Object Removal Techniques When Editing Real Estate Photos
Have you ever come across small items within the image that you would like to literally take out of the picture? If you haven’t encountered such a feeling or task in editing real estate photos, then you either have been lucky to get a really clean property or you’re not doing this job right. See, photo editing for real estate brings the essence of making the photo look way better than it originally was when it was first taken from the camera. Real estate photo editing apps will always carry such tools and techniques to enable you to remove even the smallest blemishes in the scene. With all of these available, you may wonder if you only need on, a couple, or all of them.
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But as you may find, not everything should be removed from the photo. It is something that you must use as a clean-up technique rather than a primary transformation technique. Editing real estate photos must still end up being realistic while carrying a higher level of appeal. This implies that boundaries are to be followed as well as rules that dictate what should be and what shouldn’t and at the end of the day, leaves room for creativity in achieving the end goal.
How Do You Edit a Picture to Remove an Object?
Object removal in editing real estate photos might require precision and a steady hand. It is a sensitive task that should leave no trace of change which the potential buyer could see as a point of contention when it comes to photo authenticity. Photo editing for real estate involving object removal then take into account the following qualities when being executed.
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Scan the photo ahead
It will be good to practice in every photo editing technique for real estate, the effort of planning before executing. Give the photo a good look, see where you believe will require the human touch, and plan which tool to use. Some might require heavy hitters in terms of tools but others simply won’t so you may want to conserve effort by discerning which proper tool to use for the situation.
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Make the necessary changes
Execution is the most important part of object removal. As mentioned, it is one of those aspects of editing real estate photos that have to be seamless. Any hint of manipulation will leave doubts in the minds of prospective buyers, leaving them a bad taste in the mouth. Here, you must think about making the changes look natural as well. If you patch up an object to cover it but use another part of the image to do so, it could look obvious and so little tweaks here and there are required.
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Retouch and retouch
For the most part, you must be able to retouch what you’ve done. Editing real estate photos will require you to change perhaps the opacity, borders, color, and the works, to be able to make sure that the void that you’ve left in object removal will look like nothing was there in the first place and the scene looks pristine. Retouching might also require you to locally adjust lighting and thus a whole plethora of tools must be used in achieving this goal.
What Tools are Available to Use?
Depending on the degree of change that needs to happen, you are enabled by the tools of most real estate photo editing apps. Thing is, you may not need to use them all. If you choose to, you may end up exerting more effort that you might need to.
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Clone Stamp Tool
The clone stamp tool for Adobe Photoshop is just one iteration of a replicating tool. It copies the color of another part of the same picture and covers up the object you point it on. It gets the pixels for it to operate this way and copy it on top of the item you want removed, making it a great tool for editing real estate photos especially for larger objects that might require more time to do should you use other tools.
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Spot Healing Brush Tool
This is a version of the clone stamp tool meant for smaller specks or blemishes. It works the same way, taking pixels from another part of the image and applying it over the minute particle. The difference with the first tool for object removal in editing real estate photos is the principle of how it works. Since it applies to small objects, the assignment of pixels is automatically assigned to the nearest or the ones around it. This makes it an easier tool to use as it takes on this part for you because it wouldn’t make sense not to cover it up to look like it was part of the bigger object.
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Lasso Tools
Here, you get three options to make editing real estate photos a breeze in this aspect. First is the standard lasso tool which finds its way around an object you want to remove by the instruction of your hand. The second offering is the polygonal lasso tool, which by its name, suggests that it can easily enclose objects with straight edges, no matter how many sides there are. Finally, there is the magnetic lasso tool which follows your object the best way it can. The usefulness of the last type enables you to use it on more complex objects, giving you that assist you need to enclose that easily.
Where Do You Use Them?
The most common objects that you might find yourself using these tools for editing real estate photos are distractions. They may include animals in the photo, people walking by, garbage, cars, and the list goes on. What you want is for your potential buyers to focus on what you are selling, and this is the property. A subset of this is clutter. It will be good to expect that any property is not always vacant during the time it is being sold and there could be traces of occupancy which the previous owner may have left scattered around.
Final Thoughts
This is only a glimpse of the object removal techniques in editing real estate photos that are out there. Many of the tools are left undiscovered for you to find out as the process is enjoyable and allows you to learn in the process. Try it for yourself and experience the fun of uncovering such tools and techniques.
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