to put them? And how to blend them well?

Trying to keep the ambience...

Juergen

I'd clone it out and crop it tighter. Trust you have a high resolution photo.

This is my try. Took out the bathroom. Lightened the two wall areas on either side to reduce the contrast.

dc

I took DC's version and softened the wall color with a selective color adjustment layer on the Whites (from the dialog's color picker pop-up). Then a simple soft brush to mask out that color on the faces and highlights in the people's clothes etc. Set the adjustment layer to Luminosity Blend mode.

Crop the sides, and just a little off the top, and you have a good square-format picture that frames the subjects nicely.

(Do get rid of some of the distracting details as per the last couple of posts, though.)

The only objection Melanie has to the photo is the toilet. I think she wants to retain a bit of the home as it is as a setting. (Notice Dad's chair.) I've eliminated the bathroom by cloning the predominant color of the bathroom to make it a solid backdrop. In these situations I've wished I'd simply closed a door.

As already suggested, I cropped the left & right sides to remove extraneous details. The perspective of the shot makes the bathroom doorway lean, but there it is. Anyone who cares about these people, & maybe has been in that home, won't be bothered.

I used Levels to reduce brightness of the scene, but the baby's face could use some darkening, not a whole lot.

...I've eliminated the bathroom by cloning the predominant color of the bathroom to make it a solid backdrop. In these situations I've wished I'd simply closed a door...

I like this better than the white extended to the right.
Nice one One

Door could have been done better.

You closed the door, but is that their door?

You closed the door, but is that their door?
Closed door or white wall, I think looks better than a black background, helping the daughter stand out better in contrast to the background.

Juergen

But, that's how the picture was taken. I agree the daughter should stand out more, but that's how the photo was taken. Remember: Melanie's only objection was with the toilet.

I took DC's version and softened the wall color with a selective color adjustment layer on the Whites (from the dialog's color picker pop-up). Then a simple soft brush to mask out that color on the faces and highlights in the people's clothes etc. Set the adjustment layer to Luminosity Blend mode.
Just wanted to point out that you guys pulled a Salvador Dali - look at where the wall meets the floor on the left, and where it meets on the right.

may be this door?

Just wanted to point out that you guys pulled a Salvador Dali - look at where the wall meets the floor on the left, and where it meets on the right.
Stephen,
I saw that when I worked on the door opening, but thought, the 'innocent' observer may not notice it... ;) Maybe it is a curved wall??

Juergen

Where did you get that? Are you guessing? Why do you insist on the photo being as you see it? What about Melanie? What does she want? It looks very good, btw, altho cropping on left & right would help. We need to hear from Melanie.

Just wanted to point out that you guys pulled a Salvador Dali - look at where the wall meets the floor on the left, and where it meets on the right.
As a matter of fact, it can go possibly better like this.

Juergen

As a matter of fact, it can go possibly better like this.

Juergen
You're a e-wizard.

Move the people over perhaps? I masked (rather roughly)the people on a duplicate layer, dragged them over a bit,cloned and healed the floor and wall on layer beneath where they were. I also cropped to balance out the shot, tried to fix some of the distortion (bleh!) Fixed up the colour and shadows/highlights a bit aaaaand sharpened.