Sometimes images contain elements that we later wish we’d managed to keep out of view. Rather than ditch the photo, it might be worth editing it to get rid of whatever is causing the problem. As an example, in the image featured here I decided I didn’t want the chair he was sitting on to show in the photo. This was partly because I was aiming for processing as film noir style so didn’t want something so modern in appearance being in shot. You can remove distractions in Photoshop in a variety of ways. There are tools such as the healing brush and clone stamp tools. These are great, but can be fiddly when you have to work along the edge of something. So, in this tutorial I recommend trying a selection with the pen tool to limit what the clone stamp can affect. For me, this can speed up the editing process and give better results more quickly.
 
As you can see, I still use the common tools for retouching. I just find that working with a selection like this and then using the clone stamp helps get the job done well more quickly. I commonly use the healing brush to blend areas back in more naturally after I have finished using the clone stamp because it can leave traces behind.
If you are unfamiliar with the Pen Tool then you might like to find out more in our Photoshop for Photographers Course available to members.
© Joe Lenton, May 2018