Part 21 - Cloning

Without a doubt, it was the ability to "clone" that provided the initial boost to digital imaging popularity among professional photographers. In the early 1990s, digital imaging meant shooting traditional film and then scanning the negatives or slides to produce digital files that could be retouched in the first digital imaging systems. "Dust Busting", the elimination of dust, scratches and imperfections became the catch phrase of the 90s as well as the digital photo technician's primary tool for preparing images for publication.

Those early digital imaging systems were prohibitively expensive -- $100,000 and up. Today, sophisticated programs from Photoshop to basic Internet freeware/shareware imaging software make cloning and a wealth of other manipulation tools affordable and available to every digital photographer.

Basic cloning tools provide the ability to duplicate one area of an image and to exactly place the duplicate (clone) in another area of the same image. Today, most image editing programs include some form of cloning as a fundamental tool. This article will explore the basics of cloning that are common within today's imaging programs. Let's get started by viewing the brief introductory video below.

The Basics (click on Play button)

Below is the final example from this video and a summary of the topics covered:

• Selecting the Clone tool
• Hard/soft brush slider control
• Brush size control
• A simple clone example.
  

The cloning tool has evolved to become a very precise and sophisticated "copy and paste" tool for photographers.

Typical uses for this very flexible tool include:

• duplicating picture elements within the same picture -- like the placement of the third water drop in the video above
• eliminating imperfections
• eliminating elements that distract from a photograph's composition.

Original unretouched image

The following video clip provides an example of eliminating imperfections in the informal portrait above.

Removing blemishes and imperfections (click on Play button)

Below are the enlarged "before and after" pictures from the video above:

Before retouching

After retouching with cloning tool

This video exercise demonstrates the basic cloning steps required to remove common imperfections and blemishes. Points to remember include:

• Before attempting this type of retouching, enlarge the monitor image to 100% or greater.
• Use a brush size that is close to the size of the object to be removed.
• Set the brush hardness to 0% to provide a soft edge to the clone brush to allow the clone to blend smoothly into the surrounding image area.
• The cloning source should match the tone, density and color of the area immediately surrounding the imperfection.

Most imaging programs containing cloning tools provide a method of stepping backward through the cloning steps. This capability affords us the luxury of making a mistake and easily stepping back in the process to try again. Remember: You have altered the original image during this process. Save this retouched file under a different name to preserve the original.

It's easy to see why photographers who specialize in people pictures find the clone tool so useful. In the past, a specially-trained retouching artist using brush and paints would have been called on to perform these corrections manually on the original negative or final print -- costly, time consuming and requiring considerable artistic skills.

The next example video clip uses the cloning tool to eliminate unwanted elements within the picture below.

Original image before clone retouching the green stem in the background

Click Play button to see video.

Same image after using clone tool to replace stem with additional background

To successfully "clone out" an element within a picture, here are the tips given in this video:

• Enlarge the monitor image to 100% or more.
• Use as large a brush as the surrounding picture elements will allow.
• Don't clone a large area using a single source. Instead, use several sources to avoid establishing a pattern that can be detected by the viewer's eyes. Remember most patterns in nature are random.
  

Since the introduction of digital cloning, the process has grown to include an array of options giving the photographer more and increasingly sophisticated options. This article only covers the most basic common cloning features. As you expand your iDarkroom skills you will become familiar with all the options included in your imaging program's cloning tool.

The real secret to mastering cloning is practice. I know. I say practice often. But there is a knack to performing cloning in a manner that is truly invisible to the viewer. I'm definitely not an artist, but I'm pretty good at cloning. It's a knack that anyone can learn. It just takes practice. So, select a few of your images and force yourself to practice your cloning skills. You will eventually be amazed at what you and your mouse can do to improve your photographs.

Part 20 - Cropping Digital Images

Without a doubt, the first and most frequently used function in any digital imaging program is the Cropping Tool. Cropping has been basic to photography since its beginning.

Cropping determines the dimensions and boundaries of the final image. In addition, cropping ultimately determines the artistic and aesthetic placement of the central focus of any image.

