Alternative to Photoshop Stacking to remove people?

burstintoflame81 · Jan 2, 2010

I recently read about the method of stacking photos in photoshop to remove people from the scene. ( I also assume you can do the reverse to add sequential motion by compositing one scene? ) Anyway, I have CS4 but not the master edition. I was told that you cannot use the stack feature in this version. Is there another cheap software ( preferably freeware ) that could do this simply for me?

Dwig · Jan 3, 2010

You can use the stacking technique perfectly well in the regular version of PS and have been for quite some time. The only thing special about CS4/Master is that it automates the process.

To do it in the regular CS4, or older versions, you simply place each image on a separate layer, manually align the images (this is the hard part if you didn't use a tripod), add a layer mask to each layer except the background, and then paint on the layer masks to accomplish the effect.

TokZik · Jan 3, 2010

...i just use redraw the image over the person... only 1 image needed.
depending on how much of the image the person takes up will depend on me bothering or not... but 9x's out of 10 its pretty simple.

burstintoflame81 · Jan 3, 2010

Well I would definately use a tripod. So if I am understanding correctly, I would just paint with 100% brush strength and basically paint out the objectes? It wouldn't matter if I got the borders perfectly because the background would show through ( which if lined up perfectly would be the same anyway minus the person ) ?

I guess I was mainly asking about the automated version but didn't really think it would be as easy to do manually. I thought I would have to actually select each person and refine the selection and try to remove them that way.

Thanks for the help.

1limited92 · Jan 3, 2010

I have worked around Photoshop/Gimp but am unfamiliar with Photo Stacking or at least the term. Anybody have any examples or Before and After?

Dwig · Jan 3, 2010

Here's a before and after:

The top two images were layered in PS with Shot A on the upper layer. I added a layer mask to that upper layer and used a soft edged Brush at 100% to paint on the mask where the two people, indicated in red, were. This revieled the "blank" area in the lower layer, Shot B. The unmasked areas of Shot A hid the people in Shot B. The lower image is the result.

These are the left image set of a rejected set of images intended as a stereo pair. They were to be paired with another combined pair of right eye images. They were done handheld. The alignment iss adequate for this demo but a small amount of difference in camera tilt prevented the final stereo pair from being successful. Its on the list to be reshot with a tripod (probably a monopod clamped to my bicycle, one "pod" and two wheels).

For the curious, its a shot of what is now the Clinton Market in Key West FL. The building began life as a military storage bunker, at various times storing coal and/or munitions. It is one of the oldest structures on the island.