Extracting Power Lines

[Midge]

Hi all,
I bet you pros can tell me of an easier method of extracting power lines from a photo rather than cloning it pixel by pixel.

I tried to look in the Library section thinking there may be info there, but couldn't get through to it, maybe due to being on dialup.

I have recently installed CS2 but am floundering in learning to use it.

I don't make a habit of capturing power lines in my photos but couldn't avoid doing so recently whilst nabbing quite an unusual sunset.


Many thanks in advance for suggestions.
Cheers
Midge

[Syd]

Midge, you are probably going to need to use the clone tool and/or healing brush or patch tool. Another alternative would be to copy a good patch of sky (assuming that the power lines are silhouetted against the sky) and paste it over the power lines. Then you could use the healing brush to clean up the edges.

But why not attach an example of what you need to do and then, I am sure, the good folk at Retouchpro will give you plenty of good suggestions as to how to go about it. Each instance is unique and some techniques work better under certain conditions than others.

Sincerely Syd

[Peer K]

Do you just need to get rid of the powerlines or really extract them?

It's kinda hard to tell from your description of the photo - but maybe, just maybe, you can just paint them over with a Dust & Scratches layer (copy your background layer, run Dust&Scratches filter (experiment with setting and watch the preview), add layermask, invert the mask, paint over the lines carefully with white). Other than that - healing brush, clonestamp and patchtool can do the trick.

[Swampy]

I use Syd's method of copy/paste (feather the edges of your selection) for gross areas. Clone tool for the rest.

[Dave.Cox]

Of course it depends on the picture, but sometimes I fine the best way to remove things like power lines is to use the heal brush. I sample an area above or below the line to be removed, and then run the brush along the length of the power line, stopping before in intersects something. The sampled area should be parallel to the are being healed. I find this is fast, looks seamless, and can be done on a separate layer.

[Midge]

Many thanks for your kind help folks, it's very much appreciated.
Will give your suggestions a try.
Cheers
Midge

[Midge]

I apologise for coming across as ignoring your advice to post a pic of the problem power lines. I do now have the said pic resized and awaiting in a file somewhere on the forum, I think!! But am unable to fathom out how to complete the process. I see at the bottom of this page I have [IMG] turned off and despite scouting round for ages, cannot find where to turn this function on :-(

More help gratefully accepted :-)
Cheers
Midge

[Syd]

It has nothing to do with [IMG] code is Off. At the bottom of your Reply to Thread box is another one called Additional Options. Here you will find a tab: Manage Attachments. Click this. Now click the Browse tab and browse to the file you want to upload. (Remember it must be under 100K. If you are not sure how to size an image there is plenty of advice on this forum about that. If you can't find it, tell me and I will give you a link). Now double click the file you want to upload and then click the Upload button. Now at the bottom of that window click Close this window . Now all you have to do is type a message for your attachment (min 10 characters) and click Submit Reply.

If you are stuck don't hesitate to ask for more directions.

Syd

[Midge]

Thanks for your guidance Syd :-)
I had followed Flora and Jeanies instructions as written over in Image help but got hung up on not being able to see that the pic would actually be attached.
Problem photo as promised.
This is the pic straight from the camera. I do intend to crop the foreground when I've dealt to the dreaded power lines.

Cheers
Midge

[Dave.Cox]

Wow! That is a gorgeous sky! Fortunately since the colors are random, you patch doesn't have to match exactly. Just use the heal tool, and patch from a similar color. Resample as needed as the colors change, and it will look fine. You'll never be able to tell where you patched.

[Midge]

Eureka!! I have the first sunset all sorted, printed off ready to give to my neighbour who wants it to be the first thing she sees upon waking on the frosty mornings we're experiencing in this part of the world.

Many thanks for all your help guys! What an amazing programme CS2 will be when I've nutted it out. I just hope I don't drive you all mad with questions.

The sunset below was taken a few days later from a little further down my paddock. What a shame the digger had cleaned out the creek that very day, but maybe I can entice CS2 to perform some more magic in cleaning up the banks.

We've been having a bit of a run on great sunsets lately but I know from the clear sky tonight that I'll be photographing frosty scenes tomorrow morning!!

Cheers
Midge