Cropping occurs twice during the creation of a photograph:

• The first crop is performed in the camera as the photographer composes the picture in the viewfinder. The photographer decides at this time the limits of the scene that will be contained within the 4 borders of the picture as well as the elements (objects) that will be captured.
• The second crop takes place in the iDarkroom. Digital imaging programs contain cropping tools that allow the photographer to perform a final technical and artistic adjustment to define the dimensions and element contents of the final image.

A fundamental rule in photography is to crop in the camera. Photographers have long been advised to compose the image in the viewfinder as it is to appear in the final print. There are sound reasons for making this recommendation.

• Aesthetically, cropping the image in the camera forces the serious photographer to focus on the rules of good composition and to mentally visualize the final image.
• Technically, cropping in the camera produces a digital file that requires less cropping in the iDarkroom which interprets to sharper final prints. Excessive digital cropping and/or enlarging reduces the resolution and, consequently, the quality of the final photograph.

In the real world, photographers walk a fine line when they consider cropping. Yes, professional photographers will "pre-visualize" the final image and crop accordingly as they compose the picture in the field or studio. However, to provide some margin of error, most professional photographers will leave a small excess of the original scene on each of the four sides of the viewfinder image. The final cropping almost always takes place in the iDarkroom.

Because of the importance of cropping to photography, virtually every digital imaging program offers tools to perform this function. I will use cropping examples with Adobe's Lightroom and Photoshop. Most imaging programs will offer a tool with similar functionality.

Original picture as shot without iDarkroom cropping.

This is my sample picture for walking through Lightroom and Photoshop's cropping functions. To match the pre-visualized image of this outstanding photographer (me), some cropping refinement is required.

The area to be eliminated (or "cropped out") is shown in light brown.

Shown above is the same image with the areas to be eliminated shaded in brown. Notice: I am not concerned about the size of the final image at this stage. I am only concerned with the contents of the image appearing within the borders of the final print.

Cropping Screen with the Lightroom's Develop Module

Lightroom's cropping tool (red box above) is available from the program's Develop Module. Clicking on this tool reveals the window shown above. A free-hand cropping icon (shown in green) is available for a click-and-drag cropping. Or, handles that appear on each corner and the center of each side can be clicked-and-dragged to a new location. (Normally, I use the six handles to define the cropped area.)

An additional convenience provided in Lightroom is the inclusion of "rule of thirds" indicators. Faint grid lines that divide the picture into thirds horizontally and vertically are overlaid on the picture. The four intersections of these grid lines (shown in blue) are the "rule of thirds" points for subject placement. The locations of these points change dynamically as the crop (border lines) is moved -- nice touch for beginning and advanced photographers alike.

Lightroom's Develop Module with Crop Indicated

Here is a closer view of the Lightroom screen with the crop lines positioned. The image areas in dark gray will be eliminated (cropped) from the final digital picture. By pushing the "enter" key, the crop will be performed, and the final image appears.

Remember from our previous discussion about the non-destructive editing features of programs like Lightroom and Apple's Aperture, the original digital file is NOT being altered. The information about the crop just performed will be included along with any other corrections in a separate file and applied to this image whenever it is displayed on the monitor. The original uncropped and unaltered file is ALWAYS retrievable.

Let's compare this cropping technique to that used by Photoshop and many similar programs.

Photoshop's Crop Tool (in red)

In Photoshop, the cropping tool is always present on the left-hand tool bar as shown in the red circle above. This icon has become almost universal and looks similar in other editing programs. Clicking on this tool activates the cropping function.

The Photoshop crop is indicated and ready for execution

In the picture above, the crop tool (a click-and-drag functioning tool) has been positioned as indicated by the "marching ants" marque. After releasing the mouse button, the area to be "cropped out" will be shown in dark gray (above). Notice, much like Lightroom, that six positioning handles also appear when the mouse button is released (red circles above). Using these handles allows for final precision positioning of the borders of the crop. Hitting the "return" or "enter" key completes the cropping function.

Final cropped picture

Remember, Photoshop and similar editing programs work on a destructive editing process. In other words, the original file HAS been altered. So, perform a "SAVE AS" command and use a new file name NOW. This will ensure that the original file will NOT be overwritten and destroyed.

