How to Remove Dust, Specks, and Blemishes from Photos Using Photoshop

When restoring old photographs using Photoshop, often dust, specks, and blemishes disfigure otherwise beautiful works of art. This article will explain a few easy methods for removing these imperfections.

Open your photograph using Adobe Photoshop. The tools used in this article should be available no matter which version of Photoshop is used. Find the problem area on the photograph with dusk and specks. Use the zoom tool to take a closer look at the area.

If the imperfection is small and also if the background is mostly a solid color with minimal texture, the smudge tool may be used to make a speck of dust or a blemish disappear.

Some areas of the photo may have too much texture or definition and the smudge tool will not work without leaving an obvious trail. For areas like these, use the lasso tool and copy portions of the background which look similar to what the area behind the blemish should look like. Copy a piece of the background and then paste and move it into place. Some rotation or scaling may need to be done to complete the edit.

For areas where you want to blend similar tones, while leaving the pixels intact, try using the "Clone Stamp Tool."  Select this tool and then left-click an area that you would like to clone and then release.  Hold ALT and left-click in a nearby area to apply the cloned pixels to that area.  This tool takes some getting used to, but the results are worth it.

Continue these methods until the picture is free of dust, specks, and blemishes. Zoom in close and inspect the photo for mistakes. Adjust contrast and color balance as needed.

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How to Make Objects Disappear from Photos Using Photoshop

Otherwise perfect photographs are often obstructed by unwanted objects or people. It is possible to hide these unwanted invaders from the naked eye forever!

Open the picture that requires editing. Study the image and determine which objects should be removed. Let's assume that the offending object is a person. Analyze the area all around that person. Are they casting shadows? Are they blocking a person or object that will be difficult to recreate? Assuming the background is not too "busy", it may not be difficult to remove the person from this picture.

Although it is tempting to use the smudge tool in Photoshop to just wipe background colors over this person, it would be very obvious to people viewing the photo that some edit has occurred. The intent of this article is to teach users how to wipe a person or object completely from existence without leaving evidence that they were ever present in the photo. Pick a point to start removing the person and zoom in close to that area using the "zoom tool."

Now, select the "lasso tool" from the tools menu and copy a small section of the background from just beside the person. To do this, click and hold the left mouse button down and drag the lasso around the portion of the background that you would like to select and copy. On the menu at the top, choose "Edit" and then "Copy" (you may also press Ctrl+C) This will save the selection to the clipboard. Now choose "Edit" again and then click "Paste." A copy of the selection will be added to the picture on a new layer. It may not be immediately visible as it is usually pasted directly on top of the original spot.

Select the "move tool" and click and hold the left mouse button anywhere inside the photo. As you move the mouse, you will see the small piece of pasted background begin to move around. Position this piece over the person in the area just beside where the selection was copied in a way that gives the background the appearance of a natural flow. Now, click "Layer" from the menu at the top and then select "flatten image." This will combine the layers that have been pasted with the background image. Repeat this step a few times, placing the pieces of background over different parts of the person. Be sure to pay attention to changes in the background. If there is a shadow or a change of color, you will need to follow this change closely so as not to draw attention to your edits. It may be necessary to rotate or change the size of the pasted item to make it blend well. These options are available under the "Edit" menu and then "Transform."

It may be necessary to create new portions of the background using existing pieces. Be creative. It becomes easier with practice to manipulate photos. Just remember to use the copy/paste method and minimal smudging. If the background has texture, it will look more natural to keep that texture intact.


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