Historian Video: Cloning
By On · 27 Comments
The ability to clone is one of the fun aspects of digital photography. Cloning is a great way to add, duplicate, or remove things from your images. Done well it can be very effective, and it is much easier to do it well than you would think. Watch this video to learn how to become an expert.
Note: If you are using Memory Manager 4.0 software, the same instructions and techniques apply.
Cloning in Historian [10:26 mins]
Click to download sample images to practice on:
Looking forward to working through many of my photos. Wish I had known this trick for albums that are already printed. Of course, don’t we all wish we could go back and fix things with knowledge that we have gained in life! Thanks Shelley for all your training.
Cloning os one of the fun things digital photography offers! Don’t get too carried away though 🙂
So watching this video has helped with some of the finesse moves needed, I have a photo I am fixing for a client and it contains a pile of fall leaves. The color is horrible and so I have to rebuild a part of the photo and also adjust the color. Is this something that can be done with a clone from another photo (say a more recent fall leaf pile pic) or should I colorize the photo first and then rebuild it with the new image color?
It’s hard to say without seeing the photo. Maybe you could use Artisan, and just cut out the good part of the photo and superimpose it on a better background?
A few years ago I fixed a picture that had the top of the head cut off. Somehow I “added” to the picture and cloned the “added” portion to the picture so that I could fix the top and have a little extra instead of it being cut off. For the life of me, I can’t remember how I did it! How can I add some extra space around my picture so I can clone it in?
Thanks,
Thea
The only thing I can think is that maybe you did it in Artisan (or SBC). You can’t really add to a photo by cloning in MM or Historian. Maybe this video, although it’s not exactly on that subject, might give you some ideas. https://www.pixels2pages.net/2012/04/20/video-tidbit-cloning-in-storybook/
Thanks, Shelly. I remembered how I did it. I did do it in SBC. I added black paper around the picture, then saved it as a jpeg and brought it into MM. At that point, I could clone it. Thanks, though, for your help. I haven’t watched your recommended video above, but will in the near future!
Thea
Yep, that would work. Glad you figured it out!
I am very frustrated!!!! I know I saw how to do the lettering the way you have your “Cloning” title here. I’ve word searched and looked through p2p pics on FB to no avail. I cant get it quite right. Can you steer me to the video, I think, or maybe it was just written directions. Thanks,
This video will probably give you the info you need Mary – Click HERE
Nope that wasn’t it at all. It was either a beach scene or water and one word was repeated three or four times. Each one was slightly lighter in color and smaller but the placement of each word is what I am having trouble with. Oh, by the way didn’t know I could do all that with text on SBC!!!!!
Aha! I know exactly the one you mean! Here’s the link https://www.pixels2pages.net/2013/02/21/r2r-video-tidbit-falling-titles/
BINGO!!!!! Thank you so much!
This was awesome!! I could never get a hang of the cloning tool. I just played with your pics then tried one of my own. I was so excited I dragged my husband over to show him the before and after versions of a pic. He was very impressed. Thanks Shelley!!
Glad you found it helpful Carolyn. It’s such a fun tool when you get the hang of it 🙂
thank you . I going to start playing now. Have never got the hang of the cloning tool. but the possibilities are endless. My subscription has just paid for itself with this awesome video. thank you once again
Great video! This explains so much that I didn’t understand before. Thank you for including practice photos; it’s helpful to be able to practice with the same examples. I’m looking forward to learning about the magnification slider & cloning from a different image.
Wonderful! I use the clone tool quite a bit, but never with the finesse that you showed us today. I’ll be referring back to this video often. I can’t tell you the numbers of photos we’ve taken while traveling when we could never get a clear shot of a building due to people in the photo. Thank you!
Wouldn’t it be nice if all the other tourists went home & let us take the photos we want 🙂
Outstanding video! I do use the cloning tool quite a bit, but have had trouble with objects with straight lines (like the stairs in your one example). I am so excited to try out the lining up trick you indicated. Thanks for yet another fantastic explanation of a powerful tool in our software!
Thank you Tara 🙂 That trick makes it so much easier!
Hi Shelley: With the help of your video, I was finally able to understand the relationship between the starting point and where the cloned area was to “wind up”. However, I will look at the video again — I am somewhat confused about the last photo where you removed the man in the photo who would not “leave”. You are much quicker than my eyes could follow. I will need to study how you changed the starting points to make the seamless transition from steps to grass.
Thanks for any additional input.
Watch again Linda – the cool thing is that I didn’t need to change the starting points! It’s the bit most people struggle to get their heads around. If you download that picture and have a play, I’m sure you’ll grasp the concept.
Thanks, Shelley, for this video. I have used cloning a lot, but found it difficult to get lines straight. Now, I know why. I practiced on your photos and they turned out very well. What is the point of the magnification slider? I have never been able to find a use for it.
Great question Ruth, but you might have to wait for my next video to find the answer 😛 (Hint: It is more useful when cloning from a different image)
I just started to request a video of cloning from another image. It looks like you are planning it. 🙂 Thanks, these are so helpful.
Yes, that one is definitely in the works Vicki. Glad you’re finding them useful.