Exercise: Correction.

We are to look through our image collection and try and find a shot containing dust shadows and another with polygon flare. I was unable to find any examples so I decided to use the images provided in the Key Resources section of the student website. Unfortunately I could not find them anywhere as it was not really stated in the course notes whereabouts they would be. I ended up posting on the student forum for the first time during this course and was very grateful to another student who was able to provide me with the link. I have to say that it was nice to be able to contact other students so I was glad in a way to of had to use the forum. I intend to get in the habit of checking it and posting in the future. From what I could see, other students have had the same problem I locating the images.

 

Dust.

 

 

 

Before image.

 

 

With areas of dust highlighted in red. I struggled a bit with this as the style is abstract and I found if hard to decided what was dust.

 

 

 

The areas of dust have been removed using the clone stamp tool as I found this easier and most effective. I understand that others may see this as not being as innocent a correction method but you are only replacing a small areas with what is already shown in the image. This does not bother me and I do not see it as dramatically altering from the original.

 

Polygon Flare.

 

 

Before image.

 

 

Areas of flare highlighted in red.

 

 

With lens flare removed. I actually found this quite difficult as I was not really sure what I was doing to start. This was my second attempt at removing. It is not quite there technically but it is an improvement on my first try. I used the clone stamp tool and set it to colour so that the flare polygons were integrated with their immediate surroundings. I then set the tool to darken and blended each area in with the surroundings once more. With practice I am sure I will improve.

I do think that there is a place for flare in photographs but in some cases they can detract from the image. I think that there is nothing wrong with removing flare if it is a mistake as we are not dramatically altering the overall image.