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Alternative to Photoshop Stacking to remove people?

burstintoflame81

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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?
 
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.
 
...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.
 
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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.
 
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?
 
Here's a before and after:

LayerDemo.jpg


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.
 
AAHHHH I know exactly what you meant now. Just didnt put the text to the "effect". Thanks!
 

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