Simultaneous Cropping and Sizing

It is possible to perform cropping and image re-sizing at the same time with the cropping tool. Having this capability allows the photographer to specify the desired specific print size and print resolution while performing the cropping.

Original picture before cropping and re-sizing

This picture requires cropping to correctly position the subject. In addition, I know that a final print with the dimensions of 10" x 8" at 240 ppi is required. With Photoshop's cropping tool, I can perform both operations at once.

Photoshop's cropping and resizing functions

With the cropping tool selected (red circle above), I can type in specific dimensional attributes in the width, height and resolution boxes (shown within the green circles above). In this case, a width of 10", a height of 8" and a resolution of 240 ppi are typed into the boxes.

Caution: When you don't want to automatically re-size an image to specific dimensions or PPI resolution, these boxes must be blank. Using the "Clear" button (yellow circle above), will erase any specified sizing in the width, length and resolution boxes.

Areas to crop are shown in dark gray and the constrained 8"x10" print area is visible.

Now, as the click-and-drag is performed with the mouse, the crop is constrained to the proportions of 8"x10". Any crop can be accommodated when you perform this operation, as long as it conforms to the proportion of 8 by 10. The crop and re-sizing is completed by hitting the "return" or "enter" key.

Final cropped and re-sized image

Check the properties of this image and you will discover that the new cropped image is 8 inches by 10 inches with a resolution of 240 ppi. Remember to save this file under a new file name to prevent overwriting the original file. Most modern image editing programs incorporate this time-saving feature in their cropping tools.

You will find that the cropping tool is one of your best friends and most utilized tools. Because of the frequency of use, cropping will soon become second nature.

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Part 19 - Storing Digital Images

If there's a downside to your new found photographic passion, it's the fact that there's almost no limit to the number of pictures that can be taken. There's no film to buy. There are no film processing costs. And DSLR data storage cards can be used over and over to spread their cost over hundreds or thousands of pictures.

With almost no cost involved, today's DSLR photographers shoot more images than ever. Now the issue is the safe storage of files. Not only the data files from the camera's storage cards, but all the variations made from the files during post processing in image editing programs. Just one file might give birth to several more. Here's an example of the versions in the life of just one digital image:

• The original camera file that was copied and saved to your computer's hard drive.
• One file in the same size as the original file that has been edited, corrected and saved.
• One file that was re-sized and saved for use on a website.
• One file that was re-sized and saved to make an 8"x10" print for your den.
• One file that was re-sized and saved to appear in a magazine or newspaper.

In this case, one original file generated the need to save 4 new files. Multiply this scenario for all your best images and you are soon experiencing a computer hard drive that's overflowing. Most disturbing is the vulnerability of these fragile and irreplaceable files. There are dozens of ways this data can be lost forever, like:

• power surges
• jarring or dropping a hard drive
• virus attack corrupting the hard drive
• computer being stolen
  
• the hard drive wearing out over time from normal use
• your 8-year old types "reformat"
  
• alien computer abductions.
  

It's obvious some regular and "adhered to" back up process is necessary for image security and peace of mind. The Internet is filled with suggestions for backing up your images -- some good, some bad.

I will describe the procedure I use for backing up and storing my images. My method is not necessarily any better, but it has provided me with the confidence to know that my images are protected and always retrievable.

To start with, my primary imaging computer is an iMac. (No, that's not a recommendation, it's just the digital imaging computer I grew up with and am most comfortable using.) The current Mac OS has an automatic back up feature called Time Machine. I have a dedicated 750GB hard drive that is used by Time Machine to provide an HOURLY backup of my "changed" or new files.

I use the Time Machine feature as a secondary backup (sort of a "just in case" copy of my files). My primary back up device is a 1 terabyte Seagate external hard drive that stores an exact copy of my computer's hard drive that is created every morning at 2 a.m. using a backup program called SuperDuper. This primary back up drive is connected to my computer by Firewire (rather than USB) to provide faster copy speeds. If you have more than one computer or are part of a network, this "image-dedicated" back up drive can also be installed to allow back up over the network.

