Can Lightroom remove unwanted objects at the edges of a white background?
Asked 1/26/2014
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2 answers
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I photographed a subject on a white background, but the backdrop didn’t fill the whole frame, so objects at the left and right edges are visible. In Photoshop I could remove those areas and leave a clean white background, but I need to do it in Lightroom. Is there a Lightroom tool or workflow that lets me paint or clone those edge areas to white?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
6
It's hard to say if this is easily doable in Lightroom without a sample image, but I think there are two ways to do this. The used tools are found in the Develop module.
Spot removal
- Click the spot removal icon:
- Set the brush type to clone:
Adjust parameters to your liking. A good start is: feather = 10, size = 50, opacity = 100.
Now click on the background which you want removed, and make sure it uses the white background as the clone source. If necessary drag the source region (circle with arrow pointing out) to a more suitable place. Repeat until all your unwanted background is replaced by the white background..
Graduated filter
- Click the graduated filter icon:
- At the sides create a mask covering the unwanted background and let the mask overlap the white background a bit.
- Turn the exposure, contrast, highlights and shadows up.
- Turn clarity and saturation down.
This should blow out the unwanted background to white, blending nicely with the already existing white background.
If none of these methods work Photoshop is the way to go.
Originally by user9161. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user9161
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—within limits. In Lightroom, the usual approach is to use the Spot Removal tool in Clone mode and treat each unwanted edge area as a large “spot.” Sample from the clean white background, then adjust the source area as needed so the edges blend naturally. A low feather and full opacity are a reasonable starting point.
You may also be able to use a Graduated Filter over the side areas and push them toward white, but that’s more of a workaround than a true object removal method.
If the unwanted areas are large or complex, Lightroom can be awkward because it’s designed more for non-destructive corrections than heavy retouching. In those cases, cropping may be the easiest Lightroom-only fix, and Photoshop is still the better tool for a clean, precise result.
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