Do you ever use the Content Aware Fill tool in Photoshop? I tend to forget about this option, but it can be a really helpful tool! Let’s take a look at it today.

The Content Aware Fill tool is available in both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. You will find it in the top menu bar under: Edit > Fill > Content Aware.

Example #1:

Content Aware Tutorial by SnickerdoodleDesigns

Original Photo. Let’s remove the little boy.

I love how the little boy in this photo is running with such freedom and joy. (Does anyone know who this is?)  But what if we wanted to see just the two men walking on this path?

Step #1: Make a selection of the little boy using the Lasso tool. A loose selection is fine.

 Content Aware Tutorial by SnickerdoodleDesigns

A loose selection is made around the little boy.

Step #2: Go to the top menu bar: Edit > Fill. Choose Content Aware in the Contents box:

 Content Aware Tutorial by SnickerdoodleDesigns

Edit > Fill > Content Aware

Click OK and let Photoshop work its magic!

Content Aware Tutorial by SnickerdoodleDesigns

End result!

Photoshop analyzes the pixels around the object you have selected for removal and fills in the selected area with those pixels.  It works perfectly in photos such as this.

When you wish to remove a person or object that is close to defined edges or areas in a photo, Photoshop has a more difficult time. In these instances, this tool doesn’t always work perfectly; and you might need to try another tool to achieve your desired result.

Example #2:

This is a photo I took in China. Let’s remove the boat in the photo.

Content Aware Tutorial by SnickerdoodleDesigns

Let’s remove the boat in this photo.

Using the same process noted above, I selected the boat, used the Content Aware Fill tool, and this is the final result:

 Content Aware Tutorial by SnickerdoodleDesigns

Final Result

The Content Aware Fill Tool did not work very well with this photo because of the defined edges of the cement dock, and the differences in the color of the water.

When you have the “right” photo, the Content Aware Tool can save you a lot of time. Try it as your first option, when you wish to remove an object from a photo, and see how it works for you!

You may download a PDF of this tutorial here:  Content Aware Fill Tutorial

You may watch a You Tube video on the SnickerdoodleDesigns Channel or the Digital Scrapbooking Studio Channel! Subscribe to both, so you don’t miss a thing!

 

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