Leave it or Clone it Out?

Ysarex

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From my walk to the grocery store. My mother used to tell me that every injury of your youth would be back to visit you in your old age -- I think I just took a picture of that.

Anyway -- can't decide on the obvious cloning job. If you can't see it then the answer is leave it.

Joe

rusty.jpg
 
Out damn spot!
 
I see it but it doesn't detract from the image.

Does it add?

Joe

For me it does. I like unexpected elements, and the nail clearly breaks the vertical pattern of the image but in a good way. The whole image is about the shapes and color and texture, and the sudden round nail adds even more texture.
 
The nail provides dissonance (in a good way!) in a composition that's heavily dependent upon repetition. To me, it also adds verisimilitude. I say leave it in. Definitely, leave it be!
 
Does it add?

No but for me neither does the left 20% of the image. I like it the way it is.

Clone/healing things out like this. I don't get it. If the nail were painted or not looking like it belonged I could get behind removing it but in this case it's something you'll notice but it makes sense to be there.
 
When faced with something like this, I usually ask myself... if I was working with a different medium... like oils or pastels, would I have added it? It helps remind me that I have the same control with photographs and can place any element (or not) wherever I wish.

Personally, I like the nail head. It helps me realize just what I'm looking at. The one thing I am tempted to do is a very wee bit of distorting at the bottom left corner so that the left ridge of the metal is as perfectly plumb as the rest.

-Pete
 
From my walk to the grocery store.
Frankly, this composition has so many other ways to go that worrying about one nail head is "straining".

For me, the brightness of the area to the left of the nail is more distracting. And then I begin to look at other things. You've cropped some of the vertical stains top and bottom, and included a bit too much on the left side.

If you have any more image to work with, try a vertical or square format and simply crop the nail off the edge. So now maybe it's more abstract?

rusty - Version 2.jpg
 
Last edited:
Second (or fourth) look makes me think I should have deleted a ridge off the right side as well.

Like this:

rusty - Version 2 (1).jpg
 
Leave it ... yes it adds ... it disrupts ... it disturbs ... it brings realty into a subtly mesmerizing image. One's imagination kicks in the moment of viewing ... a visual voice recording, seismic activity, warp speed Scotty, as the viewer gets warm and snuggle and far away ... there's the nail bringing them back to reality. The nail is mean, it is unwanted, it is a keeper.
 

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