How To Build A Better Cat...

[Jay Beckman]

SOOC


Finished Image


Photoshop CS6 Layers


NOTE: Layer #2 (from the top) needs a Layer Property of "Luminance" in order for the B&W layer to work its magic...  Also, IIRC, I took a 50% Luminance brush and by painting over the concrete areas, dialed back the texture effect generated by the B&W Layer.

Prior to exporting the image to CS6, I performed basic adjustments (crop, leveling, WB, Exposure and Sharpening in LR4 .. The SOOC wasn't quite so rough looking leaving LR4.)

[Joe Copalman]

Very nice.  Aside from some "ghosting" of the telephone lines, the finished product is much better than the original, yet still looks natural.

On the ghosting thing, I've started using a lower intensity on the clone setting (usually between 60-70%) and making a few passes instead of one pass at a higher intensity (80%+).  Makes the effect much more subtle and natural-looking, especially in blended sky/background situations.

[Jay Beckman]

Good thinking on the wire removal...

Despite all the advances in cloning, content aware fill (and now content aware MOVE!), long, straight, thin lines are still a PITA to deal with...

I probably should have zoomed in farther and worked in smaller chunks.  Need to revisit that...

[jslugman]

Nice Jay!!!!