How to remove a bra

[Lady_Winter]

Hello Photoshop experts,

I'd like to start with apologizing for my title, but it did get your attention, right?

I recently photographed a friend's wedding and also took some solo portraits. While I love them a lot I noticed in post-production that I overlooked how her bra was peeking out of her dress. I didn't think it would be a problem for me, but so far I have been unable to produce acceptable results in removing it. Here's the picture, anonymized for privacy's sake:



Technical details: The picture was shot in RAW format on a Sony A 580 with a 50mm lens at f2.2 shutter 1/1250 s and ISO 800. I did my basic touch-ups in Lightroom. Original format: 3264x4912 px.

Things that I have tried and that have not worked:

1) Content-aware fill, my all-time favorite PS function: Produced a very "stamped in" look, sampled from the wrong part of the breast

2) Content-aware fill applied onto a new layer that only consists of her cleavage for better sampling: still stamped, no natural transition.

3) Clone Stamp, Heal Stamp: better results, could have gotten an acceptable transition with some work but it destroyed the fine grains.

4) Creating a fill-layer of her skin color and blending it in with a mask: better, too, but also removes the grains.


Do you have any idea for me? Will I have to crop or settle for subprime results?

Thank you all in advance!

Winter

 

[Paul]

One way with better images

 

[Lady_Winter]

Haha, that's definitely an option I'll keep in mind.

 

[iDad]

I think patch tool will work with that, just keep the selection away from the green

 

[Inkz]

Hi, and yes, it got my attention lol..

Ok, here's what I came up with.

http://prntscr.com/1823p0

Here's the panels

http://prntscr.com/1823ss

Basically, I duplicated the image, then with the first I moved the image down slightly. Then onto the duplicated one, I then masked out the bra then revealing then moved image below. And the skin tones match nicely. Merged layers, then clone stamped the shadow on the side.

 

[iDad]

View attachment 33123
patch tool,with very little care .. but it works if you care to put more time into it

 

[Lady_Winter]

Inkz, that looks like a good idea, I'm going to try that. I would have not come up with that on my own.

I'll be back here with my results once I'm done.

 

[Lady_Winter]

iDad, sorry, I only saw your post after I posted mine. Somehow my results were far from what you got. I guess I'll try that, too, again and see where it gets me.


Thanks to both of you for your speed-of-light help.

 

[Lady_Winter]

I am amazed. I actually combined both methods, giving the original image a rough patch and then covering that with a transformed copy and blending. I also reduced the brightness on the transformed image to help it better match the target area. This is the best I have been able to produce.:cool2:
Oh, and while at it I added my standard high-pass sharpening. Gotta love that.
Now if I only could stop that little voice in the back of my head that tells me if you reeeeally look at it you can definitely still see it. What do you think? Does it need more work? Can I dare blow this up to, say 90x135 cm?




That'll teach me to think before I shoot... :redface::evil:

PS: Darn, stared at it for too long and now am convinced that it is super-obvious... argh. :banghead:

 

[bgoodman4]

If you are not satisfied you probably can get what you want by using the blur tool and blending the area a bit.

That being said from the image you posted it looks pretty darn good to me but you are the one that needs to be satisfied, not me (and you are looking at the original, I am not so my opinion is worth even less).

 

[sprucemagoo1]

Using a copy of the right side, I was able to patch it.
View attachment 33149

 

[Tom Mann]

I've got to say, I'm impressed, guys! Eleven posts and not even one hint of teenage humor based on the title of this thread!

[innocent]

T

 

[Lady_Winter]

Thank you again everybody.

In the end, what worked for me is the edit I posted yesterday plus some additional smoothing of the transition. Then I approached my main left over problem from the beginning -- the noise level in the edit did not match the noise level of the overall image -- by just giving it a global noise and smoothing edit. I might add some grain back in later, as I actually liked that, but that poses no problem.
I am now reasonably satisfied with the results. I don't think anybody who doesn't know about it will suspect the edit. Whats more, I learned quite a few techniques on this one.


@sprucemagoo1: Another good technique I might try, just to practice it.