In this first installment of the PhotoChopping tutorials, we're going to learn how to use tools to remove objects from an original image. Here is the one I'll be working with...

Notice that dangerous group of ethnic minorities in the center of the image? Well, let's go right ahead and remove them. Here's my final product...

First start by duplicating your layer, so you have a reference, and in case you mess up in any way, you've always got the original layer right below. Then go and select the Clone Stamp tool, or press S to make it active.

The Clone Stamp tool is very powerful if you use it wisely, since there are a few things to keep in mind when using it.

Be aware that using a large brush, especially one with faded edges will be hard to get into tight places. Also, what I like to do is "re-alt" as much as I can...

The Clone Stamp tool works by taking a sample of one part of the image, and cloning it somewhere else. To get the first sample clone, press and hold "Alt" and then click somewhere you want to clone. Then release.

Now you've got a bit of picture cloned, meaning that whenever you brush, you're actually brushing from the area you've told the Clone Stamp by "Alt-ing".

I started from the bottom, and slowly started brushing up towards that border in the road. Then I began from the top, also stopping at the top of the same border.

This is where you have to start using the smaller finer brush, so shadows and such don't look too blurred. Also, feel free to grab and clone bits of the guys right foot for his left foot. Now we need to find a way to make that border cover what we've got left.

Press L for your Lasso Tool.
This will require you to draw around the bit of boarder there is, and then pressing Ctrl + C , effectively copying it. What I did then was hit Ctrl + V , then moved the new strips (in its newly created layer) into the spot it should be normally. Do this until you have enough strips covering what's left.

Once you're doing covering that area with what you've copied and pasted, you should have about three layers. This next step is partially based on preference, so it's up to you. I decided to flatten those newly made layers down onto the layer below, effectively bringing it all back to one single layer image.

To flatten down those layers, all you need to do is select the first top layer and press Ctrl + E until all are done.

Then final thing I did was take the Sharpen Tool, press the R key to bring it up, and sharpened some of the duller looking areas.

That's it! This concludes the first session. :)

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