Are you obsessed with cloning?
By Jason Odell |
April 5, 2009 10:46 AM
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The clone tool is one of the more popular features in digital darkroom software. Such importance is placed on this tool that wen Capture NX 1.0 was released in 2006, one of the first criticisms I heard on the Internet was "wy doesn't it have clone tool!" Certainly, the clone tool and its variants has evolved over the years to provide photographers with a lot of options for repairing their images-- Photoshop CS4, for example, offers users four different flavors of "repair" tools, from the original clone stamp tool to the spot healing brush tool. Capture NX 2.0 provides users with an "Auto Retouch Brush", which is also a form of cloning.
But let me ask you this: Are you hooked on the clone tool to the point where your images suffer?
Most photographers understand that a certain amount of image repair might be necessary from time to time. Those pesky dust spots on your imaging sensor, for one, can detract from your images, so getting rid of them seems like an obvious choice for the clone tool. If you perform lots of portrait retouching, Photoshop's various healing brushes are indispensable. However, it seems like all too often, I see image critiques that suggest cloning as a way to improve the image. Comments like "Nice shot, but you should clone out the [insert distracting object here].
Well, if you find your images receive lots of comments like that, or maybe you tend to offer such advice, you might wish to stop and rethink your approach to photography. Here are some tips for knowing what is enough, and what is too much.
Good uses of the clone tool
- Cloning small defects from images, like dust spots or blemishes, especially from out of focus backgrounds
- Removing minor wrinkles from portraits
- Getting rid of small distractions from images, like a small signpost on the horizon of an otherwise pristine landscape.
- Repairing scanned images of old or damaged photos
Not so good uses of the clone tool- Trying to remove a person from a group shot (even if it is your ex)
- Removing large objects that cover part of your subject
- Removing harsh reflections from your camera's flash
- Trying to replace an entire sky
As a general rule, if the undesirable object in your image is prominent, the harder it will be for you to clone it out in a way that appears natural. I'm certainly not saying that Photoshop experts aren't good at this, but more often than not, the resulting image looks contrived or somehow "artificial". You might find yourself looking at an image and saying "something just isn't right"-- that's a sure sign of a clumsy clone job.
In nature and wildlife photography, there are always going to be challenges. If you have a picture of a bird that has a branch crossing its face, don't expect the clone tool to help you. If you are getting nasty flash reflections, consider learning how to place your flash off-camera and trigger it remotely. There are lots of good techniques out there, and sometimes not all our mistakes can be covered up in Post-Processing.
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