Seagate Free Agent, 1 Terabyte External Hard Drive

Here is the process I follow for uploading and protecting the files coming from my DSLR:

1. Using Lightroom's import feature I transfer the files from my data card to a dedicated Lightroom image folder.
2. I then make a second copy of the same files into a dedicated holding folder on my external terabyte hard drive.
3. I then erase the original files from my data card for re-use.
4. SuperDuper and Time Machine perform their timed back ups to ensure my original and edited images are backed up on two separate hard drives.
5. Over time the Holding Folder on my terabyte drive grows in size. When the folder reaches 4 gigabytes, I copy the folder to a DVD for long term storage. The files in the Holding Folder are then erased in preparation for the next series of images. I am very careful to store my DVDs in a safe environment to maximize their life.
   

There is much dispute over the life expectancy of CDs and DVDs, but they are the best alternative available today. The better (and more expensive) DVDs do have a longer projected life expectancy. Since there's little likelihood that these DVDs will be needed on a regular basis, it's a good idea to consider storing them off-site (i.e. safety deposit box, under grandma's bed, etc.). If the worst ever happened and something catastrophic happened to your digital darkroom, your original image files would be safe.

In total, I have 4 copies of my original files and 3 copies of any new or altered versions I create from the original image files. Although my procedure isn't bullet proof, it does allow me to sleep better at night.

Not long ago, the expense of 750GB and 1 terabyte drives made this back up process financially prohibitive and other alternatives like storing images on Internet services were more attractive. However, the cost of large capacity hard drives has dropped dramatically and is within the reach of most photographers. Be sure to research and compare hard drives to determine the positives and negatives that real users are experiencing.

Finally, with the exception of Time Machine, these same procedures are adaptable to any PC platform and operating system.

Part 18 - Resizing Digital Images

Like an enlarger in a traditional darkroom, images can be re-sized in the digital iDarkroom to suit the requirements of the job. The computer replaces the enlarger, and a new set of tools as well as technical jargon are used to make these necessary image conversions. This article will provide the basic information required to re-size pictures to their required dimensions and resolution.

Adobe's Photoshop will be used as the editing tool, but the lessons learned here are applicable to nearly all image editing software. As you become more proficient with your own image editing software, you'll discover that there are several ways of re-sizing an image. But the most basic and most common method will be explained in this primer.

Photoshop workspace with original image, "Histogram" and "Image Size" window

The illustration above is a portion of Photoshop's workspace and shows the picture to be used in this article, the Histogram and the "Image Size" window. The picture is taken directly from the camera with no editing applied. For my purpose, this picture requires some cropping, image enhancement and resizing. It's these steps that will be walked through and discussed.

Accessing the Image Size tool in Photoshop is straightforward.

Accessing the Image Size Tool in Photoshop

To activate the Image Size tool in Photoshop, use the "Image" drop-down menu in the main bar and select "Image Size..." (shown above).

Close up of the "Image Size" window

Here's the Image Size window in a size that's actually legible. Most of the explanations and procedures in this re-sizing article require the use of this Image Size tool. The information initially presented in the Image Size window provides the current technical "size" details of the image as well as entry boxes for altering any dimensions.

The Pixel Dimensions section (red box) shows the size of the image in terms of pixels. In this case, the dimensions are of an image that came directly from the camera -- 3872 pixels wide by 2592 pixels high. The Document Size section (green box) indicates exactly how large the image would be if printed right now. In this case the measurement scale is set in inches. So a print from this image would measure 16.133 inches by 10.8 inches with a resolution of 240 pixels per inch. (Document Size is the measurement for the entire printable area -- not necessarily the size of the picture on the document. More on printable area in just a moment.)

My first editing task is to crop the image to include only the portion of the picture needed for the final print.

Cropping Tool in Photoshop can be seen as the marque lines in this screen picture

Use of the cropping function will be explained in later articles, but for this example notice the cropping marque lines (the marching ants as Adobe would say) that define where my cropping will occur. (I'm taking a little image area off each end of the picture.) With the crop area visually defined, hit ENTER. The crop is completed and appears on my monitor.

The new Image Size information after the crop was performed.

