Tutorial: AKVIS Retoucher

Lioness in a Cage: Remove Iron Rods

The plug-ins AKVIS Retoucher and AKVIS MultiBrush are efficient for photo restoration tasks. They can be applied to restore old damaged photos or to remove a date stamp or an unwanted object, like a finger that covered the lens when shooting or an irrelevant object that spoils the shot.

This tutorial illustrates the second case: we will use AKVIS tools to remove the cage rods from the photo below.

• Step 1. Open the image in your photo editor.

  You can apply the plug-ins and repeat the tutorial with one of the following photo editing software: Adobe Photoshop, Corel Photo-Paint, Paint Shop Pro, Ulead PhotoImpact, ACD Photo Editor or Macromedia Fireworks.

• Step 2. Select the rods with any selection tool. Do not forget to select the shades as well.

  Every photo editor has its own selection tools, use the one you like.

  
• Step 3. Call the plug-in AKVIS Retoucher by selecting the command AKVIS -> Retoucher from the menu Filter (Effects) of your photo editor. You will see the plug-in's program window; the selected area will be highlighted in red.
  
• Step 4. Start the retouching process by pressing the button in the toolbar. The red mask disappears giving place to restored areas.
  
• Step 5. When the retouching process is over, press the button .
  

  The result is not completely satisfying: Retoucher spared us the time that we could spend on removing the rods manually, but it failed to restore the nose and the hair is not even.

  
• Step 6. We will touch up the photo with AKVIS MultiBrush (ex AKVIS Stamp).

  AKVIS MultiBrush has a cloning tool similar to Healing Brush Tool of Adobe Photoshop. It is the Chameleon Brush tool (in the old versions when the plugin called AKVIS Stamp the tool had the name Stamp).

  The Chameleon Brush tool does not only clone an image fragment but also adjusts the "patch" to the background - smoothes its edges and adapts its colors to the new environment.

  Call the MultiBrush plugin from the menu item Filter (Effects).

  Replace the damaged areas with other fragments from the same image. Set the source for cloning with the left click keeping the key Alt (Option in Macintosh) pressed. Then just draw over the "seams" on the hair of the lioness with the Chameleon Brush tool.

  Here is the result.

  
• Step 7. We didn't use the Chameleon Brush for restoration of the lioness's nose. It's better to use for this purpose the Clone Stamp in AKVIS MultiBrush. You can also find this standard cloning tool in any image editor.

  The Clone Stamp tool can clone a part of an image from one part and into another while maintaining the original color palette, shadows, textures, illumination and other characteristics of the cloned part

  The difference between the Clone Stamp Tool and Chameleon Brush is that the first clones an area as it is, while second adjusts the "patch" to the background making the cloning seamless. As for the nose of the lioness, one should use the standard cloning tool to keep the edges of the nose clear; the Chameleon Brush would make it smear.

  Here is the final photo of the lioness: the rods are removed.