Any tips on how to more smoothly blend using the clone stamp tool in GIMP? I am trying to clone out what should be an easy object, since the background is mostly black. But I still am getting this blocky mess. The orange gradient coming off of the fire is making it hard for me to seamlessly remove the tag in the upper left.
I’m looking for tips on clone stamp settings for:
Brush size/hardness
“force” option
Opacity
Placement of “source” of the clone
Anything else I should know? Maybe I’m on the wrong track, and there’s an easier way to do this without the clone stamp.
I run into this problem a lot since I take a lot of photos at night with a small light source.
Example image attached. It’s heavily cropped except for the problem area. I’m working on this picture to post it later today. I’ll put a link here when it’s up. It will be cool.
I wouldn’t count out a little finessing with the Clone and Heal brush in GIMP…
(edit: I have no idea why it’s moving so slowly in the video - so speed it up if you need to.)
2nd edit: A great piece of advice I got a long time ago was to remember that the “Heal” brush is actually intended to be used with a hard-edged brush. Try to visualize features and making them flow with the surrounding manually.
Pat - thanks so much for the video, and for the tips. It never occurred to me to use clone as the blunt instrument, then smooth things over later with heal. And I could never figure out what sort of brush softness to use.
I wound up getting rid of the tag with G’mic’s inpainting (which was more troublesome to get to work sort of right than your blog made it seem), and then cleaning up later with heal.
Anyhow, as promised, here’s the pictures I was working on when I made this post.
I also have found that if there are straight lines, like in this picture with the pipe, I can measure the angle of the pipe with the measure/compass tool, choose the rectangular brush and set it to that angle, then use clone/heal with the rectangle brush. This helps keep me in line with the object I’m working around. In this case, the straight pipes.
Edit: of course, my favorite solution is to notice the tag sticking out when I’m taking the picture and just scrape it off with my pocket knife. I need to get better at that, LOL.
Yeah, I can’t think of a good reason to not build a propane fueled ringlight? Can you? I’ve only used it a couple times, but just put a bunch of the pictures on my Instagram & Flickr accounts. Unfortunately, you can’t see the fire too much in the pictures. Future times when I use it, I will change how I frame the pictures when I take them to get the fire in the shot more.
If you’ve got the patience to write something up on it, or at least provide a bunch of images of the build + results, we can flesh out a full-fledged post on the main site for it! @paperdigits are you seeing this madness?
I agree that’s the best, IMO. The shadows are great in that one. It’s why I built the frame, because pictures that I took near similar burning things always had this great directional lighting.
Wow! I would be honored. Late this month would be a good time as I plan to use it two more times between now and then, and every time I use it, I get better pictures from the prior experience. Whom do I message about the article when I’m ready? You?
That’s certainly creative! You’re right about the lighting. So soft and warm. Not sure my friends would be so trusting of me setting up a ring of fire to light and frame a photo? Thanks for sharing!
I’ve only used it a couple times, but just put a bunch of the pictures on my Instagram & Flickr accounts. Unfortunately, you can’t see the fire too much in the pictures. Future times when I use it, I will change how I frame the pictures when I take them to get the fire in the shot more.