Remember the original size of this image was 16.133 inches by 10.8 inches. The new cropped size (seen above) is 14.917 inches by 10.8 inches. This new dimension reflects the fact that I cropped (approximately) one inch off the ends of the original picture. The crop function has also caused the overall file size to become smaller. The number next to the words "Pixel Dimensions" indicates the current file size. This cropped image reduced the file size from 57.4 megabytes to 53.1. What happened to the other 4.3 megabytes of image information? It was trashed.

Next I SAVE the image under a new name to avoid corrupting my original image file.

Then with a little Photoshop magic I apply the color, density, saturation, etc. adjustments needed to create a masterpiece. (These steps are not covered in this article.) When done making corrections, I again SAVE the file.

Cropped image with corrections applied as seen in Photoshop

That was easy. Now I need to re-size the image for its intended use. Some of the possible uses include:

1. Producing a print from my printer
2. Producing an image file for reproduction in a printed publication
3. Producing an image file that can be used in a digital slide show or on the Internet.

Each of these possible uses has unique image size parameters. It's these parameters that determine the specifications entered into the Image Size window.

1. Resizing the photo for printing on your home printer

You'll see much debate on photo blogs and forums about the resolution (pixels per inch or PPI) required to make a good print in your iDarkoom. The recommendations range from 200 to 300 PPI. I know from my career at a major photo printer manufacturer that my printer works best at 240 PPI. Using a pixel per inch setting higher than 300 has little or no impact on the quality of the final print. So, when I set up an image for printing at home, 240 PPI is my target resolution.

All I need to know now is what size I want to make the print. For example's sake, let's size the existing 14.917 inches by 10.8 inches x 240 PPI to fit on a standard 8"x10" piece of photo paper with at least a 1/2 inch border for framing purposes.

Image sizing for an 8"x10" print

First, the Golden Rule for re-sizing operations: Reducing the physical dimensions or the resolution (PPI) of an image is OK. Enlarging any of these parameters will introduce some degree of quality and visual imperfections. More to come.

In the picture above, I have entered a new value for the width of this image -- 9 inches. The height of the image AUTOMATICALLY changed to the correct proportional value -- 6.516 inches. Why did the height change when I entered 9 inches for the width? Because I checked the box labeled "Constrain Proportions". This instruction tells Photoshop to keep all sides in proportion to the original image. This relationship is shown in the green box above by the lines and padlock icon. Change one height/width dimension, and the remaining dimension changes automatically to constrain the proportions.

Since I want the image to print at a resolution of 240 PPI, I do NOT want the original resolution of 240 PPI to change. I ensure this PPI is retained by CHECKING the RESAMPLE box shown in red. If I had not CHECKED this box the resolution would also have changed in proportion to the new 9" width dimension I entered. (With RESAMPLING off and since I technically made the picture smaller than the original, the PPI number would have automatically increased to reflect the smaller image size.)

If you're asking why the height dimension shown in the Document Size area is 6.516 and not 7 inches to give me a 9"x7" print on the 8"x10" piece of paper, then please read my article entitled "Proportions in Photography" on my Hub's Photography Tips blog site.

Clicking on OK completes this re-sizing operation. Then SAVE the image, and you're ready to print.

It's time to explain "printable area" and its relationship to Document Size. In the above example, the Document Size is the "printable area". Consequently, the pixel dimensions of the image and the Document Size are exactly the same. Document Size does NOT refer to the paper being used in the printer. It only refers to the size of the complete image that will be sent to the printer.

An example should help. Many photographers make the artistic decision to print their picture on paper larger than the image they are preparing. This layout can be accomplished in Photoshop by enlarging the entire "canvas" that the picture occupies.

Canvas Size Window in Photoshop

A function called Canvas Size under the Image pull-down menu activates the window shown above. Size values can be entered in the height and width boxes to increase the size of the canvas. It's important to remember that Canvas Size function doesn't enlarge the image. Instead it adds new canvas space AROUND the existing image.

Using the example picture, I want to print the original cropped file (14.917 inches by 10.8 inches) onto a 13"x19" piece of fine art paper. I also want to control exactly where on this large piece of paper my image will appear. To make this happen I:

• enter the new canvas width and height information into the boxes (green oval),
• instruct the computer to place my image in the center of this new canvas by clicking on the CENTER box in the Anchor selection section (blue oval), and
  
• select "white" as the color of my canvas using the canvas extension color menu

Notice that the size of this file has now increased to 81.4 megabytes -- due to adding the extra white canvas area to the file.

