Easiest way to eliminate backscatter?

[Scotttyd]

Other than not causing it in the first place, what is the easiest way to remove backscatter post production using photoshop? I have used the clone tool in photoshop for specific spots, but when you have a background full of backscatter it is not always practical to use this tool, any other ideas?

 

[Larry C]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/digital-darkroom/296327-photoshop-techniques-help.html

This thread has some excellent techniques for making layer adjustments and using the history brush to isolate areas of backscatter in photoshop to get rid of the backscatter. Otherwise, I use the clone tool for small areas and the few bright dust spots. Read the other thread for much more sophisticated techniques.

 

[hammerhead man]

another option is using the healing brush in photoshop.

Regards,

Bill

 

[diverdoug1]

In photoshop, for large areas where you don't mind some loss of detail, select the area, the under noise filters, select dust & scratches repair.

 

[sharky60]

There are some Photoshop "actions" you can find on the internet that will fix backscatter, but from what I've seen they take quite a bit of sharpness out of your photo.

I generally use the healing brush almost exclusively for backscatter, occationally using clone stamp, but the healing brush works the best. It takes a lot of patience with a very "dotty" photo, but the results can be very satisfying.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

In photoshop, for large areas where you don't mind some loss of detail, select the area, the under noise filters, select dust & scratches repair.

My preferred method is dust & scratches, after using the magic wand selection tool. With the tolerance set to 20, all three boxes unchecked and completely zoomed in on some backscatter. Click the wand in the brightest part of the scatter, then shift click on the next brightest not currently selected (adding to the selection). Depending on the color/brightness of the scatters a few more shift clicks are possible.

After a good portion of the scatters are mostly selected then I use dust & scratches set to 3 & 3. Repeat on the "halos". After each D&S I like to deselect, so when I fit to screen I can click on the deselects chronologically to see if there is too much loss of detail. When I run into detail loss, back up a shift click or two with the wand and continue again.

A photo series of mine showing a quick lessoning of visible backscatter is in this thread;

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/digital-darkroom/257192-how-remove-particles-noise-dust.html

 

[Scotttyd]

I should have prefaced that I have photoshop elements. I do not have dust and scratches tool (at least I cannot find it), also is the healing brush available in elements?

 

[Scotttyd]

OK, I figured out the healing brush, but maybe I am dumb, but all it did was make it look like fogged class

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I am using Elements 4.

Filter - Noise - Dust & Scratches.

 

[parabolic]

This is just an anecdotal comment, because the other posts give excellent advice. When I saw the title of the thread I immediately started mentally composing a response, "...use your longest strobe arms, get the strobes as far away from the port as you can, aim the strobes either straight ahead or slightly outwards, explain the "cone of illumination" in front of the lens, etc. etc.". Then when I actually looked at the thread I realized that it was really all about elimination of backscatter by post-processing. I was embarassed and felt very old-fashioned. How things have changed in underwater photography in the last 30 years!!