New 13"x19" Canvas

Now the monitor displays the original picture placed on a 13"x19 white canvas. The picture-only portion of the canvas was then moved upward on the canvas by one inch to give it the proper visual positioning for mounting.

One more time, open the Image Size window and the impact of changing the canvas size is apparent in the Document Size section.

Image Size information after the canvas was enlarged

The new Document Size is 13"x19" even though we know that the image on the canvas is 14.917 inches by 10.8 inches. The entire 13"x19" canvas is the printable area and is reflected in the Document Size. In addition the Image Size window reports that the file size is now 81.4 megabytes. So, (in the Image Size window) Document Size equals the actual image size only when the Canvas Size equals the actual image size.

2. Producing an image file for reproduction in a printed publication

OK, National Geographic Magazine has called and wants to use this picture in an upcoming issue. Happens every day. Right.

The magazine's specifications require an image with a PPI of 300. I SAVED my initial cropped and corrected image file, and it is currently sized at 14.917 inches by 10.8 inches x 240 PPI.

All I need to do is re-size the image to National Geographic's specifications.

Resizing for magazine publication

Opening the "Image Size..." window, I can change the single variable -- Resolution -- in the Document Size/Resolution box (shown in green) to 300. This time, however, I UNCHECKED the RESAMPLE box (see above). Consequently all three dimensional attributes are LOCKED together and the width and height of the image AUTOMATICALLY change to remain in proportion to new 300 PPI entry. (11.933 inches by 8.64 inches) Clicking OK will complete the change. Then SAVE the altered file under a new name. (Impress others by including the words National Geographic in the new file name.)

When the photo editor at National Geographic receives this file, it will be given final sizing as it is placed in their digital publishing program. All that's left to do is cash the check.

3. Producing an image file that can be used in a digital slide show or on the Internet

All of the images I use for Hub's photo blogs must be resized to accommodate the specifications of my visitors' monitors. This means that I must place images into my blogs that have a PPI of 72. I also limit the height and width dimensions of these images to a maximum value of 6 inches for either side. So now I have my parameters, let's convert the same picture for use on this blog site.

Resizing for Internet or Monitor Slide Shows

The original images I produce for these blogs are always larger than the image that is ultimately placed on the blog page. To reduce the size of my images, I use the "Image Size..." tool as shown above. This example picture is horizontal (wider than it is tall). I enter "6" in the width box. Because the "Constrain Proportions" box is CHECKED, the Height dimension automatically changes to 4.344 inches. I've also CHECKED the RESAMPLE IMAGE box to allow me to enter a new PPI of 72 in the RESOLUTION box (inside the green oval).

Clicking OK completes the action and results in an image with the dimensions of 6 inches by 4.344 inches by 72 PPI. I SAVE this file under a new name, and it's ready to upload to my blog page.

Note: The Resizing Golden Rule states that enlarging a picture beyond its original dimensions and PPI constraints is to be avoided. As has been stated in earlier articles on this blog, making this type of enlargement involves interpolating the image. To make this happen Photoshop and all image editing programs must "make up" digital data. In other words, in order to provide enough pixels to comply with your enlargement request, the software must "guess" what the missing pixels would have been. Photoshop is pretty good at guessing, but it's still just a guess.

So if you must enlarge a picture larger than its technical specification, do it sparingly and keep the enlargement as small as possible. In practical terms, if the file out of your camera is capable of making a horizontal print that's say 12"x9" without any interpolation at 240 PPI, can you enlarge the picture to 14" wide with the same 240 PPI without noticeable quality loss? The anwer is YES. Can you make a print that's 24" wide? The answer is again YES. But at this more extreme enlargement size, you will see a quality difference. In fact, you can make this picture ANY size you want, but the more it's enlarged the more noticeable the imperfections caused by interpolation will become.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are several ways to re-size pictures using today's image editing programs. The method explained here will be used for the majority of your work and is common to most imaging software.

If you have questions or comments regarding this primer on re-sizing digital image files, please let me know.